Guide to Residency Applications

Start researching programs + creating your application list. Keep it broad at first – you have plenty of time to narrow down. I found that there wasn’t one comprehensive resource to find all of the information but the few that I used were: 

• FREIDA (included with an AMA membership – making it well worth it)

• Residency Explorer: I liked how you could input your stats + compare it with those of the residents that have attended various programs

• Doximity Residency Navigator: Also has a good feature for couples matching to find programs in proximity to one another

But most of all, you’ll likely have to check the individual websites for the most detailed + up to date information (i.e. do programs accept COMLEX, minimum board score requirements, etc)

Some of my friends + classmates created a large excel document to keep track of some of the details of the programs, for example: number of positions, number of DO students, available residencies at the hospital, etc. 

This is also a good time to start looking into +/or applying for audition rotations as spots start to fill up quickly. This will be more important for some students + some specialties but it’s a great opportunity to both show your skills off to a program that you may be interested in, as well as get to know the program better yourself! While a large number of programs use VSLO for applications, others may use different websites such as Clinican Nexus (for some HCA programs). If you cannot find a program that you are interested in, I’d recommend checking the residency website +/or reaching out to the program! Some programs may even just coordinate over email. 

Housing for audition rotations can be expensive! The most affordable option would obviously be to live with family or friends in the area! Other options include:

• Reach out to the program as they may offer housing at a discounted rate or may have residents that are willing to rent out or share a room!
• Furnished Finder: Like Airbnb but specifically for healthcare professionals/traveling nurses. Therefore, there are usually some options located close in proximity to the hospital. 
• State health department housing for students at discounted rates! Downside: you may have to share the residence with others
• Some Airbnb’s offer long term rates 

Start to put your application together!

Letters of Recommendation

–Know how many LOR’s you need for your top programs. From my experience, most programs required 3 – but there were a few rare exceptions that wanted 4. At a minimum, check the website for your top programs + ideally, check the website for all of the programs that you’re applying to. 

–Who to ask: From my experience, most programs wanted at least one letter to be from a physician in that specialty. Even better though if you can have 2 or all 3 (+ this may vary slightly between specialties)

Ask physicians that you have worked closely with + who you believe will write a STRONG letter! I’ve heard too many stories about students not matching because of a poorly written LOR. 

-Ask your letter writers if they would be willing + give them your timeline to submit (end of September). As physicians, they are busy so give them plenty of notice. However, it is okay if you are waiting on a rotation in August/September to ask for a letter. It is also generally okay to ask for a letter from an audition or away rotation (no guarantees that they will be able to write one for you, though). 

-Send your letter request to your letter writers (it provide them with instructions + the necessary information to upload your letter)

Personal Statement

Start drafting your personal statement(s)! The hardest part for me is starting, especially that opening sentence where there feels like a huge responsibility to grab your writer’s attention. I simply just had to start, knowing that I could go back + edit later. 

Think of a few themes that you’d like to incorporate, a few attributes about yourself that you’d like to highlight, + perhaps a personal experience to affirm those attributes. Emphasize less the reason why you want to go into medicine (you’re already in medical school!) + more the reason why you’ve selected that particular specialty. 

Have a few people read it + add their recommendations. Ensure that it is easy to read + the message is clear. But beware of asking for too many recommendations – the feedback can easily become overwhelming + contradictory.

How long should it be? Approximately 1 page is the recommendation even though ERAS gives you more room. 

Should you write a personalized PS for every program? I received SO many mixed responses about this. Some said absolutely, yes! Others said no, they can tell. 

I ended up doing a little bit of both – When I made it personalized, I made sure to make it strong. For programs that I knew were high on my list or that I had a personal connection with (in my home state, knew someone that personally attended that program), I wrote a small paragraph (just a couple sentences) near the end of my PS stating that. From there, if there was a general state that I wanted to be in (location was something that was important to me), I made a paragraph for all the programs in that state explaining my connection + desire to be in that area.

Supplemental Application

The new kid on the block throughout this process. The supplemental application is actually due before the real application. There are a few specialties that are not using the supplemental so this may or may not apply to you – but since it is due before the real application, if you are even considering applying to some of the specialties included you may want to go ahead and submit it! 

Putting Together Your Application

You can start filling out your application before you have to formally submit it. You can save + come back to the application so be sure to proofread + check over your selections. Much like your personal statement, I recommend having a couple other people read over your answers before submitting.

Aside from the other parts of your application, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to add interesting + unique hobbies to your application! I really underestimated this and was asked about my hobbies on almost all of my interviews. It’s a great topic of conversation + can really make you stand out. 

Lastly, this is a good time to request your board scores to be sent + request your school transcript to ensure that everything is submitted.

Finalize + Submit your application

-Register for NRMP (+ don’t forget to enter your NRMP number on your ERAS application)

-Start assigning documents to the correct residency programs: Don’t underestimate how long this will take, especially if you have multiple PS or LOR!

-Put the final touches on your application, certify, + submit your application. Regardless of when you actually submit your application, it won’t be time stamped + available to the programs until the date it opens (typically at the end of September). 

Now let the waiting begin!

These few months will be busy with interviews, resident meet & greets, + second look opportunities!

My approach to scheduling interviews

The general approach I took once interview invitations started to come in was to schedule essentially all of them. Once you’ve been offered a number that you feel comfortable with, you can start to be more selective but I would lean on your advisors to help you make this decision.

For the programs that I was less interested in, I scheduled a few early as “warm ups” but then tried to schedule the rest farther out with the option to cancel later. You just never know how many you’re going to end up getting + as I mentioned above, bring your best to every interview. You may be pleasantly surprised – I know I was!

With regards to canceling (if you must): be very professional + polite. Give plenty of notice (at a minimum 1 week!) + make sure that you receive confirmation they received your cancellation.

I kept a running list on a Google Sheet as I accepted + scheduled interviews which helped for reference, such as where I scheduled the interview (ERAS, Thalamus, etc) + who the coordinator is (with contact information).

Resident Meet + Greets

I always thought that the meet + greets were a great opportunity to get a feel for the culture + collegiality of the program. You want to find a program that is a good fit for you.

Bring questions! Use this time to ask the residents questions that you might not ask your interviewers (what’re they looking for in a co-resident, cost of living + where to live, how is the hospital food, what do the residents do for fun).

Be yourself but still be professional! Although the meet + greets are not apart of the formal interview, I always assumed they carried almost as much weight.

Second Look Opportunities

Given the virtual format of interviews, some (but not all) programs offer formal second looks. I know it’s yet another cost to add on to fourth year expenses, in addition to more time away from rotations, but I would highly recommend attending at least the programs highest on your list. If possible, try to attend as many as you can! This is a great way to see a town that you could potentially be living in, meet the program administration + residents in person, & get a better feel for the culture of the program.

If the program doesn’t offer a formal second look, you could always ask the program director or coordinator to arrange your own visit. I know there are rules in place the limit who you can meet with/see while you’re in town but nevertheless, doing so shows you’re interested in the program + also gives you the opportunity to see the area + hospital.

• More information on how I best prepared for my interviews + my post-interview routine
• Questions you should be prepared to answer + questions to have prepared for your interviewer
• Another great resource is the NRMP Outcomes in the Match (for DO seniors + MD seniors): Average test scores for matched versus unmatched, number of interviews required for higher likelihood of matching, average research experience per specialty, etc.

Time to create your rank list!

MATCH Day + time to celebrate!