As with any application process, apply early and apply liberally (i.e. applying to more programs is better than not having enough interviews later on…). One of the first rules of this process is: If you don’t want to live there, don’t apply there! There are plenty of good programs across the US, so you do not need to take the chance of matching at a program in a city where you will be miserable! Iserson’s book Getting into a Residency is a great resource for general information. However, with the advent of ERAS and electronic application systems it is a bit outdated. Get a list of the programs from FRIEDA (http://www.ama-assn.edu/freida) and make a list of those programs that interest you. At FRIEDA, you are able to choose programs based on specialty, location, and program size. Next, take the list to your advisor and go through it with her or him. He or she will be able to help you eliminate programs that may not be the appropriate for you. Most of the information that programs offer is available on the Internet. If you choose, you can send away for literature as well. You will soon be inundated with information about the programs, and now you can make the next cut. Read the brochures carefully, and with a critical eye, remembering that these are the program’s marketing tools. After writing to programs and receiving brochures, you should be asking for letters of recommendation. As a rule, it is best to have one to two letters from attendings in your field, and another from the attending from your Sub-Internship. The most important aspect of the letter writer is that he or she knows you as a person as well as a potential house officer. If you did not get along with your Sub-I attending, but really hit it off with someone from an elective, by all means, ask the person from the elective rotation to write your letter. We realize that this seems to be common sense, but it is worth stating. As for the Sub-Internship, this should be done early in the year. Work hard, show interest and present yourself in a professional manner. If you do this, you should get a strong letter. If not, think long and hard before asking for that letter.

As for a structured time-table for the application process, and what to expect and look for on the interview trail, each field is different. Best of luck!! This is one place where the OSA is helpful.

A new addition to this year’s Redbook is something that a few of the graduating fourth years’ noticed. Students from other medical schools are provided with "summary" sheets/booklets to take with them as they go on interviews. Ron Landmann has provided a copy of an "adapted" summary sheet he used so that you may photocopy/modify for your particular use. If you fill this out during and immediately after the interview, you will be able to sort things out later during the time you input your Rank Order List. You will be amazed how soon during interview season programs start to look alike and details begin mixing up, so complete it while your thoughts are still fresh. You will notice, that at the end your gut feeling about a particular program is ultimately the best prognostic factor in deciding where to rank programs.

Index:

Residency Question List & Summary Sheet