RESIDENCY APPLICATION AND MATCH PROCESS

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RESIDENCY APPLICATION AND MATCH PROCESS

• Class of 2009

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Specialty Choice

• Undecided do those rotations early
• CiM web site www.aamc.org/students/cim
• Book Isersons Getting Into a Residency
• Book First Aid for the Match
• http//www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties
• Consider what the specialty is like outside of
  UMC (talk to outside physicians)

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Specialty Choice

• Know the negative aspects of the specialty you
  are considering
• Take advice given to you re a specialty from
  individuals outside that specialty with a grain
  of salt
• IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT A GIVEN SPECIALTY IS ALL
  ABOUT TALK TO PEOPLE WHO PRACTICE THAT
  SPECIALITY

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Specialty Choice

• There are more GME positions than there are
  American Graduates to fill them!
• Some overestimate the competitiveness of their
  specialty
• There are only 10 students in the top ten
• Can go through this process applying to more than
  one specialty

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Application / Match

• Application
• ERAS
• SF Match
• AUA Match
• Military

• Match Program
• NRMP
• SF Match NRMP
• AUA Match NRMP
• Military

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ERASElectronic Residency Application Service

• 60.00 to register and apply to 10 programs
• Number of Programs Per Specialty
• Up to 10 60 11-20 8 each
• 21-30 15 each 31 or more 25 each
• Registration opens July 1 Kay will remind you
• ERAS www.aamc.org/eras
• Generate a password that no one else will know
• No spell check print out and proof
• Save a hard copy and electronic version

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NRMPNational Residency Matching Program

• All students register opens August 15
• Keep the name you use when you register!
• 40.00 to register
• NRMP www.nrmp.org
• Rank Order List due in February
• Match Day - third week in March

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NRMPNational Residency Matching Program

• Types of positions C, P, A, R
• Categorical (C) programs that begin in the
  PGY-1 year and provide the training required for
  board certification in medical specialties.
• Advanced (A) programs that begin in the PGY-2
  year after a year of prerequisite training.
• Preliminary (P) one-year programs beginning in
  the PGY-1 year that provide prerequisite training
  for advanced programs.
• Physician (R) programs that are reserved for
  physicians who have had prior graduate medical
  education. Physician programs are not available
  to senior U.S. medical students.

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San Francisco Early Match

• Neurosurgery and Ophthalmology
• Cost 100.00
• www.sfmatch.org
• Materials due late August/early Sept
• Save all your materials in an electronic format

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AUA American Urological Association

• Urology match
• Some programs use ERAS few have separate
  application
• Cost 75.00
• Urology www.auanet.org

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Military Match

• Programs use ERAS
• ROL due date will be given to student by Military
• Match results published December

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Application Materials

• REMEMBER THAT YOUR APPLICATION REPRESENTS YOU
• First impressions go a long way
• BE NEAT, PROMPT, USE CORRECT GRAMMAR, CHECK YOUR
  SPELLING
• Problems in these areas will indicate to the
  program director that you are sloppy, pay little
  attention to detail, are disorganized, lazy etc
• The Program Director looks for clues to your
  character, personality, and style in the
  application itself
• This is an email process use official school
  address / DO NOT USE A CUTE or CLEVER EMAIL
  ADDRESS

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Application Components

• CV Personal Statement
• Color Photo 2 ½ by 3 ½
• Transcript from registrars office
• Letters of Recommendation
• USMLE Scores - Select on ERAS to have USMLE
  scores sent automatically
• (Find your USMLE score reports and keep them in a
  safe place)

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ERAS / Common Application Form

• USMLE Scores
• Research/Publication
• Volunteer Work
• Work Experience
• Language Proficiency
• Previous Residency Training
• ACLS indicate yes

• Name, address, phone, email
• School name, location
• Citizenship/Race/Ethnicity
• Felony Conviction
• Entire Education History
• Awards/Honors

• AOA - we will not know our AOA seniors when you
  start your application leave it blank go back
  and add it in when the determinations have been
  made

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Program Directors May Use ERAS

• Interview Management
• Scoring anything
• Interview scoring
• SORTING / FILTERING

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Photograph

• Professionally done and recent
• Professional Dress tie for men
• No tux no scrubs no rock-climbing
• Bring to Kay to scan into ERAS

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Curriculum Vitae

• Be careful be accurate
• 2 versions
• Hard copy version is for your letter writers
• Electronic version on ERAS is for application
• For Hard copy
• Use white paper
• Recommended font size is 12
• CAN be more than one page

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Curriculum Vitae

• Provide information to include in the MSPE
• Provide information for the faculty writing your
  letters of recommendation
• Hard Copy may be requested on the interview trail

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Curriculum Vitae

• Items to include from Undergraduate
• Academic Honors
• Research
• Significant leadership positions

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Curriculum Vitae

• List information chronologically from the most
  recent to the most remote (be consistent)
• Provide City and State for each institution
  (dont assume everyone knows where your school
  is)
• Show beginning and ending dates (ending date may
  be current)
• Provide a complete timeline with no gaps (Gaps
  in time are a red flag - were you in jail?)
• Dont list an interest you dont want to talk
  about!

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Personal Statement

• With few exceptions - Shoot for NORMAL
• Not the forum to show your great sense of humor
• Dont make a big splash it is usually ugly!
• Explain your interest in a specialty and why you
  are a desirable applicant
• Opportunity to explain any issues not previously
  explained (do not need to address MCAT scores or
  multiple attempts at entry into medical school)

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Personal Statement

• Length 1 page is the best length it must
  contain some really great information to go over
  one page
• A personal statement that is too long is a sign
  to the PD that you talk too much! PDs dont want
  a resident that talks too much!
• Good Personal Statement Sincere, Reads well,
  Creates a positive image of the applicant,
  Clarifies goals
• Spelling and grammar be very very very very
  careful!
• Any unexplained leave or gaps in time will be
  assumed to be BAD news!

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Letters of Recommendation

• Will discuss options
• Most Important the writer knows you
• How to request a LOR
• make an appointment
• take a CV and personal statement
• give them an out
• take a cover letter

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Letters Of Recommendation

• Need 3 or 4 some specialties require a
  chairmans letter
• Letters should be from someone who has evaluated
  you clinically (not friends, family, pastors)
• Obtain additional information from your specialty
  (the PD) at UMC
• ERAS - Option to send different letters to
  different programs
• LOR are sent to my office to be scanned into ERAS
• /- Waive your right to see letter

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Application Deadlines

• Variable - You must look at individual program
  information (even within same specialty)
• Regular Match
• Mid-October submit all the parts of the
  application
• you control
• The more competitive the specialty, the earlier
• Program Directors can begin to review
  applications Sept 1st
• Early Match / Military
• Range from mid August to first week of September

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How Many Applications ?

• Look at comparison numbers
• Discuss how many programs to apply to and how
  many interviews to shoot for
• The answer depends on how competitive you are and
  how competitive the programs are you are
  considering
• Not a One Size Fits All process

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Interview

• Prepare Questions for the interview
• Clinical experience
• Commitment of the program to education of
  residents
• People you want to work with
• Usually meet with the chair, PD, and other
  faculty members
• Usually have the opportunity for a residents only
  session
• Review program web site just before interview
• Send a Thank you note
• Send follow up letter mid to late January if you
  have a strong interest
• If you decide not to go or can not make the
  interview, always call and cancel

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When to Interview

• Early or Late???????
• Everyone wants to know
• No studies have shown a link between date of
  interview and ultimate position on rank order list

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What Are Program Directors Looking For?

• Plays well with others
• Likes to Work Hard
• No Whining
• Smart enough to pass boards
• Attributes to care for patients
• Takes Criticism Well

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Who do Program Directors Want to Avoid?

• Lazy
• Selfish
• Sociopath
• Rude

• Unhappy Shows it
• Cut Corners
• Lies

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What do PD Screen for via ERAS?

• Clerkship Grades
• AOA
• Personal Statement
• Research

• Second Degree
• LOR
• Minority Status
• Language Fluency

• USMLE Step 1 if you have a borderline score the
  PD will be even more anxious to see your Step 2
  score recommend prepare to take Step 2 early!

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Red Flags to Program Directors

• Time gaps
• Course failure
• USMLE failure
• Negative LOR
• Professionalism issues (HUGE!)
• Unexplained leave

• A memorable personal statement
• Unprofessional photograph
• Applying in two or more fields
• Unprofessional email address

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Your Impact on the School Reputation

• Program Directors are like elephants
• Never forget the student who lied to them (You
  are my number one choice)
• Never forget which school has sent them great
  residents in the past
• Never forget which school has sent them problem
  residents in the past

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Donts For Interview Day

• Be Rude to anyone
• Arrogance / Disinterest
• Inappropriate questions
• Inappropriate attempts at humor
• Poor Social Skills
• Unsophisticated Interview Questions

• Leave before the day is over
• Poor attire/grooming
• Too much interest
• Smoke or chew gum
• Carry a coffee cup around all day

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Dos For Interview Day

• Be punctual
• Smile
• Avoid aftershave / perfume

• You dress for the interview in a uniform
• Look like a physician

• Have some knowledge about the program (look at
  the web site the night before)
• Male Attire suit tasteful tie err on the side
  of conservative
• Female Attire suit shoes closed at the toe and
  the heel (not brand new) dont carry a purse
• Accessories / Jewelry the less the better (no
  Star Trek Communicator pins!)

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Rank Order List

• Dont SUICIDE your ROL
• Class meeting Thursday, January 15, 2009 to
  discuss this in detail
• NRMP Ranking opens about Jan 15 and closes the
  third Wednesday in February

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Second Look Visits

• Generally not a great idea unless strongly
  encouraged by a program in which you have a
  strong interest
• Overwhelm the Program Director
• Do an elective at that site

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Medical Student Performance Evaluation
(MSPE)aka Deans Letter

• You will have an individual meeting to discuss
  your plans and best strategy
• Meetings start in July
• The following students need to meet early Early
  Match, Military Match, ENT, Orthopedics,
  Dermatology

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Deans Letter Meetings

• You MUST have a copy (draft) of your CV in hand
  for the meeting it is advisable also to have
  your Personal Statement written
• Discuss Specialty Choice and Desired Interview
  Locations
• Review transcript and Clerkship comments
• Complete any missing information in your file
• Plan B
• Discuss in general your competitiveness and best
  strategy
• All Deans Letters are released November 1

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Resources

• Kenneth Iserson Getting into a Residency
• First Aid for the Match
• Program Directors _at_ UMC
• Interns and residents _at_ UMC
• Be wary of uninformed people giving you bad
  advice
• ERAS www.aamc.org/eras
• NRMP www.nrmp.org
• San Francisco Early Match www.sfmatch.org
• Urology www.auanet.org
• Frieda www.ama-assn.org