Check out this FeminEm Podcast

Want to get tips on professional happiness, autonomy and flexibility, entrepreneurship, how to choose a medical school and residency program, and how to nail an interview? Download my recent guest spot on the Feminem podcast - 2018 Summer Series. 

FeminEm (Females Working in Emergency Medicine) is an open access resource for women in emergency medicine. FeminEM offers a national conference (FIX18), an e-newsletter, a blog, and accessible mentorship. 

Come and Get It! The 2018 NRMP Program Director Survey is Out

Every two years the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP) publishes a program director (PD) survey that 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 2018 Program Director Survey are available here.

So, as you approach interviews, if you're wondering what PDs want - by specialty - here are your answers. This document is extremely valuable. 

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 48 million times.

Your Residency Application: Being Repetitive Again and Again

In writing their personal statements, many residency applicants ask me, "Isn't it regurgitating my CV if I highlight my accomplishments?" After all, they say, their achievements have already been noted in the application, dean’s letter, and letters of recommendation. Think of the residency admissions process as an onion. Your ERAS and letters serve as one layer of that onion, albeit a thin one. In other words, your accomplishments are conveyed simply and succinctly there. The personal statement is your opportunity to apply a thicker layer, one in which you flesh out your achievements, thus persuading the reader of your distinctiveness. Finally, the interview is your chance to add on the thickest peel. Discussing your accomplishments in detail can seal the interviewer’s positive impression of you.

So yes, you are going to be redundant throughout the residency application process, but each part serves a different and additive purpose. If you do not include your achievements in your personal statement, how will you be viewed as distinctive? Remember: Who you are is what you’ve done… and what traits and skills you’ve gained accordingly.