Home › Posts tagged Residency Application › Page 7
Blog Archives

Some People Have Real Problems

Posted on by by
The residency and medical school application processes are anxiety-provoking, but in honor of Thanksgiving, I’m posting this guest blog from CrispyDoc David Presser about a truly stressful, heartbreaking choice a patient recently had to make…

Years ago, I bought an album because the title caught my eye: Some People Have Real Problems. I was browsing used CDs in a music store back when both of those existed, and I felt the universe trying to restore perspective to my personal pity party.

Fast forward a decade, and I had fallen off the wagon again into whining doctor mode: headed into my second weekend night shift in as many days. The first night had been a killer, where the spigot of patients opened to a steady gush around 1 A.M. and all four of the late shift docs stayed several hours past the end of their shift to flush the proverbial toilet that our waiting room had become.
Tags: , ,

Your Residency Application: What Do Program Directors Really Want?

Posted on by by

Imagine that you’re a program director (PD) going through scores of ERASes and interviews. What questions would you ask yourself as you assessed each residency candidate to avoid big headaches?

1) Can this person do the job? Is s/he competent?

2) Will this person “play well with others” and not create complaints from patients, faculty, or other services.

3) Will this person stick with the program and not leave prematurely? A PD does not want to scurry around to fill an open call schedule/ residency slot.

As you approach your interviews, consider how you can demonstrate your competence and collegiality, as well as your commitment to the field and the residency program. For the former, ensure you showcase academic successes, extra curricular activities that demonstrate teamwork, and – if asked – hobbies and reading materials that demonstrate your personality. For the latter, highlight research projects in the specialty, sub-internships, and knowledge about the program and city.

Making sure the PD knows you are not going to cause him/her trouble is at least half the battle.

Tags: , ,

ERAS 2018 Timeline: Don’t Lose the Forest for the Trees

Posted on by by

As many of you well know, September 6 was the date that candidates could start applying to ACGME-accredited residency programs (and September 15 will be the date that ACGME-accredited residency programs start receiving applications). I am a big fan of getting your ERAS in on the early side: It demonstrates commitment, and when I was reviewing applications as an Assistant Residency Director, I found my workload was lighter earlier, allowing me more time to spend on those initial applications.

Having said that, do not over focus on an early application such that your written materials are suboptimal. Every year I encounter panicked candidates who want to submit their poorly written documents simply to get them in, shooting themselves in the proverbial foot.

Find a balance. Yes, submitting early is wise, but not at the expense of your candidacy’s success.
Tags: , ,

How to Draft a Strategic Residency Personal Statement

Posted on by by

Each year residency applicants ask me if they need to showcase their accomplishments in their residency personal statements if they’ve already drafted strong ERAS activities sections. The simple answer is yes.

First, remember that you don’t know at what part of your application the readers will be starting. If a residency director peruses your personal statement first and it’s thin and boring, you’ll have lost that reader from the beginning.

Also, note that the faculty members seeing your application are reading many more ERASes than just yours. If you only mention an important achievement once in your application, the program director might simply forget your accomplishment. After all, s/he is reading hundreds of similar applications. Your readers need to be reminded several times of your candidacy’s strengths. (You’ll mention those accomplishments again in your interviews.)

To a program director who hasn’t yet met you, you are what you’ve done. You need to use substantive examples of your achievements to demonstrate your worthiness for a potential residency position. Evidence is persuasive; use it!

Tags: , ,

Residency Match!

Posted on by by
Congratulations to so many successful Insider Medical Admissions applicants in dermatology, plastic surgery, internal medicine, psychiatry, anesthesia… and many others. You should feel good about your hard work.

And speaking of hard work… It’s time for third year medical students (and graduated IMGs) to get started on a plan for this coming Match season. As of this writing, I have a few Strategy Sessions slots left in April. Advising discussion topics at this time of year should include creating a fourth year schedule, if/where to do away rotations, potential letter writers, crafting an outline for a personal statement, understanding how to write solid ERAS activity descriptors, reviewing an individual’s prospects in a desired field – using data, and producing a timeline for the application process. Also, note that some applicants contact me to discuss their current indecision about what field to pursue, and that’s fine too; those conversations should happen soon.

Here is a list of my residency services. Contact me for help.

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.

Sign Up

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

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