Understanding How the Match Works is Critical for Succeeding in the Process

Improving written materials and interview skills is important, but all of that work can go to waste if applicants do not understand basic strategies for the Match. This month the NRMP published an article called, "Understanding the Interview and Ranking Behaviors of Unmatched International Medical Students and Graduates in the 2013 Main Residency Match" in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education. The data is especially important for IMGs who represented the majority of unmatched candidates.

Sadly, the authors found that some applicants made strategic errors including the below:

- Not attending all interviews, thus failing to capitalize on every opportunity to market themselves.

- Declining to rank all programs at which they interviewed or not ranking all programs they would be willing to attend.

- Misunderstanding the Match and ranking programs at which applicants did not interview.

- Failing to rank programs based on true preferences or ranking programs based on the perceived likelihood of matching.

It kills me to read about these mistakes :(. Here is a simple explanation of the Match algorithm. If you do not understand how the Match works, it is absolutely critical that you learn about it to avoid destructive errors.

Happiness

The end of the year is a time for reflection and a time to think about what will make you happy in the upcoming year.

When I was a medical student applying for emergency medicine residency programs, a well-meaning dean gave me some bad advice. I was determining the order of my rank list and was particularly concerned about one program that had an excellent reputation but was in a city I didn’t like. The dean told me, “You’ll be so busy during residency it won’t matter where you live.” Luckily, the advice rubbed me the wrong way, and I wholeheartedly disregarded it. Where you live for your medical training - medical school, residency, or fellowship - is as important as the quality of your training program! The reasons are several-fold:

1. Medical training is extremely time-consuming, and you want to be in a city you can enjoy fully when you’re able to blow off steam. 

2. Medical training is extremely stressful, and you want to be in a city where you have social support.

3. Medical training is not completed in a vacuum. Your personal life continues. If you’re single you may meet someone and end up staying in the city where you have trained for the rest of your life (gasp). If you’re in a long-term relationship you may decide to have children or may already have them. Down the road you may not want to relocate your family.

Not everyone gets the opportunity to go to medical school or train in residency and fellowship programs in a city s/he likes. But you can make choices that will increase your chances.

Read the Fine Print

A few years ago, a medical school applicant told me the following story:

This pre-med decided to write follow up notes to all the schools at which he had interviewed, usually a good idea. However, he was upset to receive a brusque note from one of the institutions telling him that a) he should have read their policies; they do not allow post-interview contact and b) he was rejected from the school.

I found the school's note pretty severe, and I strongly suspect the post-interview contact was not related to his rejection. (As an aside, he successfully and happily matriculated at another school.) But this story is a reminder that it's important to read institutions' policies about post-interview contact. Most places welcome written updates, but it's essential to confirm before you send.

The LAX Test

How does Google attract the best talent and what does that have to do with medical school and residency training anyway? If you don't have time to read the whole book How Google Works by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg, I strongly recommend this excerpt.

Schmidt and Rosenberg highlight their "secrets" on hiring, including the LAX test, "Googleyness," and hiring folks they may not want to have a beer with. They say the most important skill a business person can develop is interviewing.

In the end they declare, "Nothing is more important than the quality of hiring," which is the ultimate truth for medical admissions as well, of course.

Where's the Face-to-Face Time?

Here's a short piece written by Dr. Graham Walker, an emergency physician at Kaiser San Francisco, about how medicine's technological uber-efficiency has adversely affected the collegiality - and even the patient care - in hospitals.

This issue has ramifications for residency programs: Trainees and their attendings need to interact across specialties in a face-to-face manner to improve resident education and patient well-being.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

I found this article to be a sensitively-written piece by Dr. Thomas Cook, an emergency medicine program director. We spend so much effort trying to match into a good residency that we sometimes forget to consider the personal toll training takes.

Difficult Interview Questions: Learning to Hit a Curveball out of the Park

Check out my latest Student Doctor Network® article on how to navigate tough medical school and residency interview questions.

Crossing your "t"s and Dotting your "i"s

Make sure you double and triple check that your application materials are complete. A residency applicant I know only realized that his USMLE scores were not "assigned" when he contacted a residency coordinator asking the program to consider him for an interview. Residencies and medical schools will, of course, not invite you to interview if they don't have your completed application.

Inside a Residency Director's Mind

If you were a program director (PD), you'd be trying to avoid two big headaches, as you assessed a residency candidate:

1) Will this person be competent and collegial? A PD does not want to get complaints from patients, faculty, or other services about his/her residents.

2) Will this person leave the program prematurely? A PD does not want to scurry around to fill an open call schedule or residency slot.

As you approach you interviews, consider how you can demonstrate your competence and collegiality (academic success, strong evaluations, extracurriculars that demonstrate teamwork) and commitment to the field and residency program (research projects in the specialty, knowledge about the program and city). Ensuring the PD knows you are not going to cause him/her headaches is half the battle.

PTAL

I was recently speaking to an applicant who was asking about the Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter that IMGs must submit when applying to California residencies. The process is quite confusing. A few years back, my friend Dr. Daniel Louvet drafted a guest blog on my site regarding the PTAL process. Here it is:

As a native California resident and a recent IMG from Ross University School of Medicine, I have often been asked by my fellow colleagues about the process of becoming a licensed physician in the state of California. The simple answer is as follows:

(A) First, the international medical school MUST be recognized by the state of California and MUST be listed on their website 

(http://www.medbd.ca.gov/applicant/schools_recognized.html.) PRIOR to starting medical school, NO EXCEPTIONS.

(B) Second, the clinical rotations in the United States MUST fulfill these requirements:

1) A total of 70 weeks of ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) clinical rotations MUST be completed by the time of submitting the application for licensure in California.

2) Of the 70 weeks of ACGME clinical rotations, 40 weeks of the 70 weeks MUST come from CORE rotations with the minimum number of weeks for each of the respective CORE rotations are as follows:

Internal medicine - 8 weeks
General surgery - 8 weeks
Ob/Gyn - 6 weeks
Pediatrics - 6 weeks
Family medicine - 4 weeks
Psychiatry - 4 weeks

Note: While these CORE rotations only add up to a total of 36 weeks, an additional 4 weeks to complete the total of 40 weeks MUST come from any of the listed CORE rotations listed.

3) Of the 70 weeks of ACGME clinical rotations, 30 weeks of the 70 weeks MUST come from ELECTIVE rotations.

4) At the end of each ACGME clinical rotation, an L6 form must be filled out PER clinical rotation as part of the application process for California licensure. the L6 form can be found here: www.medbd.ca.gov/applicant/application_international.pdf

Note: In the event that some of the requirements are not fulfilled by the time of graduation at your medical school, it is highly recommended to complete these rotations after graduation and prior to starting residency, which may be setup by your medical school. If you happen to do a residency outside of California and have yet to fulfill all the requirements, it is possible to count the respective rotations done while in residency towards obtaining California licensure through a petition by contacting the California medical boards at (916) 263-2382. For instance, if you had a non-approved/non-ACGME Family Medicine rotation during medical school and you matched into a Family Medicine residency, it is possible to count the Family Medicine rotation completed during residency to obtaining California licensure in the future.

Do You Have a Personality?

"Tell me about a good book you've read recently."

There are a group of questions that interviewers use that are sometimes misconstrued by the applicant. The "good book" question is one of those. In a case like this the faculty member is trying to get a sense of your outside interests. It's a chance for the interviewer to see you as an engaged and interesting person. Misguided responses might be, "I'm reading a neuroscience textbook" to prove your intellectualism or "I don't have a chance to read for pleasure because I work so hard." Remember that having a compelling and kind demeanor is a large part of being a good physician.

Early-Career Science Writer Fellowship

Looking for a way to get science writing experience with a mentor's guidance? The Open Notebook/Burroughs Wellcome Fund Fellowship is a part-time, remote, paid experience that offers a great opportunity to write features and conduct interviews related to science. The deadline for applications is October 21. Here is the application information.

NRMP Applicant Survey Is Out

The National Resident Matching Program® does an excellent job of amassing and publishing relevant data regarding the Match. Their most useful information is found in the NRMP Program Director Survey and Charting Outcomes of the Match. The organization recently published Results of the 2015 NRMP Applicant Survey. While the information is less strategic for candidates making application decisions, it's still pretty interesting to see what factors students use in deciding where to apply (geography is more important than reputation in general) and where to rank. It's worth a look.

Hand-Written Thank You Notes: Easy for You to Do and Can Make Them So Happy

I get asked by clients about the best way to send post-interview thank you notes - email versus snail mail. I strongly advise sending hand-written notes. Email can be viewed as less labor-intensive or thoughtful.


You can still get the notes in quickly: Put them in the mail the morning after you've completed your interview. I've even had applicants tell me they bring blank thank you notes to the interview day, complete the cards after their interviews, and leave them with the administrative assistant.

How and When to Choose your Specialty

Check out this featured Student Doctor Network piece by Dr. David Presser and me called Choosing a Specialty: The Generalist vs. the Early-Committer. It's valuable for anyone in college through the third year of medical school (maybe more).

Medical School and Residency Interviews: Let Your Story Show Your Glory

With medical school and residency interview seasons approaching, it's critical that you create a strategy to optimally manage the process. Remember that interviews are a persuasive endeavor - not simply a chance to introduce yourself. You need to use examples of your accomplishments to convince the interviewer of your worthiness.

Take a look at this short piece I wrote to get you on the right track fast.

Working for Satisfaction, $, or Both?

Here's a thoughtful New York Times article on work satisfaction, the influence of compensation on decision-making, and human motivation that has many applications to a career in medicine.

Residency Match Registration Opens Soon

Here's a quick reminder that the National Resident Matching Program's (NRMP®'s) registration opens on September 15 at 12pm EST. This means that you can start assigning your application to training programs at that time. Getting your application in early is helpful, but having strong written materials is critical.

Medical School and Residency Interviews: Illegal Questions and How to Manage Them

The interview - whether for medical school, residency, fellowship, or dental school - is subject to basic legal rules. Admissions officers/faculty members should refrain from asking questions that are not relevant to the position the interviewee is seeking. Questions about race, religion, and marital/family status fall into this category.

If you are asked these types of questions, you can simply answer - if it's not distasteful to you - or respond by addressing the intent of the question without revealing personal information. ("I think you're asking if my home life will affect my ability to carry out my duties. I can assure it won't.")

If you have the opportunity to give feedback to the institution, you can consider doing so after the interview. When I was interviewing for residency, I was asked by a faculty member if I had a boyfriend. After the interview day, I talked to a faculty mentor at my school who reported the situation to the other institution. The faculty member who asked me the illegal question was no longer permitted to interview.

Medical School and Residency Interviews - Power Posing

As medical school and residency interviews approach, I want to remind everyone about Amy Cuddy, the Harvard faculty member who speaks about the psychology of power, influence, and nonverbal communication. Her research shows that a "fake it until you make it" philosophy and "power posing" practices improve your performance in interviews. Cuddy's TED talk has been viewed over 27 million times.

Do Interviews Matter?

Yes!

For residency candidates: The NRMP Program Directors' Survey makes it very clear that interviews matter a lot, which was also my experience as an Assistant Residency Director. I recall very robust conversations about even small comments candidates made during their interviews, some of which affected their ranking on our Match list.

For medical school applicants: Although there is controversy over how much college interviews matter, even skeptics acknowledge that graduate school interviews make a difference in the application process. In this NYT piece, two former interviewers strongly advise conducting mock interviews and being prepared for "curve ball" questions.

Remember: If you're well-prepared, once you get your foot in the door, you can make a strong impression about the worthiness of your candidacy.

NRMP® Data Suggests Residency Applicants Should Apply Broadly

In their publication Impact of Length of Rank Order List on Main Residency Match Outcome:2002-2015, the NRMP reports that matched applicants consistently have longer rank order lists than unmatched applicants.

What that means to those approaching the residency application process is that candidates should throw a wide net in choosing programs at which to apply. Of course, there is a cost to this strategy, and that expense needs to be balanced. However, if you can afford it, starting out with more options usually will provide more opportunities to interview and thus, the ability to create a longer rank order list.

Doctors Sick at Work

Here's a quick New York Times piece on healthcare providers who come to work sick. I have to say that I cannot think of one physician-friend I know who has not come to work ill at some point. Unfortunately, the system needs to change drastically, especially for residents, to keep doctors away from their responsibilities when ill.

Are you a Residency Candidate Applying in More than One Specialty?

If you are considering applying in more than one field, you have a tough road ahead of you, and you should strategize accordingly. Remember that, although your ERAS activities cannot be individualized to different residency programs, your personal statement and letters of recommendation can. Demonstrating commitment to each field through your essay and letters will be a challenge, so take time to write thoughtfully, and make sure you speak candidly to your faculty recommenders.

 

Above all: Ensure that you assign the correct specialty-specific documents to the correct programs!

How Fast Do You Need to Submit Your Secondaries?

I've recently had several questions about what the turn around should be for secondary essays. Aiming for submission within 3 weeks of receipt assures you submit your essays quickly while maintaining high quality work. The secondary process can be a challenge - with a slew of applications coming in simultaneously. Pace yourself and try to use (thoughtful) variations of the same essays as much as possible.

Letters of Recommendation

It's time to start securing your residency letters of recommendation (LOR) if you haven't already. Remember that your letters have a big impact on your application, and even a mediocre letter can bomb your candidacy.

Don’t be afraid to ask a potential letter-writer if she will write you "a very strong" LOR. It may seem awkward at the time you ask but getting a wimpy letter will be much thornier. If the faculty member says no, hesitates, or tells you in May that she has to plan her Thanksgiving get-together, politely thank her and move on. Although disappointing, acknowledge that she has done you a huge favor. You now have the advantage of substituting a stronger LOR written by someone who likes your clinical work.

ERAS 2016 Updates

Here are some ERAS 2016 quick reminders:

1) For International Medical Graduates, ERAS 2016 tokens are available through the ECFMG's OASIS site now.
2) For those waiting for Board scores, USMLE score reports will not be released during the week of July 4. Score reporting will resume on July 8. Here is the USMLE site for more information.
3) On July 1 MyERAS opens to all applicants.
4) On July 15, DO applicants can begin applying to residency.

Secondary Essays: Why Do You Want to Attend Our School?

Secondary essay prompts vary, but there are a few that are standard fare. "Why do you want to attend our school?" is a common topic pre-meds will encounter.

Med school admissions officers want to be assured that you know their institution, are seriously considering it, and will fit in well there. In approaching the "why-our-school" question, do your research on the institution and link something specific about you with the school's philosophy, curriculum, surrounding patient population, and/or extracurricular programs.

For instance, if you were a teaching assistant for chemistry in college, you might link your use of the Socratic method with a school's tutorial-based learning. In that way, you demonstrate knowledge of the school, show that you connect well with it, and showcase your accomplishment.

"Dude, Me Too!"

Here's a great article for pre-meds and medical students alike on imposter syndrome by an assistant program director at Georgetown University. This is a great piece to read as you maneuver the medical education and medical admissions processes. You are not alone.

IMGs (and Others) Participating in the 2016 Match: Sign up for Step 2 CS Immediately

Here's an important reminder from the ECFMG® News page:

To participate in the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) Main Residency Match®, international medical students/graduates must have passed all exams required for ECFMG Certification. If you plan to participate in the 2016 Match (in March 2016) and still need to pass Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS), you should register now to take the examination.

To help ensure that your result will be available in time to participate in the 2016 Match, you must take Step 2 CS by December 31, 2015. If you do not register now and schedule soon, it is possible that you will not be able to obtain a test date in 2015. At the time of this writing, the earliest available test date at any test center is in October 2015.

The USMLE program also has issued a Scheduling Reminder for Step 2 CS, strongly encouraging medical students/graduates to schedule their exams early to obtain a testing appointment this year.

If you register and schedule now, you can change your scheduled testing appointment (subject to availability) at no cost, provided you give notice of more than 14 days.

Detailed information on the results reporting schedule for Step 2 CS is available on the ECFMG website.

- See more at: http://www.ecfmg.org/news/2015/05/29/reminder-imgs-participating-in-2016-match-should-apply-for-step-2-cs-now/#sthash.DZFNaVTV.dpuf

AMCAS Question: Can a medical school see the names of other med schools you apply to?

Med school applicants sometimes worry about adversely affecting their chances of admission because they might "offend" one school by applying to others. Good news: Schools will never know which other institutions or how many other institutions you applied to through AMCAS.

In February, med schools at which you are accepted will be able to access a report which will show them at which other schools you are holding acceptances. But, of course, at that point, it's too late for that information to harm you.

Physician Salaries, Compared by Specialty

Here's a very interesting Medscape piece (with clear graphics) on current physician compensation, compared by specialty.

Is Osteopathic Medical School Right for You?

Osteopathic medical schools are a good option for many applicants. Osteopathic medicine emphasizes helping each patient achieve wellness by focusing on health promotion and disease prevention. Osteopathy teaches that a strong foundation in primary care makes one a better physician, regardless of a doctor's specialty.

Here is a great article from last summer's New York Times on osteopathic schools and their influence on American medicine. There are also some useful statistics about admissions in the article.

Medical School and Residency Personal Statements

It's time to get moving on your medical school or residency personal statement. (It's actually late to start on your medical school essay; if you don't already have a good draft, I'd recommend starting immediately.)

The goal of the personal statement is to distinguish yourself from everyone else and demonstrate your worthiness as a candidate. Here's a piece I wrote for Student Doctor Network (I did not choose the title ;)) that will guide you.

AMCAS Upcoming Dates and the Advantage of an Early Application

Here's a reminder that AMCAS 2016 opens on May 5, and you can submit your application starting June 2. Because of rolling admissions, submitting a complete application early in the cycle has distinct advantages at many schools.That doesn't mean you should submit suboptimal written materials; it means you should start early enough that you are offering your best work.

Rolling admissions means that a school takes applications in the order in which they are received and makes decisions about interviews and then acceptances, accordingly. So, as times goes by, there are fewer interview and admissions offers remaining to be made.

If your application is not complete, your candidacy may not be evaluated early when there are more opportunities for interviews and admissions. So, if you have not already, get started immediately. It could make a huge difference in your available opportunities.

Physician Burnout

The Medscape Physician Lifestyle Report 2015 is out, and don't be surprised if you find it a little discouraging. U.S. physicians suffer more burnout than other U.S. workers with 46% of American doctors reporting the problem. Critical care doctors are most affected at 53%, followed by emergency physicians at 52%. The report cites bureaucracy, administrative tasks, and long work hours, among other causes.

Check out this piece on emergency physician burnout to better understand why there is such a disconnect between medical student interest and physician satisfaction in the emergency medicine field.

Medical School - Accepted!

So far this year, Insider clients have seen a lot of medical school acceptances. School include University of California - Irvine, Washington University, Drexel, University of Michigan, Northwestern, Louisiana State University, Tulane, University of Texas - Southwestern, Baylor, Temple University, Oakland University, and Hofstra-LIJ North Shore School of Medicine, to name a few. Click here to see a complete list of Insider client acceptances.

Avoiding a Re-application to Medical School

After disappointing admissions cycles, multiple medical school re-applicants hire me every year. Individual cases are complex, but keep the below five suggestions in mind as you approach the application season in order to avoid missteps:

1. Make sure you have robust clinical experiences. No one wants to hire a chef who's never been in the kitchen.

2. Ensure you have the grades/MCAT and apply to schools that are appropriate to your academic level. Check out the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) to get an idea of what grades you'll need. (Take a deep breath. It might be shocking.)

3. Get very strong letters of recommendation. Consider a mediocre letter a bad one in this competitive environment.

4. Craft a compelling personal statement that distinguishes you from everyone else.

5. Practice interviewing. Don't get as far as the interview only to be rejected because you weren't prepared.

Step 2 CS

For residency applicants, there is an updated version of the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) Content Description and General Information booklet now available. As many candidates know, because the test is not a familiarly-formatted multiple choice examination, Step 2 CS requires careful preparation. The test is made up of 12 patient encounters and lasts about 8 hours.

How to Approach the Medical School and Residency Application Process with a Smile

Dreading the medical school or residency application process? You are not alone. This marathon is filled with hard work and long hours. How can you approach the process with as little stress as possible?

1. Start early. I can not emphasize this enough. Assume your personal statement and AMCAS/ERAS will take you three times longer than you previously thought. Also, approach letter writers promptly.

2. Read before you get started. Below are two brief pieces on personal statements. Their target is medical school applicants, but the principles are the same for residency candidates: How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School and What Your Medical School Essay Reader is Thinking.

3. Consider what will make you happiest. If you are a pre-med, do some introspection and make sure you really want to go to medical school. As crazy as that sounds, being assured of your plan will help you stay happy throughout this rigorous application process. If you are a residency applicant, speak to faculty - academic and private - in your planned field, and ensure you are picking the right specialty for you.

4. Get help. My website is here. Having someone experienced on your side will alleviate a lot of anxiety. If you already know you are going to work with me, hire me now. The earlier in the season, the more likely I can help you avoid missteps and get your candidacy on the road.

Medical School and Residency Personal Statement Start Time Has Arrived

Now that we're seeing the end of March, it's time to get started on your medical school and residency personal statements. Do not be one of those applicants who is panicking because s/he did not plan enough time to craft an outstanding essay.

If you think your earnest desire to be a doctor is enough to get you into medical school or your great medical school evaluations will vault you into residency, take a look at these Guru on the Go® videos :).

   

Match Week

This week is Match Week. A detailed reminder of all events and times is here.

A briefer summary is below:

Monday: Programs find out if they filled; applicants find out if they matched; SOAP begins. Here's a primer on SOAP.
Tuesday through Thursday: SOAP process in play.
Friday: Match Day.

If you were one of my residency clients this year, I'd appreciate hearing from you when you have a moment to update me. I'm sending everyone the best of wishes.

Scheduling Step 2 CS - Don't Delay

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates® (ECFMG) recently posted a suggested timeline for those who need to take Step 2 CS. Here is their useful announcement:

Schedules at all test centers fill up quickly. USMLE strongly encourages examinees to complete their scheduling before May 31 of the calendar year in which they plan to test. Testing appointments are typically completely filled at least three to four months in advance. If you try to schedule after August 1, you may find that there are no available testing appointments through the end of the year unless there are cancellations.

More information is available in the "Applying for the Test and Scheduling Your Test Date" section of the Bulletin of Information.

My Own Life

Dr. Oliver Sacks is a Professor or Neurology at New York University School of Medicine who has written numerous best-selling books including, "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" and "Awakenings." He recently wrote a moving piece in the NYT called "My Own Life" about learning that he has terminal cancer. It's worth a read.

Med Schools Have No Patience for No Patients

For those undergraduates who are starting to think about their medical school applications, I will tell you a secret: One of the biggest weaknesses I advise candidates on is their lack of clinical experience. I've seen students with MCATs in the high 30s who did not get into medical school on their first try. They had little or no patient experience.

So, ensure your application has robust clinical activities. Some suggestions:

Scribe
Clinical Care Extender
EMT
Low Income Clinic Volunteer
Hospice Volunteer
Veterinarian's Assistant (a great way to get hands-on procedural experience)
Phlebotomist

If you are not excited about getting clinical experience, it is time to question your interest in a career in medicine... which is exactly what admissions committees will do if they don't see that experience :).

Take a look below at my Guru on the Go© Video about this topic.

NRMP Rank Deadline Approaching

Please remember that on February 25 your rank list must be certified by 9pm EST, and changes cannot be made after that time. The NRMP will not enter a list; add, delete or move programs; or modify a rank order list. 

Every year I see applicants making changes to their lists at the last minute. Please take some time to consider your decisions, and submit your rank list well before the deadline.

Paid Undergraduate Science Writers' Fellowship Opportunity

In 1995, I was selected to be an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mass Media Fellow. I was paid to intern at the Oregonian newspaper where I improved my science journalism skills. The experience was fantastic, and I strongly recommend the fellowship to other science students.

The AAAS has a relatively new fellowship, specifically for minority science writers. The below is information from the AAAS about this paid internship:

The AAAS Pitts Family Foundation Minority Science Writers Internship is for undergraduates who are interested in journalism as a career and who want to learn about science writing. In addition to improving their skills, the program seeks to make a dent in the demographics of the profession: Although science is a global activity, the journalists who cover it don't reflect that diversity.

Funded by the Pitts Family Foundation, the internship takes place each summer at the Washington, D.C. headquarters of AAAS's Science magazine, the largest interdisciplinary journal in the world. Interns spend ten weeks at Science under the guidance of award-winning reporters and editors practicing what science writers do for a living. They have a chance to meet leading scientists, attend conferences and hearings, and cover breaking news.

Interns are expected to contribute to all facets of the news operation, including writing bylined articles for the print magazine and online news service, engaging in social media, and contributing to other news products. Interns receive a weekly stipend as well as the cost of a round-trip ticket to and from Washington, D.C. The internship runs from early June to mid-August. This year's application deadline is March 1, 2015. To be eligible, applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate academic program at the time they submit their application.

No Ring, No Thing

Residency applicants, please take a look at this Guru on the Go© video. Remember that promises made by a residency director during the interview process should not affect your rank list in any way.

The Medical School Wait List: Can Anything Be Done?

Just when you’ve completed your medical school interviews and feel that you can sit back and relax because – after all – the rest is out of your hands, you may be surprised by a wait list notification. What is the next step? What can you do?

First of all, realize that getting into medical school has become increasingly competitive year by year. Being wait listed is better than being rejected, and thus a positive, despite the anxiety is causes.

A few things you can do:
1. Send a letter of intent. Let the school know of your continued interest and your new accomplishments. Ensure the letter is well written, streamlined and brief. Be explicit about your enthusiasm, and if the school is your first choice, let the admissions committee know that.
2. Ask the school if you can set up a second look. A second visit indicates to the institution that you are serious, and it offers you more data in making your decision if you are later offered a spot.
3. Do not neglect your other options. Don’t focus all of your attention on this institution to the exclusion of others: Ensure you are well-prepared for upcoming interviews at other medical schools.
4. Plan for last minute notice. At some schools applicants are offered slots off the wait list throughout the summer. I’ve even heard of acceptances being offered the day before medical school was to begin. Would you be able to change your living situation, move your personal belongings and uproot if this were to happen?

Evidence-Based Decision Making Regarding Your Planned Specialty

For those first-, second-, and third-year medical students who are trying to pick a specialty, remember to start with the facts: The NRMP published Charting Outcomes of the Match to give applicants an idea of what characteristics successful 2014 Main Residency Match candidates had. While sobering (the mean Step 2 score for successful radiology U.S. senior applicants was 249), the information is valuable as you approach the decision-making process.

If you're early in the process, you can strategically plan your candidacy for success. If you're later in the process, you can decide whether you have the characteristics necessary to pursue a successful Match process.

Doctor, Shut Up and Listen

This recent NYT piece by Nirmal Joshi is interesting, and as someone with a human biology background, I'm a big fan of improving patient-doctor communication.

But the author fails to address a critical factor here - oppressive patient volumes. In the Emergency Department (ED), a physician must balance the time she's spending with each patient with the wait time that many others are suffering without having had the privilege of seeing a doctor yet. And crushing patient volume is not just an ED problem. A primary care friend of mine told me she has to see one patient every 15 minutes to keep on schedule. She points out that just getting a thorough history from a new, elderly patient and counseling on preventive care can take all of that time.

Match Ranking may be emotionally hard, but it's strategically easy

For those of you who are starting to think about your Match rank lists, please remember that you simply rank your first choice first, your second second, etc. The Match algorithm is mathematically quite complicated, but because the process always begins with an attempt to match an applicant to the program most preferred on the applicant's rank list, your best bet is not to try to "game" the system.

For example, I've had applicants tell me that they plan to rank a less preferred institution higher because that program has more residency slots. That's a no-no. The applicant will actually be harming him/herself with that strategy.

Here's some information from the NRMP regarding the Match algorithm. Here's also a less-than-one-minute Guru on the Go© video "NRMP Ranking to Avoid a Spanking" to emphasize your optimal ranking strategy.