Residency Application Process

[doctor20]

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Hi. I will be going to Florida International University this fall and had some general questions about residency programs. I understand that USMLE scores, GPA, and LORs are extremely important when being judged for a position, but what else goes into the equation? For med school, extra-curriculars were a necessity -- is this also the case for residency programs, or are good test scores enough? If as a med student you are expected to participate in outside activities, what kind of things are they looking for? Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

[Arcan57]

Hi. I will be going to Florida International University this fall and had some general questions about residency programs. I understand that USMLE scores, GPA, and LORs are extremely important when being judged for a position, but what else goes into the equation? For med school, extra-curriculars were a necessity -- is this also the case for residency programs, or are good test scores enough? If as a med student you are expected to participate in outside activities, what kind of things are they looking for? Thanks for any info you can provide.

Please do a search. Your question is so general that to answer it in any kind of detail would be exhausting. And also of very little interest to the residents that make up the bulk of this forum's readers.

 

[Law2Doc]

Please do a search. Your question is so general that to answer it in any kind of detail would be exhausting. And also of very little interest to the residents that make up the bulk of this forum's readers.

Agreed-- this is the forum for topics of interest to residents, not folks seeking resident access. If you (OP) do a search, you will find many threads that explain what PDs are looking for. You will also find a link to the annual survey of PDs on this topic. In short, ECs don't matter much for residency with two exceptions. 1. research is often a necessity for the more competitive fields, and highly regarded by most others. 2. Any EC that assists in networking is valuable. Having clinicians within the desired specialty who know faculty at places you are applying can help, obviously. All other ECs you do for enjoyment only, and not for residency purposes. That isn't to say that if you have cool experiences or hobbies they won't be useful in an interview, but you aren't going to start something like that just to get into a residency.

 

[J-Rad]

Agreed. This isn't a residency topic. Moving to pre-allo.

 

[CodeBlu]

I remember reading a list... somewhere in there Clerkship grades counted for a whole lot.

Try searching.

 

[Disinence2]

Will you be considered an FMG?

That also plays a pretty big role!