residency application

[Beta320]

what do hospitals look for besides gpa, your board scores, and rotation evaluations? would getting an MBA help in any way especially if it restricts you to stay local for rotations?

 

[Dr JPH]

1. Interview
2. Boards
3. Letters of recommendation
4. Clinical performance evaluations
5. Pre-clinical grades
6. Research/additional education (MS, MPH, MBA, PhD)
7. Honor society affiliations
8. National and Local involvement in desired specialty (conferences, society memberships)
9. Shoe size

 

[Beta320]

hey thanks for the response. I knew shoe size was a deciding factor but who knew that board scores would be?

 

[Dr JPH]

hey thanks for the response. I knew shoe size was a deciding factor but who knew that board scores would be?

Those seem to be the things PDs look for. Talk to some people who are in positions to make decisions on future residents and see what they tell you.

Good luck.

 

[Beta320]

my school is offering a Masters in Bioethics starting next year and I was curious if you thought that would help a person with their application if they wanted to do internal medicine? how about plastic surgery?

 

[Dr JPH]

I have yet to meet a program director who looks at an additional year of education (in any discipline) as a negative.

For example, I did an extra year in school in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine as an OMM Fellow, and will get a masters from it.

Even in talking with allopathic programs all of them commended me on the dedication and sacrifice that the extra year takes and all were enthused that I was pursuing additional training that would make me an overall better physician/clinician/teacher.

 

[Beta320]

well now here's another question for you: does it matter where you do your clinical rotations? Say a student gets the same evaluation of an "equal" student at a "better" hospital will the committee choose the student whose rotation was in a "better" hospital?

 

[Dr JPH]

well now here's another question for you: does it matter where you do your clinical rotations? Say a student gets the same evaluation of an "equal" student at a "better" hospital will the committee choose the student whose rotation was in a "better" hospital?

Programs are going to want people to rotate at their site(s). Afterall, if you plan on attending there they hope you are familiar with the program.

When given two clinical sites, I think PDs will go with the one they are more familiar with. Given two clinical sites the PD is NOT familiar with, namesake probably carries the weight.

Point is...if you want to go to Program A, rotate at Program As hospitals.

 

[DragonWell]

I have yet to meet a program director who looks at an additional year of education (in any discipline) as a negative.

For example, I did an extra year in school in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine as an OMM Fellow, and will get a masters from it.

Even in talking with allopathic programs all of them commended me on the dedication and sacrifice that the extra year takes and all were enthused that I was pursuing additional training that would make me an overall better physician/clinician/teacher.

Curious, a masters in OMM?

 

[Dr JPH]

Curious, a masters in OMM?

OMM Fellowship, but the masters is not in OMM. Its a biomedical science masters

 

[Jamers]

what do hospitals look for besides gpa, your board scores, and rotation evaluations? would getting an MBA help in any way especially if it restricts you to stay local for rotations?

This was taken from this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=370338



You want some evidence, instead of all us undergrad me student spouting off about how LORs and more important than Boards or class rank. Read what the latest ERAS info is.

A bit of new information from an ERAS study about success in the ACGME-NRMP match (MD)
-----
[Assume parallels in the AOA-NMP match (DO)]

What are programs looking for
things they look for are: AAMC match outcomes for ACGME Programs (best predictors of match)

1. Performance on Step 1 of USMLE
2. Membership in Alpha Omega Alpha (MD school honor society)
3. Existence of applicant authored publications
4. Research experience
5. Number of programs ranked by applicant (the more the better chance)

Also noted (but not ranked in study):
6. Medical school transcripts (clerkship grades)
7. Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) = Dean’s letter
8. Letters of recommendation
9. Personal statements from ERAS
10. Interview experience

 

[AmoryBlaine]

This was taken from this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=370338



You want some evidence, instead of all us undergrad me student spouting off about how LORs and more important than Boards or class rank. Read what the latest ERAS info is.

A bit of new information from an ERAS study about success in the ACGME-NRMP match (MD)
-----
[Assume parallels in the AOA-NMP match (DO)]

What are programs looking for
things they look for are: AAMC match outcomes for ACGME Programs (best predictors of match)

1. Performance on Step 1 of USMLE
2. Membership in Alpha Omega Alpha (MD school honor society)
3. Existence of applicant authored publications
4. Research experience
5. Number of programs ranked by applicant (the more the better chance)

Also noted (but not ranked in study):
6. Medical school transcripts (clerkship grades)
7. Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) = Dean’s letter
8. Letters of recommendation
9. Personal statements from ERAS
10. Interview experience

Good post, I should mention that it varies widely from specialty to specialty. The most recent paper I saw polling PDs in EM placed Step II above Step I (when it was available) and placed elective rotation grades above everything.

If you're talking about the heavy-hitting surg sub-specialties though, Step1/AOA is where it's at.