Residency Rank Day

Most residency programs are having their rank day meetings by the end of this week. Why is this significant? Applicants want to send letters of intent before these meetings occur. While the 2008 NRMP program director survey indicates that follow up does not influence rankings, letters of intent stating that you will be ranking a program #1 can influence your position on a rank list. Residency programs, especially those that are affiliated with prestigious medical schools, don't like to "go too far down on a list" because this looks bad in the eyes of medical school deans and administrators. The need to scramble is especially harmful not only to a program's reputation but also to the medical school of which that program is a part. Therefore, to stay on the good side of medical school deans and administrators, programs like to report that they did well in the match, matched with outstanding candidates and "did not have to go too far down on the list."

By the same token, this is why programs may send "love letters" or make phone calls to applicants they will be ranking highly. Remember that persuasion is a violation of the match participation agreement and you are not obligated to tell programs where you are ranking them. Respond to these communications respectfully and gratefully and say something like, "I would be honored to train with you." Do not allow these phone calls and letters to influence the order in which you will rank programs.

Read my previous entries on letters of intent.

Now is the time to start working with me on your residency candidacy for 2010/2011!

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New Tool For Admissions Officers

A company called Turnitin for Admissions now provides plagiarism and content verification software specifically designed for admissions offices. I am not sure if any one in the medical admissions arena is using this resource yet but, as applicants write their essays, personal statements and applications, be aware that this exists! I always discourage applicants from using companies or individuals that offer to write your documents, and this "authenticity" tool should serve as a further disincentive.

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The Residency Scramble Day Interview: What Not To Ask

Last night I attended a medical dinner meeting and a colleague of mine, who is now a leader at a major New Jersey hospital, was telling me about his match experience. This colleague did not match and entered the scramble. On scramble day, he had a phone interview with one residency director at a prestigious program in the midwest. The program director asked him, "So, why do you think you didn't match?" Sightly offended, this colleague instinctively replied, "I don't know; why do you think you didn't fill." This is a great story to tell but, needless to say, he was not offered a position at this program and completed his training elsewhere.

What is the lesson here? If you don't match and end up in the scramble, be prepared to answer the question, "Why do you think you didn't match?" and don't be offended! I know many great doctors who did not match and got spots through the scramble so, if you end up in this position, have faith.

Be sure to read my article about the scramble on the Student Doctor Network.

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Letters of Recommendation: How Do You Ask?

If you are applying to medical school, you should be thinking now about who will write your letters of reference. Many clients ask me about the best way to ask for a letter of reference. Like most things, there is no "one size fits all" answer to this question.

For example, last week a former resident asked me to write a letter of reference on his behalf. Since I know this resident well, I did not feel the need to meet with him and simply asked him to send me an up to date curriculum vitae (CV) so I could review his more recent accomplishments and remind myself of when he graduated!

So, the manner in which you ask for letters of reference should be individualized. If you don't know your letter writer well, call them or their assistant to schedule a meeting. At this meeting, which could be in person or over the phone, ask if they would be willing to write you a strong letter of reference. The key word here is strong; hopefully, if someone feels they cannot write you an excellent letter of reference, they will be honest and tell you this.

At this meeting, ask your letter writer what materials they would like from you to make this task easier for them. Consider sending your letter writer an up to date CV via email before your meeting. Many things you read advise bringing a "portfolio" to your letter writer that includes your CV, personal statement and any additional materials that might be helpful. Since most people in academics are now accustomed to web based applications, they prefer electronic versions of all documents rather than hard copies but, again, ask your letter writer about their preference.

If your letter writer asks for a personal or a brief autobiographical statement, do not feel that you must provide what will be the final draft of your statement; the letter writer is asking for your statement to obtain a more complete sense of who you are which will allow them to write a more substantial letter.

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MedEdits Blog Suggestions?

I was speaking with a former colleague and current faculty member from Mount Sinai today who called to consult with me regarding some details about the residency match. When I referred him to my blog, he said, "Jessica, you guys need a search box." Seems like an obvious suggestion but was an oversight on our part. A search box has now been added to the upper right hand corner of the blog.

In the same conversation, he said, "Why on earth do you do this and how do you know about all of this stuff?" I explained, advising and mentoring was always the aspect of formal academic medicine I enjoyed most. The topics covered in my blog address the same concerns that my students and residents had at Mount Sinai. Through MedEdits, I can continue to advise and help students.

The MedEdits blog readership has grown steadily over the past 2 years. I would like to thank our readers and ask all of you for suggestions of topics you would like to be covered in this blog. By the same token, if there are any other services that you feel would benefit MedEdits' readers and clients, always feel free to drop me a note: jessicafreedmanmd@mededits.com.

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