Your Residency Application: What Do Program Directors Really Want?

Imagine that you're a program director (PD) going through scores of ERASes and interviews. What questions would you ask yourself as you assessed each residency candidate to avoid big headaches?

1) Can this person do the job? Is s/he competent?

2) Will this person "play well with others" and not create complaints from patients, faculty, or other services.

3) Will this person stick with the program and not leave prematurely? A PD does not want to scurry around to fill an open call schedule/ residency slot.

As you approach your interviews, consider how you can demonstrate your competence and collegiality, as well as your commitment to the field and the residency program. For the former, ensure you showcase academic successes, extra curricular activities that demonstrate teamwork, and - if asked - hobbies and reading materials that demonstrate your personality. For the latter, highlight research projects in the specialty, sub-internships, and knowledge about the program and city. 

Making sure the PD knows you are not going to cause him/her trouble is at least half the battle.

Don't Let Other People Freak You Out

I started Insider Medical Admissions over a dozen years ago, so I've been in admissions consulting for a while. I'm pretty good at spotting trends. Every year about now I begin to get emails from clients saying they're worried about their lack of (or minimal number of) medical school and residency interview invitations. (Yes, even as early as mid- to late-September folks are concerned about residency interviews.) They report they have a classmate who says he's gotten an interview invitation or they read online that others are being contacted with invites.

Sure, some people are getting early interview invitations. But that should not affect your confidence. After all, according to Amy Cuddy, whom I've referenced before, confidence is the name of the game when it comes to interviews.

So, minimize conversations about interviews with others and simply stop checking online. If you are in the thick of the season and you still haven't gotten any interviews, then you'll need to reassess and act. But for now, put in ear plugs. This process is so very stressful; you certainly don't need to seek out more anxiety-provoking information (and who even knows if it's accurate anyway!).

Check out these Medically-Related Podcasts

Creepy, but juicy. That's how I'd describe a podcast I just finished called The Shrink Next Door. It's a fascinating series reported by Joe Nocera (of New York Times fame) about an East Coast academic psychiatrist who manipulates at least one patient into sacrificing control of his finances, social connections, and business for decades. For medical folks like us, it brings up monumental issues of professionalism, ethics, and oversight.

Another one to listen to (but be prepared for nightmares) is Believed. This podcast chronicles Larry Nassar's decades of sexual abuse of patients within and beyond his role as the USA Gymnastic national team doctor. It's a chilling description of how even well-meaning adults can have blinders on when it comes to a physician, based on his perceived social status. 

And please feel free to listen to my guest spots on the White Coat Investor Podcast, the FeminEm Podcast, and the Hippocratic Hustle Podcast, although they are admittedly less captivating than The Shrink and Believed :). Use the links included in this entry or download them directly from your favorite podcast app.

Medical School Interviews: How to Strategically Confront and Address Weaknesses

Not everyone has a 3.99 BCPM or a 99th percentile on her MCAT. In my recently-published Student Doctor Network article, you'll learn how to acknowledge your candidacy's deficiencies, while providing persuasive evidence that you've overcome obstacles. These techniques work well for residency and fellowship interviews also. 

Four Ways to Save $ in the Medical School and Residency Interview Processes

1. If you are ambivalent about an institution, schedule your interview later. By late-season you may decide not to interview there at all, saving you some money.

2. Group your interviews geographically. If you think this is impossible, consider this: There is nothing wrong with calling an institution you are waiting to hear from and politely letting the assistant know you have been invited to interview at a nearby school/program. Let him/her know you would like to save money by flying out to the area once, and ask if the admissions committee/ residency might be willing to let you know now if the institution will be offering you an interview. Believe it or not, this technique sometimes works.

3. Check out travel web sites daily or better yet, set an alert on Kayak, Hopper, or Google flights. Occasionally, a low price is available only if you catch it quickly.

4. Consider staying with students/residents if the institution offers. Hotels can be expensive, and sometimes you can gather useful information about the school/program this way. Just beware that anything you do or say may be repeated to the admissions committee/residency. (Make sure to write a thank you note.)