The National Resident Matching Program® does an excellent job of amassing and publishing relevant data regarding the Match. Their most useful information is found in the NRMP Program Director Survey and Charting Outcomes of the Match. The organization recently published Results of the 2015 NRMP Applicant Survey. While the information is less strategic for candidates making application decisions, it’s still pretty interesting to see what factors students use in deciding where to apply (geography is more important than reputation in general) and where to rank. It’s worth a look.
Blog Archives
How and When to Choose your Specialty
Check out this featured Student Doctor Network piece by Dr. David Presser and me called Choosing a Specialty:The Generalist vs. the Early-Committer. It’s valuable for anyone in college through the third year of medical school (maybe more).
Medical School and Residency Interviews: Let Your Story Show Your Glory
With medical school and residency interview seasons approaching, it’s critical that you create a strategy to optimally manage the process. Remember that interviews are a persuasive endeavor – not simply a chance to introduce yourself. You need to use examples of your accomplishments to convince the interviewer of your worthiness.
Take a look at this short piece I wrote to get you on the right track fast.
Working for Satisfaction, $, or Both?
Here’s a thoughtful New York Times article on work satisfaction, the influence of compensation on decision-making, and human motivation that has many applications to a career in medicine.
Tags: Doctors, New York Times
Do Interviews Matter?
Yes!For residency candidates: The NRMP Program Directors’ Survey makes it very clear that interviews matter a lot, which was also my experience as an Assistant Residency Director. I recall very robust conversations about even small comments candidates made during their interviews, some of which affected their ranking on our Match list.
For medical school applicants: Although there is controversy over how much college interviews matter, even skeptics acknowledge that graduate school interviews make a difference in the application process. In this NYT piece, two former interviewers strongly advise conducting mock interviews and being prepared for “curve ball” questions.
Remember: If you’re well-prepared, once you get your foot in the door, you can make a strong impression about the worthiness of your candidacy.
Tags: Interviews, Medical School, NRMP
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
Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on The Visible Voices podcast:
Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:
Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the FeminEm podcast: