Blog Archives

Call me anytime

medical school application and residency applicationI recommend that if you have not heard from medical school, residency or fellowship programs to which you’ve applied, that you contact the institutions to inquire about your status.

After offering that advice to a client recently, she emailed me this week to say she obtained an interview in a competitive specialty with a call. Another said she received two preliminary interviews with simple emails. (I recommend calls over emails, however, because it’s hard to ignore someone on the other end of a phone line.

Still, if you simply can’t bring yourself to call, an email can be effective.) In years’ past I’ve seen this phone call strategy work for fellowship and medical school interviews as well.

Of course, if the school or program explicitly asks in written materials that you don’t contact them about your status, then calling is not a good idea.

Tags: , , , ,

Fellowship Admission

Matching to a fellowship program is a competitive endeavor. Even strong residents can have difficulty getting fellowship positions in certain sub specialties. Those candidates that do match may not get their first or second choices, leaving them in suboptimal locations or programs. Consequently, professional fellowship admissions consulting has become increasingly important in optimizing fellowship applications, improving candidates’ chances of being admitted into the sub specialty programs they desire. Read more ›

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fellowship Interview Advice

Matching to a fellowship program through the NRMP® (National Resident Matching Program) or other means is a competitive endeavor. Even strong applicants can have difficulty getting positions in many subspecialties. Those that do match may not get their top choices, leaving them in suboptimal programs and locations.

Consequently, optimizing your performance during the fellowship interview is critical. But what are fellowship directors looking for during the interview process?

First, they are seeking someone distinctive. Your goal is to distinguish yourself from all of the other applicants by showcasing your accomplishments. Anyone can say s/he is intelligent or goal oriented. Fewer candidates can prove it. Read more ›

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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

Receive FREE Insider Medical Admissions Tips.

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

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the FeminEm podcast: