Applying for residencies- timeline

[NYer2012]

For those of you who have already gone through the process of applying for residencies, or those who know a lot about it, I was wondering what you recommend as far as the timeline goes. For example, when did you request letters of recommendations and fill out applications? What do you need to have done prior to midyear? And when did you start getting interview invites and schedule interviews? Thanks!

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[spacecowgirl]

Oct of P4 year - decided to do residency
Nov - scrambled to get LORs and apps in
Dec - called sites I was interested in to set up site visits. I lived OOS from where I applied and knew I didn't have the $$$ to go to midyear or to go home for Christmas and go on interviews in early winter so I tried to get it all done at once
Jan - site visits/interviews
March - match begins

 

[xiphoid2010]

For those of you who have already gone through the process of applying for residencies, or those who know a lot about it, I was wondering what you recommend as far as the timeline goes. For example, when did you request letters of recommendations and fill out applications? What do you need to have done prior to midyear? And when did you start getting interview invites and schedule interviews? Thanks!

1. Finalized plan to do a residency sometime in P3 year.
2(a). Basic research on where to apply spring before P4.
(b). Decided on only choosing in-state to save on interview expenses.
(c). Planned for 5 LOR; had 3 sources, needed 2 more.
3. P4 rotations starts July
(a) put best foot forward to get last 2 LOR
(b) build up a good portfolio to show during the interview.
4. Attended ohio residency showcase in Oct, request LOR from the 3 sources.
5. Picked 2 best rotations preceptors, requested the last LORs by late Nov.
6. Took December off to put all 7 applications together
8. Interviews began in mid-late Jan, lasted until mid Feb
9. Submitted ranking by early March.
10. Match result released 3/17... I remember couldn't stay a sleep last night, so went to MICU in 4 AM to work up my patients, got the e-mail at 9:05 AM, gave high 5 to my buddy in the SICU who also got his first choice. The two of us must looked stupid cheering and dancing in the ICU.

 

[bacillus1]

Interesting. Neither of the above posters went to midyr and still got matched? I guess won't work for me, since I want to look at a lot of OOS programs. Is there anything I should do before or at midyr to increase the chances of those OOS programs remembering me and wanting to invite me for an interview?

 

[spacecowgirl]

I only applied to sites that were in my home state but were 1500 miles from where I was living for school.

 

[xiphoid2010]

Interesting. Neither of the above posters went to midyr and still got matched? I guess won't work for me, since I want to look at a lot of OOS programs. Is there anything I should do before or at midyr to increase the chances of those OOS programs remembering me and wanting to invite me for an interview?

Mid year is really just a chance for you to get a feel for whether a residency is right for you. As residents, we had to host the booth as the mid year. We were there mostly to answer your questions honestly. We are NOT there to get to know your, and what you do or say (unless totally outrageous) don't matter.

We even refused to take CVs the the showcase, just handed out CD's with application files on them. And honestly, we don't know who's who by the end of it and we didn't care as everything we wanted to know will be in your application packet.

So if you already decided where you want to apply, going to mid-year's showcase won't gain you anything. And not going won't hurt you in anyway.

 

[confettiflyer]

Mid year is really just a chance for you to get a feel for whether a residency is right for you. As residents, we had to host the booth as the mid year. We were there mostly to answer your questions honestly. We are NOT there to get to know your, and what you do or say (unless totally outrageous) don't matter.

We even refused to take CVs the the showcase, just handed out CD's with application files on them. And honestly, we don't know who's who by the end of it and we didn't care as everything we wanted to know will be in your application packet.

So if you already decided where you want to apply, going to mid-year's showcase won't gain you anything. And not going won't hurt you in anyway.

I've heard this multiple times from many different people.

Hell, I'm going to midyear for the beignets! Well, that and because of a poster, but really for the beignets.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Having never been, I would imagine the showcase wouldn't be very helpful if you already have a clear idea of where you want to go.

 

[KARM12]

10. Match result released 3/17... I remember couldn't stay a sleep last night, so went to MICU in 4 AM to work up my patients, got the e-mail at 9:05 AM, gave high 5 to my buddy in the SICU who also got his first choice. The two of us must looked stupid cheering and dancing in the ICU.

Cute!