03-21-2016, 05:14 PM
After one very long year I matched.
This was my second go
221/240 Cs extra attempt. Last year 1 IV
CS result came at the time of application. I should have not applied last year. I took the CS again but the results did not come back early enough.
This year 16IV
What I learned
Not matching last year was the most disappointing thing I dealt with. I tried soap, residentswap, any website that had spot vacancy. I emailed, called programs, asked my friends, attendings to see if they could do something. Its very difficulty to get into residency after the initial match.
After one hard month, I made a plan of what I needed to do to be successful at next match.
I inquired at different hospitals, clinics, for opportunity to work with Attendings. I got myself an observer-ship with a Physican at a hospital. I showed up everyday, worked hard, brought positive energy, did whatever was asked of me. Doing this observer ship helped me with making contacts.
Through this observer-ship I met with an attending who was also at a teaching hospital.
I asked him if I could come learn from him, he agreed. This led to making more contacts.
Also while I was doing the observership, I went and attended conferences/meeting. I went to Family Medicine residency conference in Kansas city. I strongly recommend this, this allows you the opportunity to meet programs and ask them questions. Majority of all programs were there. It will save you a lot of money too. You can ask them their criteria for offering interviews, if they accept IMG, extra attempts or whatever question you might have. Plus if you have a good interaction with a program they are more likely to offer you an interview. They also take your info down, if they don't offer you an interview you can email them and mention your interaction at the conference. I also attended local residency fair. They have residency fair for every specialty. Go to them.
Research
Go to Freida research the programs. Email all the programs you are going to be applying to. Tell them you are interested in their program, ask for their criteria if it is not listed on the website. If you graduated 4 years ago, ask them if they interview candidates who graduated 4 years ago, if you have extra attempts ask them if they interview applicants with extra attempts. This is very time consuming, but it is worth it. Dont waste time and money applying to programs who will not even look at your application. Make a excel spreadsheet with the name of the program and their response. This will come in handy when its time to select programs.
LORs
Ask for strong, personal LORs, its always better to have it from teaching hospitals. Have it from the specialty which you are going to be applying. If applying to multiple specialty have at least 2 letters from attending in that specialty. I strongly recommend you ask for LORs as early as possible, and have them uploaded as soon as you are allowed to. Some of my LORs were not availble on the first day of application.
CV/
Write down everything that you have done in Medicine for the past 5 years.(publication, presentation,awards......) Start working on it ASAP
PS
Start on it now, ask people to read it.
MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT APPLYING IS APPLY ON TIME!!!!!
Even if you dont have all your LORs, I applied without few LORs.
Exception- If you have a failure on your step, apply only after clearing it.
Have everything ready by September 15/ or whatever the first to you can submit the application. So all you have to do is submit. Due to everyone logging in the system will be slow, you will not have time to select programs, attach LORs..., have all this done week before.
Do not take a chance, apply to as many programs, specialties you can afford. Its getting tougher to match, go all in.
Interviews
They will come. I would recommend you start emailing, calling programs. I emailed after about a month. I did receive few because of the emails. I started calling after another 15 days, about 5 programs a day, once twice a week. Calling did not yield any results for me. I know some people who got up in the morning and called programs all day/ five days a week. Its up to you. If you are making the excel sheet, you can write down when you emailed, called, and if there was a response.
Actual IV
Practice Practice. This is important.
Why this specialty, this program, future goal.........
Be on time. Be professional, be yourself, and relax. See if this is the place you can see yourself working for 3-4 years. Answering questions- be honest, if you have a extra attempt like me, take responsibility, do not make excuses. The program director knows when someone is making excuses. If there is dinner the night before, be professional, if you want to drink only have one. Residents usually say they will not report back but if you are drinking too much or say a wrong thing, they will report.
Thank you notes
I dont know why we have to do these, most of them will not respond. I only did emails. Some do handwritten. Program I matched at did respond. You have to do these because everyone else will be.
Ranking
Rank the program you most want to go to
I would say top 3 but after that have a safety net. Pick program which you think the interview went very well. Program that will rank you high.
Last thing,
Never Give up! Make a plan put in the work and you will make it too.
This was my second go
221/240 Cs extra attempt. Last year 1 IV
CS result came at the time of application. I should have not applied last year. I took the CS again but the results did not come back early enough.
This year 16IV
What I learned
Not matching last year was the most disappointing thing I dealt with. I tried soap, residentswap, any website that had spot vacancy. I emailed, called programs, asked my friends, attendings to see if they could do something. Its very difficulty to get into residency after the initial match.
After one hard month, I made a plan of what I needed to do to be successful at next match.
I inquired at different hospitals, clinics, for opportunity to work with Attendings. I got myself an observer-ship with a Physican at a hospital. I showed up everyday, worked hard, brought positive energy, did whatever was asked of me. Doing this observer ship helped me with making contacts.
Through this observer-ship I met with an attending who was also at a teaching hospital.
I asked him if I could come learn from him, he agreed. This led to making more contacts.
Also while I was doing the observership, I went and attended conferences/meeting. I went to Family Medicine residency conference in Kansas city. I strongly recommend this, this allows you the opportunity to meet programs and ask them questions. Majority of all programs were there. It will save you a lot of money too. You can ask them their criteria for offering interviews, if they accept IMG, extra attempts or whatever question you might have. Plus if you have a good interaction with a program they are more likely to offer you an interview. They also take your info down, if they don't offer you an interview you can email them and mention your interaction at the conference. I also attended local residency fair. They have residency fair for every specialty. Go to them.
Research
Go to Freida research the programs. Email all the programs you are going to be applying to. Tell them you are interested in their program, ask for their criteria if it is not listed on the website. If you graduated 4 years ago, ask them if they interview candidates who graduated 4 years ago, if you have extra attempts ask them if they interview applicants with extra attempts. This is very time consuming, but it is worth it. Dont waste time and money applying to programs who will not even look at your application. Make a excel spreadsheet with the name of the program and their response. This will come in handy when its time to select programs.
LORs
Ask for strong, personal LORs, its always better to have it from teaching hospitals. Have it from the specialty which you are going to be applying. If applying to multiple specialty have at least 2 letters from attending in that specialty. I strongly recommend you ask for LORs as early as possible, and have them uploaded as soon as you are allowed to. Some of my LORs were not availble on the first day of application.
CV/
Write down everything that you have done in Medicine for the past 5 years.(publication, presentation,awards......) Start working on it ASAP
PS
Start on it now, ask people to read it.
MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT APPLYING IS APPLY ON TIME!!!!!
Even if you dont have all your LORs, I applied without few LORs.
Exception- If you have a failure on your step, apply only after clearing it.
Have everything ready by September 15/ or whatever the first to you can submit the application. So all you have to do is submit. Due to everyone logging in the system will be slow, you will not have time to select programs, attach LORs..., have all this done week before.
Do not take a chance, apply to as many programs, specialties you can afford. Its getting tougher to match, go all in.
Interviews
They will come. I would recommend you start emailing, calling programs. I emailed after about a month. I did receive few because of the emails. I started calling after another 15 days, about 5 programs a day, once twice a week. Calling did not yield any results for me. I know some people who got up in the morning and called programs all day/ five days a week. Its up to you. If you are making the excel sheet, you can write down when you emailed, called, and if there was a response.
Actual IV
Practice Practice. This is important.
Why this specialty, this program, future goal.........
Be on time. Be professional, be yourself, and relax. See if this is the place you can see yourself working for 3-4 years. Answering questions- be honest, if you have a extra attempt like me, take responsibility, do not make excuses. The program director knows when someone is making excuses. If there is dinner the night before, be professional, if you want to drink only have one. Residents usually say they will not report back but if you are drinking too much or say a wrong thing, they will report.
Thank you notes
I dont know why we have to do these, most of them will not respond. I only did emails. Some do handwritten. Program I matched at did respond. You have to do these because everyone else will be.
Ranking
Rank the program you most want to go to
I would say top 3 but after that have a safety net. Pick program which you think the interview went very well. Program that will rank you high.
Last thing,
Never Give up! Make a plan put in the work and you will make it too.