Category Archive: The Match

Spotlight Interview: Matching in Radiology

Categories:

How to match in....?, Radiology, The Match

April 5, 2012

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From Hartford Hospital

 
 
A Radiology Resident’s Perspective:

From an interview with an radiology resident from New York City, NY

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • How competitive is the radiology match?

Last year (2011) it wasn’t even specified as “competitive” by the NRMP. However, in general, radiology is a popular choice. I considered myself a consistent but average medical student, and had no trouble getting plenty of interviews. Be realistic with your choices, and don’t think about of the cost of your application. If you are feeling insecure, cast a wide net and spend some time asking yourself what really matters in a program.

 

  • What are residencies looking for in a radiology applicant?
Well first of all, board scores. It is the first screen they put all candidates through. But you were already going to do your best, weren’t you? Once you have the interview, just try to be amiable and show good communication skills. Don’t be too forward, arrogant, or serious. This is all opinion but I don’t think your potential as a radiologist can be divined by an interview. They are just looking for someone they wouldn’t mind sharing space with for 4 years! Try to relax and enjoy it.

 

  • What do you wish you knew before application/interview season?  

If you know you are going to rank a place at the bottom of 10 or more programs, consider cancelling your interview.

 

  • What should students look for in a radiology residency?

I will only mention what is most important: Find the residents, talk to all of them, and ask yourself if you would enjoy seeing them every day. Sure, the upper levels will be gone by the time you get there, but the environment you see will not be much different.

 

  • What other advice do you have for students applying to radiology residency?

You have made the right choice. You will match. Anyone who says anything different (e.g. co-interviewees) knows nothing about it and is probably just trying to get inside your head for petty reasons. Don’t let them succeed… spend your time talking with positive, supportive friends and family. Use advisors. If yours is unhelpful or cannot answer your questions, find an ‘unofficial advisor’ who can cheer you on. They need not be radiologists. They should not be hard to find, the good ones are usually very involved with students.

 

Editor's Note: Applying for residency or preparing for your interviews? I highly recommend First Aid for the Match, The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match, and The Residency Interview: How To Make the Best Possible Impression .


 

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Spotlight Interview: Matching in Ophthalmology (Hopkins Resident)

Categories:

General, How to match in....?, Ophthalmology, The Match

April 5, 2012

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An Ophthalmology Resident’s Perspective:

From an interview with an ophthalmology resident at Johns Hopkins University

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • How competitive is the ophthalmology match?

Ophthalmology is pretty competitive. It is not as bad as plastic surgery, but it is one of the most difficult matches right now.

 

  • What are residencies looking for in a ophthalmology applicant?
The top programs are all academic institutions, so a good research foundation definitely helps. The field is small and well informed, they like to see early and/or definite commitment to the field.

 

  • What do you wish you knew before application/interview season?  

I did not know about the postings on studentdoctor network. If you go online to the studentdoctor network website during interview season you will see that there is a place where people post interview dates and times as soon as they get them.  There is usually also a calendar with all the interview dates listed.  If you can not find a calendar, make your own.  Often you will get interview invites and if you respond in more than a couple hours there are no more interview spots left. Check email every 3 minutes, you just have to do it. Respond to interview invitations within minutes of receiving email.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  I cannot agree more with this advice.  Click here to go to the main SDN ophthalmology page. Click here to see the link to the ophthalmology interview thread from 2011.

 

  • What should students look for in a ophthalmology residency?

You will have to decide for yourself what options you prefer, but here are some of the most important questions when evaluating a program because they represent major differences and distinctions: location, small vs. large program (i.e. 3 residents per year vs. 8 per year), front loaded work and call vs. evenly distributed, home vs. in-house call, research faculty/area/time devotion/expectations, strength and notoriety of the faculty, training style (autonomy vs. faculty guidance), facility and equipment (new slit lamps? teaching scopes? etc), is there a VA, is the VA hours away or in another state, is the VA clinic resident run.  In my opinion, a strong resident run VA clinic is a must.

 

  • What other advice do you have for students applying to ophthalmology residency?

It’s early match so somehow you need to try out the rotation and decide early.  Once make a decision, you need to starting getting your application packet together early. Remember, they want to know that you are committed, this is hard to do because your application is due near the beginning of your 4th year.

 

Editor's Note: Applying for residency or preparing for your interviews? I highly recommend First Aid for the Match, The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match, and The Residency Interview: How To Make the Best Possible Impression .


 

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Spotlight Interview: Matching in Ophthalmology (OSU Resident)

Categories:

How to match in....?, Ophthalmology, The Match

April 4, 2012

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An Ophthalmology Resident’s Perspective:

From an interview with an ophthalmology resident at The Ohio State University

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • How competitive is the ophthalmology match?

Extremely competitive.  For foreign medical graduates (FMG) and second time applicants, chances of match are very slim. The overall match rate for ophthalmology is about 75%.

 

  • What are residencies looking for in a ophthalmology applicant?
They are looking for genuine interest in the field of ophthalmology demonstrated by rotation evaluations, Ophthalmology research, volunteering etc, and a highly competitive applicant. Outstanding applicants with high board scores and numerous class honors do not necessarily have to have as much ophthalmology related extracurricular involvement or research. However, if you are not a stellar applicant, early and evident interest is very important.

 

  • What do you wish you knew before application/interview season?  

I wish I knew which programs I was realistically competitive for. Other than the top 15-20 programs it is difficult to know where a program ranks and how good they are or aren’t without interviewing there.  Ask people who recently applied or find a faculty member who is willing to discuss these types of things.

 

  • What should students look for in a ophthalmology residency?

One of the most important things for me was finding attendings who enjoy teaching and enjoy resident interaction. A program that will help put you in a position to match in your desired fellowship is also very important. Learning about a residency’s job and fellowship placement is very important. Clinical and surgical experience, above all, are something that you must weigh. Surgical numbers should be above the national averages and especially above the minimum required amount.

 

  • What other advice do you have for students applying to ophthalmology residency?

Academic ophthalmology is a small world. A great letter from a prominent ophthalmologist is invaluable.

 

Editor's Note: Applying for residency or preparing for your interviews? I highly recommend First Aid for the Match, The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match, and The Residency Interview: How To Make the Best Possible Impression .


 

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Spotlight Interview: Matching in Dermatology

Categories:

Dermatology, How to match in....?, The Match

March 31, 2012

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A Dermatology Resident’s Perspective:

From an interview with a dermatology resident at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

 

  • How competitive is the dermatology match?

Very. There are not a lot of training programs as compared to otherspecialties. On top of that, each program may only have 2-3 spots yearly. As you can imagine, this creates a competitive atmosphere in the Dermatology match.

 

  • What are residencies looking for in a dermatology applicant?
There are rumors about Dermatology i.e. You must do research, you must have 250+ on Step 1, etc. Although these will help in the match, each applicant has their own characteristics that may impress a program (i.e leadership,Clinical experiences). In general, a well-rounded student will be very competitive. Honors in third year clerkships will be very helpful. Dermatology programs particularly look at the Internal Medicine clerkship as a strong indicator. 

 

  • What do you wish you knew before application/interview season?  

Since Dermatology is competitive, it is important to apply broadly across the country. The application and travel expenses can be costly so prepare wisely.

 

  • What should students look for in a dermatology residency?

Important aspects of Dermatology training include a diverse patient population, wide variety of training in all Dermatology subspecialties (Pathology, Pediatrics, Procedural, Mohs and Cosmetics) and learning environment (clinic vs. inpatient; large program vs small program)

 

  • What other advice do you have for students applying to dermatology residency?

It is important to immerse yourself in the field of Dermatology. Performing well in a Dermatology clerkship will be very helpful. Away rotations are helpful to show a program how well you can fit in at that program AND will give you the opportunity to get a strong letter of recommendation from  Program director at your away rotation.

 

Editor's Note: Applying for residency or preparing for your interviews? I highly recommend First Aid for the Match, The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match, and The Residency Interview: How To Make the Best Possible Impression .


 

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U.S. Residency Programs Under Probation

Categories:

Residency, Choosing a Specialty, Specialties, The Match

November 15, 2011

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The ACGME is incharge of accrediting U.S. medical and surgical residencies. There are three decisions that can be made: Accreditation, probationary accreditation, or withdrawl of accreditation. The ACGME compiles an up-to-date list of residency programs under probation or with withdrawn accreditation in all specialties. I had previously reported on the list for 2012, but many of these programs have either dissolved or have been able to regain good standing with the ACGME. Rather than list all the current institutions on probation, a list which is always in flux, it is best to search the database yourself. You can search for all specialies, or by a single specialty. This is probably a very good thing to do when deciding where to apply.

Click here to search for programs under ACGME probationary accreditation 

Click here to search for programs whose accreditation has been withdrawn

 

 

 

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Is it getting harder to match?

Categories:

Residency, The Match

July 27, 2011

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Yes!

With each passing year the number of applicants to US residencies increases significantly, with only a modest increase in residency positions.

 

Source: http://www.nrmp.org/data/Main2011.jpg

This is likely due to a number of reasons.

  1. There are increasing numbers of non-US students (foreign) applying to US residencies
  2. There are increasing numbers of US students from non US schools (usually the Caribbean)
  3. There are increasing numbers of medical schools opening
  4. Medicaid has not increased its funding for residency positions at the same rate as #1,2,3

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Am I a competitive residency applicant?

Categories:

Residency, The Match

July 27, 2011

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This question starts to plague your mind the day you don the short white coat, and it never leaves until match day during your 4th year.  Although you don’t have to decide what you want to go into until the summer of your 4th year, it is a good idea to know what you would have to do to be competitive in a difficult specialty.  There are two great ways to obtain this information.

  1. For 3rd and 4th year students, speaking to a student-friendly advisor is a great idea. HOWEVER, beware of the nice guy.  Find an attending who won’t be afraid to break your heart.  Better to have it broken now, than spend thousands getting your hopes up when you really had no chance anyway.
  2. For first and second year students, the best resource in the world is the Outcomes of the Match materials provided by the NRMP.  The document is fantastic, but it is a lot to chew.  The link below is the most recent report, which summarizes the results from the 2009 match.

http://www.nrmp.org/data/chartingoutcomes2009v3.pdf

Periodically, I will be breaking down all the information provided by this document.  For the time being, look it over and study the graphs.  Everything you want to know about competitiveness of each specialty (not ophthalmology!) is in this document…here are a few to whet your appetite

Average Step 1 scores
Average Step 2 Scores
Average # matched applicants who were AOA
Average # or research projects
Percent of matched applicants with Ph.Ds

 

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