Guru on the Go®

Last admissions season I rolled out a series of under-one-minute, stop-motion-animation videos for applicants. I've had several thousand views, and I even got a shout-out from the NRMP® itself. (They tweeted, saying they agreed with the advice in the clip, "NRMP® Ranking to Avoid a Spanking.")

For those of you who'd like to take a look at the videos, check out (and subscribe to) my Youtube channel or look at my website here. Timely ones are "Dine Don't Whine," "Stars are Made Not Born," and "No Ring, No Thing."

Being the Squeaky Wheel

Several years ago I helped a strong applicant who had been rejected by a top medical school. He thought he was a very good fit for this particular institution, so he called the school to make his case. Surprisingly, after the applicant's phone call, the school granted him an interview, reversing their original rejection.


It was at this time when I met the applicant; we conducted a mock interview, so he would be well-prepared.

Ultimately, after being initially rejected, this applicant was admitted to that top school.

Of course, this is an exceedingly rare occurrence. (Just to clarify: In seven and a half years as a professional coach, I've only seen this happen once!) But to me, the moral of this story is that it is worth being assertive (not aggressive) in the medical school and residency admissions processes: Send an update letter, call institutions (politely) to inquire about your status (if they do not expressly prohibit phone calls), and be proactive during your interviews.

Why Do You Want to Be a [...]?

Whether applying to medical school, residency, fellowship, or dental school, applicants seem to get tripped up on questions about their reasons for pursuing their career goals. How can you make your answer distinctive from all of the others'? The key is to use your accomplishments to a) distinguish yourself and b) prove your point. You want to be a doctor because you like to think analytically about scientific problems? Showcase your research. You want to be an anesthesiologist because you like pharmacology? Detail how you tutored the subject to first-years.By using evidence of your accomplishments, you'll convince your interviewer and remind her of your worthiness.

2014 NRMP Program Director Survey is Now Available

Every two years the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP) publishes a current program director (PD) survey which focuses on two main questions: 1) What factors do PDs use in deciding whom to interview? 2) What factors do PDs use in deciding whom to rank? Results of the 2014 Program Director Survey is available here.

So, as you approach interviews, if you're wondering what PDs want, here are your answers.