How To Get A Medical Residency Interview

Every year after residency rank order lists have been submitted, and before match day, program directors from all residency specialties are sent a survey “to shed light on the factors that program directors use to (1) select applicants to interview and (2) rank applicants for the match.”*

In 2014, program directors listed these factors as their top considerations when inviting residency applicants for an interview.

1) USMLE Step 1/COMLEX Level 1 score

2) Letters of recommendation in the specialty

3) Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE/Dean’s Letter)

4) USMLE Step 2 CK/COMLEX Level 2 CE score

5) Personal Statement

6) Graduate of U.S. allopathic medical school

7) Grades in required clerkships

8) Gaps in medical education

9) Honors in clinical clerkships

10) Perceived commitment to specialty

* http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PD-Survey-Report-2014.pdf

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Match Violations and Withdrawing From The Program Where You Matched

by Jessica Freedman, MD www.MedEdits.com

"I really don't want to match there."
"Gosh. I hope I don't match at that program. It is last on my list."

Every year, when applicants decide how to rank programs, I hear comments like those listed above. The advice I give applicants is only to rank programs they would be willing to attend. For every program you rank, ask yourself, "Would I rather match at the program or not match?" If your answer is the latter, then leave that program off your list.

That said, what happens if you are devastated by your match result? Can you withdraw from the program and what are the consequences? Every year I receive calls from prospective clients who want to consult with me about how to withdraw from the program where they matched. If you withdraw from a program where you match, this is considered a match violation. It is also a major headache for the program that must now fill your spot. This is taken seriously by the NRMP. I strongly discourage individuals from withdrawing after they have matched but, if you decide you must do this, you need to contact the program directly and you must also contact the NRMP.

Read section 7.0 of the NRMPs Match Participation Agreement and the NRMPs policies for reporting a violation.

NRMP and For-Profit Scramble Services

by Jessica Freedman, MD,  www.MedEdits.com

I have blogged before about for-profit residency scramble services and do not advocate using these companies.

I found it interesting when a client forwarded me an email that was recently sent to applicants by the NRMP about this topic. If you did not read or have not received this email (which is below), please be aware:

TO: Applicants in the 2010 Main Residency Match

The NRMP has received numerous phone calls from applicants asking about for-profit services that claim to send unmatched applicants' applications to unfilled programs during the Match Week Scramble. The NRMP is a not-for-profit organization that does not cooperate with or condone the use of these services, and we do not provide them with the List of Unfilled Programs. Moreover, many residency program directors have told the NRMP that they do not review applications sent by these services because they clog email inboxes and telephone and fax lines.

We believe the NRMP is the only organization with reliable information about which positions are available during the Scramble, and that information is available free-of-charge to all unmatched applicants. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at nrmp@aamc.org.

Our best wishes for a successful Match!
NRMP Staff

MedEdits does not offer scramble services.

Residency Match: Important Dates and The Scramble

As the 2008/2009 residency application season comes to a close, I thought it was a good time to review some important dates. Most programs have finished interviewing applicants, have had their annual "rank meeting" and are in the process of entering their rank order list (ROL). Applicants should also be submitting their ROL now.

Some dates:

February 25th: ROL certification deadline.

March 16th: Applicant matched and unmatched data posted at 12 noon EST.

March 17th (Scramble Day!): Filled and unfilled results for individual programs posted at 11:30 AM EST.

March 17th (Scramble Day!): Locations of unfilled positions released at 12 noon EST. Individuals may start contacting programs at this time.

March 19th: MATCH DAY! Match results posted at 1 PM EST.

As announced at the AAMC meeting this fall, the NRMP and the AAMC are jointly establishing a scramble work group to address issues related to the scramble and to propose changes for reform.

In 2008, roughly 13,000 applicants competed for 1,300 unfilled positions during the scramble. More than half of these unfilled positions were filled by 4 PM on scramble day. Many applicants (mostly IMGs) do not submit a ROL and register for the match just to receive the list of unfilled spots. Thus, the chances of obtaining a spot via the scramble is slim. For-profit companies who claim to "fax" materials to programs on behalf of clients also jam fax machines and lines of communication making the process challenging for unfilled programs.

While I will be available for my existing clients during the scramble (although I don't anticipate they will need any help!), I will not be offering any services for new clients during the scramble. We wish all of our residency clients good luck in the match this year and look forward to hearing about your success. If you are interested in hiring us to help you through the application process for the 2009/2010 season, we encourage you to retain our services early.

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Residency Match Data

The residency application season is approaching and many candidates are considering where to apply. When making this decision, it is important to review the data that is available from previous NRMP matches.

Charting Outcomes in the Match, published by the AAMC and NRMP, provides easy to read graphs showing the distribution of successful and unsuccessful applicants based on USMLE scores, number of programs ranked, research and publications, AOA membership and other characteristics. Even though this information is from the 2007 match, it is a useful reference. Click Here to access the report.

The most recent data from the NRMP provides information on the 2008 match. Click Here to access the report.

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