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Improving Your Medical Residency Application: Tips for Obtaining Optimal Letters of Recommendation

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Matching to a residency program through the NRMP® (National Resident Matching Program) is a competitive endeavor. Even top-tier candidates can have difficulty getting PGY-1 (post graduate year one) positions in many specialties. Those that do match may not get their first or second choices, leaving them in suboptimal locations or programs. Consequently, the submission of an excellent residency application is crucial.

The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®) is a centralized program that transmits applications, letters of recommendation (LOR) and other supporting credentials from the applicant to program directors using the Internet. Most residency programs now use ERAS®, although a few use individualized applications. Read more ›

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Business School Applications

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There’s a recent NYT article on the lessening interest in business school compared to years past. The decline is not severe, but I suspect that competitive candidates who considered business school in the past may now consider medical school, as being a physician is seen as a stable career choice in these uneasy times. As I’ve mentioned before, I think the poor economy may make medical school admissions rougher.

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Medical Students Posting Profanity

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Check out the recent article in the NYT regarding a JAMA study that demonstrates a surprisingly high number of medical students who post profanity online. It’s kind of a strange research question, but makes for some good conversation.

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Law School Admissions

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My friend and colleague Ann Levine recently published a comprehensive book called The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert. Although the book targets a different applicant pool, medical school, residency and fellowship candidates may find the sections on writing an excellent personal statement and getting the best letters of recommendation helpful. Check out Ann’s book here.

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Interview Strategies: Why Did You Interview at this Time?

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Most medical school, residency and fellowship applicants schedule their interviews according to convenience and cost, but you may be asked why you arranged your interview so early or so late in the season. The real concern behind this question is that you are interviewing early because you are using the institution for a practice session or that you are interviewing late because you had considered leaving the institution to the end in case you wanted to cancel.

Reassure the interviewer that you are serious about the program. If you are interviewing early you might say, “As soon as I was offered an invitation I took the opportunity to visit because I am very enthused about this institution.” If late, you might say, “I wanted to maximally prepare for this interview because I am very interested in being here.”

Contact me soon for mock interview assistance. I am scheduling two to three weeks in advance.

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital. She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on The Visible Voices podcast: 

 

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:

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