Three Key Steps To Match Into Residency
Separating yourself from the competition to boost your chances of matching.
Residency…
For many medical students, it’s not going to happen.
It’s a numbers game…
There are more students than available positions…
This means, unfortunately, some will go unmatched.
The good news?
You get to influence the outcome!
You’re here… You’re reading these words…You’re taking the time to learn what it’ll take to ensure you’re one of the fortunate few.
Steps can be taken to put yourself ahead of the competition and boost your chances of matching.
Most medical students wrongly assume that since they’ve made it into med school, they’re going to get a job in medicine.
It’s not a given…
Nobody’s entitled to a job…
It’s not automatic…
But it is a meritocracy!
And if you do the things that merit one of the few Residency positions around the country, you can do it.
Ok…
Now that you’re aware—if you weren’t before—that Residency isn’t guaranteed, let’s look at three important steps you can take today to start positioning yourself for success.
Success, as I’m defining it here, is positioning yourself to get as many interviews as possible in a specialty that you love. Ultimately, the goal is to get so many interviews that it will be A) Challenging to attend them all, and B) Nearly impossible to go unmatched (assuming you interview well).
Let’s dive in…
STEP #1. MEETING MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
The data is out there…
With a few minutes of research, you’ll find the match statistics for successful applicants in nearly every specialty.
You can find minimum score requirements, extracurriculars such as research, publications, and volunteer work, and all of the other important factors that make for successful applicants.
Additionally, you can figure out what numbers you’ll need to put up to put yourself into the lowest, middle, and upper tiers of successful applicants.
Once you know exactly what previously successful applicants have done to match into the exact specialty you’re going for, all that’s left to do is put in the work to meet and exceed those expectations.
Where to find this information? AAMC.org & NRMP.org
STEP #2. EMBODYING THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
Most medical students overlook the fact that certain qualities are needed to make them an appealing candidate for a specific specialty. If your goal is surgery, yet you haven’t clearly communicated that you possess the characteristics that would make you a successful surgeon, you’re missing a huge opportunity.
For example, a quick Google search told me that a few of the characteristics of a surgeon include:
• Attention to detail
• Stamina
• Leadership skills
• Dexterity
If you aren’t able to show the person reviewing your application that you possess the right qualities, why would they bother inviting you for an interview?
Do yourself a huge favor and figure out what characteristics make for a good {insert your desired specialty here} and start embodying them asap. Act in a way that demonstrates those qualities so that your documented experiences and letters of recommendation will reflect them.
STEP #3. FOCUS ON THE PERSONAL STATEMENT (PS)
The PS is your chance to tell a story—your story!
Don’t bore the reader to tears with a flat, generic, uninspired PS.
You’ve got one shot to impress the reader… Don’t blow it!
Too many students throw their PS together at the last minute like it’s an afterthought—big mistake.
Consider this…
Your entire future rides on your ability to convince the reader that you’re a good fit for their program—the personal statement is your best chance at accomplishing this goal.
Its importance is drastically undervalued by most Residency applicants.
If you start early and spend an appropriate amount of time and energy on the PS to ensure it’s as good as it can be, you’ll stand out from almost all of your competition.
Focus on writing a PS that is interesting, captivating, fun, and, most importantly, that highlights all of the traits that will make you the perfect candidate for their program.
If you follow these three simple keys, you’ll set yourself apart from the crowd and significantly boost your chances of success on match day.
If this was helpful and you want to explore the steps outlined in this post further, check out our full Roadmap to Residency Masterclass HERE.
