Residency Match: Avoid Getting Burned

See the latest entry on my Medscape Blog about the match participation agreement and how to interpret communications from residency programs.

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Medical Residency Application: Letters of Reference

Read an article about letters of reference in the new edition of Unique Opportunities. I am quoted several times on pages 26, 27 and 29.

MedEdits medical school applicants are aleady receiving multiple acceptances. Congratulations!

Medical School Interviews: No Two Are The Same

Medical school applicants feverishly scan the internet for questions they will be asked at their interview for a certain medical school. It is important to understand that most medical school interviews are not scripted and therefore the questions you may be asked and the style of the interivew will be dependent on your individual interivewer rather than what is dictated by a specific school. It is good to practice and to be prepared but, it is also essential not to over-practice; you don't want your answers to sound rehearsed.

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Medical School Interviews: Grouping

Medical school applicants are now receiving medical school interview invitations. It is perfectly acceptable to notify the other schools to which you applied that are in the general vicinity of the school where you will be interviewing. Unless a school specifically requests that you do not contact them, letting them know that you will be in the area will motivate them to move your file to the top of the "to be screened files" and will also communicate to them that you are a desirable candidate. I have several clients who have had success utilizing this technique and have been able to group medical school interviews in a specific geographic area.

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Getting Into Medical School: Help for Parents

See my new article on the Student Doctor Network. This one is written for the parents (and their kids!).

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Medical School Interviews and Residency Interviews

If you do not yet have many medical school interviews, there is no need to worry (yet). Since Labor Day was unusually late this year, many medical school admissions offices are somewhat backed up. Admissions officers are human and summer vacations may have been taken into September. October is likely to be very busy and there are probably stacks of "to be screened" files waiting to be reviewed....

Similarly, it is very early for residency interview invitations. Also, some programs wait until November 1st to review applications once the Medical School Performance Evaluations are released (MSPE).

Visit MedEdits and reserve your mock interview time as soon as possible.