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.u!!.u!.
2

1abte of Covtevt.

Chapter One Selecting a Specialty ................................................................................................................................4
lactors Aecting Career Choices...........................................................................................................................4
Career Decisions - \hat are the complexities ...................................................................................................4
Questions to Ask \hen Making Choices .............................................................................................................4
A In the Image o Mom, Dad, or Uncle Charlie ...........................................................................................4
B. linding a Personal lit....................................................................................................................................4
C. Making Choices on the Basis o Limited Inormation .............................................................................5
D. Looking at One`s Own Competitieness....................................................................................................5
L. Making the Best Choice or Residency and Practice.................................................................................5
l. linding One`s Own Niche............................................................................................................................6
G. Looking at Back-Up Specialty Choices.......................................................................................................6
Length o 1raining - Oeriew o Positions in Residencies..............................................................................
1ypes o Positions Oered through the NRMP..................................................................................................

Chapter 1wo 1he Residency Application Process.....................................................................................................9
\hat is LRAS..........................................................................................................................................................9
1he Army Match,Armed lorces Match.............................................................................................................10
Summary: 1ypes o Applications..........................................................................................................................10

Chapter 1hree 1he Match ...........................................................................................................................................11
Applications ersus 1he Match` ........................................................................................................................11
1he Dierent 1ypes o Matches ..........................................................................................................................11
\hat is the NRMP................................................................................................................................................11
\hat are the Larly Matches.................................................................................................................................12
Residency Rank List or Joe Radiology` ...........................................................................................................13
1he Couples Match - Completing the ROLs.....................................................................................................14
1he Process: An Lxample .....................................................................................................................................14
Couples Match - General Rules ...........................................................................................................................14
\ithdrawing rom the Match................................................................................................................................15
Reasons or \ithdrawal .........................................................................................................................................15
Optimize \our Chances o Matching..................................................................................................................15
\hat lappens I I Don`t Match ........................................................................................................................16
1he National Resident Matching Program 1imetable.......................................................................................16
Match Summary ......................................................................................................................................................1
It`s Not the Lnd o the \orld..............................................................................................................................18
1hings to Remember..........................................................................................................................................19
General Guidelines or Application and Match Processes ...............................................................................22

Chapter lour 1he Matching Algorithm at \ork.....................................................................................................23
1he Match Algorithm & Some General Rules ...................................................................................................24

Chapter lie Appraising Residency Programs .........................................................................................................25
lrequently Asked Questions .................................................................................................................................25
3

Other Residency lactors to Consider..................................................................................................................2

Chapter Six Competitieness o Dierent lields.....................................................................................................28
\hat do Program Directors Look lor ..............................................................................................................28
Applicant Issues as Considered rom a Program Directors Viewpoint..........................................................28
USMLL Scores........................................................................................................................................................29
Program Directors Responses to a Surey on Variables Used to Select Residents in a 1ime o Change.29

Chapter Seen LORs, CVs, and Personal Statements .............................................................................................30
Letters o Recommendation..................................................................................................................................30
lrequently Asked Questions about Letters o Recommendation ,LORs,.....................................................30
Curriculum Vitae ,CV, ...........................................................................................................................................31
Personal Statements................................................................................................................................................32

Chapter Light Interiewing .........................................................................................................................................33
Ground Rules ..........................................................................................................................................................34
1he Interiew..........................................................................................................................................................34
Questions Asked on Interiews............................................................................................................................35
lrequently Asked Questions about Interiews ..................................................................................................3

Chapter Nine 1he Medical School Perormance Laluation ,MSPL,
lormerly known as the Dean`s Letters................................................................................................................40
\hat is a the MSPL Letter Anyway...................................................................................................................40
Reiewing \our MSPL..........................................................................................................................................41

Chapter 1en NRMP \eb R3 System
,Registration, Ranking, & Results,........................................................................................................................42
Completing the Rank Order List - NRMP..........................................................................................................42
lrequently Asked Questions rom the NRMP R3 \eb Site............................................................................43
USMLL Update: Step II Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills ..................................................................52

Appendices......................................................................................................................................................................53
CV Samples......................................54
MSPL 1emplate ......................................................................................................................................................58
Unique Characteristics............................................................................................................................................61
LRAS Applicant Inormation Shreet & Other Useul LRAS Inormation ...........64
Other Sources o Inormation & Counseling.......................68
\ritten Material..................................68
Match Lists...................................68
laculty Adisors ......................................................................................................................................................68
MLB Library............................................................................................................................................................68
Personal Statement Samples..................................................................................................................................69
R\JMS - Piscataway Student Residency Match................................................................................................8
\eb Sites..................................................................................................................................................................8
A Peer`s Guide to 4
th
\ear and the Residency Application Process by Melissa Boisclair............................90
4



Iactors Affecting Career Choices

\hen choosing a specialty, it is most important to know thysel.` 1hink o what part o the practice o medicine
you most enjoy. It is, ater all, you who hae to set up and go to work each day, so pick a ield where you will be
happy. Sel-knowledge and relection are essential parts o this process. \hat ollows below is based on Now is
the 1ime - Preparing or a Residency is a lour \ear Process,` by Dr. Norma \agoner ormer Dean o Students at
the Uniersity o Chicago
1
.

Career Decisions What are the complexities?

Personal career decision-making requires sel-knowledge, inestigation, experience, relection, priority setting, and
risk-taking. In counseling medical students, it seems rather clear that, or some, their sel-awareness o personal
preerences is low. Many students hae not deeloped a rational, eectie and systematic method o personal
decision making and hae diiculties in three areas: 1, obtaining alid inormation, 2, making inormed choices,
and 3, being committed to that choice.

Questions to Ask When Making Choices

A. In the Image of Mom, Dad, or Uncle Charlie

Parents or other signiicant amily and personal riends can, and do, hae a proound eect on each o us.
loweer, when it comes to choosing a specialty, the choice must be your own. 1o the extent that is
coincides with the choices o others, all well and good, but their choices should not preail. \our unique
talents, personal skills, and understanding o sel-ulillment must be the deciding ariables. Most parents,
once they see that their son or daughter is happy with his or her choice, will get oer wanting to hae a
whateer kind o specialist` in the amily.

B. Iinding a Personal Iit

Go with your gut eelings` is oten the message gien by students when discussing choices with each
other. Just what this means to each person is a more diicult consideration. 1o the extent that the student
understands the specialty and the demands it will make upon him, possesses good awareness o personal
strengths and weaknesses and can deine personal success and sel-ulillment, the choice will be somewhat

1
\agoner, Norma, MD, Now is the 1ime - Preparing or a Residency is a lour \ear Process, Uniersity o Chicago.

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easier. Students will oten describe eeling at home` in certain specialties. Suggestions are made to
students to read the current literature in that specialty or one week, to determine the appeal o the kinds o
problems being addressed. Secondly, i at all possible, talk with residents and practitioners in the ield to see
i residency and practice meet expectations.

C. Making Choices on the Basis of Limited Information

1here is increasing concern by program directors that students come to the interiew process with a limited
understanding o what specialists in their area actually do on a day-to-day basis. Program directors beliee
that some choices are made on inalid assumptions about the liestyle engendered by the specialty. An
anesthesiology director stated that, Some candidates hae recently chosen this specialty with the
misconception that it proides an easier lie.` 1his is the wrong reason to choose this specialty and
certainly a wrong concept.` It is imperatie to inorm onesel o what the specialty oers. During the
interiew process, misperceptions and supericial understanding o the specialty by an applicant will be
easily determined and could rule the candidate out o urther consideration.

D. Looking at One's Own Competitiveness

1he increasing competitieness o many o the specialties has become a looming actor in choice. No
students should make choices on this is what I can get into` or I shouldn`t bother because I know I can`t
get into it.` 1hese approaches are not alid and will lead to disappointment. Like all competitie processes,
goals should be set and a determination made as to what it takes to succeed. Next, you should inestigate
where other students with similar backgrounds and skills hae been successul in the desired choice. \e
work hard through the adisor system and the Student Aairs oice to be sure that this data is readily
aailable or students. 1he Matchmaker program is a particularly useul tool or this. llexibility is
important in making choices and should include a second or third choice option i the irst is highly
competitie. 1hese alternatie options might be more generic, but could lead to subsequent applications to
the irst choice specialty as a physician candidate, should the candidate not be successul the irst time
around.

L. Making the Best Choice for Residency and Practice

Career choices should be made with an eye toward eentual practice considerations. lor those indiiduals
who desire to stay within a medical center and participate in academic medicine, one choice must be
considered, while or others who wish to practice in a small group or lMO or other prepaid group setting,
another choice might be made. 1he other ariable, which oten enters the picture or graduates, is that i
they hae not married, many will be doing so in the ery near uture and the spouse can oten be a
signiicant aspect o the decision-making, particularly i there are dual career decisions to consider.




6

I. Iinding One's Own Niche

Studies hae been done to indicate that inding one`s own niche is probably the most important aspect o
being happy with choices, rather than necessarily inding the right specialty. Oten, it is a matter o
opportunity, interest, talents, enthusiasm, hard work and luck that also play into the niche phenomenon. As
new areas o medicine eole, many indiiduals who possess certain talents will be the leaders o change.
Understanding yoursel and utilizing your talents to the best o your ability will sere you well. 1hereore,
iewing the specialty choice that you do make as a springboard to uture options will lessen the stress o
eeling that somehow you must make a right choice.


G. Looking at Back-Up Specialty Choices

lor students applying to competitie surgical subspecialties including radiology and dermatology,
suggestions would undoubtedly include listing preliminary programs on their main match list, with a re-
application the ollowing year. It should be kept in mind howeer, that students who are applying or a
second time are oten looked upon less aorably than irst time applicants. Students should ask themseles
a series o questions in making these decisions:

1. I I don`t get my irst choice and spend a year in a 1ransitional program or a Medicine or surgery
PG\-1, what would I do or a second year, should I not obtain the specialty o interest ater a
second try

2. Should you rank a preliminary program higher i the hospital also has an adanced specialty option
that you are really interested in \ill it really help to spend the irst year there

3. Should the latter hal o the senior year be deoted to electies in a hospital where the irst year will
be, so that the student becomes known to the specialty




Length of 1raining
Overview of Positions in Residencies

1he arious types o residencies are diagrammed in the igure below. 1he length o each bar represents the years o
training required or certiication by the Specialty Boards. 1hese are unoicial assignments deried rom published
materials and are oered only or inormation. Many specialties indicated as starting at the PG\-2 leel now oer
categorical tracks, which include the irst year.

1 2 3 4 5 6-7
EMERGENCY MEDICINE SUBSPECIALTIES
FAMILY MEDICINE SUBSPECIALTIES

INTERNAL MEDICINE SUBSPECIALTIES
INTERNAL MEDICINE-PEDIATRICS (COMBINED)
OBSTETRICS/GYNECOLOGY
OTOLARYNGOLOGY SUBSPECIALTIES
PATHOLOGY (ANATOMIC OR CLINICAL) SUBSPECIALTIES
PATHOLOGY (ANATOMIC AND CLINICAL) SUBSPECIALTIES
PEDIATRICS SUBSPECIALTIES
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE SUBSPECIALTIES
PSYCHIATRY SUBSPECIALTIES
GENERAL SURGERY SUBSPECIALTIES
NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY
ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY SUBSPECIALTIES
(Categorical
Positions)

UROLOGY SUBSPECIALTIES
ANESTHESIOLOGY SUBSPECIALTIES
DERMATOLOGY SUBSPECIALTIES

NEUROLOGY SUBSPECIALTIES
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
OPHTHALMOLOGY
PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHAB SUBSPECIALTIES
RADIOLOGY - DIAGNOSTIC SUBSPECIALTIES
TRANSITIONAL
or
PRELIM MEDICINE
or
PRELIM SURGERY
RADIATION ONCOLOGY



1ypes of Positions Offered 1hrough the NRMP

Categorical ,C, Positions are in programs that expect applicants who enter in their irst post-graduate year to
continue until the completion o training required or that specialty certiication, proided their perormance is
satisactory.
8


Preliminary ,P, Positions proide one or two years o pre-requisite training or entry into adanced positions in
specialty programs that require one or more years o broad clinical training. Internal medicine, surgery and
transitional programs commonly oer preliminary positions.

Adanced ,S, Positions are in specialty programs that begin ater completion o one or more years o preliminary
training. Applicants without prior graduate medical education can apply or these positions while also applying or
preliminary positions that are compatible with their plans.

1he types o programs you apply to depend upon your career plans. 1he majority o students apply to Categorical
programs ,example: a three year program in Internal Medicine is a categorical program,. loweer, many specialties
,i.e., anaesthesia, neurology, begin their training in the second post-graduate year. ,See pg. .,

Adanced specialties are specialties whose training begins at the second post-graduate year and who hae the
ollowing options open to them:

1. Oering positions to senior medical students who begin at the PG\ ,post graduate year,
two leel.

2. Oering positions to physician candidates to begin that year.

3. Oering the adanced position, combined with a preliminary year to then be known as a
Categorical Adanced position.

Adanced specialties include, but are not limited to, Anesthesia, Dermatology, Neurology, Nuclear Medicine,
Physiatry, Ophthalmology, Radiology, and Radiation Oncology. Students wishing to apply to these specialties will
need to apply to either Preliminary or 1ransitional programs or their irst 1-2 years o training. Students must
include a supplemental rank order list or their desired irst year spots along with their primary rank order list or
their desired specialty.

\hen listing your preliminary choices and specialty choices, these choices will be linked as your residency rank list
and supplemental list ,see next page,. 1herefore, if you do not match in your specialty, you will not match in
your linked preliminary program either. It is strongly recommended that all students applying to
competitive sub-specialties list several transitional programs at the bottom of on their main list (not their
supplemental list) as a safety measure. A 1ransitional year counts toward five years of Graduate Medical
Lducation (GML) funding. A PGY-J surgery year counts toward five years of GML funding. A PGY-J
Medicine or Pediatrics year counts toward only three years of GML funding.
Specialty Inormation

\orkorce inormation ,job opportunities, salary, job satisaction, may help you with your decision-making. A
helpul resource or this inormation is the Careers in Medicine ,CiM, web site, which can be ound at
https:,,www.aamc.org,students,medstudents,cim,. Students can log in using their AAMC user name and
password ,used or MCA1, LRAS, AMCAS, etc.,. I you hae problems accessing the CiM website please contact
the CiM liaison, Dr. Laumbach ,sgarciaumdnj.edu,. 1he CiM site includes a career decision-making guide and
aluable resources or assessing your own personality traits. 1hese may be useul or considering which ield o
medical practice best its with your own personal style.` Sample web pages can be seen in the Appendices section
o this guide.
9


lor the year 2011, almost all students who are applying to residency programs through the National Residency
Matching Program ,NRMP, will be doing so through LRAS.

What is LRAS?

1he Association o American Medical Colleges ,AAMC, deeloped LRAS, the Llectronic Residency Application
Serice to transmit residency applications, letters o recommendation, MSPL letters, transcripts and other
supporting credentials rom medical schools to residency program directors using the Internet.

LRAS ~ Llectronic Residency Application Serice

lor the year 2011, the programs using LRAS include all LXCLP1 Ophthalmology. LRAS also includes students
applying through the US Army ,all specialties, and Nay GML-1 positions, and the Air lorce. 1he LRAS web site
can be ound at http:,,www.aamc.org,eras.

LRAS is a web-based system accessed rom either IBM compatible or MAC computers. \ou will receie an
indiidual one time use token` or password in late June, 2011 and will be able to enter the system beginning July,
2011. \ou should be sure to use this sotware as soon as possible to generate the orms you will need to request
Letters o Recommendation, and also to determine which programs will receie applications electronically and
which will require that you ile the traditional paper application. Applicants can also check the LRAS web site at
http:,,www.aamc.org,eras to determine which residency programs participate in LRAS. Remember to check
individual program web sites for other application requirements.

\our irst opportunity to apply to an LRAS program is September 1, 2011. \ou should be inished with your
common application, Personal Statement, and list o indiiduals writing your Letters o Recommendation by
October 1, 2011.

I you apply through LRAS, you can track your application and see when a program receies it. I applying by
paper remember to send a sel-addressed postcard with your application requesting a notiication that they`e
receied your application.

I you are applying to the Armed lorces or through the subspecialty match, you will receie a common application
orm and inormation, which will direct you through your application process.

Armed lorces requires the submission o completed applications during the summer. Child Neurology and
Ophthalmology require early lall deadlines. Students in these matches apply through the San lrancisco Match ,see
chapter 3,. It is ery important that you inorm the Student Aairs Oice i you are applying or an internship

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outside o the National Resident Matching Program. loweer, LVLR\ONL must register or the NRMP ,see
chapter 3,.

1he Army Match/Armed Iorces Match
If you are in the armed services it is imperative for you to speak with your recruiter to obtain the latest and
most accurate information, as this is not always available in Student Affairs.
Access the Army web site at http:,,www.goarmy.com or the most up-to-date inormation. 1he Army Match takes
place in December. Ninety-eight percent o students in the lPSP program match to residencies in Army programs
i they want to. According to the Army Recruiters deerring is not a problem i you wish to do a residency in a
ciilian program. Requests or Army deerrals must be submitted in writing. A Ciilian lellowship can also be
done beore serice payback. Residency does not count as payback, but i done in an Army program, the resident
receies captain`s pay. I you complete an Army residency, the Army will pay you your serice pay or a ciilian
ellowship in addition to your hospital generated ellowship salary. \ou accrue payback time or this ,number o
years ~ support,. Generally there is a choice o three locations oered or payback.

1he Air lorce has ery ew programs aailable. 1hese are not on LRAS. It is, thereore, easier to deer your
residency to a ciilian residency. 1he Air lorce also uses Army programs.

Currently, the Nay requires a one-year internship. 1hen they sere one year as a General Medical Oicer beore
doing their residency training.

1he LRAS 2011 Applicant Inormation Sheet can be ound in the Appendices section o this guide.


Summary: 1ypes of Applications

LRAS ,Llectronic Residency Application Serice,
Most o the programs in the National Residency Matching Program ,NRMP,, and some that are not,
i.e., Army and Urology require applications through LRAS
LVLR\ONL SlOULD RLGIS1LR lOR LRAS
CAS ,Central Application Serice,
Most o the programs in Sl Match ,ophtho, & child neuro,


YOU MAY NLLD 1O COMPLL1L MORL 1HAN ONL 1YPL OI APPLICA1ION ,or example, i
you apply or Adanced programs,
Know the guidelines,requirements o your own program

Vast Majority o Programs:
LRAS application, NRMP Match
Leryone must register or both LRAS and NRMP
Lxceptions:
Child Neurology & Ophthalmology
Military
11

Applications versus 1he Match

1he Match` is a process which is separate rom your application. 1he application, o course, consists o your
materials ,i.e., CV, personal statement, MSPL, letters o recommendation ,LOR,. 1he Match`, which takes place
ater applications are submitted and reiewed and ater interiews take place, is simply a process used to determine
the program to which an applicant will be assigned.

1he Different 1ypes of Matches
(Lstablished to Lliminate Certain Pressures on Applicant)

1he National Residency Matching Program ,NRMP,
www.nrmp.org
Used by the majority o residency programs
LVLR\ONL SlOULD RLGIS1LR lOR NRMP
1he San lrancisco Match ,Sl Match,
www.smatch.org
Used by most or all programs in Child Neurology and Ophthalmology
May also need to participate in NRMP or PG\ 1,Ophtho, and PG\1 & PG\2 ,Child Neuro,
1he Urology Match
www.auanet.org
1he Military Match
www.goarmy.com
Also need to participate in NRMP, i don`t match to military

Students will receie their residency positions ia computer match, which seres senior medical students in the
NRMP.
What is the NRMP?

1he Association o American Medical Colleges manages the National Residency Matching Program ,NRMP,. 1he
purpose o this match is to ensure that applicants and programs are not pressured into making early decisions
beore all options are explored. 1he ollowing is rom the NRMP website:

The Match Participation Agreement does not preclude parties from expressing their interest in the other;
however, any attempt by either party to request such information is a violation of the Match Participation
Agreement. Moreover, it is a violation of the Match Participation Agreement for either party to suggest or

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inform the other that placement on a rank order list is contingent upon submission of a verbal or written
statement indicating ranking intentions. Statements implying a commitment should be avoided. Rank
order lists take precedence over verbal commitments.


NRMP Directory inormation can be accessed online at http:,,www.nrmp.org. 1his includes a listing o all
programs participating in the NRMP match by code, which you will later use to enter your inal rank order list
,ROL,. 1he Directory o Graduate Medical Lducation Programs ,aka the green book`, is aailable in the Student
Aairs oice or online at http:,,www.ama-assn.org,go,reida.


Applicants must register with both the NRMP and LRAS to participate in the services of each. Late
applicants to NRMP are charged an extra $S0.

What are the Larly Matches?

Larly matches consist o the Military Match, the San lrancisco Match ,Child Neurology and Ophthalmology,, and
the Urology Match. Applicants or all o these matches must enroll in the NRMP Match as well, in case they do not
match in an early match program. Check deadlines, as some programs begin receiing applications in August.

Military Match - All applications and backup materials are due by mid-October. Applications are reiewed by early
Noember and this match is in mid-December. 1heir web site is http:,,www.goarmy.com.

San lrancisco Match - the Larly Match` - 1his match inoles Child Neurology and Ophthalmology. Access
their web site at http:,,www.smatch.org. 1hese matches use a Common Application lorm ,CAS,.

Urology Match - 1his is a separate match rom all others. All Urology programs will be using the LRAS
application. Students applying in Urology will apply through LRAS, but submit their Urology list through the
Urology Residency Matching Program. Call the Urology Match directly at 1-866-46-4282, Lxt 3913, or access their
excellent web site at http:,,www.auanet.org to obtain urther inormation.

Sample web pages can be ound in the Appendices section o this guide.

1he ollowing is based on the NRMP web site:

1he NRMP publishes on its web site a directory o hospitals and programs participating in the
Match. A six-digit NRMP code identiies each program. 1he irst our digits represent the hospital
or institution oering the program and the last two digits distinguish the type o program being
oered. Applicants will use these codes to identiy programs on their Rank Order Lists showing
their preerential listing o the programs to which they hae applied and want to attend.

13


[ccc; [.| it 'o 'oc [.co'o;
Residency Rank List
Joe Lists Choices or 2013 Residency ,PG\ 2,
Radiology X S --- 58
Radiology \ S --- 58
Radiology Z S --- 58
Radiology M C --- 38
Ltc.

Student may also wish to list PG\ 1
choices as back-up` programs on main
list

Medicine Prel. C --- 15
Surgery Prel. C --- 18
1ransitional 1 --- 14
Supplemental PG\ 1 Rank List ,Keyed to Residency,
lirst \ear Choices ,or PG\-1 \ear in
2012, to go with Radiology X
1.
2.
3.
lirst \ear Choices to go with Radiology \
1.
2.
3.
lirst \ear Choices to go with Radiology Z
1.
2.
3.
Student chooses a
set o PG\ 1 choices
o any content
which its with
PG\ 2 and beyond
plans
14

1he Couples Match
Completing the ROLs

Matches couple to most preerred pair o programs on lists where each partner has been oered a
position. Couples should:
Create Indiidual Preerence Lists
ligure out all possible pairings will consider ,including those that hae no match` listed or
a partner - each partner must hae the same number o ranks,
Rank order preerences or pairs

1he Process: An Lxample

PAR1NLR J PAR1NLR 2

S1LP J
,Indiidual Preerence Lists,
N\ - A
Chicago - A
Chicago - B
Chicago - C
N\ - B
S1LP 2
,All Possible Pairings \ill
Consider,
N\ - A
Chicago - A
Chicago - A
N\ - A
Chicago - A
No Match.
N\ - B
Chicago - B
Chicago - C
No Match
No Match
Chicago - B.
S1LP 3
,Rank Order Preerences or
Pairs Determined in Step 2,
Chicago - A
Chicago - A
N\ - A
Chicago - B
Chicago - C
N\ - B

Couples Match General Rules

Couple matches to the most preerred pair o programs on lists where each partner has been
oered a position
I a partner lists Adanced programs, they must also submit a Supplemental Rank Order List
,SROL, or each o those Adanced programs.i both partners list Adanced programs,
they must both submit SROLs or each one they list
1he SROLS should be geographically acceptable to both partners because Il BO1l
MA1Cl 1O ADVANCLD PROGRAMS, SROLs ARL NO1 1RLA1LD AS A
UNI1
1reated as a couple, so:
I don`t match as a couple, \ON`1 run lists separately as indiiduals to try to ind
matches
I one person in pair wants to withdraw, BO1l partners must uncouple beore
either one can withdraw
15

Withdrawing from the Match

1o withdraw rom the Match, US Seniors must notiy the Student Aairs oice. \ithdrawals
require written approal rom a Student Aairs Dean and must be receied at the NRMP by the
rank order list submission deadline.

I a senior sends a request or withdrawal directly to the NRMP, that request will not be processed.
1he NRMP must receie the request rom the Student Aairs oice at the student`s medical school.
Also, the NRMP will inorm the Dean or Student Aairs o the names o students who do not
submit rank order lists.

Reasons for Withdrawal

Applicants who enroll in the NRMP and subsequently are either unable or choose not to enter a
residency in graduate medical education must withdraw rom the Match. I the Dean or Student
Aairs determines that a US Senior is ineligible to enter graduate medical education, the Dean can
reoke the school`s sponsorship and withdraw that indiidual rom the Match.

Applicants who are appointed to a position in a program sponsored by the US military serices must
withdraw rom the Match. US seniors who hae receied military appointments should withdraw
through their Dean or Student Aairs.

Optimize Your Chances of Matching

I you play the game` correctly, you will not be unmatched. 1he rules o the game` are to solicit
adice rom your adisor, current ourth year students and the Student Aairs oice, search the
program`s website and then:

1. Assess how competitie you are or the ield,programs you are applying to.
2. Assess the competition or the geographic area you are applying in. Students, who
geographically limit their applications, are at risk or not matching.
3. I you, your adisor and,or the Student Aairs Dean eel it is necessary, select back-up`
programs, either preliminary or transitional years, or a less competitie specialty to add at the
bottom o your primary rank order list. Remember if you are applying to a specialty
that is longer than 3 years, consider a transitional year or a PGY-J surgery year
program.
4. Apply to an appropriate number o programs. I you are applying to less than eight, you
must meet with one o the Student Aairs Deans. \ou must rank at least 8 programs on
your rank order list ,ROL,. People that rank ewer than 8 programs are at risk or not
matching.
5. Make sure your interiewing skills are practiced and appropriate.

Occasionally students who should match don`t. 1his is almost always the result o a poor interiew.


16

What Happens If I Don't Match?

1his year`s Match Day is on lriday, March 16, 2012. On Monday, March 12, the Student Aairs
oice receies the names o those students who hae not matched. 1his inormation is aailable on
the NRMP website, www.nrmp.org at noon. I you are unmatched, and you do not contact Student
Aairs, we will contact you. Please be sure that we hae a telephone number where you can be
reached on that day. I you are unmatched, you either work with a Student Aairs Dean or you will
be assigned an adisor in your specialty to work with you to help you ind a residency. Beginning on
Monday, March 12 at 12:00 noon, the list o unilled programs will be aailable to you on the web
and you will be able to start applying to unilled programs through LRAS. Neither you, nor the
medical school, will be permitted to contact programs directly by phone, ax or e-mail. Only
applications through LRAS are permitted. Starting on 1uesday, programs to which you apply may
contact you to gain more inormation. By 11:30 am on \ednesday, programs will submit to NRMP
a rank-ordered preerence list. Oers rom unilled programs will be made through the
Supplemental Oer and Acceptance Program ,SOAP,. Starting at 12:00 noon on \ednesday,
unmatched students may be oered positions through SOAP. Such an oer will be alid or two
hours. I you accept the oer, it will be a binding agreement on your part and the program`s part.
I you decline the oer, you will remain eligible to receie additional oers. Oers will be sent out
eery three hours through \ednesday, 1hursday and lriday or until all positions are illed.

1he National Resident Matching Program 1imetable

1he majority o students will participate in the NRMP Match and will be inoled with this process
rom the end o their third year until they are accepted or a residency in March o their ourth year.
See NRMP website or Main Match Schedule.

Students will enroll in the NRMP on the web site the irst week in September. 1his will assign
their NRMP number, which is needed or the LRAS application. 1here is a >50.00 applicant
registration ee which must be made at the time o registration ,beore Noember 30
th
,. Payment
is made electronically using a credit card or checking account. Applicants who complete their
registrations ater Noember 30th must pay an additional >50 late registration ee. Registration ee
is non-reundable. 1his entitles you to rank iteen hospital choices. All students must enroll, een
i you are in the Armed lorces. \ou may withdraw rom the NRMP later.

I you will be out o New Jersey at any time throughout your ourth year, it is crucial that you inorm
the Registrar`s Oice o your current phone number and address so that all essential inormation
can be orwarded to you.

Remember, that i you are applying through LRAS, there is an application ee in addition to your
NRMP charge. NRMP lees are:
Primary ROL 1-20 programs ranked is no charge, each additional program oer 20 is
>30,program. Secondary ,Supplemental, ROL 1-20 programs ranked is no charge, each
additional program oer 20 is >30,program. Lach partner o a couple may rank up to 30
1

dierent programs on the primary rank order list and up to 30 programs on all
supplemental lists combined at no additional charge. Lach partner o a couple also must pay
an additional >15 registration ee.

\e cannot stress the importance o adhering to all deadlines
throughout the matching process strongly enough. Larly
applicants hae the best choice o interiews. Interiews
are granted on a rolling basis. Once all slots are illed you
may be out o luck. 1hereore, it is crucial that you meet all
deadline dates to ensure a successul match.


1he Match is a contract. \hen you enter the NRMP, you are required to enter into an NRMP
Match Participant Agreement. \ou are thereore obligated to accept appointments as required by
the results o a match.` Match iolations are inestigated thoroughly and consequences o match
iolations are seere. Please access the website at
http:,,www.nrmp.org,res_match,policies,iolations.html.


Match Summary

Determine 1ype,s, o Residency ,specialty and position, - this will determine the type,s, o
application and type,s, o Match processes you will use
Register or Match,es, - LVLR\ONL is strongly encouraged to register with NRMP
Complete and Submit Applications - LVLR\ONL is strongly encouraged to register with
LRAS
Submit and certiy ROLs













18

It`s Not the Lnd o the \orld
Kristi A. Kyer, MD, Valley Medical Center, lresno, CA


It was 11 AM on the day beore the match and still no phone call.
I`d made it past the appointed hour and I was in the clear.
\anting to be absolutely sure, I phone the medical school. I
was just calling to check.aah you`re glad that I called. \ou were
getting ready to call me \hy .\ou needed to let me know
that I didn`t match.`
I didn`t match.didn`t match.` the words repeated in my
head. 1hat unspoken ear about the residency application
process, a subject so unpleasant that no one discusses it,
something supposed to happen only to people at the bottom o
the class,` was now my reality.
\hen I hung up the phone, it registered. It wasn`t supposed
to happen this way. I`d worked too hard or too many years. I`d
spent so much time and money applying and interiewing. low
would I regain enough o my shattered sel-esteem to make it
through the scramble 1his could be a sign that I wasn`t meant
to be a physician. It conirmed what I secretly had suspected,
getting into medical school was an accident, and now they inally
caught me.
I spent that night going through my options. I could
postpone graduating - adding another year o tuition - and do
more acting internships to strengthen my chances at dierent
institutions, or do research or a year, then reapply to the match.
I could take a transitional or preliminary year and hope that as an
intern I would hae enough ree time to reapply in my original
specialty. I could just quit.it would be so easy to gie up. lirst,
I had to decide i I een wanted to inish medical school.
Deciding to inish was relatiely easy. Between my loans, my
parents and my patients, I had no choice - I had to inish. Nor
could I see my real beneit to postponing graduating. Settling on
a game plan was more diicult.
Preparing to scramble was an ordeal. 1he hardest part was
staying calm and letting the attendings, adisors, and sta who
had gone through it beore oer adice and support. lirst, I
considered my original ield, obstetrics. Ater looking at the odds
rom the preious year - 30 open spots and 200 plus scramblers -
I was willing to try a ew obstetrics programs, but acknowledged
that I might not match in any o them. Next, I considered the
alternaties - amily practice, transitional year, or a preliminary
year in internal medicine. lor me, the logical choice was
medicine since I had considered it initially during third year. I
talked to internal medicine adisors in order to select back-up
programs rom the list o unilled spots.
1he scramble starts promptly at 9 AM Paciic Standard 1ime
on what or most people is Match Day. Prior to starting, it is
essential to hae the list o programs, director`s names and phone
numbers readily accessible. \ou don`t want to hae to look up
inormation while those programs are illing. \ou may call to
eriy numbers beore the scramble starts. \ou should hae your
application statement and curriculum itae nearby to ax to
programs.
1he hardest thing is to stay calm and not become rustrated.
Len with all the planning, things may not go smoothly - phone




numbers may be wrong and people on the other end may be
rude. \ou must realize that programs are going through the
same chaotic process to ind good people to ill positions, and
they may be less than polite.
lor seeral hours, the succession o phone calls, exchanges,
questions and axes continues as you agonize or minutes oer
accepting a standing oer or holding out or another call-back.
1hen it ends and somehow out o all the commotion and
turmoil, amazingly, people ind spots.
Scrambling orced me to reealuate my specialty choice. I
had to decide i I wanted to study obstetrics and gynecology
aboe all else and, within 24 hours, I had to examine my
motiation or choosing that ield. I had to determine whether I
was willing to go anywhere - to sacriice lie-style, to leae my
amily, riends and home state - or my original specialty. Could
I be as content in another ield I`d chosen obstetrics halway
through my third year as the reconciliation o my medical and
surgical leanings, neer haing gien anything else much
consideration. But by the spring o my ourth year, with
interiews done and match lists submitted, when it was too
late,` I was haing doubts about my choice. \hat conirmed it
or me was that I easily ound 20 strong reasons or changing to
internal medicine and ew or staying with obstetrics.
Scrambling helped me to seriously consider other options.
It is hard to beliee that something positie can emerge
rom scrambling, but it can. Programs that did not consider you
initially may select you during the scramble. Lery year, some
prestigious programs do not initially ill. Another specialty may
ultimately be your career choice. I now beliee that I had picked
the wrong ield initially. Plus, by scrambling, I played a more
actie role in determining where to spend my intern year.
Unwilling to risk a bird in hand by waiting until ater 1 PM or
an obstetrics program to respond, I accepted a position in
internal medicine, and by 11 AM it was oer. Not all my
classmates were as happy with their matched choice as I was
with my scrambled one.
Having to scramble is not a sign of lack of
competency. Scramblers, contrary to popular belief, are
not always the bottom of their medical school class. Often,
not matching is the result of inadequate planning,
insufficient ranking, trusting an interviewer about a
promised position, a poor original career choice, or a
restricting location or life-style. Irequently, scrambling is
the hazard of having applied in a highly competitive field.
People in the medical proession want to be in control and
organized, but the uture is unpredictable. 1he experience o
not matching and haing to scramble, although at irst it appears
deastating, should be iewed as a challenge and an opportunity.
Lie really can be better ater scrambling. Scramblers get into
good residency programs, become capable competent physicians
and may een ind themseles in the specialty they were meant
to practice.

19

1hings to Remember.

April - June

Attend the Internship Meeting conducted by Student Aairs.
Read all handouts rom Internship Meeting.
Attend Specialty Internship Meetings scheduled by indiidual departments.
Check indiidual program web sites or residency program details.
Prepare Personal Statement.
Consult with senior medical students regarding their experiences in interiewing,
processing, applications, etc. Names and contact inormation are listed at the back
o this guide ,now called the Medical Student Perormance Laluation or MSPL,.
Begin to contact aculty or reerence letters.
\hen you schedule your ourth year electies ,March o your third year, you will also
schedule your MSPL appointment at Student Aairs. A mandatory appointment
will be scheduled or you ia lottery i you do not schedule an appointment at this
time. \ou may request any Student Aairs Dean as your letter writer. ,1imetable is
dierent in the Camden campus - please contact the Student Aairs Deans at the
Camden campus.,
MSPL interiews begin.
Larly Match Application process begins and continues through the all. Check
speciic early match deadlines.
Receie LRAS token` or password rom Student Aairs oice.

July

Use LRAS Sotware to generate orms needed to request letters o recommendation.
,\ith the exception o Ophtho which requires paper application.,
Continue to seek letters o reerence.
Create a log to track application materials.
Arrange or application photo to be taken.

August

Larly Match applications may be due or - Check San lrancisco Match website or
speciic target that CAS orms are due. Apply early.
NRMP application process begins. Check speciic deadlines.
USMLL Step II. Most students are adised to take USMLL II between August and
September. Remember that your USMLL I and II scores will go as a transcript,
thereore, i your USMLL II scores are reported beore your application is submitted
to LRAS, all programs will see both scores. I you wish to report only Step I and
hold Step II until ater you see the report, then make sure that you do not take StepII
until the end o August, and you check the box on your LRAS application that
requests scores not be sent automatically
AOA and GllS selection occurs
Lnroll in NRMP
20




September

Applications submitted to LRAS by September 15
th
is recommended.
Armed lorces Applications due.
Begin applying to programs
October

Reiew your MSPL on the \eb
Continue to apply to programs and continue to request Letters o Recommendation

November

Release date or all MSPL letters ,nationwide, - Noember 1.
Residency interiews or NRMP match begin this month ,sometimes earlier., Check
to make sure that all your application materials are complete prior to your interiew.
Reiew program details careully on program websites

December

Armed lorces match results come out.
Residency interiews continue.

January

linalize rank order list and reiew choices or NRMP with your adisor by late
January,early lebruary ,you are not obligated to discuss your order o application
with your adisor.,
All residency program applications should be complete by the end o January.
Interiewing should be completed by the end o January,beginning o lebruary.
Completion o the AAMC Graduation Questionnaire on the Internet at web site
http:,,www.aamc.org,gq.
Class meeting with Student Aairs deans to reiew the NRMP Match algorithm
,date and location to be announced,.

Specialty matches take place.
Rank order lists or the ollowing subspecialties are due in January:
o Child Neurology
o Ophthalmology
o Urology
o Military - contact speciic branches
Results are announced in January.



21




Iebruary

Rank Order List deadline or the NRMP is approximately lebruary 22, 2012. All
withdrawals and changes must be made prior to that date!


March

Unmatch Days - March 12-15, 2012. Be sure to keep Student Aairs inormed o
day,eening phone number and current address!
Match Day - March 16, 2012.


April

lospitals and programs send Letters o Appointment to students who match at their
institution who then sign and return the letters.
Conirm completion o all 4
th
year requirements with the Registrar.
AAMC Graduation Questionnaire conirmation, Llectie Laluations, release o
USMLL II CS and CK, and match data ALL MUS1 be completed and returned to
Student Aairs. \ou will then receie your Conocation tickets.

May

Graduation Banquet - May 1, 2012 ,tent.,
Conocation - May 21, 2012 ,tent.,
Commencement - \ou Made It! May 23, 2012


Other Reminders

It is most important that you notiy the Registrar o any temporary or permanent
change in your address or phone number so that we can reach you i necessary. 1his
should be done on a continuing basis.
Be sure to aail yoursel o all the reerence material on residency programs aailable
in the MLB Library ,See Kerry O`Rourke or details,.
Couples Match - Check the NRMP web site or details on how to apply and check
with Student Aairs about illing out these orms and meet with a Student Aairs
Dean.
lospitals choosing to participate in the NRMP must do so as a corporate entity ,all
clinical specialties in a participating hospital must ollow the rules o the NRMP,.
Don`t let them ool you by saying they don`t. Nothing is binding until Match Day
and contracts are signed. Keep this in mind when someone guarantees you that they
will rank you
22

US Seniors may not sign a contract with any Residency Program outside o Match.
Please report Match iolations to the Student Aairs oice.
\our contract is just that, a CON1RAC1, and is, thereore, binding.
\ou must take the USMLL II CS exam in order to graduate. Register early to assure
you can take it in Philadelphia. 1his exam is P,l. 1he three components o this
exam include Integrated Clinical Lncounter ,ICL,, Communication & Interpersonal
Skills ,CIS, and Spoken Lnglish Proiciency ,SLP,. Schools are reporting that US
graduates, i ailing this exam, do so on the basis o the
communication,interpersonal skills. Please contact the Student Aairs oice i you
would like additional inormation. Please access the website at
http:,,www.usmle.org
You must sign up for CS by December 3J
st
of your year of Graduation to be
certain that your CS scores are reported. If we do not have the results of your
CS score by graduation, your diploma will be held and you will not be able to
start your Residency until this information is received.






General Guidelines for Application and Match Processes

,Most Cases, Register for
Match
Application
Materials
Available
Application
Submission
ROL
Submission
NRMP
Programs
Mid-August

|DL 12,1|
Opens July 1
,LRAS,
Sept. 1 -
Speciic DL
Mid-Jan.-
Mid,Late-leb.

|1,15-2,25|
SI Match
Programs

Child
Neurology

Ophthalmology



May


May



May,June


May,June


,1argets`,
Aug. 31


Sept.



Dec.-Jan. 1


Dec.-Jan. 11
Urology Mid-May Opens July 1
,LRAS,
Sept.1 Dec.-Jan. 6
Military

Contact speciic branches: Army uses LRAS, other branches do not,
dierent ,some early, deadlines, etc.






23







In 1996, the NRMP commissioned a study to determine i the current match algorithm
aored those students with shorter rank order lists. 1he conclusion was that it DOLS
NO1. 1he NRMP Student landbook
2
states the ollowing:

1he NRMP matching algorithm uses the preerences expressed in the rank order lists
submitted by applicants and programs to place indiiduals into positions. 1he process begins
with an attempt to place an applicant into the program indicated as most preerred on that
applicant's list. I the applicant cannot be matched to this irst choice program, an attempt is
then made to place the applicant into the second choice program, and so on, until the
applicant obtains a tentative match, or all the applicant's choices hae been exhausted.

An applicant can be tentatiely matched to a program in this process i the program also
ranks the applicant on its rank order list, and either:

the program has an unilled position. In this case, there is room in the program to
make a tentatie match between the applicant and program.
the program does not hae an unilled position, but the applicant is more attractie
to the program than another applicant who is already tentatiely matched to the
program. In this case, the applicant who is the least preerred current match in the
program is remoed rom the program, to make room or a tentatie match with the
more preerred applicant.

Matches are "tentative" because an applicant who is matched to a program at one point in
the matching process may be remoed rom the program at some later point, to make room
or an applicant more preerred by the program, as described in the second case aboe.
\hen an applicant is remoed rom a preiously made tentatie match, an attempt is made
to re-match that applicant, starting rom the top o his,her list. 1his process is carried out
or all applicants, until each applicant has either been tentatiely matched to the most
preerred choice possible, or all choices submitted by the applicant hae been exhausted.
\hen all applicants hae been considered, the match is complete and all tentatie matches
become inal.`

2
National Residency Matching Program 199 Student landbook

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24


Some rules to remember are:

Rank programs in order o PRLlLRLNCL.
List ONL\ programs you are happy with.
PG\ 2 programs still need a PG\ 1 spot.
Do not be UNDLR conident.
Do not be OVLR conident.
Do not shorten your rank order list unnecessarily. \ou must rank at least eight
programs to be sae.




Some reasons people do not match are:

Late submission o applications, thereore, ew interiews.
Regional limitations.
Oerconidence, ranking ew programs.
Aspiring only to most coeted programs.
Listening to promises made by programs.
Unrealistic specialty choice and no back-up programs.



1he Match Algorithm & Some General Rules
General Rules:
Rank according to true preerences
Rank all programs you are willing to attend ,would you rather go
unmatched,
1he primary issue is not so much the number o programs on your list, but
whether or not adding programs, especially less competitie ones, will
increase your chances o getting matched.this is why, i you rank Adanced
programs, you should strongly consider also ranking Preliminary and,or
1ransitional programs at the bottom o your list - a place to start ersus
going entirely unmatched


25



\our uture goals and priorities will inluence which types o programs you will be interested
in. Goals include:

Priate practice
Academic medicine - clinical teaching, usually including clinical or basic research
lull-time research
Industrial medicine
lMOs or other groups
Military
Administration
Public lealth,Adocacy
Medical Consultants,Lntrepreneurs

Irequently Asked Questions

Is it better to stay in my home institution ,a place I am amiliar with, or to go away or my
residency

1he answer depends, in part, on your uture goals. Going away means that you will be
exposed to a dierent way o practicing medicine, which is oten a broadening
experience. \ou may wish, howeer, to remain in the geographic area o your home
medical school.` Making contacts and meeting aculty with an eye toward uture priate
practice opportunities are oten cited as one reason that people stay in their home
institution.` 1his is not to say that i you train elsewhere, that you are limited rom
coming back to this area.

Is it necessary to train in a uniersity hospital with many research opportunities

1he answer to this question depends upon whether or not you are interested in a career
in academic medicine. I the answer is yes,` then it is best to train in a uniersity
hospital.

Is it better to train in a large or small program

It is important that there is enough patient contact so that you are trained in all aspects
o your selected specialty. 1his is especially essential when you are learning to perorm
procedures. loweer, it is best to keep your own personality type in mind and the
learning enironment which is most comortable or you. lor some people, being a big

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26

ish in a little pond` is better or sel-conidence and learning than being part o a larger
program.

\hat is the dierence between a uniersity-based hospital, community hospital, and a city or
county hospital

Uniersity-based hospitals hae a large number o tertiary care reerrals, attracting
patients with complicated and oten unusual diseases. 1hese programs are prestigious,
but oten hae large numbers o ellows as well as attendings taking care o patients.
Attendings may be more interested in research than in clinical teaching, although this is
not always the case. In addition, these programs tend to be higher pressure. loweer,
i you wish to hae a career in academic medicine, this is probably the sort o program
you should aim or.



Community ,priate training hospitals, may be less prestigious and lower pressure,
depending on the specialty in which one is applying. Community programs will oten attract
patients with more garden ariety` illnesses. 1hese programs are oten riendlier, smaller
and more supportie and are more desirable i they hae a medical school ailiation and a
strong teaching commitment.

County hospitals are oten high stress, lower unded and more crowded. 1he adantages are
the ability to treat large numbers o patients with diseases arying rom common to complex.
Although interns and residents are oten oerworked, sometimes the camaraderie o being in
such a setting is ery desirable.

1hese generalities are, o course, simply that, and will deinitely not hold true or all
programs. It is a question o what eels comortable to you and what you eel is a good it`
with your uture career goals and personality. 1alking to house sta ,especially at R\JMS
grads, at these programs and assessing how happy they are is certainly key.

Be careul that you do not select a small number o programs in the most sought-ater
geographic areas o the country, unless you yoursel are a ery competitie student. In the
past, students who hae ranked a small number o programs in a ery desirable location ,e.g.
Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, hae ound themseles unmatched.

In her book A Guide to Residency Application
3
, Dr. Katherine C.K. Liesay lists the
ollowing as actors to consider in choosing a residency program:

Academics.
Socio-economics o the patient population.
1ype o community in which the hospital is located.
Laboratory acilities.
Amount o teaching by attending physicians.

3
Liesay, Katherine A Guide to Residency Matching
2

Interest o the Chie o Serice in residency education.
Number o electies oered.
Outpatient clinic and continuity clinic experience.
Percentage o priate patients.
Percentage o ward` patients.
1ype and requency o teaching conerences.
Lmergency department experience.
Patient admissions and numbers o patients carried by house oicers.
1eaching responsibilities o the house sta.
Salary and beneits.
Scut` work.
Nitty gritty` details o eeryday lie, including on call rooms, call schedules, paging
systems, malpractice, laundry serices, meals proided, liing acilities.

Other Residency Iactors to Consider

Geographic location.
locus ,Primary Care,Research,
Reputation
Does the program ill
\hat is the resident pass rate on the specialty boards
\hat percentage o graduates do ellowships
\here do graduates obtain ellowships
low do graduates do in the job market
Anecdotes: Change in administration, merger o hospitals, inancial diiculty.
Do you eel comortable in the program

28

Cbater i
Covetitireve.. of Differevt ieta.


What do Program Directors Look Ior?

Students are oten concerned about their competitieness or dierent specialties. 1here are
seeral ways that the Student Aairs oice can help you deal with this.

1here is no one source which can be used to compare residency programs. Although
R\JMS does not rank students, during your MSPL interiew, your grades will be reiewed
and you will learn approximately where in the class you all. 1he Deans will share the
beneit o their experience with you about how students with similar academic proiles ared
in preious matches.

In addition, the Student Aairs Oice currently has a computer program called
MatchMaker, which lists data speciically rom UMDNJ-R\JMS students in past matches
and can be used to gie you some idea o your own competitieness or dierent programs.
Please be aware that the competitieness o dierent specialties changes requently and not
necessary logically. In July 2006 the NRMP Charting Outcomes in the Match was published
in response to request rom students and adisors the data that would cast some light on
how applicant qualiications aect their match. Since 2006, this has been updated
approximately eery 2 years. 1he latest update is aailable at:
http:,,www.aamc.org,programs,cim,chartingoutcomes.pd.

Students who are interested in general surgery should reer to an excellent on-line book
entitled So \ou \ant to be a Surgeon
4
. 1his book is compiled rom sureys o dierent
surgical programs and is helpul or those who wish to compare the competitieness o
dierent surgery programs. It is aailable on-line at the American College o Surgeons web
site http:,,www.acs.org,.
Applicant Issues as Considered from a Program Directors Viewpoint

Ability to it in` with other residents in the program
Ability to complete medical school in a timely manner
Academic capabilities ,especially with respect to standardized exam perormance,.
Programs in Internal Medicine are now required to publish their residents` board

4
Johansen, K. MD and D. leimbach, MD, So \ou \ant to be a Surgeon.A Medical Students Guide to
linding and Matching with the Best Possible Surgery Residency, Seattle, \ashington, Uniersity o Medicine,
Department o Surgery, 8
th
Ldition, 1995
29

score pass rates. Programs may wish to see Step II scores beore oering an
interiew, especially i there is below aerage perormance on Step I.
Interest in the specialty being sought
Interest in speciic program

As one student recently put it: Program directors already know your academic
proile beore you interiew. \hat they want to know when they meet you is what kind
o person you are, and what kind o resident you will be. Are you a team player lard
working and enthusiastic \ill you work well with the house sta already in the
program


USMLL Scores

USMLL Scores or the Class o 2010 are as ollows:

USMLL I USMLL II CK USMLL II CS
R\J 231 98 pass R\J 238 98 pass R\J 96 pass
US 221 Nat`l 93 US 230 Nat`l 9 US 9 pass



Program Directors Responses to a Survey on Variables Used to Select
Residents in a 1ime of Change*

An article published by Drs. Norma L. \agoner and J. Robert Suriano is still a great source
o inormation on selection criteria used by program directors to select residents in dierent
specialties. 1his excellent article can be ound in the Appendix section o this guide.



Selection Criteria for Residency:Results of a National Program Directors
Survey**

An article published by Green et al which assesses the relatie importance o criteria used or
residency selection in 21 medical specialties gien current aailable data and competitieness
o specialties.

________________________________________________________________________
______
\agoner NL, Suriano JR. Program directors` responses to a surey on ariables used to select residents in a time o
change. .caaevic Meaicive, 2000 Aug: 5 ,8,:.
Greene M, Jones P, 1homas, Jr., JX. Selection criteria or residency: results o a National Program Directors Surey.
.caaevic Meaicive, 2009 March, 84 ,3,:362-6.
30

Cbater erev
OR., C1., ava Per.ovat tatevevt.

Letters of Recommendation

lor eeryone except or the San lrancisco Match, Child Neurology and Ophthalmology, all
Letters o Recommendation are sent through LRAS. \ou are allowed our letters o
recommendation per program. 1hese don`t hae to be the same or each program. lor
example, you may choose to use a dierent our letters or your transitional programs than
or your Radiology programs or you may use the same letters or both. Check the web site
speciic to each program you`re applying to or details on LORs. Programs like LORs to be
conidential. 1hereore, request our letters to be sent to our oice and check conidential
in the area indicated on your LRAS orm. 1hese will then be attached by our oice and
then joined with your MSPL letter and transcripts in an oicial electronic ile. Programs can
then download your older, with the exception o your MSPL letter, which is held at the
LRAS post oice until Noember 1
st
. Anyone applying in Internal Medicine, or
Surgery All programs require a Chairman's letter. Anyone applying in OB/GYN-
usually requires a Chairman's letter or an Internal Medicine Attending letter.
Applicants to LM require a CORD letter from an LM program director, not
necessarily from your own school. You may obtain multiple CORD letters. Please
check on the LOR requirements on each programs website. You may find surprising
information. Ior example, Children's Hospital in Boston requires a LOR from a
faculty member in Internal Medicine for all applicants.

Irequently Asked Questions about Letters of Recommendation (LORs)

Do I need to get LORs or residency as I do my rotations

It is perectly acceptable to get LORs during a rotation. 1he most senior aculty in the
ield o your choice ,who knows you well, is the most appropriate LOR writer.

\hom should I ask or a LOR

People well known in the ield and well connected` senior aculty are best to ask.
loweer, a junior aculty member who knows you well and really likes you is also a
good bet. Ask the aculty member i he or she eels that they can write a ery strong
letter on your behal. \ou don`t want any noncommittal letters!

Can I ask or an LOR oer the telephone

31

\es, but make an appointment to see the attending. Bring a copy o your CV, transcript
,i you wish,, and personal statement. 1he more inormation they hae, the better letter
they can write or you.

Can I see my LORs

All LRAS LORs are scanned into the computer in the Student Aairs oice and are
conidential, i you waie your right to see the letter.

\ho should mail my LORs

lOR PAPLR APPLICA1IONS: Students get Letters o Recommendation rom
indiidual aculty members in a sealed enelope. 1hey then include these LORs with
their application packet and mail them to the Sl Match. Occasionally random programs
may ask or paper applications. Look at the LRAS list o program or these exceptions.
Make sure that our oice has a copy o these LORs on ile or use or preliminary
program applications through LRAS.

low many LORs should I ask or

lOR PAPLR APPLICA1IONS: Generally, a chairman`s letter, plus two other letters
are requested. An extra letter rom a laboratory research experience is also acceptable.
lae at least one or two letters rom academic aculty in the ield you are applying to.
lor early match applications, ollow the instructions in your central application serice
packet. lor LRAS you may send our LORs.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)

CVs are written in a speciic ormat or LRAS. Some students preer to bring an expanded
CV to interiews. All CVs should include:

Lducation
lonors and Awards
USMLL scores i aboe 230
Research Lxperience
Publications and Presentations
Proessional Societies
Releant work experience
Volunteer experience
Lxtracurricular Actiities
Personal Inormation

CVs do not need to be limited to one page! 1wo pages are ine or most students. 1hose
with extensie research or olunteer experience will hae longer CVs. lor subspecialty
applications, ollow directions on the CA orm.

Sample CVs can be ound in the Appendix section o this guide.
32

Personal Statements

1his is the part that many students ind the hardest to accomplish. Limit yoursel to only
one page. Surgical programs seem to like shorter, to the point`, statements. lamily
medicine programs seem to want a more up-ront and personal,` detailed statement. In
our opinion, it is best not to include your views on politics, religion or controversial
issues. Remember, you don`t know who will be reading your personal statement and what
his or her iews might be. 1he personal statement, howeer, is your chance to stand out
rom the crowd, and also will gie you something interesting to discuss at your interiews.
Also remember - proper Lnglish, good grammar, spelling and composition all count!

In Liesay`s book
5
, she lists the ollowing as topics, which may be included in your personal
statement, and suggests including three to our o these topics.

Reasons or selecting the specialty
Releant experience
Skills you proide which are especially alued by the specialty
Personal and practice goals
Lducational experiences you are looking or
luman-interest inormation

Another approach is the three paragraph approach deined by one student as the I love
me, you love me, I love your program method:

1. I loe me` - 1his irst paragraph includes inormation concerning interesting and
unique eatures about you.
2. \ou loe me` - 1he next paragraph addresses the special skills and qualiications
you hae which will appeal to the program.
3. I loe your program` - 1he inal paragraph explains why you`e chosen them.

A punchy beginning that will catch their attention ,or een a quote, is oten a good idea, and
can be discussed during your interiew.

Sample Personal Statements can be ound in the Appendix section o this guide.

5
Liesay, Katherine A Guide to Residency Matching
33

Cbater igbt
vterrierivg


Most students preer to personally isit the hospitals where they are considering an
internship. Beore isiting any hospital, obtain as much inormation as possible about its
programs. Limit your isits to those hospitals that you are most interested in. Visiting
hospitals or un` costs you time and money and wastes many hours o precious time.
Besides, i you interiew at a large number o hospitals, you will be exhausted and not at
your best by the end.

lor the past seen years, Alumni orwarding` has been aailable to our graduates. By using
their UMDNJ e-mail address, current students can, thereore, e-mail these graduates. Please
ind Match Lists or students rom 2004 to present on ANGLL under the older
R\JMS:Student Aairs` under subolder Match Lists.` 1he Student Aairs Oice now
has a copy o an Alumni Directory which lists snail mail addresses o all UMDNJ graduates.
\e suggest seeking out alumni at programs where you are interiewing. Use these lists or
getting in touch with alumni while you are interiewing.

Interiew in the all ,Noember, December, or the early matches, Noember, December
and January or the NRMP match, July and August or the Armed lorces match.

Plan your itinerary!

Get Your Applications In Larly Ior Best Choice Of Interview Dates!
I possible, limit your geographical areas ,interiewing at programs which are widely
separated geographically is ery time consuming and expensie,.
I you are applying by paper and don`t hear back rom the program within three
weeks ollowing your application, contact the program to be sure they`e receied
your inormation. I you are applying through LRAS, you will know automatically
through the web based application-tracking serice i they hae downloaded your
application.
1he Residency programs do NO1 coordinate interiew dates.
Contact programs to request interiew dates. Schedule no more than 2 per day,
preerably only one. Do this as soon as possible! Be speciic about the day and time
that you wish to interiew ,it neer hurts to try,. 1ry not to re-schedule interiews
more than once i you need to change dates.
At the time you schedule your interiews, write down the inormation you are told
oer the telephone. Also, check on the completeness o your application and ollow
up i any urther data is needed.
Get airline tickets at least 30 days in adance ,sae big bucks,.
1he AAMC proides or airline discounts o 5-10 between Noember 1 and April
30 or residency interiews. 1ickets must be purchased at least 2 hours in adance,
34

and restrictions may apply or trael during the holidays. 1hese discounts are or
senior medical students only. Check AAMC web site or details.
I the cities where you want to interiew are less than 200 miles away, consider
renting a car ,een cheaper by the week,.
Call to conirm your appointment one week in adance.
1ry to ind out as much as possible about the program prior to your interiew.
Contact ormer R\JMS graduates who are currently in the program you are
considering, or come into the Student Aairs oice and reiew ealuations some o
our ormer graduates hae sent to us. Also, contact R\JMS house sta rom your
specialty and try reading AMSA`s Student Guide to Appraisal and Selection o louse
Sta 1raining Programs, which can be ound in the Student Aairs oice.

Ground Rules

\hen scheduling your isits, please obsere the ollowing ground rules in order to aoid
conusion and misunderstanding:

Don`t do senior surgery in Noember or December i you are doing sub-specialty
matches.
Visits may be made at any time, proided the other requirements listed below are
ulilled.
Permission to be away must be obtained, in adance, rom the sponsor o the
electie rom which you will be absent.
Absence or a total o more than 2 ' days per rotation will not be approed. No
absences are permitted or residency interiews during your sub-internships.

1he Interview

Report on time and dress appropriately.

Prepare a list o questions beore your interiew. Be prepared to ask and answer questions
indicating what you can contribute that other candidates may not. Be prepared to sell
yoursel.` \hy should they take you and not someone else Be sincere. Do not be
inappropriately inormal.

Aoid asking questions about things coered in written material you hae already receied
rom the program.

Send a ollow up letter.

Know what are appropriate questions to ask house sta s. aculty interiews ,i.e., don`t ask
your aculty interiewer about the call schedule,.



35

1he following are questions given out by our Internal Medicine department.

Questions 1hat \ou Might Be Asked on a Residency Interiew
1. \hy do you want to do a ______________________ residency
2. \hy did you apply to this program
3. \hat other programs hae you applied to
4. Do you want to do basic or clinical research
5. Please describe to us your personal strengths and weaknesses.
6. \hat are your long-term career plans \here do you see yoursel in ten years
. 1ell me about yoursel.
8. \hat was your worst,best experience during medical school
9. \hat was your most diicult case and how did you handle it
10. \hat would your ellow students or clerkship director say about you
11. \hat types o skills, attributes, and experiences could you bring to this program
12. Do you hae any questions or us

Questions 1hat \ou Might Ask on a Residency Interiew
1. \hat are the major strengths o the program
2. \hat are the major weaknesses o the program
3. Is there a mentoring program
4. \hat are the research opportunities or residents
5. \hat hae the residents rom the past ie years gone on to do
6. \hat are the main dierences between this program and others on a regional and
national leel
. \hat is the quality o the daily,weekly educational conerences
8. Are these conerences well attended
36

9. Please tell me about the library acilities
10. Are there any known upcoming aculty changes ,coming or going,
11. 1ell me about your computer system and the leel o access or residents
12. \hat is it like to lie in this city \here do most o the residents lie low is the
cultural enironment \hat is the cost o liing Is this a sae city


!e at.o recovveva tbe Cbater. 1be vterrier ava 1be Qve.tiov. - 1be .v.rer. frov Cettivg ivto
a Re.iaevc, - . Cviae for Meaicat tvaevt. b, Kevvetb 1. .er.ov

.

66
Iserson, K.V., Getting into a Residency - A Guide or Medical Students
3

Irequently Asked Questions about Interviews

1he ollowing is based on Dr. Norma \agoner`s book, Now is the 1ime - Preparing
or a Residency is a lour \ear Process

`:

I the Program Director tells you that he is going to rank you irst, do you accept
this and assume it is true

No. 1o gie the Program Director the beneit o the doubt, one might assume
that this is true or the moment, but telling you that he will rank you irst may be
his method o recruiting. 1he major harm done in this kind o exchange is when
it encourages the student to limit his or her places to either interiew or rank.

Is there some way you can coney your strong interest in a program to the
Program Director and still stay within the guidelines o the Match

\es. It is ery appropriate at the completion o your interiews to send a
note o thanks and to indicate your strong interest in the program. Ater
you hae completed all o your interiews, you may wish to reisit the
program o highest choice and let the program director know o your
interest.

Is it really necessary to get a Chairman`s letter, particularly i the Chairman
doesn`t know you rom a load o bricks

Chairman`s letters are required or all applicants in Medicine and most in
OB,G\N. Most chairmen hae their means by which they can
communicate to ellow colleagues about you as a student. In some
departments, course directors sere as surrogate letter writers or a
Chairman may choose to interiew the student himsel ,or hersel,. 1he
apparent reason or the importance o the Chairman`s letter is the belie
that colleagues will be more honest, whether in writing or in person, about
a student simply because they are not placed in the role o sering as that
student`s adocate. Check program sites or requirements.

low does one know how many programs to apply to \hen is too many,
too many

1his is ery diicult to say and is highly dependent upon the specialty, the
geographic region desired and the academic credentials o the candidate.
1here should be a number o programs that get selected as dream
programs` in which the student is truly shooting or the best. Secondly, it
is important to select mid-category programs, which can be described as
target programs,` in which the student`s changes are solid. 1he third

\agoner, Norma, MD, Now is the 1ime - Preparing or a Residency is a lour \ear Process,
Uniersity o Chicago
38

category should be the sure bet` programs. Students are beginning to
wonder i the latter category exists in some specialty areas.

\hen do most students interiew Is it important to be assertie in
arranging interiews

1here are some specialties and programs which will expect the student to
take the initiatie in arranging interiews and others, which will totally
control the process. 1he latter group may be much more rustrating or
the student who may wish to try and group interiews regionally to cut
costs. It is oten helpul to let programs know you are going to be in a
certain part o the country and ask i they could accommodate you. Most
o the students ,not early match, will use the months o Noember
through January to interiew. Many o the programs are accepting
students on a irst come, irst sere basis or interiews, so it is important
to determine when deadlines occur and plan to meet them.

Is it important to know something about the program beore you go there
on an interiew

Most assuredly. Spend suicient time at a program gathering inormation
o importance beore you go, you interiew with people who will hae
inluence oer the selection process. 1his may seem simple and too
obious, but many come unprepared to the interiew and it may lead the
selection committee to question the candidate`s real interest in the
program. DO NO1 COMMUNICA1L AN\ AMBIVALLNCL \OU
MA\ lAVL ABOU1 1lL lILLD ON \OUR IN1LRVIL\ DA\.
MAKL SURL \OUR RLPLILS ARL APPROPRIA1L 1O 1lL 1\PL
Ol INS1I1U1ION A1 \lICl \OU ARL IN1LRVIL\ING. Ior
example, if you are interviewing at a highly competitive, highly
academic institution, I would not emphasize private practice as a
career goal.

Is there a strategy in ranking programs or should the sure bet program be
ranked irst so that the others don`t get into the program because they
ranked it highest

\hen a sure bet` can be discerned, this gies you some indication that
the program will rank you suiciently high in order to eect a match.
\ith the way the algorithm is set up, the thing to remember is that both
program director and student will each be gien his or her highest irst
choice. I other programs are o greater interest, they can be listed higher
on the student match list. 1he student will be placed into the program
he,she ranks highest that also has ranked that student. 1hereore list the
programs in the order in which you wish to be matched to them. 1he one
point to remember in deeloping a rank order list is to neer list a program
that you wouldn`t be caught dead in. Murphy`s Law is that you will get it.

39

Can you list more than one specialty on your primary rank order list

\es. Some students hae diiculty choosing between specialties, and may
een wish to do this.

Can I obtain a position without an interiew

No

A program director wants a commitment rom me beore the match.
\hat should I tell him

\ou may say anything you are comortable with. \hen you complete your
conidential rank list you must remember that any statements you may
hae made do not constitute binding commitments. \ou are ree to
change your preerence at any time. By the same rule, program directors
are also ree to change their preerence ater interiewing more applicants.

I I rank a program as 410 and another applicant ranks it as41, who will
get the program

\hen two applicants compete or the same program, the program`s list
decides.

One program director tells me that he likes me ery much. Some better
programs are noncommittal. \hich program should I rank irst

By all means, list the more desirable programs first. Your request
will first go to the program you ranked highest. Skipping (or
downgrading) the better program eliminates your chance of being
considered there, it does not improve the chance that others will
accept you. 1here is no risk in listing high on your list programs
that you like well, but for which you may have little chance.

40

Cbater ^ive
1be Meaicat cboot Perforvavce
ratvatiov ;MP)
orvert, /vorv a. tbe Deav`. etter

What is the MSPL Letter Anyway?

1he MSPL is an ealuation o the work that you hae completed during your irst
three years at UMDNJ-R\JMS. It is a letter o ealuation, NO1 recommendation.
1he MSPL contains erbatim comments rom your clerkship directors. Perhaps or
this reason, our letters are highly regarded by residency program directors. In your
letter, we will list and explain gaps or problems in your academic record as well as
highlight outstanding achieements. During your MSPL interiew with Drs. Seiden,
Laumbach or Mehan you will be gien career counseling as well as adice on
interiewing and applications. \ou may choose which Dean will write your letter,
assuming their schedule permits. \ou must bring a completed CV to your interiew.
1he Deans will also comment on and help you with your Personal Statement at the
time o your MSPL interiew and help you with adice on interiew techniques. \ou
are required to summarize the achieements and experiences that uniquely qualiy you
to be an attractie residency applicant. 1his will become the irst paragraph o your
MSPL - the Unique Characteristics ,UC, section. Some o the inormation may be
duplicatie o your CV. loweer, it is up to you to put this inormation in context or
program directors. You are required to send your UC paragraph electronically to
Sharri Levine (levinesaumdnj.edu) at Student Affairs, as well as a copy to the
Dean who will be writing your MSPL one week before your scheduled meeting.

All United States medical schools release MSPL on Noember 1. loweer, i all o
your clerkship grades are not in by that date, we can hold` your letter or a short
period o time. 1his is only done at your request. Grades from sub-internships or
electives in your selected specialty can be included ONLY if they are received
by the end of the third block. Letters are written in standard ormat as described to
all schools by AAMC:

Bar graphs displaying the student`s perormance in the clinical year as compared with
all other graduating students are included. Although students are not ranked at
R\JMS all students are assigned an adjectie based on academic perormance and
other actiities at R\JMS. Adjecties are assigned by a committee o Student Aairs
deans at the conclusion o the MSPL writing period. 1hese adjecties are:
Outstanding, Lxcellent, Very Good, Good and Satisactory.
41

Reviewing Your MSPL

\our letter writer will reiew your MSPL with you upon your request ater it is
completed. All students hae the opportunity to iew their MSPL on-line prior to its
being sent. \ou will hae one opportunity to read the letter thoroughly and request
any changes, additions, or corrections to grammar, typographical errors, sentence
structure, and accuracy ONL\, so please be thorough. 1he letters will be posted or
two to three weeks online. Ater this period the letters will be taken down, and you
will not be able to reiew them on ANGLL. \ou can also reiew your MSPL in
Student Aairs, but they cannot be removed from the office or photocopied.
Comments on ile rom your third year clerkships will be used erbatim. Student
Aairs can make no changes in these comments unless a request is receied rom the
clerkship director. \our letter will then be inalized and prepared or mailing on or
ater Noember 1
st.
Please see appendix for MSPL template and Unique
Characteristics Rubric.
42

Cbater 1ev
^RMP !eb R ,.tev
;Regi.tratiov, Rav/ivg, c Re.vtt.)


Students enter their rank order list ,ROL, through \eb Based R3 System
,Registration, Ranking & Results,. It is easy to use this method and the great
adantage to you is that your ROL can be entered rom most PCs and changed as
many times as you wish, up until the deadline date. Lach time you enter your
rank order, however, you must certify your list or you are not
registered for the match. \ou must register by Noember 30, 2011, ranking is
by 9PM lebruary 22, 2012 and you will receie your results by March 16, 2012 ,Match
Day,. Please be aware that if you change your ROL around the
deadline hour it is possible that you will not be able to go back in to
re-certify your list. If this happens you will not be in the match,
therefore we highly recommend all RWJMS students have their
ROL in by Iebruary J9, 20J2.

1he ollowing are lrequently Asked Questions rom the NRMP web site, which can
be accessed through the NRMP web site at http:,,www.nrmp.org. ,Succeeding
deadlines will be approximately around the same time rame.,

Completing the Rank Order List (ROL) NRMP
Preliminary ROL
List ,in order, o most desired programs
\ou can mix specialties and,or types ,C |Categorical|, A |Adanced|, P
|Preliminary|, 1 |1ransitional|, o programs on this list
I you list Adanced Programs on this list, you should also:
Submit Supplemental ROLs ,SROLs, 1his is a Must`
Strongly consider ranking C, P, and,or 1 programs at
the bottom o the list
Supplemental ROLs
Lists o Preliminary and,or 1ransitional programs that correspond to
each Adanced program
Submit separate SROL or each Adanced program on the PROL
Be comprehensie on the SROL - matching on PROL and not on
SROL is possible
43

Irequently Asked Questions from the NRMP R3 Web Site

\hat will I need to use the NRMP R3 System
If you can surf the Web and print from your browser, you should be able to use
NRMPs interactive Web site. Users must have Internet Explorer version 6.0 or
higher, FireFox version 2.0, or other Mozilla compatible browsers. Either a PC or
Macintosh computer can be used provided the computer has Internet access;
however, the R3 System does not support the use of Safari by Mac users. The
NRMP Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) System and the release of Match
Week results use such features as Java Script, Java applets, and cookies that must
remain enabled for the systems to work.
\hat are the system requirements to access the R3 System
System Requirements:
Access to a computer that is able to connect to the World Wide Web
Modem 28.8 bps or faster (or network connection)
16 MB of RAM (or the requirements of the browser you use)
An e-mail address is required.
Browser Requirements: To use the Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3)
System, Internet Explorer version 6.0 (or greater), FireFox version 2.0, or other
Mozilla compatible browsers are required.
The System functions best on Internet Explorer version 6.0. The R3 System uses
features such as JavaScript, Java applets, and cookies, all of which must remain
enabled for the system to work. Either a PC or Macintosh computer can be used
provided the computer has Internet access; however, the R3 System does not
support the use of Safari by Mac users. If you wish to use a Mac, please download
a free version of Firefox for Mac using this link, http://www.mozilla.com/en-
US/firefox/all.html.
JavaScript:
You must have JavaScript enabled.
Important usage information for using R3:
Please do not use your browser's Back and Forward buttons. Use the navigational
buttons made available to you on the Web page.
It is recommended that you close the web browser after you have logged out of
R3. R3 will "time out" after a short period of time, but if you work in R3 in a public
location, someone else may be able to use the Back button to view pages you
have worked on. They will not be able to do any work in R3, as soon as they
44

click any button, there will be a Security Violation error message. However, they
may be able to view parts of your work. This is a feature of browsers that we can
not control. Closing your browser when you are done will combat this.
\hy does NRMP want my e-mail address
E-mail is the primary mode of communication used by NRMP, so change your e-
mail address as often as necessary to keep an updated e-mail address on your
personal profile in R3.
To change it, simply log into the R3 System with your AAMC ID and Password,
go to Update My Profile, click Edit, enter the corrected e-mail address, and click
Submit.
\hy hae I not receied any e-mail rom NRMP
Many e-mail messages from NRMP are sent simultaneously to multiple
applicants. Some e-mail providers use filters to ensure that users do not receive
spam (junk e-mail). In some cases those filters can prevent NRMP e-mails from
getting through to participants.
The good news: the majority of providers that offer such filters generally provide
the user with the option to turn the filter on or off. Other providers make a "junk
mail file" or a "bulk mail folder" that includes all messages, sent to the user but
identifies multiple-addressee e-mails. Our e-mail address, nrmp@aamc.org,
should be added to your personal contact, address book, "Safe", or "People I
Know" (for AOL users) list. For instance, if Hotmail sends an NRMP e-mail
message to your Junk Mail box, you can tell Hotmail to add nrmp@aamc.org to
your Safe List or to send it to your inbox.
If you are not receiving e-mail from NRMP and your provider does not offer such
options, we recommend that you either contact your provider to determine the
best way to access such messages or consider using an additional or replacement
provider during your matching process for your primary e-mail address.
For additional information on spam filtering, please visit the sites below.
Yahoo - Someone sent me a message and I haven't received it. What happened?
Hotmail - Safe Sender
After login, go to page Options > Safe and blocked senders > Safe senders. To
allow nrmp@aamc.org , type it in the box, and then click Add to list.
\hat does Credential Status NO1 VLRIlILD mean
The applicant has not been determined to be eligible to enter graduate medical
education programs by their medical school official. Verification of eligibility
will begin after the initial registration deadline of December 1st. To be able to
45

participate in the NRMP match, Credential Status must be VERIFIED by the rank
order list deadline.
Can couples use the R3 System
Each partner of a couple enrolls individually in the Match and indicates in the
NRMP R3 System that they want to be in the Match as part of a couple. The
NRMP allows couples to form pairs of choices on their primary rank order lists,
which are then considered in rank order in the Match. The couple will match to
the most preferred pair of programs on the rank order lists where each partner has
been offered a position. More information about Couples
Must the institution,program proide applicants with inormation about the
appointment contract and conditions o employment
Section 4.3 of the Match Participation Agreement signed by NRMP institutional
officials requires each of the institution's programs to provide complete and
accurate information to interviewees, including a copy of the contract the
applicant will be expected to sign if matched to the program and the institution's
policies on visa status and eligibility for appointment. The information must be
communicated to interviewees prior to the rank order list deadline, and a signed
acknowledgment should be obtained from each interviewee. Recognizing that
many appointment contracts are lengthy and that others may not contain all of the
institution's relevant policies, an acceptable alternative is to post the contract and
policies on the institution's Web site and notify interviewees where the
information may be found. The signed acknowledgment should include a
statement that the interviewee was notified that the information is posted on the
Web site.
I'm a US senior in an allopathic medical school and I've been offered a
position outside the Match. What should I do?
If any of a teaching hospital's graduate medical education programs participates in
the NRMPs Main Match, all of the hospital's programs may accept US seniors in
allopathic medical schools only through the NRMP or another national matching
plan. Offering a contract outside the Match is a violation of the Match
Participation Agreement. US allopathic seniors who obtain PGY-2 positions
through another national matching plan must obtain their PGY-1 preliminary
positions through the NRMPs Main Match.
I'm participating in the Match as a couple with my partner. \ill the NRMP link our
rank order lists
The NRMP accommodates applicants who wish to be matched as a couple by
allowing two individuals to form pairs of choices on their primary rank order lists,
which are then considered in order of preference when the matching algorithm is
46

run. However, the algorithm considers only a couple's primary rank order lists
when attempting to find a match and does NOT treat a couple's supplemental rank
order lists as a unit in the Match. Once a couple has obtained a match from their
primary rank order lists, the algorithm searches each supplemental rank order list
independently and attempts to place applicants in their most preferred program.
Consequently, couples' supplemental rank order lists should be assigned to
programs on their primary lists based upon the geographic locations of the
programs. For more information about couples, visit the Couples page.
How can I learn whether an institution or program I am in interested in
ranking has been the subject of a violation investigation conducted by the
NRMP?
The NRMP maintains an Institution and Program Violations Report in the
Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) System that is available to applicants
who register for any NRMP match. The report displays information about
graduate medical education programs and sponsoring institutions that have
violated the Match Participation Agreement. Term limits of any sanction(s)
imposed for the violation are included to identify the length of time the sanction is
in effect
Can I make changes or additions to my rank order list?
The rank order list (ROL) can be entered in one or more sessions. It can be
modified or re-ordered any number of times up until 9:00 p.m. on the deadline
day for rank order list entry. Applicants in the middle of a session at 9:00 p.m.
will not be able to complete their session and will be forced off the server.
Participants are advised not to wait until the last minute to enter their rank order
lists so as to avoid any problems at the deadline.
If you change your rank order list by adding, moving, or deleting a program, the
change is saved and the previous rank order list is deleted from the R3 System.
You must certify your ROL again for it to be used in the Match.
No changes can be made to your rank order list after the rank order list deadline.
The NRMP will not add, delete, or in any way modify your rank order list.
Are preious ersions o my rank order list maintained in the R3 System
Once the currently displayed ROL has been modified online, the previous
versions of the list are not retained in the R3 System, regardless of whether they
were certified. The ROL that is displayed when the participant logs in is the only
version on file with the NRMP. Once the last updates have been made, the
participant must certify the final version by the rank order list deadline in order
for it to be used in the Match.
4

How often are the applicant and program lists in the R3 System updated?
Applicant and program information is displayed in real time, so users always have
current information.
\ill I be able to print a copy o my ROL ater or beore submission
Yes. Applicants and programs can print a copy of their rank order lists at any step
during the process by using the Web browser print button or the View/Print ROL
link on the My Rank Order List page, which opens a printer-friendly version.
\ill I get a conirmation that NRMP receied my certiied rank order list
Yes. When you certify your rank order list, NRMP will send to your primary e-
mail address a confirmation that includes the number of programs on your list.
low does NRMP know when I'e inished my rank order list
When you have entered all of your ranks, you must certify your rank order list
(ROL). Click the red Certify List button. You will then be asked to enter your
Password. If you make changes to your rank order list, you must recertify it. A
Match Status of CERTIFIED ROL in the header (where your name and AAMC
ID are displayed) is the indication that you have finished your rank order list.
Is there a limit to the number o ranks I can submit ia the \eb
Technically, there is no limit. Remember, however, there is a $30 charge per
program ranked for each program over the first 20. For example, a list of 50
would cost an additional $900.
For each partner of a couple, there is $30 charge for each additional program
ranked over the first 30.
Can anyone else see my rank order list
You are the only one, other than the NRMP staff, who can access your rank order
list unless you give your AAMC ID and password to someone else. Your rank
order list is limited to need-to-know NRMP Staff.
\hy does it take three weeks rom rank order list deadline to Match Day
During that time, NRMP takes a number of major steps to assure the accuracy of
both the Match and the subsequent release of Match information. Those steps
include:
Checking the integrity and completeness of the data.
48

Transferring the data to the algorithm module, checking it again, and running the
Match.
Verifying the results of the Match and transferring the data into the NRMP
databases.
Creating more than 60,000 individual reports for applicants, programs, and
schools, and assuring confidentiality of the information. The reports are then
posted to the Web in accordance with the Match Results schedule.
In addition, time is allotted for unmatched applicants and unfilled programs to
make decisions before Match Day.
low will I know i I hae matched to a program
At 12:00 noon on Monday of Match Week, applicants can learn IF they matched
to a program on their rank order list by logging in to the NRMP's Registration,
Ranking, and Results (R3) System using their AAMC ID and password.
Applicants will be presented with one of the following messages on the Applicant
Options page:
1. Congratulations, you have matched!
This message will be displayed for any applicant who is "fully" matched,
including
Applicants who listed and matched to a categorical program.
Applicants who listed and matched to preliminary and advanced programs.
Other conditions also apply. Applicants who listed only advanced programs on
their certified rank order lists and did not list any preliminary positions on a
supplemental rank order list will receive this message. Similarly, applicants who
included only preliminary programs on their certified rank order lists will receive
this statement. The matching algorithm considers an applicant "matched" if he/she
lists only one program type on his/her certified rank order list. Applicants who
receive this message will not have access to the Dynamic List of Unfilled
Programs that is posted on Tuesday of Match Week.
2. Congratulations, you have matched to an advanced position but not a first year
position!
This message will be displayed for any applicant who matched to an advanced
position but did not match to a preliminary position listed on a supplemental rank
order list. Applicants who receive this message will have access to the Dynamic
List of Unfilled Programs and are eligible to participate in the post-Match
Scramble for unfilled positions to obtain a preliminary position; however,
applicants may not use the Scramble to obtain a categorical position or a different
advanced position.
3. Congratulations, you have matched to a one year position!
49

This message will be displayed for any applicant who matched to a preliminary
position but did not match to an advanced position listed on the primary rank
order list. Applicants who receive this message will have access to the Dynamic
List of Unfilled Programs and are eligible to participate in the post-match
Scramble for unfilled positions to obtain an advanced position; however,
applicants may not use the Scramble to obtain a categorical position or a different
preliminary position.
4. We are sorry; you did not match to any position!
This message will be displayed for any applicant who did not match to a program
listed on either a primary or supplemental rank order list. For applicants
participating as a partner of a couple, this statement also may be displayed if the
applicant listed the 999999999 program code on the primary rank order list to
indicate '"No Match". Applicants who receive this message will have access to the
List of Unfilled Programs and are eligible to participate in the post-Match SOAP
for any category of unfilled positions.
5. You are NOT matched because you did not submit a certified rank order list!
This message will be displayed for any applicant who registered to participate in
the Match but did not certify a rank order list prior to the rank order list
certification deadline. Applicants who receive this message will have access to
the List of Unfilled Programs and are eligible to participate in the post-Match
Scramble for any category of unfilled positions.
6. You are NOT matched because you are withdrawn!
This message will be displayed for any applicant who registered to participate in
the Match but was withdrawn either by the medical school or by the NRMP.
Applicants who were withdrawn by the NRMP because they obtained positions
through another matching service will not have access to the List of Unfilled
Programs.
\hat happens i I do not match to a position
Unmatched applicants who submitted a certified rank order list will be able to
participate in the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP).
Can I ind out where my classmates matched
All applicant results are confidential and are available only to the applicant,
programs that ranked the applicant, and the applicant's medical school.
50

\hat happens i I match to a program and decide not to accept the position
The Match Participation Agreement to which you affixed your password when
you registered for the Match states that a match between an applicant and a
program creates a binding commitment to accept or offer a position. A decision
not to honor that commitment is a breach of the Agreement and will be
investigated by the NRMP in accordance with the Policies and Procedures for the
Reporting, Investigation, and Disposition of Violations of NRMP Agreements.
Penalties may be levied if a violation is confirmed.
Under certain limited circumstances, the NRMP may grant an applicant or
program a waiver of the match commitment if honoring the Match outcome
would result in undue hardship. Waivers must be requested from, and can be
granted only by, the NRMP. Additional information on the waiver review
process.
\hat happens i I ask the program or a waier rom my Match commitment
The program cannot grant you a waiver from your Match commitment. Program
directors must report all waiver requests to the NRMP, which will investigate to
determine whether the waiver should be granted. If a waiver is not granted by the
NRMP, you will be expected to accept the matched position. If your waiver is
denied and you do not accept the position to which you matched, you may be
prohibited from accepting a position in another NRMP match-participating
program if training would being within one year from the date of the NRMP's
decision; in addition, the NRMP will initiate a violation investigation in
accordance with the Policies and Procedures for the Reporting, Investigation, and
Disposition of Violations of NRMP Agreements. If an NRMP match-participating
program offers you a position to begin training during the one-year prohibition,
that program also will be investigated to determine whether it violated the Match
Participation Agreement.
\hat happens i I match to a program and begin training, but then decide I want to
leae the program to change specialties and,or accept another position
The commitment a participant undertakes in the Match Participation Agreement is
to accept the results of the Match. To meet that obligation, you must sign a
residency contract and begin training at the program to which you matched. Your
subsequent obligations are determined by the terms of that residency contract, not
the Match Participation Agreement. However, if the NRMP receives what it
considers to be credible evidence that you did not enter your contract in good
faith and that you began training in the program as a way to circumvent NRMP
policy, the NRMP can initiate a violation investigation of your actions even
though your training already has begun.

51

What is the process if I'm investigated for a Match violation?
Subsequent to receiving a report of an alleged violation, the NRMP will contact
the applicant and any other individuals with knowledge of the situation and
prepare a Preliminary Report that documents the nature of the allegation.
If the results of the investigation indicate that a material violation has not
occurred, the case will be closed and all parties will be so notified.
If the results of the investigation indicate a material violation occurred, the
Preliminary Report will be distributed to the subject of the investigation, the
individual who reported the violation, and any other parties who provided
information material to the investigation for their review and to correct the
additional information provided to the NRMP.
The Preliminary Report will be reviewed by a Review Panel of the NRMP's
Violations Review Committee, which will make the final determination of
whether a violation occurred and, if so, the appropriate penalty. A Review Panel
Report will be issued to the subject of the violation, who will have ten business
days to notify the NRMP of the intent to initiate arbitration. If the subject of the
violation initiates arbitration, the NRMP will note in the Registration, Ranking,
and Results (R3) System that the party is the subject of a "pending action". That
designation will remain in place for the duration of the arbitration process. In
addition, if the subject of the violation initiates arbitration, he/she has thirty days
from receipt of the Review Panel Report to file with the American Health
Lawyers Association. If the subject of the violation does not request arbitration
within ten business days, the Review Panel Report will become the Final Report,
and it will be issued to all parties listed on the Report. All Match registrants
should review carefully The Policies and Procedures for the Reporting,
Investigation, and Disposition of Violations of NRMP Agreements.
What does it mean in the R3 System when it states that an institution or
program is the subject of "pending action"?
When a violation investigation of an institution or program results in an adverse
decision, the institution or program is designated with "pending action" in the R3
System. The designation remains in place until the institution or program has
waived or exhausted the opportunity to contest the action pursuant to the
Violations Policy. Once the Final Report of the investigation has been issued, the
program will be listed on the Institution and Program Violations Report if the
NRMP has concluded that there was a breach of the Match Participation
Agreement.
The above information is taken from the www.nrmp.org website.
52


USMLL Update Step II : CK and CS

1he USMLL is now diided into two parts - Clinical Knowledge ,CK, and Clinical
Skills ,CS,.
R\JMS requires passage o CK and CS as a graduation requirement ,in addition
R\JMS students are required to pass the summatie OSCL prior to graduation,. You
must sign up for and take CK and CS by December 3J
st
of your year of
Graduation. Permission to take these exams past the December 3J
st
can only
be granted by a Student Affairs dean.

1he ollowing table summarizes the administration o both exams:


S1LP 2

CK CS
Cost >525 >1120
Lligibility
Period
Selected 3-month period
,Up to 6 months in adance,
12 months
,Beginning at registration,
,So register now, required or graduation,
Sites Multiple sites in NJ alone Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago,
louston, Los Angeles ,ligh NL demand,
Correlations Correlates airly well with Step 1
and shel exams
Does not appear to correlate
well with Step 1 or shel exams

Rescheduling
No ee 5 business days in
adance
lee 5 business days & w,in
period >116.40
Reapply i not w,in period,
No ee 14 business days in adance
>150 14 business days & beore
moratorium ,midnight beore - conirmed
absence |1-2 days|,
,ee when R,S, not when cancel,
>400 ater moratorium & w,in period
Reapply i not w,in period
Retakes
(Reapply)
(Max. 3X in
J2 mo)
You may take the failed or incomplete
examination no more than four times
within a 12-month period.
You may take the failed or incomplete evaluation no
more than three times within a 12-month period




53

.evaice.


CV Samples

MSPL 1emplate

Unique Characteristics Info

LRAS Applicant Information Sheet & Other Useful LRAS Information

Other Sources of Information and Counseling

Personal Statement Samples

Published Article by Norma L. Wagoner & J. Roberto Suriano

UMDNJ-RWJMS 200S Match Results

Unique Characteristics Rubric

Web Sites

Web Site Pages
54

CV Samples

Name
Address
1elephone Number
L-Mail

Lducation

Dates Institution
,Reerse Chronological Order,

lonors & Awards

Dates Describe the honor or award, include college, graduate
school, and medical school. Do not include medical
school course honors.

Certiication

Dates Include USMLL scores i 230. Otherwise, leae out
this section.

Research Lxperience

Dates Position ,i.e., research assistant,
Mentor
Name o project

Publications & Presentations

Dates Citation
May include papers In Preparation` or publication
,you are writing the paper,, Submitted or Publication`
,paper has been submitted,, and In Press` ,paper has
been accepted or publication,.
May include abstracts

Leadership

Dates Make sure these are releant to medical school, unless
you`e worked many hours at an unrelated job to
support yoursel through medical school.
1eaching

55

Dates Make sure these are releant to medical school, unless
you`e worked many hours at an unrelated job to
support yoursel through medical school.

\ork Lxperience

Dates Make sure these are releant to medical school, unless
you`e worked many hours at an unrelated job to
support yoursel through medical school.

Community Serice

Dates Description

Lxtracurricular Actiities

Make sure these are releant to medical school, unless
you`e worked many hours at an unrelated job to
support yoursel through medical school.

Other Interests

Make sure these are releant to medical school, unless
you`e worked many hours at an unrelated job to
support yoursel through medical school.
56

Name
Address
1elephone Number
L-Mail

LDUCA1ION:
1989-1993 Princeton Uniersity - A.B. Chemistry
1995-present Robert \ood Johnson Medical School - M.D.
Program
1998-present Robert \ood Johnson Medical School - M.S.
Program in Neuroscience & Cell Biology

HONORS & AWARDS:
1992 All-Iy Academic lonors, Princeton Uniersity
1993 Cum Laude Graduate, Princeton Uniersity
1996 Nominated or Ldward \. and Stella C. Van louton
Memorial lund Scholarship, R\JMS
199 larris Shapiro loundation Award, R\JMS
199 Summer Research lellowship, R\JMS - declined
199 loward lughes Medical Institute Research 1raining
lellowship or Medical Students, R\JMS
1998 lonorable Mention loward lughes Predoctoral
1raining lellowship in Biological Sciences, R\JMS
1998 Lester l. Lages Scholarship, R\JMS

LX1RACURRICULAR AC1IVI1ILS:
1995 Community Serice Volunteer - Independent Liing
lund, Kent, Lngland - lull-time caregier to young
woman with debilitating Multiple Sclerosis and her 9
year old son.
1995-96 SlARRP, Student lealth Lducator, R\JMS
1996-9 Student Member o Admissions Committee, R\JMS
1996-9 Physician`s Assistant 1utor in Anatomy, R\JMS
1998-present Larly Start Mentoring Program, New Brunswick,
R\JMS
2000 Cape Cod Marathon, Cape Cod, MA

PROILSSIONAL LXPLRILNCL:
1993-95 Assistant Scientist at 1ranscell 1echnologies, Inc.,
Monmouth Junction, NJ. Primary responsibilities
ocused on the synthesis o noel lead compounds
inoling carbohydrate-cholic acid conjugates and
their deriaties.

RLSLARCH LXPLRILNCL:
5

1992 National Science loundation-Research Lducation or
Undergraduates Award, Brandeis Uniersity,
\altham, MA, - \orked with Dr. 1homas Pochapsky
to elucidate the structure o the iron-sulur protein
putidaredoxin using 2D NMR
199-98 loward lughes Medical Institute Research 1raining
lellowship or Medical Students, R\JMS.
Inestigated, under the mentorship o pediatric
neurologist Dr. Lmanuel DiCicco-Bloom, the role o
neurotrophins in prolieration and dierentiation in
the deeloping sympathetic nerous system using the
embryonic rat as a model.
1998-99 Graduate Student, Dept. o Neuroscience and Cell
Biology, R\JMS. Continued working under the
tutelage o Dr. DiCicco-Bloom, but switched the
ocus o my research. Speciically, I began to deine
how extracellular actors positiely and negatiely
regulate cell diision in the embryonic rat cerebral
cortex.

PRLSLN1A1IONS AND ABS1RAC1S:
1998 UMDNJ Medical Student Research Competition,
Process elaboration is dierentially regulated by
PACAP and N1-3 in sympathetic neuroblasts.`
1998 loward lughes Medical Institute Meeting o Medical
Students, Process elaboration is dierentially
regulated by PACAP and N1-3 in sympathetic
neuroblasts.`
1998 Lighth Annual Physiology and Neurobiology Student
Retreat PACAP and N1-3 Dierentially Regulate
1au Lxpression and Sympathetic Neurogenesis.`
1998 Abstract submitted to Society or Neuroscience
Annual Meeting, PACAP and N1-3 dierentially
regulate 1au expression and sympathetic
neurogenesis.`
1999 Abstract submitted to Symposium Neuropeptides at
the Millennium negatiely regulates cell cycle
machinery and cerebral cortex neurogenesis in io.`
2000 Abstract submitted to meeting o International Society
o Deelopmental Neuroscience in leidelberg,
Germany, PACAP signaling negatiely regulates cell
cycle machinery and cerebral cortex neurogenesis in
io.`

PUBLICA1IONS:
2000 PACAP promotes cell cycle exit ia speciic
CIP,KIP inhibitors,` paper in preparation.

58





M Me ed di ic ca al l S St tu ud de en nt t P Pe er r o or rm ma an nc ce e L L a al lu ua at ti io on n
for
N NA AM ML L
Noember 1, 2011


Identifying Information
Name

Unique Characteristics
Name

Academic History
Date o Lxpected Graduation rom Medical School:
Date o Initial Matriculation in Medical School:

Please explain any extensions, leae,s, o absence, gap,s,, or break,s, in the
student`s educational program. or Not applicable


lor transer students: Not applicable
Date o Initial Matriculation in Prior Medical School:
Date o 1ranser rom Prior Medical School:

lor dual,joint,combined degree students: BA/MD Program Not applicable
Date o Initial Matriculation in Other Degree Program:
Date o Lxpected Graduation rom Other Degree Program:
1ype o Other Degree Program:

\as this student required to repeat or otherwise remediate any No
coursework during his,her medical education \es - Please explain:


\as this student the recipient o any aderse action,s, by the medical school
or its parent institution
No

59


Academic Progress
Name







Comments rom clerkships and electies are reprinted erbatim below:

Clerkship 1
Grade -
CLLRKSHIP


Clerkship 2
Grade - NBML Score -
CLLRKSHIP


Clerkship 3
Grade - NBML Score -
CLLRKSHIP


Clerkship 4
Grade - NBML Score -
CLLRKSHIP



Clerkship 5
Grade - NBML Score -
CLLRKSHIP


60


Clerkship 6
Grade - NBML Score -
CLLRKSHIP



Llectie 1
Grade -
NAML
00,00,00 - 00,00,00 ,4 \eeks,


Summary






Daid Seiden, Ph.D. .
Associate Dean or Student Aairs
seidenumdnj.edu


Sonia Garcia Laumbach, M.D.
Assistant Dean or Student Aairs
sgarciaumdnj.edu


Daniel Mehan, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean or Student Aairs
mehandaumdnj.edu










61


Unique Characteristics

1he opening paragraph o the MSPL contains identiying inormation and
inormation about your unique characteristics ,UC,. \ou will write this section
yoursel ,since you know yoursel best, using the ormat below. 1his section is NO1
a rehash o your resume. \ou will be entering all o your extracurricular actiities, etc.,
into your electronic application through LRAS. 1he UC section o the MSPL is
designed to highlight those characteristics which are SPLCIAL or UNIQUL about
you. Ask yoursel what you would like program directors to most know about you in
terms o your attractieness as a candidate. 1his paragraph can then sere as the basis
or your personal statement. It is required that you email your Unique
Characteristics paragraph to the dean one week prior to your MSPL
appointment. You must bring this with you to your MSPL appointment. 1he
dean who is writing your letter will help you with it at that point.

Limit your paragraph to approximately 400 words or less.
\rite in the third person.

Include the ollowing:

Undergraduate Inormation:

1. Include the name o your undergraduate college, year o graduation, major,s,
and any special graduation awards ,i.e. Phi Beta Kappa, or leadership positions
,i.e. began a ree clinic or the undersered, or scholarships ,i.e. partial tuition
scholarship to attend your college.,
2. I you are a nontraditional` student, explain your path to medical school and
how this background will be useul to you in the uture ,i.e. sailed around the
world, worked or seeral years beore medical school, Peace Corps Volunteer,
etc.,
3. Similarly, i there are ormer lie or career experiences that help make you an
interesting person`, include this ,i.e. music major in college and almost
became a proessional musician, toured with a rock band ater college or raced
motorcycles and worked as a carpenter, captain o college ootball team so you
understand team dynamics, etc.,
4. I you come rom an economically or educationally disadantaged amily ,i.e.
you are the irst to attend college, or you had to work during college,l.S., etc.,
include this.



Medical School:

1. Any matriculation scholarships to R\JMS.
2. Any leadership or special achieements ,i.e. lIPlOP Steering Committee,
SGA President, etc., Lxplain.
62

3. Detail any research experience including presentations and publications.
4. Personal characteristics that will make you an attractie candidate ,detail
oriented, hard worker, leel headed, sense o humor, meticulous, likes to teach,
etc.,.
5. I you hae had diiculties in Med School and want to address this, ,i.e. took a
leae because o amily illness, etc., please do.
6. I you are a participant in the DIR, DISC or DIML programs, say this. I your
project is inalized and approed by the releant committee your MSPL will
read that you are receiing your MD degree with Distinction. I howeer, you
are participating in the program but your project is not yet complete, your
MSPL will indicate this instead.




Lxamples o Unique Characteristics Paragraphs

Lxample 41 John Doe
John Doe is a graduate o Best Uniersity where he majored in biology and receied
his BA degree, summa cum laude, in 1998. John's path to medicine was not a straight-
orward one, but, though nontraditional, it enabled him to grow as an indiidual and
gain rich lie experiences.
John earned a teaching degree and spent the years rom 1998 - 2001 teaching Biology
in an inner city setting. lrom this experience he gained.
1he ollowing year, he began olunteering as an LM1 and working in the laboratory
o Dr. Smart. le realized that.
Interested in painting and photographer, John has exhibited his work.
John comes rom a amily o limited means. le is the irst in his amily to attend
college. le had to work in his amily's business throughout high school and college.
1hrough these experiences he has learned that success must be earned, and has
attained a tireless work ethic and strong sense o discipline. John worked 40 hours per
week during college, and een while teaching he held two jobs. lis experience as a
biology teacher in an Abbott program led him to consider a career in medicine
because. John has remained actie in community serice and has olunteered many
hours o his time throughout medical school in..
lurther eidence o commitment to the community is his participation in our
Distinction in Serice to the Community program. 1his program is..Should he
complete his project, John will graduate with Distinction in Serice to the Community.

63

Lxample 42 Suzy Sunshine
Suzy S. personiies the American dream. She has had to oercome major barriers that
lie has put in her way. loweer her determination to become a physician has neer
waered and she has met eery challenge with success.
Suzy grew up in Alabama as one o 5 children. ler mother was a single parent and
the amily had ery limited resources. Suzy attended high school in NJ, and won a
scholarship to State U. rom which she graduated summa cum laude. Committed to
"giing back", Suzy started a major community olunteer serice as a junior in college.
1his group, which is ongoing,... ler irst year was somewhat bumpy, as it is or
many students. Suzy needed to become adjusted to the rigors o a medical school
curriculum. Suzy is..
Suzy started a well-attended Salsa Club at our school. She also has olunteered
countless hours organizing and participating in health airs in the community. She was
on the lIPlOP Steering Committee and through this.
Suzy is bilingual, and her language skills hae been a alued asset at St. John's
Clinic..
RLMLMBLR: Bring your MSPL Unique Characteristics paragraph with you to your
Dean's letter appointment. It is advisable to email your UC paragraph to the
dean one week prior to your MSPL appointment.

Sincerely,


Daid Seiden, Ph.D.

Sonia Garcia Laumbach, M.D.

Daniel Mehan, Ph.D.






64

ERAS Residency Applicant
Information Sheet (RAIS)
Applicant Type Designated Deansffice


What is ERAS?

The Association of American Medical
Colleges (AAMC) developed ERASthe
Electronic Residency Application Service,
to transmit residency applications, letters
of recommendation (LoRs), MSPE, transcripts,
and other supporting credentials from
applicants and medical schools to residency
program directors using the Internet.

How does ERAS work?

The ERAS service is made up of four
components: MyERASthe applicant
Web site; the Deans Office Workstation
(DWS), the software used by the designated
deans office; the Program Directors
Workstation (PDWS), the software used by
programs; and the ERAS PostOffice. Using a
secure Web browser, applicants complete an
application, select programs, and create and
assign supporting documents. They then submit
these files to the ERAS PostOffice for delivery
to programs. School staff use the DWS to scan
and store the transcripts, MSPE and LoRs and
transmit them to the ERAS PostOffice.
Residency programs use the PDWS to connect
to the ERAS PostOffice to download
applications and to review them using criteria
they establish.

Which specialties will use
ERAS this year?

Were welcoming Internal Medicine/
Medical Genetics and Pediatrics/Medical
Genetics for ERAS 2011. Most PGY1
specialties, including those in the Army and
Navy, will use ERAS 2011 to receive their
applications. A complete list of participating
programs will be available online in mid-June
(https://services.aamc.org/eras/
erasstats/par/). Contact programs before
applying to confirm their participation.

How do I get started?

Contact your designated deans office.
They will provide you with instructions
for processing applications via ERAS.






Applicant Type Designated Deans

Applicant
Type

Designated
Deans Office
Canadian CaRMS*
IMG ECFMG+
Military#
US Prior Yr Grad
US Seniors

Your Medical School

* E-mail help@carms.ca
+ Go to www.ecfmg.org/eras for more
information
# Military applicants should also consult
with their military counselor for special
instructions

When can I get started?

ERAS instructions and your token to
access MyERAS will be distributed from
your designated deans office in late June.
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG will
distribute tokens beginning on July 1st.
MyERAS will be available for you to begin
working on your application on July 1st.
You may begin applying to allopathic
residency programs September 1st.
Give yourself enough time to complete
your application to ensure program
deadlines are met. Contact programs
before applying to ensure you meet all
program requirements.

What will my school do?

Your school (or designated deans office)
will establish processing procedures for
ERAS and the schedule for distributing
MyERAS information. They will also
process supporting application documents
which include scanning transcripts,
attaching documents, processing LoRs
and sending files to the ERAS PostOffice.
Student affairs staff can also help you with
career planning and targeting appropriate
programs to apply to via ERAS.

When is the deadline to apply
to programs?

ERAS does not establish deadlines for
programs. Individual programs set deadlines.
Contact the programs directly for more
information about their requirements
and deadlines.




I dont have a computer at
home. How can I apply?

You can use any computer with an
Internet connection. The computer must
have Internet Explorer version 6.0 (or
greater) or Firefox version 3.0 (or greater). ERAS
does not provide technical support for Safari. A
valid e-mail address is also required so programs
can contact you.

How do I apply to programs not
participating in ERAS?

Contact the program directly for their
application requirements. You cannot use ERAS to
apply to a program that is not available on the
MyERAS Web site.

How much does ERAS cost?

ERAS processing fees are based on the
number of programs to which you apply
within a specialty.

ERAS fees are: $75 initial application fee (includes
up to 10 programs); $8 each for 11-20 programs;
$15 each for 21-30 programs; and $25 each for
program(s) over 30.

Prior to receiving a token, International
Medical Graduates (IMGs) are charged
a fee of $90 payable to ECFMG. This
ECFMG application fee includes preparation and
transmission of the ECFMG Status Report to all
programs, and confirmation of documents received
via OASIS, ECFMGs Web-based information
service for ECFMG applicants and applicant
consultation
on all non-technical matters.

Applicants who request USMLE and/or
COMLEX transcripts via ERAS pay a $70 fee each
to the NBME and/or NBOME for an unlimited
number of electronic transcripts.

What is the ERAS Integrity
Promotion Program?

ERAS Integrity Promotion program was
created to encourage integrity in the
application process. Examples of possible
infractions and the consequences of a
positive finding are outlined in the ERAS
Residency Applicant section of the ERAS
Web site at www.aamc.org/eras under
ERAS Policies.

ERAS is a program of the
Association of American Medical Colleges
65



1c'c .c \c.c'c
LRAS 20JJ Applicant 1imeline

Date Activity
Mid-late
June 2010
MyERAS User Guide available in PDF (download by chapter or in its entirety on our Web site).
Schools may begin to generate and distribute MyERAS tokens to applicants.
July 1,
2010
MyERAS Web site opens to applicants to begin working on their applications.
ERAS Support Services at ECFMG will begin generating and distributing tokens to IMGs.
Osteopathic applicants may begin selecting and applying to osteopathic training programs only.
July 15,
2010
Osteopathic training programs may begin contacting the ERAS PostOffice to download application
files.
September
1, 2010
Applicants may begin applying to ACGME accredited programs.
ACGME accredited programs may begin contacting the ERAS PostOffice to download application
files.
October
15, 2010
MSPEs are released to AOA accredited programs.*
November
1, 2010
MSPEs are released to ACGME accredited programs.*
December
2010
Military Match
January
2011
Urology Match
February
2011
Osteopathic Match
March
2011
NRMP Match results will be available.
May 31,
2011
ERAS PostOffice will close to prepare for the 2012 season.
*According to their schedule, your designated dean's office will upload the MSPE to the ERAS
PostOffice. The MSPE (along with other ERAS documents) are transmitted from the Dean's Office
Workstation (DWS) to the ERAS PostOffice, and are placed in the programs' mailboxes. Most
uploaded files become available immediately; the MSPEs, however, are held until October 15th for
osteopathic residency programs and November 1st for allopathic residency programs.
**Due to the Memorial Day holiday, the ERAS PostOffice will close at 5:00 PM ET on
Tuesday, June 1, 2010.
Program Application Deadlines
ERAS does not set program application deadlines as the individual programs set the deadlines. You
should contact programs directly for their deadlines. The ERAS PostOffice, however, closes on May
31st (unless otherwise indicated) every year to prepare for the next ERAS application season. At
that time all of our servers are purged of all applications and supporting documents. ERAS does not
maintain records from year to year.
66



Other Iees
USMLL 1ranscript lees
1he National Board of Medical Lxaminers (NBML) charges a flat $60 fee to
US and Canadian applicants who request transmission of USM LRAS Iees
LRAS processing ees are based on the number o programs applied to per specialty.
MyLRAS automatically calculates your ees. LRAS ees are the same or all residency
and osteopathic applicants although the ee structure is applied separately or
indiiduals applying to both ACGML-accredited and AOA-accredited programs.
1hose applicants applying to both ACGML-accredited and AOA-accredited programs
are charged processing ees separately. See Lxample 4.
Note: Military program, regardless o specialty, are treated as a single specialty.
Number of Programs per
Specialty/Accrediting
Body (ACGML or AOA)
LRAS Iees
Up to 10 >5
11-20 >8 each
21-30 >15 each
31 or more >25 each
Lxample J: An applicant applies to 30 Lmergency Medicine programs, ees are >305.
|5 - ,10 x >8, - ,10 x >15,|.
Lxample 2: An applicant applies to 20 OB,G\N programs, and 10 lamily Medicine
programs. 1he ees are >230 |>5 - ,>8 x 10, or OB,G\N programs and >5 or
lamily Medicine programs|.
Lxample 3: A military applicant applies to 5 military lamily Medicine programs, 3
military Internal Medicine programs, 2 military Surgery programs, and ciilian
Pediatrics programs. 1he ees are >150 ,>5 or the 10 programs consolidated under
the military and >5 or the ciilian programs,.
Lxample 4: An osteopathic applicant applies to 3 ACGML-accredited lamily
Medicine programs and 3 AOA-accredited lamily Medicine programs. 1he ees are
>150 ,>5 or the 3 ACGML-accredited programs and >5 or the 3 AOA-accredited
programs,.

6

Other Iees
USMLL 1ranscript Iees
1he NBML ee or transmitting USMLL,NBML transcripts or applicants to
programs is >0, regardless o the number o transcripts requested. 1he NBML ee is
included on your inoice and collected by LRAS.
LRAS Use during the Scramble Period
lrom 12 noon Lastern 1ime on 1uesday until 12 noon Lastern 1ime on the 1hursday
during Match \eek in March each year, there is a "Scramble" period just beore the
NRMP Match Day results are released. During this period, applicants who did not
match to a position attempt to ill remaining unilled positions. LRAS is aailable to
applicants to apply to a maximum o thirty ,30, programs .
You must have participated in ERAS during the regular season. This means you must have
applied to (and paid for) at least one program.
Your account must be paid in full no less than two weeks prior to the Scramble period.

LRAS
www.aamc.org/eras


Students get their LRAS ID4 when they register in July.

Students can log into LRAS ater July 15. Prior to that, the student should
check N,A on the LRAS coer sheet.

Cut o or grades ,electies, sub-internships, etc., is end o third block.

1he registrar will send students an indiidual AAMC ID 4 by July 15.

Students can apply or programs between September 1 - Noember 1.
(Recommended deadline is October J.)
1be aticatiov i. 12- age. tovg ava it ba. cbaracter tivitatiov.!

1here is a one-time >60.00 ee or the USMLL score.

Students will need a photo with their applications. (Color, wallet size with
light background, 2
J/2
X 3
J/2
)


68

Other Sources of Information & Counseling

Written Material

Student Aairs is a good resource or many dierent orms o residency inormation.
A listing o aailable literature can be ound in this guidebook. Most materials may be
borrowed or a 24-hour period, with student ID.

Match Lists

Student Aairs keeps a listing o alumni at arious programs that you may contact or
helpul inormation and through our UMDNJ Alumni Directory. Match Lists are also
aailable in ANGLL under the R\JMS: Student Aairs older.`, subolder Match
Lists.`

Iaculty Advisors

\ou will hae access to a current listing o aailable adisors in the ANGLL R\JMS:
Student Aairs` older, subolder Adisor Program.` \ou may also seek outside
sources o adice on your own. Keep in mind that you must gie written permission
to the Registrar in order or your adisor to hae access to your student academic ile.

MLB Library

A ile o brochures rom many internship and residency programs can be ound in the
MLB Library. Please see Kerry O`Rourke or this inormation. All students are
adised to check the websites o the programs to which they are applying or the most
up-to-date inormation.

Reerence Material Located in the Student Aairs Oice includes: Residency and
Interiew Articles, Specialty Directors, and Miscellaneous inormation.










69

Personal Statement Samples


Lmergency Medicine

I was at home on a college break, relaxing in my pajamas when I heard the knock at the door. 1he
eterinarian explained to me in terms that I could understand at the time, \our cow is going to
explode and needs surgery.now!` She had eaten too much grass ,about 35 gallons worth, in two
days, which is way too much or a cow her size. 1he et shaed an area on the abdomen and
proceeded to scrub. I pushed up the sleees to my nightgown and pulled the latex gloes up nearly
to my elbows. le made an incision, smirked and instructed me to dig in.` I must hae remoed
10 gallons o grass rom what now seems like the world`s largest bezoars. le then gae me one
large container o Dannon \ogurt to pour into the wound. le said it was to jump start` her GI
tract. le closed as I watched with my heart pounding. It had struck me that this cow would hae
died unless the cause was determined and action was taken immediately. In retrospect, this was one
o my earliest exposures to emergency medicine.

lrom arming, to hiking and Scuba diing, I hae always possessed a wide range o interests, with
medicine being no exception. I entered medical school with an open mind, ully intending to
narrow my interests down oer time. I hae always enjoyed working with adults and children, a
broad spectrum o pathology as well as the incorporation o seeral medical and surgical disciplines.
During my clerkships, I deeloped a sense o rustration oer the repeated phrase, \ou should
hae seen this patient when he irst came into the LR!`, which meant that I had already missed the
most challenging and exciting aspects o treatment and diagnosis.

1here are seeral reasons why I was drawn to emergency medicine. loweer, its most appealing
eatures stem rom its diersity and limitless opportunities or learning. One o my most enjoyable
moments during my clinical years inoled a night on call during my medicine rotation. Our team
was in the emergency department with three patients bound or the intensie care unit. \e were
responsible or stabilizing three completely dierent urgent situations simultaneously and eiciently
while establishing dierentials and inally reaching the diagnoses.

1hroughout the years, my experience in the emergency department and urgent care center, as well as
my serice on the irst aid squad, hae sustained my interest in emergency medicine. 1hese and
seeral other extracurricular actiities hae gien me the opportunity to deelop into an eectie
teacher to both patients and ellow students. I hae also had both laboratory and clinical research
experience and would like to continue with similar endeaors both during and ater residency. I see
mysel in the uture as an emergency medicine physician continuing to treat patients while
maintaining an actie role in teaching within an academic setting.

My personal character makes me an ideal candidate or any emergency medicine residency program.
I hae been complimented during seeral o my clerkships or thinking well on my eet, especially in
pressure situations. I hae tremendous work ethic, which I hae carried since childhood - diligent
and ocused in any task I undertake rom cleaning pigpens to preparing or board exams. I beliee
that a good emergency medicine physician is also capable o juggling seeral situations

0

simultaneously, which I hae been able to demonstrate during many o my clinical rotations. I will
contribute to any residency program both


proessionally and personally. In turn, I intend to take adantage o eery learning opportunity and
to acquire the knowledge and ability to help my patients when they need it most.



Lmergency Medicine

I was always araid o Doberman Pinschers. O all the dogs I had to handle in my eight years as a
eterinary assistant, this was the only breed that seemed able to look me in the eye and make me
question my own authority. I remember these dogs would look at me and seem to say, Oh please,
do you really need me to sit down RIGl1 now` In spite o this, at age 16, I ound mysel holding
the leashes o lans` and lranz.` Unortunately, the stress o being in an unamiliar enironment
was too much or the two Doberman Pinschers. lranz growled at lans, then lans bit and tore
lranz`s ear. \ith blood spilling eerywhere, lranz grabbed onto lans` neck ,and a section o my
scrub pants, and wouldn`t let go. Suddenly I was trying to extricate my leg, staunch lranz`s bleeding
ear, separate the two dogs, and conince the owners that eerything was under control. \hen the
eterinarian`s, mean, six-toed cat walked in, eerything ater became a blur.

I learned a aluable lesson that day: triage. lirst you ree your leg, then separate the entangled dogs,
then apply pressure to the hemorrhaging ear, then try to calm the beuddled owners. I also learned
something else. At the height o this conusion I was scared but I had only one thought: this is
where I want to be. at the center o eerything, inoled.

My medical experience to that point had only been with animals. \hen I became a student
olunteer at the Mid Main Medical Center emergency department, that changed drastically. In the
emergency department I witnessed the ull spectrum o diseases and personalities. 1he patients
ranged rom an old armer with a comminuted tibia racture and hypothermia rom his cow alling
on him, to a depressed alcoholic, distraught because his wie let him. I loed not knowing eery
morning what I would be doing in the aternoon. I realized any area o medicine I pursued would
hae to hae the excitement I originally sought, but also the ariety o personality and pathology I
had seen in the emergency department.

Ater the irst year in medical school, I wanted an opportunity to gain clinical experience in the
emergency department. I applied or a summer internship at lumboldt Uniersity in Berlin,
Germany. At Virschow - Charite lospital the emergency department is designed dierently. 1he
physicians ride in the ambulance to the site and administer the care there. 1he patient is then
ealuated to see i they need to be admitted or can remain at home and ollow-up with their
physician. 1his gae me an amazing opportunity to not only treat the patient, but also learn to treat
the amily as well. Oten the amily was more rightened than the patient. \e needed to go into
their home, control the situation, and help guide them through whateer medical interentions were
required. Oten we had to explain to the amily that there was nothing we could do. I saw that
people were dierent during crises. 1heir true personalities would come out. Some amilies needed
to eel in control, others to eel attended to. Many people I really liked, a ew I really didn`t like.

1

loweer, I enjoyed working with them all. I realized one o the real alues o emergency medicine
was getting to be there or a person and their amily during a crisis. linally, haing some medical
training allowed me to truly help, to be part o the team. 1his was when I decided that I
didn`t only need the excitement or ariety. I also needed to be part o a team that responded and
was able to help people.



Internal Medicine

Ater eleen years o playing with the same model tennis racket, this past month I decided it was
time to purchase a new one. I knew that i I wanted to raise my game to the next competitie leel,
I would hae to spend time inestigating and researching the latest adances in racket technology.

\hen I walked into the local tennis shop, I was bombarded with a multitude o brand names and
models I had neer seen or heard beore. 1he owner o the shop noticed my rustration and
suggested I take a couple rackets home to try them out. Oer the next two weeks I played with a
baker`s dozen o demo` rackets that enabled me to make an inormed decision regarding the racket
that best suited my game. As I played with each o the new rackets, I careully weighed in my mind
the gain in elocity and power to my groundstrokes against the loss o control and inconsistency that
ineitably ollowed. I realized that I generated enough pace on my own and did not need the help
o the latest breakthrough in engineering and design. In the end, I decided to orego the many new
titanium-powered rackets and purchased a racket that emphasized control and accuracy oer power
and recklessness.

My dilemma in choosing the perect racket or my tennis game parallels both the decision-making
process I hae made regarding which discipline o medicine to pursue or my residency training and
the inal result o the process. I hae spent the last seeral months trying on the dierent specialties
so as to ind the perect it.` I ound mysel asking the amiliar questions: Can I do this or the
rest o my lie Can I be happy sitting in a dark room reading radiographic ilms all day Or what
about the present career o the month` My inestigatie nature and meticulous approach to
problem soling that allowed me to successully choose the correct tennis racket also is the spark
behind my decision to pursue the ield o internal medicine. As a resident in internal medicine, I will
be able to channel my detectie skills and ind the diicult answers to the many complicated disease
processes.

During these past months, I also recognized how important it was not to lose hold o mysel in the
quest. As my search or the new racket demonstrated, it is crucial that I choose a medical discipline
that best highlights my own strengths, desires and passion. One o my strengths as a uture
physician is rooted in my ability to be an eectie educator. Prior to medical school, I spent a year
as a permanent substitute teacher in local middle and high schools teaching children math and
science. It was during this experience that I came to discoer that I possessed not only the git, but
also the desire to teach others. During medical school I had the opportunity to teach lIV,health
awareness to inner city youth in an ater-school program. Additionally, I coached Little League and
ostered a loe or the game while teaching the rules and strategy o America`s aorite pastime.
Recently I hae appeared as a guest teacher or my mother`s second grade class, teaching her science
and health units on the musculoskeletal system.

2




My clinical years in medical school urthered the commitment to pursue my ocation as physician-
teacher. My third-year clerkship experience was highlighted by the instances in which I sat down
with my patients and explained their conditions. Additionally, I enjoyed giing them the tools to
institute liestyle changes that could improe their health. I also looked orward to reading up on
current therapies and diagnostic techniques in order to enlighten my ellow team members regarding
challenging presenting problems.


As I embark on my residency training within the ield o internal medicine, I look orward to gaining
new knowledge and experience that will not only allow me to become a superior physician, but will
also enable me to reine my skills as teacher-educator. My proessional goals include practicing at an
academic institution where I can combine my clinical responsibilities with daily lectures to aculty,
residents and student alike.



Internal Medicine

Beore I went to medical school I was an archaeologist. I was pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology,
and my area o interest was early human eolution. Although this, or many years, was my work,
gradually I came to eel that something was missing. In 1994 I went to a remote area o Arica to do
research as a member o a large team o Americans and 1anzanians. On this expedition I
olunteered to hold the irst aid kit, and as a result there was a steady stream o isitors to my tent
asking or treatment o eerything rom malaria to injuries to diarrhea. I could only oer aspirin,
bandages, and the occasional antibiotic ,this was probably ortunate in light o my rudimentary
medical knowledge,. I oten elt like I was in oer my head, but I also recognized how much I liked
trying to help people who were sick. It was this inolement with people that I saw was missing
rom work in archaeology.

I let graduate school knowing that I wanted to become a doctor but unsure o exactly how to
proceed and illed with uncertainty. \ould I be accepted into medical school \as I too old
Could I handle the workload Although my training in anthropology gae me aluable skills in
critical thinking and cultural awareness, going into medicine meant essentially starting oer rom the
beginning. It wasn`t easy. I ound mysel in basic science courses sitting next to college reshmen
that might hae been my students just a ew months beore. \hile riends my own age were settling
down in their careers, buying cars, and houses, I worked at temporary secretarial jobs during the day
to pay the bills and went to school at night. It took ie years o hard work in the classroom beore
I eer set oot on the wards. I liked the intellectual challenge o it all but what really kept me going
was knowing that someday I would be able to put all this knowledge to work in the real world as a
physician.

Looking back on the last seeral years, it hasn`t all been hard work and sacriice. lor one thing, I do
try to maintain a lie outside o medical school. I grew up as the daughter o an Air lorce Physician
and moed eery ew years throughout my childhood, as a result, I hae amily and riends scattered

3

across the country and I make an eort to keep in close touch with them. 1hey hae been a
constant source o support and encouragement. \hile I strie to keep some balance in my lie, I
hae to say that I still derie my greatest personal satisaction rom my work. I ound my third year
clerkships to be particularly rewarding, what I loed best was getting to know my patients and
hearing the stories o their struggles

and successes in lie. \ith my anthropology background, I thought that perhaps I already knew
something about human nature, but I learned so much more rom my interactions with my patients.
I consider the priilege o being part o the doctor-patient relationship to be the most ulilling
aspect o being a physician.

As a medical student, I had the luxury o time to take detailed histories and listen to my patients. I
know that time will become an increasingly scarce resource as I adance in my training, but I want to
continue to practice medicine this way as much as possible. I beliee that the ield o internal
medicine will gie me the opportunity to do that. My primary goal is to become a clinician, but I
hae enjoyed my preious experience in teaching and research and hope to be able to incorporate
these into my career as well. I hae neer regretted my decision to leae behind my preious lie and
enter medical school but neither do I regret starting late, because all o my past experiences hae
shaped the person I am today and the kind o doctor that I hope to become.


Internal Medicine

I was born and raised in Athens, Greece. Ater graduating rom a science model high school, I was
admitted to the Chemistry Department o the Uniersity o Athens ranking irst among all
candidates in the 1985 national examinations. I graduated second in my class. laing a deep
interest in the study o science and the practice o medicine, I proceeded with adanced training in
the ield o Molecular Biology, which expanded and solidiied my biological knowledge, while taking
adantage o my solid chemistry background.

I obtained a Master`s degree rom \ale Uniersity, Department o Molecular Biophysics and
Biochemistry, and a Ph.D. degree rom Johns lopkins Uniersity, Department o Biology. I irst
worked in the laboratory o Dr. J.M. Sediy on a project inoling the retinoblastoma ,Rb, tumor
suppressor protein, which is a known cell cycle regular at the G1,S phase transition. \e discoered
that oerproduction o Rb protein ater the G1,S boundary causes G2 arrest, indicating that Rb
protein is also interacting with some component o the cell cycle regulatory machinery during the
G2 phase. I then worked in the laboratory o Dr. L.N. Moydrianakis on a project inoling the
study o the dynamics o the nucleosome, which is the elementary unity o chromatin structure. My
Ph.D. thesis ocused on the systematic study o the energetic o the core histone octamer, as they
pertain to nucleosome stability. 1he simplest thermodynamic entity o this system, the l2A-l2B
dimmer subunit, was studied irst. 1he parameters that regulate the thermodynamics o the most
complex subunit o the histone octamer, the ,l3-l4,2 tetramer, were subsequently elucidated. My
graduate work lead to three irst-author publications in the journals o Molecular and Cellular
Biology ,1, and Biochemistry ,2,.

\orking or my doctorate degree exposed me to state-o-the-art basic research, and helped me
acquire a thorough understanding o all related disciplines, including Medicine. It also made me

4

realize that I am deeply interested in the study o human disease, and that I want to deote my
energy and scientiic potential to the improement o human lie. My irst three years o medical
school hae certainly brought me closer to the realization o this goal. Medical school has been a
wonderul experience: interesting, demanding, intellectually challenging, and aboe all rewarding!
1he combination o deep knowledge and thorough understanding o a ery undamental and
demanding discipline, such as medicine, with its application in a way that directly inluences human
lie and well-being is ery appealing to me. It has kept me ery busy and happy or the last three
years, and I strongly beliee it will continue to do so or the years to come.

I hae balanced my academic and clinical responsibilities with an actie personal lie. I hae been
married or ie years to a wonderully supportie basic scientist, who understands the demands o a
medical career. Our three-year-old son has been the center o our amily, and a great source o loe,
un, balance, and perspectie in my lie. Most o my spare time has been deoted to my son and my
husband, who are my best riends and my continuous emotional and intellectual support and
encouragement.

I hae chosen a career in Internal Medicine, because I greatly enjoy its complexity and diersity.
1aking care o patients with elaborate diseases and complex presentations is ery interesting and
challenging. My goal is to enter a program dedicated to ostering excellence in clinical skills and
teaching, as well as promoting basic science and clinical research. I wish to get a solid clinical
training in Internal Medicine, and eentually concentrate my interests and eorts in a medical
subspecialty. I also want to take adantage o my solid background in basic science and apply it in
the biology o human disease as part o my postgraduate training. Ultimately, I would like to remain
in an academic enironment and practice medicine rom an interdisciplinary angle, including clinical
work, research, and teaching.


Internal Medicine

Interested in Sex` It was hard to miss the eye-catching adertisement-seeking olunteers or the
Rutgers Uniersity Sexual lealth Adocates. lor most, it produced just a chuckle. lor me, as an
impressionable reshman, it did that and much more - stoking a passion or community serice and
health education that shapes my interests in internal medicine to this day.

Although titled a sexual health` adocate training course, weekly topics included more than just
discussion about sexuality and sexual health. 1he diersity within the classroom emphasized the
social, cultural, and economic dierences that existed in a seemingly homogeneous enironment, as
well as the presence o numerous barriers to quality healthcare aced by a signiicant portion o the
population. In this context, I started to see the importance o addressing the needs o the
community along with those o indiiduals. \hereas I had preiously perceied the physician`s role
as limited to improing the health o indiidual patients, my experience as a Sexual lealth Adocate
stressed the importance o addressing the importance o caring or both indiidual patients and
populations as a whole.

In medical school, my experience as co-coordinator o another health education program ,lIPlOP
- lomeless Indigent Population lealth Outreach Program, increased my exposure to the
inadequacies o healthcare distribution in certain populations. In addition, it sered as the

5

springboard or the creation o my own program - APPL\ ,Adocating Preentatie Programs or
the Lies o \outh,. 1his nine-course series o interactie workshops was designed to promote
education about preentatie health issues or adolescents. Based on interiews with local youth
program coordinators and students, I chose topics such as cultural diersity, relationships, sae sex,
drug,alcohol use, and domestic iolence. 1his endeaor proided both the satisaction o creating a
project on my own along with a irsthand sense o the rustrations associated with implementing and
ealuating such educational programs. lortunately, as a result o its positie impact, APPL\ has
now become part o the lighland Park ligh School curriculum.

During the third-year clerkships, my internal medicine rotation exposed me to a group o patients
much older than the adolescents with whom I had worked during my preclinical years. I was
surprised to ind mysel spending extra time talking with older patients, getting excited by
discussions on osteoporosis preention, and addressing end-o-lie care with patients and amilies.
Later, in my geriatrics electie, I elt that I had discoered the ideal combination o primary care
medicine, a rapidly growing community, and an opportunity to address that community`s eoling
challenges. Moreoer, geriatrics appeals to my interest in team` medicine - a product o my
community health background - since it relies so heaily on a closely coordinated eort among
physicians, social workers, nurse practitioners, and amily members to care or the medical and
psychosocial needs o elderly patients. I plan to use my training in internal medicine,geriatrics
,perhaps along with a MPl, not only attend to the needs o indiidual patients, but also to acilitate
community-wide programs and initiate policy changes that will improe the oerall health and
quality o lie or the elderly.



Obstetrics and Gynecology

Ater working six years as a research engineer or a medical deice company, I decided to pursue a
career in medicine because I wanted to get closer to the patient. Although I enjoyed working with a
team o engineers, biologists, and physicians on arious projects to deelop and to improe both
noninasie and implantable deices, I oten elt too distant rom what I enjoyed the most, which
was interacting directly with the patient. Instead o working at a desk or in a lab, I elt much more at
home talking with the indiiduals I was trying to help. 1he long hours and sleepless nights o
medical school hae not dampened my enthusiasm to connect and interact with the patient. 1he
experience has only strengthened my decision to become a doctor.

Ultimately, it has been the OB,G\N patients on my third and ourth rotations that hae guided my
decision to pursue a career as an Obstetrician,Gynecologist. \hen I think o OB,G\N, I enision
a ield o medicine with a spectrum o emotions rom the greatest o joys to the deepest o sorrows.
1he euphoria inside the deliery room as a mother and ather hold their newborn child or the irst
time deines obstetrics to me. Reproductie endocrinology reminds me o the quiet sorrow o an
inertile couple as they seek ertility adice with great hope. 1he ear o an acutely ill woman in the
LR with a tubooarian abscess encourages me to learn more about pelic and abdominal anatomy.
1he courage o a middle-aged woman with probable oarian cancer as she awaits exploratory
laparotomy inspires me to work hard. Maternal-etal medicine reminds me o the patience o a
young woman as she spends our weeks bedridden in the hospital or pre-term premature rupture o

6

membranes. 1hese patients, plus many others, hae helped me make the decision to pursue a career
in OB,G\N.

As I embark on this career, I hope to utilize my bioengineering background to adance the ield o
OB,G\N. 1hrough the union o these disciplines, I hope to contribute to the

deelopment o new deices, such as an improed-resolution ultrasound or modiied surgical
instrumentation or gynecological procedures. In addition, I will strie to identiy new technologies
that will hae a positie impact on the health and well being o my patients. Most importantly, I will
ensure that these adances will complement, rather than replace, the compassionate care already
prealent in the ield o OB,G\N. \ith these goals in mind, I look orward to beginning my
OB,G\N residency next year.


Oncology

I missed haing a big garden. I planted some egetables along the drieway this summer and
crowded my porch with pots o lowers and herbs. Ater picking through my garden one morning,
my hands smelled strongly o herbs. 1he smell o cilantro in particular reminded me o when I lied
and worked in Atlanta ater college. During that time, I was inoled with a olunteer organization
that arranged actiities or the children o women at a local shelter. \orking with the children
orced me to re-examine my alues and ambitions and ultimately, my career choice. I decided that I
wanted to use my interests in health and in helping to improe the lies o others to become a
doctor.

\hile weeding the garden, I had the opportunity to think about my experiences in medical school,
the decisions I was aced with, and what I hoped to become. I was pleased with my medical school
experiences. \hile I was challenged academically, I neer elt the workload was unbearable and I
was able to gie time to seeral olunteer and well-being actiities. 1hese experiences broadened my
proessional and personal outlook. 1he administratie and interpersonal skills that I successully
used in the corporate world made me a natural student leader at my medical school, recognized by
both the administration and my ellow students as the person to call upon to get a job done. My
business sense and political say also proed inaluable in making me an eectie board member
and national treasurer or the American Medical Student Association ,AMSA,.

I wondered what the growing season would be like in the northwest. My ianc receied a post-
doctoral ellowship at the Uniersity o \ashington and we planned to relocate ater our wedding in
December. \e looked orward to leaing the east coast and the Seattle-Portland area seemed a
perect setting in which to complete our studies and also continue to enjoy back-packing, skiing,
canoeing, ishing, and o course, my gardening.

\hile recounting my successes was easy, contemplating my uture usually made me a bit nerous.
But I was relaxed amongst the basil and rosemary and morning glories and I ormulated a series o
goals. 1hey included completing an Internal Medicine residency and, perhaps, concentrating my
interest and eorts in a medical subspecialty. In particular, I realized I was interest in Oncology. I
neer shied away rom emotional graity, and ound working with terminally ill patients, both in the
lIV clinic and on the Oncology serice, to be an interesting and ulilling experience. I also



appreciated the research element inoled in cancer treatment and looked orward to applying my
research experience to studies in clinical oncology. I entertained the idea o teaching medical
students and post-graduates. I was trained as a trainer while working or Marriott and I enjoyed
using those skills as a teaching assistant and priate tutor. My litany o dreams went so ar as to
include becoming Dean o a medical school. ,or inding a way to use all o my tomatoes!,.


Orthopedic Surgery

During medical school, I hae had many experiences that hae initiated and reinorced my desire to
become an orthopaedic surgeon. My initial interest in a surgical ield was kindled during gross
anatomy. I was ascinated by the manner in which the anatomic and embryologic relationships o
organs and tissues correlated with their pathophysiology. Subsequently, I hae been impressed by
the deinitie corrections produced in the operating room, especially by orthopaedic surgery.
Instead o just oering a diagnosis and prognosis, I hae seen orthopaedic surgeons pursue
correction and comort. Orthopaedics distinguishes itsel to me as a sophisticated specialty o
tremendous breadth with a practical ocus. Its combination o electie and emergent cases and its
range o therapeutic options, encompassing both operatie and non-operatie patient management,
exempliy the scope o this ield. In addition, orthopaedic problems impact people o all ages,
genders, and backgrounds and include congenital abnormalities, trauma, and joint reconstruction.
linally, I admire this ield`s ability to restore a patient`s eeling o dignity and sel-worth through the
renewal o unction and independence. I am enthusiastic to meet the challenges that orthopaedic
surgery will pose to my clinical ealuation, judgment, and talents.

My experiences oer the past two summers hae enhanced my regard or research and adancement
in orthopaedic surgery. Last year, I pursued an opportunity at the lospital or Special Surgery to
analyze the resistance to passie motion at the elbow. During the preious summer, I was awarded a
research ellowship at the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at Robert \ood Johnson Uniersity
lospital. In the laboratory, I inestigated the enhancement o synthetic collagen ligament prosthesis
with polymer coatings. During both experiences, I was entrusted with a great amount o
independence, latitude, and responsibility. 1he autonomy, coupled with periodic guidance and
assistance, greatly enhanced my command o the subject matter and my appreciation o the alue o
academic inolement. 1hese research opportunities hae proided me with an intimate
introduction to the dynamic nature o orthopaedics and a desire to contribute to the ibrant
adancement o this specialty.

An entire year o broad clinical experiences in the hospital wards and a sincere ealuation o the
arious medical ields hae solidiied orthopaedic surgery as my ield o choice. My ather, himsel
an orthopaedic surgeon, has exposed me to the realities o lie as an orthopaedic surgeon and has, by
example, encouraged my deelopment o a strong work ethic. My goal is to maintain academic
inolement and to perorm in orthopaedics with a conidence and skill that is ounded on a
thorough background o good training. I aspire to join an enironment that stresses excellence,
independent thought, and responsibility.

lurthermore, I seek a program that encourages the transormation o industrious and ambitious
medical students into worthy orthopaedic surgeons.


8


Pediatrics

\hen asked to relect on her career, world tennis champion Martina Naratiloa remarked that she
was not just inoled in tennis, but committed.` She continued, Do you know the dierence
between inolement and commitment 1hink o ham and eggs. 1he chicken is inoled. 1he pig
is committed.` A humorous and simple statement, but one that made me stop and think about how
I was approaching the goals and dreams in my lie. Our responsibility to reach out to others in need
is something I eel strongly about, and is a primary reason I want to be a physician. Since college I
hae been helping people in my local community ,lospice, SlARRP, mentoring, and also in
oreign countries ,CSV in U.K., \I1S, child sponsorship in India
8
,. But am I committed or just
inoled low did I measure up Not as well as I liked. \hile all these experiences hae shaped
me and inluenced my priorities and goals, they hae not taken me beyond the comortable
surroundings I know well. Spending our weeks on a lulbright Global Medicine grant in Southern
India, learning about and participating in a culture ery dierent rom mine, would stretch and
challenge me.

Ater graduating rom medical school, I plan to enter a pediatric residency program, and then I
expect to sub-specialize in gastroenterology or cardiology. 1hroughout my training and as an
attending I will be committed to international medicine and mission work, and helping people
around the world to lie better and healthier lies. In light o these long-term career goals, my
objecties or the trip to Bangalore, India are our-old. lirst I hope to expand my medical
knowledge and clinical skills in neurology and psychiatry. Second, as our time is split between the
prestigious urban-based NIMlANS and the tribal VGKK primary care center, I plan to learn about
dierse approaches to healthcare deliery in a oreign country. 1hird, I expect to conerse with
patients and their amilies and discoer their expectations or and experiences with the medical
community. Lastly, I hope that I will be useul, that the month I spend in India will be as ruitul or
my hosts as I expect it to be or me.

lour weeks in India is a ery short time, and I understand that the impact I will hae on the people I
encounter will be limited. 1he real eect o my trip will be the lasting change in my attitudes and
goals, and how in the uture I will use my experience to help those less ortunate than I.
Surprisingly, in a world ull o million-dollar commercials, Internet access and highway billboards,
the most eectie way to adertise remains word o mouth. So I`ll talk it up. I`ll encourage others
to become more inoled. I`ll educate my colleagues, ellow students and peers about the
tremendous needs around the world, and the opportunities they hae or serice. I will encourage
others to beliee that how we,` the wealthiest nation on earth, care or and treat the most
ulnerable and needy amongst us is a relection o how well we unction as a society.



Pediatrics


8
Samaritan lospice, 1993-95, SlARRP, 1995-96, Larly Start Mentoring Program, 1998-99, Community Serice
Volunteer, Kent, Lngland, 1995, \esleyan International 1heological Seminary, Nigeria, Arica, Student Sponsor, 2000,
Zarephath Children`s lund, Sponsor o Siuamma Kaantham in Kandrapadu Village, India, 1999.

9

1hree-year old Lmily and her ie-year old brother Patrick were in the oice or their annual well-
child check-ups. Lmily clutched her mother`s let leg as they walked rom the waiting room. She
wailed in horror when the nurse placed her on the scale. I did not know why she was so rightened
by the doctor`s oice, but I hoped to allay her ears. I entered the room to ind Patrick amusing
himsel with the stool-on-wheels and Lmily securely nestled in her mother`s arms. I turned my
attention towards Patrick who pretended he was on teleision. At irst, Lmily remained silent and
wary. loweer, the more Patrick talked, the more Lmily wanted to chime in. \ithout tears or
screams, I let Lmily inish her transormation into the next talk show queen.

I irst discoered the joy and satisaction o working with children through a student organization
called lARMON\ ,larard and Radcli Musical Outreach to Neighborhood \outh,. Oer the
course o two years I rode the 1` to my seen-year old student Victoria`s apartment in Chinatown
each Sunday or our lessons. Between her six-year old brother Jared`s requent appearances, we
learned posture and bowing, reading notes, and 1winkle, 1winkle.` \e did not create the next
iolin prodigy, but we did build a wonderul riendship.

Music has been an integral part o my lie since I was our years old. Nearly eery week or thirteen
years my mother droe my sister and me to our iolin lessons. lor seen years, eery 1uesday
eening during the school year was spent at New Jersey \outh Symphony rehearsals. I can still
remember my irst iolin:` a crackerjack box with a wooden ruler taped down the middle and an
oersized Disney \orld pencil or a bow. Although my irst squeaks were likened to the sounds o
serenading cows, my teacher assured me that I would make music i I had the discipline to practice.
Instead o playing outside ater school, I was inside mastering scales, etudes, and concertos.
1housands o hours later, the noise became music.

1hrough two decades o training, I`e deeloped a repertoire o skills that hae been inaluable both
on- and ostage. One o the irst lessons I learned was the art o listening. I need to listen to
mysel and to others or I`m just making noise. Playing in ensembles taught me to be a team player.
\hen perorming with groups as intimate as quartets and as large as symphony orchestras, we must
support one another to create a coherent musical dialogue. Being concertmaster introduced me to
leadership. I learned patience during hours o rehearsal, sometimes trying to perect one-minute o
music. I learned to rely on my sense o humor to help me laugh through traumatic auditions,
rehearsals with temperamental conductors, and generally embarrassing moments.

My reshman-year college roommate predicted that I`d grow up to be a pediatrician with ducks on
the walls o my oice. Maybe she thought my Smur collection was relectie o my uture
proession. \hat irst attracted me to Pediatrics was the opportunity to aect and inluence lies.
As a pediatrician, I hae the chance to make an early diagnosis o a treatable disease. I hae the
chance to start children on a path o healthy habits. I hae the power to be a role model. My third
year Pediatric clerkship solidiied my decision. I was happy to be on the ward by 6:30 AM, excited
to talk about Pokemon with my patients, and satisied to watch them leae the ward healthy again.
At the end o the day, I elt content that I had helped someone that day. Caring or children
satisied both my personal goals as a doctor and my intellectual curiosity. Although it is early, I
enision mysel taking the path o a sub-specialist, perhaps a pediatric cardiologist. Regardless o
what path I choose, I know that I am looking or a career that aords me both personal and
proessional satisaction. I beliee that I`e ound that in Pediatrics.



80


Pediatrics

A career in medicine has long been my goal, howeer, I chose to aail mysel o arious
opportunities in other areas beore enrolling in medical school. I did so in the hope o gaining
experiences that would sere to make me a better, more well rounded person, and, ultimately, a
better physician.

As a child, I was selected to participate in an academic program, which enabled inner-city minority
children to attend priate schools. 1his program not only opened the door to a world o
opportunities heretoore unaailable to me, it also instilled in me the alue o hard work and
dedication in achieing one`s goals.

During my time at \ale Uniersity, the \hite house Internship Program, and the arious clinical
research projects in which I hae participated, I took adantage o a wide ariety o opportunities
with the goal o making certain that my desire to work directly with people, especially children and
the underpriileged, and pursue my loe or the sciences would be best satisied by a career in
medicine. Actiities such as tutoring inner city youth, teaching Lnglish as a second language to
elderly or deelopmentally disabled indiiduals, in addition to my academic and research experience,
solidiied this career choice.

Another aluable experience was that o participating in a medical missions trip, which proided ree
healthcare to a destitute area in laiti. I was struck by the large number o people sericed by the
clinic in such a short amount o time. Once again, I was most deeply aected by the children I dealt
with and I elt that pediatrics would be the specialty that suits me best. I was also impressed by the
hard work and dedication o the doctor who led the group and determined that I would continue to
be a part o such endeaors upon completing my medical education.

I was accepted to UMDNJ-Robert \ood Johnson Medical School in 199. I ound that my our-
year absence rom an academic setting made the intense workload een more o a challenge. Once
again, hard work and determination paid o. My grades steadily improed during the course o my
medical school career as I deeloped those skills that would aid me in a career o learning.

My third year clerkship in pediatrics conirmed my interest in the ield. I learned that I elt most
satisied and challenged when dealing with patients in this age group and with the diseases and
conditions speciic to this specialty. I eagerly sought such contacts een during the other rotations
such as amily practice and surgery.

In summary I am a mature dedicated indiidual with a strong work ethic and a desire to sere. My
experiences and training hae sered to solidiy my goals and reinorce my deotion to the ield o
medicine, and to pediatrics in particular.


Pediatrics

1he year is 1993 and Ciil \ar continues in Sudan between the northern Islamic undamentalists
and the southern black Arican and Christian rebels. Photojournalist Kein Carter is on assignment

81

chronicling the eents o the war. One photograph, Death Vigil in Sudan`, would earn Carter a
Pulitzer Prize. Shocking in its content, the photo depicts a small Arican child, perhaps 18 mos. old,
abandoned, squatting naked in the dry, dusty saanna o southern Sudan. 1he genderless child is
bent oer orward, exhausted, with his orearms and orehead resting on the ground. 1he child`s
shoulder blades jut up to the blue sky, while his swollen belly hangs downward exposing his
emaciated ribcage. le is dying o staration as a result o the ciil war. Behind the child stands a
grotesque igure, a carrion-eating ulture. 1he ulture`s small black eyes, ramed by a white bill and
hood, watch and examine the helpless inant. 1here is no ollow up picture. \ou`re let suspended,
staring at the scene wondering how long the ulture will wait until it adances. A year later, partially
spurred on by his horriic memories rom Sudan, a despondent Carter would commit suicide.

\hen I irst saw this photo, I was transixed. I put the photo down only minutes later to pick it up
again and wonder how could this happen` \hat is it about children that aects us so deeply
Some o the most emotionally drien and controersial issues o our time inole children: the
shootings at Columbine ligh, pedophiles, the abortion debate, gun control, euthanasia. is it their
innocence, ulnerability, lack o comprehension, dependence, or their obious need or loe
Perhaps we see their unknown potential, their unearned trust in us, or maybe our hopes and dreams
or their lies \hateer it is, our eelings about children are powerul.

My decision to pursue a pediatric residency position is three-old. lirst, clinically, the patient
population is wonderul. Children are our uture. 1o care or them and their amilies, though at
times diicult, I eel to be an honor. I began working with children as a junior in college when I was
asked to coach some o the local soccer teams. At irst I was pretty nerous - would I say the right
things, could I communicate with them, how should I act But I quickly realized I just needed to be
mysel, to make it un, and to be honest and approachable. During medical school I continued
working with children as a health educator, a mentor and then inally a third and ourth year medical
student. I quickly learnt that deeloping relationships with parents or guardians was critical to
success, and constituted much o the art` o pediatrics.

Second, scientiically, pediatrics is a ery exciting and rapidly growing research ield. My two years
in the lab during medical school, where I studied the deelopment o the mammalian nerous
system, has gien me a tremendous appreciation or embryogenesis and the complexity o human
deelopment. I plan to continue my inolement in research throughout residency and my
subsequent career.

Lastly, but probably most important, I chose pediatrics as a career because I want to help and to
encourage others to help children around the world to lie better lies. I eel passionately that how
we,` the wealthiest nation on earth, care or and treat the most ulnerable and needy amongst us is
a relection o how well we unction as a society. In addition, my eorts will not be restricted to the
United States. In lebruary o 2001, I plan to trael to India on a medical mission to help distribute
basic medical care to children and their amilies. I`m unsure how my actions may aect situations
like the one Kein Carter witnessed in Sudan, but I`m making a commitment to get inoled.




82

Pediatrics

I returned rom my junior year abroad with renewed sel-conidence earned by naigating the
diiculties inherent in liing in a oreign country. 1his conidence translated into an increased
enthusiasm to pursue a career in medicine, a desire I hae held since childhood. So it was a
disappointment to realize that because I had not been able to take organic chemistry in Lngland, I
would hae to wait a year ater graduation beore starting medical school. loweer, this apparent
set-back led to an oerwhelmingly positie experience that in turn proided me with a guiding sense
o direction. \orking as a phlebotomist that year, I enjoyed contact with patients in all areas o the
hospital but was most drawn to the pediatric ward and nursery. 1he technical challenge and
personalities o the young patients proed a ery satisying combination.

1hus, as I entered medical school I knew I was drawn to children but to pediatrics as well A
Community Child lealth Llectie proided my irst clinical experience at a local general
pediatrician`s oice. 1here I gained great respect or the breadth o knowledge necessary to be an
eectie general pediatrician and enjoyed the diersity o patient complaints. I also admired the
continuity o care and the relationships the pediatrician ormed with each amily. My clinical
experience complemented a Medical Genetics course oered the same semester. Normal human
deelopment became much clearer when I learned o the many possible causes, maniestations and
consequences o abnormal deelopment.

1he summer ollowing my irst year I worked or the director o the Medical Genetics course, who
eentually became my adisor. Although the majority o my work was in ront o a computer, I was
inited to participate in the pediatric genetics clinic. 1his experience brought the preious
semester`s course work to lie. Clinical genetics presented diagnostic challenges and required a leel
o clinical expertise and basic science knowledge that made the possibility o pursuing a subspecialty
quite appealing. \et the wide ariety o diseases encountered required the breadth o knowledge o
a general pediatrician. 1he physician`s role as a case manager, who recognized problems and made
reerrals to appropriate subspecialty physicians, physical and occupational therapists and home
health care workers, also impressed me.

All o these experiences hae helped orm my expectations o my career as a physician. I want to
work with children in a position that will proide constant intellectual challenges while sustaining
continuity o care. I look orward to teaching patients and their amilies strategies or health care
and preention. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to teach medical students and hope to coney
to them my enthusiasm or pediatrics. My experience in genetics was ascinating, and I am certainly
attracted to the possibility o sub specialization and a position in an academic institution. 1he
question o sub specialization or general practice is one that time and experience will resole. lor
the present, I am content with the knowledge that I will be a pediatrician and look orward to my
training.



Radiation Oncology

One o the essential qualities o the clinician is the interest in humanity, or the secret o the care o
the patient, is in caring or the patient.`

83


lrancis \eld Peabody ,1881-192,

1here is no stronger bond in medicine than the bond between a patient with a chronic illness and
his physician. 1he oncologist plays numerous roles when caring or patients, a healer, an adisor,
and a shoulder to cry upon.

During my internal medicine rotation, when the day`s work was complete, I would always ind
mysel back on the second loor with patients who were admitted or chemotherapy. 1heir
prognoses were mixed. Some patients would be leaing in the next day, others were neer expected
to leae the hospital again. I shared stories about my relaties who ought cancer. I spoke o my
grandather who lied to be 93. le lied a healthy and actie lie or more than ten years ater
treatment or prostatic adenocarcinoma. My grandmother is still going strong at the age o 84, more
than ie years ater the diagnosis and treatment o iniltratie ductal carcinoma o the breast. 1he
patients seemed to enjoy discussing the human aspects o their diagnoses ater long days o medical
discussions. Cancer patients` will to lie, drie to ight their disease and resole to expect the most
rom themseles until their ery last breaths proide a constant reminder o the strength o the
human psyche.

1he indiidual with a chronic condition is perhaps the strongest o all people. I can ind no better
proo o this than my brother. le was born with cerebral palsy and is unable to walk without the
aid o a walker. \atching him begin to understand his limitations and challenge limitations thrust
upon him by others has been an inspiration. le always took oense at the word neer.` le was
told he would neer be able to attend public school, neer go to college and neer drie a car.
1oday Ld is a graduate o the same high school as his siblings, a senior at Laayette College ,to
attend law school next year,, and commutes to work one hour away rom his home.

My dual degrees in Mathematics and Psychology rom Duke make Radiation Oncology a natural
proessional choice or me. My ourth year multidisciplinary electie at the Cancer Institute o New
Jersey solidiied my desire to enter Radiation Oncology as both a clinician and academician. I loe
to teach - in addition to clinical practice, my long-term goals ultimately include an appointment to a
medical school aculty. I look orward to teaching students o all leels, rom undergraduates with
an interest in the physics o Radiation Oncology to the residents who represent the uture o the
ield.




Radiation Oncology

I was born in 1aiwan and receied nine years o education on this island. At age 15, my mother,
who knew little Lnglish, brought my younger brother and me to America, hoping that an American
education would gie us opportunities to pursue our interest and dreams. My ather was a ciil
serant and stayed in 1aiwan to make ends meet. 1he transition had great impact in my teenage
years and placed much responsibility on my shoulders, but it enriched my personal growth and
helped cultiate my strength and independence. I adjusted quickly to the new enironment and
acted as a surrogate parent, assuming a key role as the head o household. Demanding situations

84

and arious lie experiences gae me a special appreciation or support o amily and access to
resources. I became more mature than many o my peers. I took seeral part-time jobs to
contribute to my amily`s strained budget, but I did not compromise my academic perormance or
my actie inolement in extracurricular actiities. Considering my background, I hae come a long
way and hae demonstrated that I am a surior, am goal oriented and know how to apply my
talents towards success.

As a graduate student at Johns lopkins specializing in epidemiology, I deeloped a special interest
in cancer research. I conducted studies to inestigate the eect o seeral molecular markers on the
surial o colorectal cancer patients. My interest in research bloomed, but at the same time I
desired patient contact and interaction. I came to medical school, my conscientious eorts to
maintain an open mind to other medical specialties were not ery successul. No matter what
rotation I was on, I always ound mysel drawn towards cancer patients. As a medical student, I
took arious electies in surgical oncology, gynecological oncology, medical oncology, and radiation
oncology. It became clear that radiation oncology is the ield that permits me to combine my
interest in direct patient care with my engineering training. My radiation oncology rotations, both at
the Uniersity o Pennsylania and St. Peter`s Uniersity lospital, only solidiied this impression
and reinorced my decision. I am intrigued by the intricacy and detailed nature o the work, the
need or precision, the technicalities, and the challenges. I witness how radiation treatment, either
deinitie or palliatie, can hae substantial impact on the quality o lie o many patients. More
importantly, I am impressed with the interaction and rapport that a radiation oncologist establishes
with the patients. During my rotation at the Uniersity o Pennsylania, Dr. Glatstein`s inspired
teaching repeatedly demonstrated that patients, not diseases, are being treated. Understanding the
patients is the essence o this proession and is the primary reason that I am in medicine.

I am seeking a position in a research-oriented radiation oncology residency program. 1hrough the
training program, I want to learn the undamentals to strengthen my clinical skills and to build a
solid oundation or my career. Radiation oncology solidiies my passion or clinical medicine
because o its multidisciplinary approach to management o cancer patients. It is a challenging and
intellectually stimulating specialty. \hile the clinical aspects o radiation oncology entice me, I also
hae a strong interest in clinical research. My graduate training in genetic epidemiology has
established my interest in clinical research and paed a solid oundation in study design and
conception. I am particularly interested in genetic susceptibility and gene-enironment interaction in
patients gien therapeutic radiation. Upon the completion o my training, I want to pursue
academic practice in radiation oncology. It is in academic medicine that I eel that I may make
contributions to adance our understanding o cancer by conducting research, engaging in teaching,
and practicing clinical medicine.


Radiology

Discipline and hard work hae been hallmarks o my lie since childhood. Being irst generation
American and the oldest o three sons, I learned the importance o sel-determination rom my
mother and ather. laing emigrated rom Lurope in the 1960s, they let their homeland with
elementary school educations and a drie to build a better lie or their amily. lrom the time I was
eleen years old, I spent most o my summers helping my ather. A general contractor by trade, he
taught me the importance o haing an honorable and conscientious work ethic. lis drie or

85

personal excellence in his crat inspired me at an early age to seek out and perect my stronger
attributes or as long as I can.

Visual recognition and retention hae been my stronger attributes or as long as I can remember. As
a teenager, I studied the Asiatic discipline o Okinawa karate-do with much enthusiasm and
deotion. I was unaware o it at the time, but looking back, I now realize that I was able to achiee
proiciency in the art due to the ery nature o its organization. One did not progress by reading or
listening to discussions about the intricate moements, but rather it was by careul examination and
inspection o the graceul maneuers that one could grow and excel. My instructor quickly took
note o my strength in this area and consequently I was one o the select ew who were able to attain
the rank o black belt within a two-year period.

In medical school, I also ound that I was innately more adept at recognizing and retaining material
when it was presented in a isual context. Proiciency in subjects such as gross anatomy, histology
and pathology urther strengthened this impression. It was at this time that I began to nurture my
desire to pursue a career in the ield o radiology. 1his desire was conirmed during the third year
clinical curriculum. I not only looked orward to reiewing the diagnostic studies or the patients
whose management I was directly inoled with, but I would also spend quiet` nights on call in the
radiology department going oer arious studies trying to appreciate normal indings as well as
attempting to pick out the documented pathology. I was intrigued by the limitless inolement o
the radiologist in the arious ields and clinical problems at hand. le,she is an important actie
member o the management team and proides a critical piece to the clinical puzzle. It is a ield,
which interacts with all areas o medicine, consequently it continually oers opportunities or
learning and new challenges.

1here are many aspects o radiology, which I ind ascinating at the present time. \ith this in mind,
I would like to spend my residency training in an enironment where I can gain the most knowledge
and clinical experience. Upon completion o my training, I wish to remain in a setting in which I
can actiely participate in this eer changing ield.


Radiology

\hile eating Chinese ood or dinner one eening about six months ago, I opened a ortune cookie and
read the insert, lappiness is oten the result o hard work.` I liked the saying and hae oten thought
about how it applies to my lie. I hae a strong work ethic and hae had a broad range o experiences.
In my opinion, each experience has contributed to my goal to become a radiologist, a researcher, and a
teacher.

\hile studying biomedical engineering as an undergraduate, I became interested in radiology. My studies
proided me with a broad knowledge o engineering principles and their applications to liing beings and
medical technology through lectures, rigorous laboratory assignments, and team projects. laing
worked on numerous team projects while studying engineering, including a project where we designed
and constructed therapeutic toys or children with cerebral palsy, I learned how eectiely and eiciently
tasks can be perormed i there is communication between team members. In short, I learned to
become a team player. I beliee that taking care o patients requires a team approach and that
radiologists are an important team member proiding diagnoses and sometimes minimally inasie
treatments.

86


\hile my undergraduate education inoled mostly team projects, my graduate leel work ocused more
on indiidual research. Perorming technical research has made me a critical thinker and has helped me
deelop my writing skills. lor my master`s thesis, I deeloped a deice to perorm MRI guided breast
biopsy and biopsy planning sotware or interactie, quick, and accurate needle localization. Ater testing
the deice and sotware on phantoms, I was able to conclude that MRI guided breast biopsy may
become a useul procedure or obtaining a minimally inasie biopsy. Ater only one year o graduate
school, I decided to pursue a career in medicine and inished my Master`s thesis during my irst year o
medical school.

Pursuing a Master`s degree in biomedical engineering introduced me to the technical aspects o
radiology. A summer ellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the breast-imaging
department solidiied my interest in radiology and proided me with experience in diagnostic radiology.
During that summer, I learned the basic principles inoled in interpreting breast images. I also had the
opportunity to obsere techniques used to diagnose and treat breast lesions. I contributed to a paper
published in the American Journal o Roentgenology on epithelial displacement ollowing breast-
needling procedures. laing proen to my preceptor during the ellowship that I am an eectie
communicator, she gae me the opportunity to present the data at a conerence at Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center and at the 99
th
meeting o the American Roentgen Ray Society in New Orleans.

In addition to my research experiences, I wish to pursue a career at an academic center because I enjoy
teaching. In high school, I tutored seeral o my peers in algebra, trigonometry, and calculus. As a
senior in college, I elected to become a teaching assistant in biomathematics course. As a teaching
assistant, I proided reiew sessions or the class as well as indiidual tutoring. My most rewarding
teaching experience occurred during a year o serice as a member o Americorps. During this year, I
isited seeral health clinics, schools and lead Start programs in Paterson, New Jersey to proide the
Medicaid population with inormation about primary and preentatie health care serices.

My engineering degrees and research experiences make radiology a natural choice or my proession. I
look orward to training in an enironment where I can gain clinical knowledge, research, and teaching
experience. \hile I hae enjoyed studying all aspects o medicine as a medical student, I beliee that a
career in radiology will make me happy and ulilled.


Urology

\hen I was young, I loed accompanying my ather on rounds. Initially the selling point was the
Nathan`s lrench ries or chicken mcnuggets or lunch. I began to spend more time with him in the
oice, helping with iling or greeting patients. I saw the excitement o a busy priate practice in
urology and the many challenging and complex problems that patients presented. I witnessed the
dual role o the urologist as an oice practitioner and surgeon, spending one lather`s Day engrossed
in a nephroureterectomy or 1CC o the renal pelis. I saw his loe or helping others and his
excitement or uture adances in the ield. lis alue as a mentor and a role model cannot be
understated.

1his introduction to urology was supplemented by a summer spent in the dynamic arena o urologic
oncology. At Memorial Sloan Kettering, I was able to participate on rounds, in clinic, and in the
OR, and elt a part o the team. I was encouraged to think, to question and was exposed to the
intellectual challenge o diagnosing, treating and preenting urologic malignancies. 1he database

8

that I created comprised oer our hundred patients who had radical cystectomy,ileal conduits.
lopeully this inormation can elucidate trends linking patient outcome to improed diagnostic
methods, treatments and quality o lie.

At third year rotation in urology at Robert \ood Johnson Uniersity lospital, I conirmed my
career choice. I had the opportunity to join a busy urology serice and learn the basics o patient
management. I`ll neer orget the ace o one patient, a police oicer, as he thanked the team
prousely or a cystectomy,neobladder operation that rid his body o cancer while presering
continence and quality o lie. lelping out in his care was both educational and enjoyable. 1his
rotation allowed me to spend time with residents and attendings and obsere their responsibilities
and dedication to the ield. I can enision enjoying urology as much as they do and look orward to
the opportunity to begin training.





RWJMS Piscataway Student Residency Match

2011 2010 2009 2008 200
Surgical Specialties ,including general surgery, ortho,
neuro, plastics, LN1, urology, ophthalmology,

32 13 16

25

20
Medicine 18 23 20 19 23
Pediatrics 11 14 16 16
lamily Practice 3 6 5 6 5
Diagnostic Radiology 6 12 10 6 10
Lmergency Medicine 6 3 9 4
Psychiatry 1 6 4 4 4
Anesthesiology 10 9 10 6
Ob,Gyn 2 8 5 2 3

Web Sites
1he Residency Application process is becoming eer more web-based. Some o your best sources
o inormation, thereore, are the ollowing web sites:

NRMP web site is http:,,www.nrmp.org. 1he National Residency Matching Program has an
excellent web site with inormation about the NRMP Match.

Subspecialty match web site is http:,,www.smatch.org. 1his is a complete listing o inormation
pertaining to the San lrancisco` or Colenbrander` match. 1hese include Neurological Surgery
and Plastic Surgery.



88

IRLIDA Online web site is http:,,www.ama-assn.org,go,reida. 1his directory contains a
database o residency programs and program inormation. I you are an AMA member, you can
also print up to 30 mailing labels orm this site. \ou can also print Physician \orkorce
inormation rom this program.

LRAS web site is http:,,www.aamc.org,eras. 1he Llectronic Residency Application Serice was
designed to transmit applications through the internet. 1hus, making your lie much easier!

Careers in Medicine web site is https:,,www.aamc.org,students,medstudents,cim,. 1his is a
career guidance web site. 1o sign in, you need an access code, which can be obtained rom Dr.
Laumbach in the Student Aairs oice sgarciaumdnj.edu.

AUA Residency Matching Program web site is http:,,www.auanet.org. 1his is a complete listing
o inormation pertaining to the Urology Match.

1he U.S. Army Match web site is http:,,www.goarmy.com.

1he Robert Wood Johnson Medical School website is
http:,,rwjms.umdnj.edu,education,current_students,student_support,career_res,CareerResidenc
yPlanningResources.html . It contains important links and resources that will assist you during your
career planning and residency application process.

CareerMD web site is http://www.CareerMD.com. 1he on-line successor to Career Insights, MD,
CareerMD oers users an array o powerul serices and eatures ree o charge ,Residency lind &
lellowshiplind, Program Statements, and louse Sta Proiles,.

Personality Inventory: You vs. Physicians in varying fields - website http:,,www.med-
ed.irginia.edu,specialties,.

Scutwork is a public website or sharing inormation about residency programs. Please isit
Scutwork.com.

Cyberounds website is http:,,www.cyberounds.com,. Cyberounds is a website or health
proessionals where you can attend ree conerences. Lach Cyberounds conerence is moderated
by a distinguished academic. Lery month, the conerence moderators post new presentations.
Members then hae the opportunity to pose questions and comments directly to the moderators.

1he Arnold P. Gold Ioundation website is http:,,www.humanism-in-medicine.org,. 1he
loundation's medical education programs are designed to inluence the way a physician is trained --
rom the ery irst day o medical school through residency and beyond.

1he Student Doctor Network can be ound at http://studentdoctor.net/schools . 1he Student
Doctor Network is operated by the Coastal Research Group, a nonproit 501,c,,3, tax-exempt
charitable organization. 1he Coastal Research Group is dedicated to medical student and resident
education. As part o CRG's mission, they proide the Student Doctor Network as an independent
resource to the pre-health and health proessional student community.


89

1he MomMD website can be ound at http:,,www.mommd.com,. MomMD - An online
association and community or allopathic ,M.D., and osteopathic ,D.O., women in medicine.
Resources, orums, and ino or women physicians, residents, medical students and premed
students. Proessional and educational serices and personal support or women with medical
careers.

1he Iamily Medicine Clerkship / Preceptorship Directory can be ound at
http:,,www.aap.org,clerkships,. 1he directory outlines aailable clerkship,preceptorship
opportunities at U.S. LCML medical schools, amily practice residency programs. 1he guide book
gies pertinent inormation regarding the openings and who to contact to receie additional
inormation.

1he American Association of Iamily Physicians also publishes yearly trottivg 1brovgb tbe Matcb
on its website: http:,,www.aap.org,online,en,home,publications,otherpubs,strolling.html . 1his
is a guidebook that emphasizes a practical approach and encourages you to gather and summarize specialty
inormation, establish timelines, and organize checklists and reerence materials.

Association of Women Surgeons Mentorship Program resources can be ound at
http:,,www.womensurgeons.org,Students,Students.asp1he program supports the mission o the
A\S medical student committee: to deelop resources to support, educate, and inspire women
medical students pursuing a career in surgery.
















90






A Peer`s Guide to 4
th
\ear
and the
Residency Application Process

2005 Ldition


Ldited by Melissa Boisclair ,05,
Based on original work
by Christina Miller Reiter ,03,
and the 2004 Ld. Ldited by Chaitan Narsule ,04,

*The 2005 Edition is included in this Survival Guide because it contains great
peer advice that you will find very useful and relevant!








91

o o o otct tct tct tct

Introduction - \hy should you read this guide

Part I - General Adice
Scheduling \our 4
th
\ear - 1hings to consider
Subinternships
Away Rotations
LRAS and NRMP are not the same thing
Seeking Out Adisors and Mentors
Letters o Recommendation
`oc co.' t.tcct
Preparing \our Application
Interiews
lollowing Up Ater Interiews
Ranking \our Programs
1he Couples Match Process

Part II-Appendix
Sample letter asking or recommendation
Sample thank you or recommendation letter
Sample Request or more inormation letter
Sample thank you or interiew letter
Sample I am still interested` letter

Acknowledgements: Chaitan Narsule, MD, Christina Reiter, M.D. Susan Rosenthal, M.D

92

Introduction

!b, .bovta ,ov reaa tbi. gviae. 1his guide is designed especially with you - the 3
rd
year medical
student at R\JMS - in mind. Lach year during the springtime, third year medical students ind
themseles in an uncomortable position as they moe orward and try to naigate through a
seemingly insurmountable and intimidating inal year o medical school. A third year student may
eel oerwhelmed with such decisions as when to take the Step 2 exam, what kind o away
audition` rotation one should do, or who should one seek out as an adisor or a particular
specialty. Realizing this, Christina Miller ,MD `03, decided to surey students in her class about their
experiences regarding ourth year o medical school and the residency application and interiew
processes. She then compiled the data she gathered into a guide or the third year students so that
many o their questions may be answered. She realized that there is no better resource o adice than
R\J ourth year medical students, who hae just been through the process. ler well receied guide
has now become a tradition at R\JMS which allows graduating ourth year students the opportunity
to sere as resources or their ellow students.
I can tell you irst hand that the 2004 edition o the guide really helped my classmates and
me make it through the residency application and interiew process. lor that reason, I hae
endeaored to continue the tradition o updating and publishing this guide. So I hae sureyed my
class and compiled the data to update this guide with important adice rom the Piscataway Class o
2005 to help you as you make those important decisions o selecting and applying or your particular
specialty. Part I o this guide contains all o the inormation rom the 1
st
and 2
nd
edition, and has
been edited and reorganized or clarity. Part II o this guide is 1he Appendix to this guide, and
proides you with some samples o the arious notes and letters you will hae to compose this year
,thank you letters, requests or a letter o recommendation, letters expressing your continued interest
in a program, etc.,. Please keep in mind that the inormation proided in this guide is only the
opinion o the graduating 4
th
year students based on their experience. It is suggested that this guide
be used along with other sources, such as the vrrirat Cviae to Obtaivivg a Re.iaevc,, published
annually by the Oice o Student Aairs.
It is noteworthy to mention that you will undoubtedly receie conlicting adice all
throughout this year. Rest assured that this has happened to everyone who has completed the
adenture that you are embarking on. As a rule, be sure to consider the source o any adice, and
accordingly place alue on the adice coming rom it. Also, do your best to talk to as many people
,adisors, residents, deans, and become as well inormed as possible, this will best prepare you or
the decisions you will soon hae to make. linally, don`t eer be araid to trust your own instincts
and let them supersede any preious thoughts you may hae had.
In addition, please keep in mind that it is absolutely normal to eel anxious and oerwhelmed
about this whole process. All o my classmates and I elt this way, and so did the students in the
class preceding mine. loweer, please know that R\JMS has prepared you ery well or your
upcoming challenge. And, our medical school has a rather impressie history o matching students
in exceptional residency programs in eery ield.






93

Part I General Advice

Scheduling Your 4
th
Year 1hings to consider

v Ceverat
Members o the Class o 2005 oer the ollowing general adice when it comes to scheduling your
4
th
year:
- Do something un and something you may hae little uture opportunity to do considering
your chosen specialty.
- 1ry to leae yoursel some time o at the end o the year. Many o the residency programs
begin orientation in early,mid June and i you want to hae any time to relax, prepare or
residency ,inding housing, moing, relaxing,, and i you want to go on acation you should
consider leaing at least a couple o weeks open at the end o the year.
- Do some away rotations to learn more about other programs or hospitals.
- Do some rotations in ields you are weak in to improe your skills prior to residency.
- Be lexible and realize you can always change it.

1be Regi.trar`. office:
It`s important to know that you will probably ind yoursel in touch with the Registrar`s oice on a
number o occasions all throughout your 4
th
year, and oten it will be regarding a change to your 4
th
year
schedule. 1he people in the Registrar`s oice are among the nicest, most supportie, and understanding
people you will work with. I personally changed my schedule a number o times. 1hough making such
changes is perectly okay, please be sure to respect the guidelines set orth by our registrar`s oice, as well
as those o other institutions. In particular, adhere to the deadlines or withdrawing rom an electie, and
don`t allow other schools to hae a bad impression o R\JMS students by dropping an away rotation at
the ery last minute. Doing so is not only rude and disrespectul, but it is also ery unproessional.

1rav.crit.:
\our transcript will be transmitted to the programs you apply or through the LRAS
9
Post Oice.
1hey are sent only once in early October. Also, by the time it is sent, your transcript will contain all o
your grades up through and including block three o your ourth year, and it will also itemize your entire
4
th
year schedule. ,Ask the registrar or more details., 1o that end, i you want your residency programs to
see a grade or a particular rotation, consider doing that rotation during the irst or second block.

1iveretatea cov.iaeratiov. regaraivg fittivg ovt ,ovr aticatiov:
One o the major rules about submitting your application ,which will be stressed again in another
section shortly, is that you should prepare it AS SOON AS POSSIBLL
10
. I you are applying or the
regular match, your application should be ready or submission by early September, i you`re applying or
the San lrancisco match ,also known as the early match`,, you will need to hae your application ready
much earlier. In either case, you`ll need time to organize your CV and write a personal statement.
1hereore, i starting your ourth year with three diicult rotations will cause you to put o your
application until October or Noember, seriously consider changing your schedule to allow more ree time
to complete your application. Alternatiely, you can download an application worksheet
11
, and get

9
LRAS is an acronym or the Llectronic Residency Application Serice.
10
September 1, 2005 will be the irst day you can submit application on LRAS.
11
\ou can locate this worksheet at: http:,,www.aamc.org,students,eras,support,worksheet2005.pd

94

organized in adance by completing it in your spare time oer the next ew months. Although you won`t
be able to input any inormation on your web-based application beore mid-July ,which is when the LRAS
accounts irst become aailable,, your adance preparation will make the submission and certiication
process go a lot smoother and easier. ,More on this later.,

1ive cov.iaeratiov. regaraivg ivterrierivg
12
:
In general, the interiewing season is long and protracted. It can begin as early as September and
last until lebruary. In most cases, December and January are the peak interiew months, and each ield has
a preerence or one month oer the other. I you intend on interiewing at many programs, and you plan
to do a lot o traeling, you would beneit greatly rom taking a month o during these peak months. Also,
i you hae an interiew scheduled during a clerkship, be mindul o any attendance policies. Clerkship
directors o electies and independent study` rotations tend to be ery accommodating, whereas those or
sub-internships and the ambulatory medicine clerkship hae ery strict attendance policies.

!bat to ao if ,ov`re vvaeciaea abovt ,ovr .eciatt, cboice:
I you are not sure what ield you want to pursue, don`t panic. A number o my classmates chose
their ields in the irst our months o their ourth year, and I personally applied to both internal and
amily medicine because I couldn`t decide. lere are a ew suggestions to help you make up your mind:
Consider seeral short ,one-week or two-week, electies in ields that you are considering or
that we don`t hae much exposure to in our curriculum, but you hae a likely interest in. In a
recent surey o my classmates, students oerwhelmingly indicated that they would hae
preerred to hae a required rotation or more exposure to radiology, emergency medicine, and
ICU. Others also would hae preerred additional exposure to dermatology, ophthalmology,
LN1, anesthesiology, and orthopedic surgery.
Alternatiely, consider taking a day o rom one rotation to schedule time to dele into
another specialty or the day. Although this approach may not be oicially` permitted by the
school, a positie encounter may guide an undecided student into her ultimate career choice.
Also, you can pick an eening or a weekend day in which you are not on call, and shadow an
attending in your desired ield ,or example, emergency medicine,. 1his kind o experience
won`t be as comparable as an actual electie in emergency medicine, but it is a starting point to
help you igure out i such a ield is right or you.

Sub-Internships

!bat i. a .vbivterv.bi ava rbat aoe. it evtait. A sub-internship is literally an acting internship.` lor
our weeks, you are considered a member o the house sta. At a minimum, you will hae to work about
six days a week and comply with your team`s call schedule. And, or the most part don`t expect to be able
to take any time o during this clerkship. At R\JMS, sub-internships are aailable in internal medicine,
pediatrics, surgery, OB,G\N, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and seeral other ields. \hicheer sub-
internship you enroll in, you should be prepared to assume ull control o your patients on your team`s
census list.
!bev .bovta ,ov .cbeavte a .vb. 1hat depends. In one school o thought`, starting your ourth year
o with a sub-internship can prepare you to thoroughly manage patients on a medicine serice. \our
participation will proide you with a lot o practical and aluable experience that can help you during

12
In Part II o this guide, you will ind inormation pertaining to the peak interiew months or each specialty.

95

subsequent rotations at away institutions ,whether your away rotation entails another sub-internship or an
electie experience,.
On the other hand, let`s suppose that your perormance in a particular 3
rd
year clerkship isn`t as
strong as you would hae hoped, and you are interested in pursuing that specialty. By doing a sub-
internship in that ield during your irst or second block, and getting a grade o honors` in that rotation,
you would be able to strengthen your transcript.
In an entirely dierent school o thought, many students pursuing specialties that our curriculum
doesn`t emphasize as much ,ophthalmology, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, etc., oten ront-load` their
ourth year schedule with away rotations and consider participating in a sub-internship in the second hal
o the year, in order to prepare or internship.
!bev .bovta vot .cbeavte a .vb. Simply because o the timing constraints, it would not be prudent
to schedule a sub-internship during months when you will be going on a lot o interiews. In particular, i
you hae scheduled your sub-I or December or January, think twice about keeping your schedule the way
it is. Be sure to speak in advance with the director o your sub-internship i you plan to hae seeral
interiews during your sub-I.
Cav get a tetter of recovvevaatiov ovt of v, .vbivterv.bi. ABSOLU1LL\! In act, many o the
strongest letters ourth year students get come rom their sub-internship experiences. In order to take
adantage o this, you`ll hae to schedule your sub-I early in your 4
th
year ,within the irst our blocks, and
work hard during your sub-internship. Seek adice rom your ellow students and residents on how to best
prepare or your specialty serice, as well as or the attending you will be working with. All in all, perorm
as well as you can in order to make the letter o recommendation as strong as possible!
!bat t,e of .vbivterv.bi .bovta vr.ve if barev`t ,et aeciaea ov a .eciatt,. I in doubt, you hae seeral
options. Many people choose to do an internal medicine sub-internship regardless o whicheer ield they
pursue. Also, a sub-internship in internal medicine will yield aluable experience irrespectie o the ield
you ultimately pursue
13
. 1he reason or this is obious: you can spend a lot o time with your patients,
reiew a large olume o medical knowledge, management strategies, and pathophysiology, and gain a
tremendous amount o practical experience ordering consultations, ollowing up orders, and managing
your patients on a daily basis. Alternatiely, some people hae pursued a sub-internship in emergency
medicine at Cooper lospital in Camden in order to gain some exposure to the ield. In addition, i there`s
a ield that you`re interested in pursuing, but you didn`t hae a aorable experience in it during your third
year clerkship, you may want to consider doing an away sub-internship at another institution. Not only
would this be a great way or you to alidate your interest in a particular ield, but you can also deelop
good contacts and also get a letter o recommendation rom your preceptor, which would greatly help your
chances o matching at that program.

Away Rotations

An away rotation is an excellent way to make a great impression at a school that you are interested
in applying to. Moreoer, at some institutions - especially the upper tier` and the geographically
desirable` schools ,such as those in New \ork City, - regardless o specialty choice, doing an away
rotation is oten an ivtiea requirement in order to hae a serious shot o matching at that program.
Additionally, it is a great opportunity to alidate your interest in a particular ield, check out another

13
1raditionally, a surgery sub-internship - or example - doesn`t allow a sub-intern to unction at the leel
o a PG\-1 intern as consistently as a medicine sub-internship does.


96

institution and the city that it`s situated in, make contact with aculty members at the away institution, and
potentially get a strong letter o recommendation.
In order to do an away rotation, howeer, there are seeral things to consider. lirst, realize that
away rotations typically require a minimum o our weeks. Also, many schools hae a 4
th
year rotation
schedule that diers rom that o our school. lor this reason, when you apply, you hae to accommodate
the rotation schedule o the institution that you are applying to. Additionally, setting up an away rotation
requires a lengthy application and approal process. One wise strategy is to schedule a backup` electie at
R\JMS or the same block that you are applying or an away rotation. 1his way, once your away rotation
is conirmed, you can cancel your backup` electie at R\JMS.
14
On the other hand, i your away rotation
should all through, you hae an electie already set up to participate in at R\JMS.
Another thing to consider is the timing o your away rotation with respect to your 4
th
year
schedule. Remember that you MUS1 complete your residency application by September or the regular
match ,and een earlier or the San lrancisco match,, no matter what happens. I you schedule your
rotation,s, during your irst three blocks o your 4
th
year schedule, be igilant about completing your
application, CV, and personal statement on time.
In addition, once you submit and certiy your application through LRAS, you should expect to
receie initations to interiew at schools almost immediately thereafter. 1hereore, it is essential that
you hae email access on a daily basis. Most away institutions hae internet access aailable to isiting
students through their medical libraries. loweer, i you cannot guarantee that you will hae internet
access eery day while you are doing an away rotation, ask someone - ideally, someone who you trust
with your lie` - to check your email account eery day and to inorm you o any new initations
immediately.
Also, beliee it or not, some programs send initations or interiews the old-ashioned way: by
snail-mail ia the U.S. Postal Serice. 1o that end, be sure to hae a trustworthy person check your
mailbox daily and inorm you i you hae receied an initation or an interiew.
lurthermore, participating in an away rotation has additional inancial considerations or which
you should prepare. \ou will need a place to stay during your rotation. Some institutions can proide
housing or isiting students at additional cost, others don`t hae housing aailable or isiting students. I
you are in a position where the school doesn`t hae housing aailable or you, be sure to contact the
school`s registrar to ask i there are any medical students who are subletting their apartments to isiting
medical students. 1his way, you can ind good housing at a ery aordable price. Also, because ,in most
cases, your own home will be acant during your away rotation, you may want to sublet your home to
another isiting medical student, in order to reduce your costs or participating in an away rotation.
A commonly asked question is, !bicb t,e of ara, rotatiov .bovta cboo.e. \ou generally hae a
choice o applying or either a sub-internship or an electie in a particular ield. A sub-I is a great way to
get a good taste` o what lie will be like as a resident at a particular institution. 1ypically, students
entering a surgical specialty ,general surgery, orthopedic surgery, etc., tend to apply or a sub-internship,
which allows them to work and deelop relationships with both the house sta and the attendings.
loweer, by doing a sub-internship at an away institution, you will be working ery hard or six days a
week and will be required to take call seeral times a week. Also, you may ind yoursel competing with
other sub-Is rom the home institution
15
, which may make the experience more stressul. Alternatiely, you
can opt or an electie in a subspecialty that you are interested in. Students applying or internal medicine
tend to apply or outpatient electies in order to deelop a deep relationship with one particular attending,
which may ultimately yield a ery strong letter o recommendation at the conclusion o the rotation.

14
Don`t orget to adhere to the registrar`s deadlines or withdrawing rom an electie.
15
lor the prepared` isiting student, this is not a problem.

9

Surely, applicants or surgical specialties also participate in electies, and conersely, applicants or
medicine specialties apply or sub-Is. I you apply or a sub-I, be prepared to work hard and be sure to
acquaint yoursel with the hospital, the house sta, and the attendings as early on as possible ,een a day
beore the rotation begins, i need be,. I you are applying or an electie, be sure to pick an electie that
you are interested in. \ou will more likely enjoy yoursel in an electie that genuinely interests you, which
will make a big impression to the people who are ealuating your perormance.
. rora abovt ivtervatiovat etectire.: Participating in an electie in a oreign country is a great way to
learn about how allopathic medicine is deliered in industrialized nations and third world countries. Also,
an international electie is a great way to combine a medically oriented learning experience with a acation,
allowing you to receie credit that can be applied towards your graduation requirement. 1here are a ariety
o international electies aailable, o arying length and intensity. Some international electies also
combine oreign language education classes, i you are interested in improing your knowledge o or
learning a oreign language you may wish to pursue one o these. Begin looking or international electies
early because many o them hae a long application process and also you will want some time to prepare
or the experience. \ou can ind inormation about international electies rom a link on the R\JMS
student aairs website. Moreoer, a scholarship
16
may be aailable through the Oice o Student Aairs
to subsidize a portion o your expenses.

ERAS and NRMP are not the same thing

It`s unortunate that the medical proession abuses acronyms so much. \et, regardless o this,
there are two new acronyms that you need to be amiliar with. And, we should address this right now.
lirst, LRAS stands or the Llectronic Residency Application Serice. It is a web-based application
system that is hosted by the American Association o Medical Colleges, and it is the only system that you
will use to APPL\ to residency programs during this summer ,unless you are applying in the early`
match,.
Second, NRMP stands or the National Residency Matching Program. It is a web-based system
that is also hosted by the American Association o Medical Colleges. It is the system that you will use to
RANK residency programs during this upcoming winter.
1hird, it is important to know that, although you will be using both
services and although they are both hosted by the AAMC, you MUS1
register with each service separately. In order to use LRAS, you will
receive a token containing your AAMC identification number and a
provisional password from the Office of Student Affairs. 1his token will
enable you to log into your LRAS account, through which you will create
and certify a CV, upload a personal statement, and apply to residency
programs. 1here are application fees associated with using LRAS, which
are based on the number of programs you are applying to.
In order to register or the NRMP, you will also need to use the token` that you receied rom
the Oice o Student Aairs, and pay a registration ee. I you are absolutely certain that you will

16
Consult the Oice o Student Aairs or more details.

98

participate in the regular` match, it is recommended that you register early or the NRMP. 1his is because,
ater December 1, there is an additional >50 late registration ee, een though you will most likely not be
using the NRMP website until January 2005, ater you hae completed all o your interiews and are
prepared to create a rank order list.
Seeking Out Advisors and Mentors

As you get closer to the beginning o your ourth year and start to prepare to apply or residency
programs, you should begin identiying aculty members who will become your adisors as early as
possible. 1hey will adise you on how competitie you are, ways to strengthen your application, which
programs are good and which are not, and so on. Please see Part II o this guide or speciic
recommendations o people who hae been helpul to preious students.
By the time you read this guide, you will most likely hae picked an adisor. Always keep in mind
that not only can you hae more than one adisor, but you should hae more than one adisor. 1here
oten are limitations to consulting with just one adisor. lor example, some adisors may only be
knowledgeable about programs concentrated in one geographic region and not in other areas that you may
be considering, or some mentors might be helpul with general adice pertaining to the application process
but might not know anything about indiidual programs. Also, in some instances, an adisor may try to
aggressiely sell you only on their own program, and not oer any aluable adice about other programs.
1hereore, it would make a lot o sense or you to consult with more than one adisor, in order to beneit
rom the collectie experiences o seeral people and be able to make much more inormed decisions.
Once you hae identiied an adisor, schedule a ormal appointment with that person. Attend this
meeting prepared with a copy o your transcript, your updated CV, and your board scores. lae an honest
and open discussion with your adisor about how competitie you really are, which programs are likely to
extend interiew initations to you, and what other things ,writing case reports, beginning a research
project, etc., you can do to improe your chances o matching at your dream` program.
Also, please don`t orget to consult a commonly oerlooked resource aailable to you: the Deans
o R\JMS. 1hey can tell you how preious applicants hae matched in the ield that you are pursuing.
1hey can also introduce you to MatchMaker, a program that shows you proiles o preious students and
where they matched or residency. \ou can use this resource to compare yoursel against past applicants
and get an idea o how competitie you are. 1he Deans can also direct you to inluential adisors in your
ield, especially i you are haing trouble identiying such mentors on your own.

Don't forget that the graduating 4
th
year class also has a tremendous
amount of information to share with you, especially after having
completed the adventure that you are going to begin shortly. 1he 4
th
year
students are an invaluable resource in terms of identifying influential
advisors, directing you to faculty members who can call programs on
your behalf, advising you on which away rotations to participate in, etc.
Do your best to seek them out prior to May 2S
th
, when the 4
th
year class
graduates and moves on to residency. And, even if they have already
gone off to residency, you can still contact individual students through
their UMDNJ email addresses (which become email aliases upon

99

graduation). Similarly, residents at RWJMS have a lot of information to
share, especially since they've recently gone through the residency
application process themselves. Be sure to ask them questions as you
continue with rotations during the remainder of your 3
rd
year and the rest
of your 4
th
year.
Whatever advice you receive, always remember that it is only one
person's opinion and it may not always be correct. In order to verify the
usefulness of the advice you receive from any one source, be sure to
compare it to advice that you receive from other advisors, residents, and
fellow students applying in your field. Also, if you do an away rotation,
don't be afraid to consult with faculty members at those institutions. 1alk
to as many people as possible, and remember that you will have to be
your own advocate because no one else will do this for you.
In addition, try to identify faculty members who you truly respect to
advise you. In particular, don't seek out a prominent faculty member to
be your advisor if he or she made you feel miserable during a previous
rotation. Also, don't be afraid to seek advice from faculty members that
you haven't yet worked with. Generally, our school's faculty wants to see
RWJMS graduates match into the best possible residencies. And, it's
often surprising to see just how eager our faculty members are to offer
advice to any student who simply asks for it.

Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
A common point o anxiety and stress or most applicants is acquiring strong letters o
recommendation to endorse the residency application. lere are some things you may want to know:
!bev .bovta .tart reqve.tivg tetter. of recovvevaatiov. \ou can request a letter o recommendation at
any time during your 3
rd
or 4
th
year, een though many people do not begin requesting letters until they
hae begun their 4
th
year
1
. Most students wait until the 4
th
year because that is when students do most o
the rotations that directly relate to the ield they are pursuing. \ith ew exceptions, residency program
directors o a particular specialty preer to receie testimonials rom attendings in their own ield. In other
words, i you plan to pursue a residency in general surgery ,or example,, a program director would preer
to hae a letter rom an attending surgeon written in the applicant`s ourth year than rom an attending
psychiatrist written during the student`s third year rotations. 1hereore, i you hae waited to get most o
your recommendations in your ourth year, you should be sure to schedule your sub-I or electies in your
chosen specialty early so you get recommendations on time.
\ou can still use letters o recommendation rom your 4
th
and 5
th
rotations, but generally speaking,
you should not rely on these letters to complete your application. ,Reer to Preparing \our Application`

1
So, i you haen`t yet requested a letter o recommendation, don`t panic. \ou`re not alone.

100

and the next question on the deadline or LOR or a discussion o why doing this would place you at a
disadantage.,
!bat i. tbe aeaative b, rbicb .bovta bare att of v, tetter. of recovvevaatiov .vbvittea. \ou should attempt
to hae all o your letters o recommendation submitted as early as possible, but deinitely by Noember
1
st
.
18
\hat happens is that all o the Dean`s letters - yours, as well as those o your classmates and o
students at schools all across the country - are electronically released on the same day, which is Noember
1
st
. Some programs ,e.g. all o the upper tier programs, will not look at your application until they hae
receied your Dean`s letter
19
. 1o that end, you should endeaor to hae your required letters o
recommendation submitted by the same time that your residency programs will receie your Dean`s letter.
1his is the logic behind the Noember 1
st
` deadline.
Keep in mind, howeer, that many programs will start to reiew and inite you or interiews soon
ater you submit your application or on a rolling basis so haing your recommendations in early will allow
programs to reiew them also and this may improe your chances o interiewing at one o these
programs. loweer, do not hold o submitting your application because you are waiting or all your
LOR. Just get them in as soon as possible, and deinitely by Noember 1
st
.

!bere .bovta tbe tetter. be .evt. \ou should direct your letter writers to send all letters o
recommendation by mail to the Oice o Student Aairs`. \ou should proide the person writing your
letter with an LRAS Letter o Recommendation Request lorm` which has a section you should ill out
with the address to send the letter to. As the Oice o Student Aairs receies your letters, the sta will
place them in your personal ile, and will upload the letters into your LRAS account.
or .bovta reqve.t tetter. of recovvevaatiov. Len though it can be really diicult or you to gather
the courage to approach an attending or a letter o recommendation, there is still no guarantee that the
attending will actually endorse you with a letter or, i the attending writes you a letter, that it`ll necessarily
be a good one so be sure to ask as many attending as possible. A good way to go about doing this is
simply to approach the attending and say, \ould you eel comortable writing a strong letter o
recommendation on my behal` \hen you request a letter o recommendation rom an attending you
know well, ask or a strong` letter o recommendation, and be sure to use the word strong` in your
request. 1his may help coney to the attending that you hope that the testimonial will relect your
perormance as strongly as possible. I you are worried that a particular attending will not proide you with
a strong letter, consult with the Oice o Student Aairs or guidance.
!bat .bovta gire to a otevtiat tetter rriter. \hen you request a letter o recommendation, you should
proide your letter writer with seeral items. 1he irst is an LRAS Letter o Recommendation Request
lorm.` \ou can download this orm rom the LRAS website
20
, or you can print it out rom your LRAS
account once you hae logged into it or the irst time ater mid-July. Second, you should include a current
copy o your curriculum itae and, i aailable, a copy o your personal statement. 1hird, you should
include a stamped enelope directed to the mailing address o the Oice o Student Aairs.` Also,
although the LRAS request orm proides speciic instructions on how a letter o recommendation should
be addressed, please remind your letter writer that the letter should be addressed as either Dear Program
Director` or 1o \hom It May Concern.` Be sure to stress that the letter should not be addressed to
1he Oice o Student Aairs
21
`.

18
Keep in mind that you do not need to hae any letters o recommendation submitted in order to certiy your application and
apply to residency programs on September 1
st
.
19
Moreoer, some programs will reiew your application on a rolling basis - and grant you an initation to interiew - een
though they haen`t receied your Dean`s letter or most o your letters o recommendation.
20
1he link to the orm is: http:,,www.aamc.org,students,eras,support,lorcoerus.pd
21
\ou`d be surprised to know that, on occasion, a letter o recommendation is addressed to Dear Ms. Meister`, or Dear
Stephanie.`

101

Len ater you complete all o these steps, and do eerything correctly, it is up to the attending to
actually write the letter and submit the letter to the Oice o Student Aairs. \ou will be able to use a
eature o your LRAS account - called AD1S, the automated document tracking system - to ind out
whether or not a particular letter o recommendation has been submitted.
or .bovta fottor v ov a tetter av raitivg ov. In order to ollow up on a letter o recommendation,
irst allow seeral weeks to pass by - ater your initial request - beore you go about reminding` your
letter writer. Also, when you do attempt to remind` your letter writer, attempt to be ery diplomatic.
Remember that he or she is writing your letter oluntarily, and could be ery busy with other tasks. In
addition, consult the Oice o Student Aairs, as the Deans may be able to encourage` an attending to
complete a letter or you. \ou may also want to request an extra letter or two rom other attendings, so
that i one letter writer alls through, you hae a backup letter ready to go. Also, keep in mind that
although LRAS will allow you to submit 4 letters to eery program, most programs only require 3 letters
o recommendation.
Once a letter writer has submitted a letter o recommendation to the Student Aairs Oice, be
sure to send that person a thank you` note. ee Part .evai for .avte.
or .bovta reare for v, Deav`. tetter veetivg. All throughout the summer, beginning in April,
students will meet indiidually with either Dr. Garcia Laumbach, Dr. Mehan or seeral other deans rom
the Lducation Department or their MSPLs. Be sure to schedule your MSPL appointment with the
Student Aairs Oice when you come to the Registrar`s Oice to schedule your 4
th
\ear. \ou should
attend the MSPL meeting with the dean with an updated CV and a personal statement ,i you hae one
ready by that time,. Be sure to reiew your CV well, know eerything that it contains, and be able to speak
conidently about your preious accomplishments. 1o expedite matters, and or extra practice, treat this
meeting like a real residency interiew. Remember that you will likely hae only one opportunity to meet
with the Dean or your MSPL letter. Use this meeting as an opportunity to proide the Dean with as
much releant inormation about yoursel as you can proide, which they will use to write a strong letter
or you
22
.
!bat .bovta ao if tbe fieta `v at,ivg to reqvire. a Cbairer.ov`. tetter. lirst, ind out early on whether
your residency application requires a Chairperson`s letter. ,lor example: Anybody applying to medicine
,categorical, preliminary year, or transitional year, will require a letter rom Dr. \alker and those applying
or surgery or a surgical specialty will require a letter rom the Surgery chair., I your residency requires a
chair letter, contact the department chairman to schedule a meeting or the letter. Be sure to present the
Chairperson`s oice with a copy o your CV and personal statement in adance o your meeting,
preerably at the time that you schedule your appointment. Also, it may take seeral weeks ,or months,
beore you can actually meet with the Chair in person. Be prepared or this.
Cav v.e aifferevt tetter. of recovvevaatiov for aifferevt rograv.. Absolutely
23
. Let`s say, or example, that
you will be applying or a residency in radiology. A typical radiology residency requires an applicant to
apply or both a preliminary` one-year internship program and a 4-year radiology residency program ,or
the 2
nd
, 3
rd
, 4
th
and 5
th
postgraduate years, simultaneously. \ou may hae receied 3 letters rom
radiologists, as well as one letter rom a pediatrician and another rom an internist. Instead o using all
three letters written by radiologists or both your preliminary internship applications and your radiology
residency applications, you can use LRAS to send letters rom the internist, pediatrician, and one o the

22
Later in the year, by early all, you will hae only one opportunity to reiew the letter or actual accuracy
and to correct any spelling errors.
23
1his situation will typically apply to students who: 1, apply to more than one specialty ,e.g. general surgery and orthopedic
surgery,, 2, who hae a letter rom an away rotation or a graduate o a program that they wish to use exclusiely or that
program, and, 3, who will be applying or both a preliminary position and an adanced specialty residency ,which begins with
the PG\-2 year, simultaneously.

102

radiologists to all o the preliminary internship programs. Also, you can use LRAS to send the three letters
- written by the radiologists - to all o the radiology residency programs. Keep in mind that there is no
limit to the number o recommendation letters that you can put onto LRAS to hae aailable to choose
rom to send to indiidual programs.

`oc co.' t.tcct `oc co.' t.tcct `oc co.' t.tcct `oc co.' t.tcct

One o the most stressul parts o the application process or most students is drating a personal
statement. Please know that, generally speaking, the personal statement really is nothing more than a
ormality, a piece o writing that demonstrates whether or not you can put words together into a coherent
sentence. In fact, you can actually prepare and certify your residency application, and apply to
residency programs using LRAS, even before you have a personal statement ready.
24
I you happen
to hae a good story to tell, about a patient encounter or an experience that captiated your interest in the
ield you`re pursuing, ocus your essay on it. I not, create a simple, standard essay using the ormats
suggested in the vrrirat Cviae to Obtaivivg a Re.iaevc,, published by the Student Aairs Oice. In either
case, be sure to reiew your essay thoroughly or grammar and spelling errors. \rite your essay oer the
summer and get it oer with. You should never delay your application because of your personal
statement. \ou`ll be at a much greater disadantage i you submit your application late than you will be i
you merely hae a lackluster essay. Also, you can hae multiple personal statements that you send to
dierent programs. lor example you may submit a dierent personal statement to a Medicine Preliminary
program than to the Ophthalmology programs you are applying to. Some people ,ery ew, een
indiidualize their personal statement or each program they apply to.

Preparing Your Application

As mentioned before, if you will be using LRAS to apply for
residency, you won't be able to start filling out your online application
until you receive your token to access your LRAS account, which will
be in mid-July. However, in order to get your application organized
ahead of time, you should download the application worksheet
2S
from the
LRAS website and fill it out over the summer. You will receive
instructions from the Student Affairs Office on how to navigate through
LRAS, and you will become more familiar with this website the more you
use it. You should also update your CV now, so that it will be ready to
distribute to faculty members who can provide you with a letter of
recommendation. Completing your CV will make completing your LRAS

24
See the section Preparing \our Application` or more details.
25
1his worksheet is located at: http:,,www.aamc.org,students,eras,support,03worksheet.pd

103

application much easier. Also, take a stab at drafting a personal
statement now, so that you'll have less work to do on it over the
upcoming months.
Also, you can use the summer months to begin researching
residency programs that you will be applying to in the fall. 1he American
Medical Association hosts the IRLIDA website
26
, which is a database of
all of the residency programs in the country. It contains individualized
statistics (such as the number of residents in the program, salary, etc.) for
each program, and can further direct you to each program's website. By
using this tool, you can research residency programs ahead of time and,
in some cases, eliminate programs that don't meet your personal
requirements.
I there is a golden rule to the application process, it would be this:
APPL\ LARL\! \ou must hae your application certiied, and you must begin
applying to residency programs, no later than early September.
Your LRAS web-based application has three parts to it. 1he first
part is the common application form (CAI). 1his is the part that
resembles your CV. It indicates which college(s) you have attended,
which medical school you have attended, what research publications or
presentations you have done, etc. Once you are finished filling out the
CAI, you have to certify it. 1he earliest date on which you can certify the
CAI is September J. Once the CAI is certified, you can start applying to
residency programs. However, you cannot apply to any programs until
this section is certified.
1he second part of your LRAS application is the documents
section. 1his section allows you to designate which additional
documents will accompany your residency application. You will use this
section to transmit your personal statement as well as your letters of
recommendation. 1his section does not need to be certified, and you
can theoretically apply to residency programs even if you have letters of
recommendation that are still pending, or are still working on your
personal statement.

26
1his website is located at: http:,,www.ama-assn.org,ama,pub,category,299.html

104

1he third part of your LRAS application is the residency
programs section. 1his section allows you to choose the programs that
you want to send your application to.
Although all residency programs establish a ormal application deadline,` not all o the programs
reiew your application in the same way. 1here are some programs ,in particular, the upper tier programs,
that will not look at any applications until ater Noember 1
st
, ater they receie the Dean`s letters.
loweer, there are also MANY schools that consider applications on a rolling basis (e.g. first
come, first serve). 1hereore, your success at receiing an initation to interiew at these schools is
entirely dependent on when you apply to these programs. lor this reason, it is CRUCIAL that you
certify your application and apply to programs as early as possible in order to maximize your
chances of receiving the greatest number of interviews. Len waiting a single day can place you at a
tremendous disadantage. And, ater working so hard or the past three years, do you really want to limit
your possibilities by delaying your application at this point

Applying to Residency Programs

Choosing which residency programs to apply to, as well as how many residency programs to apply
to, is dependent on seeral important actors. Perhaps the most important o these is your geographical
preerence. I you intend to do an internal medicine residency in the Northeast United States, or example,
then you automatically exclude all the other programs, regardless o how good they are.
Another consideration is your competitieness. It`s ery diicult or any student to try and gauge
how competitie she really is. 1o that end, you should speak with your adisor about how competitie you
are, and talk about which programs you are likely to receie interiew initations rom. I you are applying
to programs in iercely competitie ields ,e.g. dermatology,, you will need to apply to many programs.
1here are some specialties in which the competitieness leel remains airly constant, such as
dermatology and plastic surgery. 1here are others in which the leel o competitieness aries rom one
year to the next
2
. Also, remember that less competitie` specialties also hae ery competitie training
programs at strong academic institutions ,e.g. Boston Children`s lospital or pediatrics,. 1o that end, i
you are applying - or example - or a position in pediatrics and you`re a ery strong candidate, you will
likely match into a residency position, though it may not be at Boston Children`s lospital.
Residency programs can be extremely competitie in seeral geographically desirable` regions
including Manhattan, Caliornia, Boston, and DC. In some cases, or students who apply or both a
preliminary` internship and an adanced specialty residency in these regions, the internships can be more
competitie than the specialty residency because you will be in an applicant pool o ery competitie
students ying to match at the most competitie locations in the country. I you really want to match at a
program in one o these geographically desirable` areas, seriously consider doing an away rotation at
schools in these areas, as well as applying to many programs in these areas.
Consult the NRMP website, which is choc-ull-o residency matching data based on both specialty
choice as well as geographic regions.
I you are applying in a competitie ield and intend on applying to many programs, apply to all of
your programs all at once, and do so early on. Remember that many programs will reiew your
application on a rolling` basis. So, i you initially apply to a small number o competitie programs, and

2
General surgery is a prime example o such a ield.

105

you don`t receie a good number o interiew initations ater seeral weeks hae passed, it may already be
too late to apply to more programs.
Also, let`s say - or example - that you want to stay local, and you`re a strong candidate or the
specialty you`re applying or. Len i this is the case, you should apply to a minimum o ten programs. It
costs >60 to apply to up to 10` residency programs. In other words, applying to one program, ie
programs, or ten programs all costs the same ee. By going on interiews at other programs, you beneit
rom meeting aculty members at arious institutions, as well as speaking with other candidates in your
applicant pool. \ou also hae the unique opportunity o ealuating other hospitals and seeing what they
hae to oer you.
Lspecially i you are a strong candidate, you may receie assurances rom program directors
suggesting that you will be ranked highly at their programs. Keep in mind that many horror stories exist o
candidates who are gien such assurances rom arious program directors and ultimately end up either
matching at another program or not matching at all. 1hus, it pays to explore your options, as well as to
hae a ew saety` programs lined up. Ater all, no matter how many assurances you get or who you get
them rom, you won`t know until match day - when you open up your enelope and read the message
rom the NRMP - where you actually matched.
I you are applying or a residency that also requires you to apply separately or a preliminary year,
here are a ew things to consider. \ou can choose between a transitional year and a preliminary internship
in either medicine or surgery. Generally speaking, a transitional year is more lexible and proides more
time or electies than an internship does, though you would hae to examine the rotation schedules o
each program up close to really compare dierences between indiidual programs. In act, a preliminary
medicine internship can be less rigorous than a transitional year, depending on the program. I you would
like to do an internship in the same location that you plan on doing an adanced specialty residency, be
sure to contact the residency programs and get an idea o which internships are oered in that program`s
area. 1here are some residency programs that hae unoicial` relationships with nearby preliminary
programs, you may be able to take adantage o these i you inquire about them in adance. As always,
don`t orget that preliminary years ,transitional or internship years, in geographically desirable` areas ,e.g.
New \ork City, Boston, etc., can be exceptionally competitie, i you are hoping to match in any o these
locations, be sure to apply to many programs. 1he NRMP has inormation pertaining to unmatched
programs that you may ind useul.
One more thing. keep in mind that i you match or an adanced specialty residency, the
residency match is cemented een i you don`t match or an internship spot. Should this situation occur,
you`ll at least hae your residency lined up, and you`ll only hae to set up the intern year through the
scramble, which is not the end o the world.
1here are a ew resources that you can use to research indiidual programs. 1he lRLIDA website
,mentioned earlier,, which is hosted by the American Medical Association, is a great place to start. It
uniormly contains statistical inormation - such as salary, number o residents per class, whether you can
take time o or graduate degrees, etc. - or all o the residency and ellowship programs in the United
States. Additionally, or each listing, lRLIDA can direct you to an indiidual residency program`s website,
which contains ital inormation that you should reiew prior to interiewing at that program. 1here are
also seeral other web-based orums you can check out. One is www.scutwork.com, a website where
residents and students can post reiews about a particular program. Another is www.studentdoctor.com,
which is similar to Scutwork.com in that students submit postings about their experiences at arious
programs, including questions that they were asked during interiews at particular programs. I you choose
to reiew the postings, remember that they can be ery biased in aor o - or against - a particular
program. Again, be sure to consider the source o the adice beore you assign any alue to it.


106

Interviews

1he author o the irst edition o this guide, Christina Reiter, wrote that, in medicine they tell us
to look or horses not zebras.... on the interiew trail, common questions are common.` 1ruer words
haen`t been spoken. Doesn`t it seem obious to you that you`ll be asked to describe yoursel, why you
want to go into the ield you`re applying or, i you can present an interesting case, to describe some
actiity that you did ten years ago that appears on your CV, why a program should hire you, and so on
\ou should prepare or these questions in adance. It`s astonishing how many students orget to do this!
1ry to rehearse your responses to these questions as much as possible. \our ability to interiew
well gets better with more practice. Rehearse with your riends and with amily members. Be able to
proide these answers smoothly, without any hesitation. \ou are expected to be able to explain any part o
your application in a manner that is readily understood by an intelligent layperson who may not be amiliar
with the medical ield. Keep your responses concise and ocused on the question being asked. Limit your
answers to no more than a ew sentences, as you might run the risk o losing the interiewer`s attention.
\hen you are being interiewed, sit orward in your chair, this gies you a more engaging` appearance
than i you were to lean back in your chair during the interiew.
Remember that, or the most part, interiewers are ery nice. \ou should be ery relaxed during
your interiews. Len though you are trying to sell yoursel to a program, realize that the program is also
trying to sell itsel to you. \hen you introduce yoursel to the interiewer, make eye contact, smile, and
gie a irm handshake. \hen giing airmatie responses to your interiewer, rerain rom using such
wishy-washy words as yeah`. Instead, say yes,` absolutely,` and deinitely.` I they ask you how you
are doing, say I`m excited to be here interiewing at your program today,` instead o, I`m ine.`
Program directors and their representaties ,a.k.a. the interiewers, want to know why you are
interested in their program. Be prepared to tell them why. Prior to eery interiew, you should always
reiew any brochures about the program that are either mailed to you or downloadable rom the
program`s website. \hen you look these materials oer, make notes about the strengths o the program.
1hen, when you prepare your answer, talk about what you are generally looking or in a training program,
as well as the attributes that their program has which make it a good it or you. Additionally, mention that
their program was highly recommended to you by your adisors, program directors always want to eel
that their training program is respected by other schools.
One question that you will most likely get at the end o your interiew - and sometimes at the ery
beginning o your interiew, and probably 20 other times during your interiew day - is, \hat questions
do you hae about our program` In answering questions like these, there are a ew ground rules to keep
in mind. lirst, remember that there are certain questions that are appropriate to ask an attending or a
department chairman, and there are certain questions that are appropriate to ask a resident. Do not make
the mistake o asking your interiewer a question that should be directed to a resident. ,Such questions
include inquiries about salary, acation time, call schedule, etc., Also, remember that certain questions
directed to a program director are air game. 1hese include questions about the board pass rate, any
residents that let the program and why, the accreditation status o the program, the anticipated changes to
the program oer the next seeral years, research opportunities and unding aailable to residents, what
percentage o grads go on to ellowship and what ellowships graduates hae been accepted to, where do
graduates generally go on to practice, anticipated changes to the department oer the next seeral years,
etc.
A second ground rule is that you should not ask questions that you can easily look up in the
program`s brochure ,which you should hae already reiewed,. I you hae exhausted your supply` o
questions on preious interiewers, eel ree to reuse some o your questions - een i you already know
the answers to them - so that you still appear` to be interested. Also, try to rame questions that highlight

10

your preious accomplishments. lor example, i you preiously perormed research, you can ask, During
medical school, I was inoled in seeral research projects which ultimately matured into seeral
publications, and I was wondering about what research opportunities would be aailable to me as a
resident in your program`
A third ground rule is that i you are interiewing at an academic institution, don`t ask about
priate practice opportunities or graduating residents. Remember that the major goal o most academic
training programs is to train an academically well-rounded physician, not a priate practitioner.
During each interiew day, you will hae an opportunity to speak with seeral residents. Be ery
careul about what you say around them. 1hough residents may not sit on the selection committee and
ormally rank applicants, they still proide eedback to the program director. Remember that you are
applying to become a resident. 1he residents you will meet are interested in knowing whether you will it
in well at their program. 1he residents may not be able to improe your chances o matching at their
program, howeer, they can hurt your chances i you oend them or act unproessionally. In last years
edition o this guide, Chaitan told a story rom a reception he attended the night beore an interiew,
where one o the ellow applicants became inebriated and made many derogatory comments about the
program he was about to interiew at. 1his applicant's comments were oerheard by seeral o the
residents, who were ery oended. And certainly in this situation you can imagine that the residents
relayed their obserations to the program director, which tremendously hurt that applicant`s chances o
matching at that program.
\ou should always ask the residents anything that you genuinely want to know about their
program. Residents expect to answer questions pertaining to their call schedule, how busy their serices
are, their quality o lie, how many hours they work each day, their relationship with the attendings, etc.
Neer eer indicate that you don`t want to go to a particular program, and neer say disparaging things
about a program. I you hae heard any rumors about how malignant` the program is, residents that hae
let the program, or a lack o teaching rounds, be sure to ask the residents about these rumors.
On occasion, you may ind yoursel in the unortunate position where you`ll be asked an illegal
question. Gie some thought as to how you might respond to such a question. Such questions are
technically o-limits`, yet some interiewers still eel the need to ask them, or to rephrase the question in
a manner that will still make you eel uncomortable. Such questions may ocus on your plans or a amily
during your residency ,a notorious question oten directed towards women,, how you intend on ranking a
particular program, or what other programs you hae preiously interiewed at. Gie some thought as to
how you might answer such questions. \ou may neer be asked these questions, but in case you are, you
won`t be caught completely o guard. Rather than latly reusing to answer these questions, and potentially
running the risk o snubbing an interiewer, you may want to oer a politician`s response.` lere are a
ew examples:

It`s too early in the process or me to know what my top choice program is, but I am ery
interested in your program and I would be ery happy i I match here.`
I eentually want to start my amily, but I alue my education, especially ater haing gone to
school or so many years, and I don`t hae plans or it at this time ,or and I intend to dedicate
the next seeral years to my residency in .`

Ater each interiew, make notes about each program, including pertinent inormation that you
gathered during your interiew day. 1his note-taking process is ery important. By the time you are done
with the entire interiew trail, you will be surprisingly exhausted. Moreoer, all o the programs will blur
together, and it will be diicult to dierentiate one program rom another. laing notes on each program
can be ery helpul in comparing one program to another.

108

Applicants tend to go on as many interiews as they eel comortable going on. loweer,
inariably, students tend to burn out ater 10-12 interiews. Once you receie all o your interiew
initations, consider which interiews you actually want to go on and which you may want to cancel
28
. 1he
more you trael, the more expensie the whole process becomes. 1ry to reduce your costs by scheduling
interiews geographically so that, i you hae to ly to a certain area in the US, you can attend seeral
interiews on one trip. 1ake adantage o special oers rom www.priceline.com, www.traelocity.com,
www.orbitz.com, and other similar serices in order to reduce your ees or hotel reserations
29
and airline
tickets.
In order to eiciently schedule interiews, you should hae three items easily accessible: e-mail, a
cell phone, and an organizer with a calendar. \ou will be receiing interiew initations both by email and
snail-mail. Once you apply to your residency programs, you should check both your email and snail-mail
on a daily basis. Once you receie an initation, you should contact the program immediately in order to
schedule your interiew. Usually, your interiew initation will contain seeral choices o interiew days.
Since there are a limited number o spots or each choice, certain interiew days can ill up ery quickly.
1hereore, the aster you call to schedule your interiew date, the more likely you will get your irst choice.
\hen you do call to schedule your appointment, be ery riendly and considerate when speaking with the
oice sta, who undoubtedly may be dealing with a tremendous olume o calls coming rom many other
applicants.
In some instances, there are programs that send out more initations than they hae interiew
positions. 1hus, i you wait too long, their interiew days may be ull` by the time that you call to
schedule your interiew. Should this happen to you, kindly ask to be put on a waiting list. In addition,
some programs may just assign you an interiew date, while others will send you an option o three dates
,een though one or two o them aren`t aailable,. Still, some programs ,e.g. orthopedics, dermatology,
ophthalmology, may hold interiews on only one or two days, and dierent programs in a specialty may
hold interiews on these same days. 1hus, i you experience scheduling conlicts with both o a program`s
interiew days, you are completely out o luck.
Depending on aailability, you may be able to change interiew dates so that you can either
geographically block` interiews together to simpliy your trael plans, or accommodate any scheduling
conlicts that may arise. I you need to reschedule an appointment, do so as early as possible, and do so
only once. Don`t become a nuisance to the program`s oice sta by changing your interiew day 3 or 4
times.
If there is a particular program that you are very interested in, try to
schedule your interview for that program in the middle of the
interviewing season, and try to avoid scheduling that program as the first
interview of the season. 1his is because, generally speaking, you will
become increasingly better at interviewing as you gain more experience
from each successive interview. Still, for the vast majority of the programs
you're applying to, don't be afraid to schedule interviews earlier in the

28
O course, or applicants in ery competitie specialties, this may not be an option.
29
\ou should be adised that there may be additional processing ees i you use a web-based serice to book a reseration at a
hotel, thus, it may be cheaper to resere a hotel room by contacting the hotel directly by phone. Also, be aware that hotels
charge a daily parking ee, which in some cases can be as high as >30 per day.

109

season. It's easier to deal with a large number of interviews if they are all
spread out over a longer period of time.
It is ery important to know that not all programs send rejection letters to applicants. 1his can be
ery annoying, but it will happen anyway. I you haen`t heard rom a program that you hae applied to
and your classmates hae heard rom, contact the program to inquire about the status o your application.
Sometimes ,rarely, this approach might yield an interiew initation. I the program is one that you are
especially interested in, or i you haen`t receied many initations or interiews, you may want to ask
your adisor or a Dean to call the program on your behal.
I, ater you hae scheduled an interiew, you decide that you want to cancel your interiew, cancel
it as early as possible. It is important to gie programs notice i you plan to cancel an interiew, because it
will enable a program to utilize its waiting list. I you cancel at the last minute, or altogether decide not to
show up, it will relect badly on R\JMS. Moreoer, i you ail to show up or an interiew on the same
day that another R\JMS student is interiewing at that same program, you will place your classmate in a
ery embarrassing situation. In addition, i there is inclement weather that preents you rom attending an
interiew, be sure to contact the program, some programs may een be able to accommodate a
rescheduling request.

Following Up After Interviews

It is not exactly clear how much inluence a thank you` letter has with respect to your potential
candidacy at a program. Certainly, you will ind applicants, in any medical school class, who hae matched
at top programs without eer haing written a thank you note. Neertheless, you should always thank your
interiewer or the time that he or she spent with you. \ou can either send a letter to each person who
interiewed you, or alternatiely you may want to send one letter to the program director i you had
multiple interiewers. \ou also may consider putting a small ,1``x1`, proessional picture o yoursel next
to your signature so that a program director or interiewer can quickly associate you with the kind letter o
thanks. Ideally, your letters should be written on the eening ater your interiew. ,See Part III- Appendix or
some sample thank you letters.,
\our letter can be a ery simple note, or it can be an elaborate 3-part letter
30
. I the program is
your irst choice, be sure to mention that in your letter. Also, i you happened to do an away rotation at
that program and deeloped good relationships with seeral residents, here`s a strategy or you to consider.
Compliment those residents in a separate thank you letter directed to the program director, this name
dropping` strategy may encourage that program director to ask the residents more questions about their
experience in working with you. 1his can work to your adantage i the residents think that you will it in
well at that program.
On occasion, you may receie positie eedback rom a program director. Sometimes, this can be
in the orm o a letter or an email suggesting that the program will rank you highly. 1ake this eedback
with a grain o salt. 1here is no written or erbal guarantee that you will match at any residency program,

30
Such letters can include a irst section thanking the interiewers or their time, and commenting on how
inormatie the residents were, a second section detailing what you are looking or in a residency program,
and how that particular program ulilled your expectations, and, a third section reairming your interest in
that program, and your optimistic outlook on the upcoming match day.


110

no matter what assurance you get or whoeer it is that gies you that assurance. 1he only guaranteed`
match that you receie is the one you`ll get on match day.
Ceveratt, .ea/ivg, it i. vot ctear tbat goivg ov a .ecovatoo/ ri.it ivrore. ,ovr cbavce. of vatcbivg at a rograv.
titt, .tvaevt. teva to go ov .ecovatoo/. to tearv vore abovt tbe rograv, to aevov.trate tbeir ivtere.t iv a articvtar
rograv, to covare ove rograv ritb avotber rograv, or becav.e tbe, feet obtigatea to ao .o iv oraer to ivrore tbeir
cbavce. of vatcbivg at tbat rograv.
ove tive iv ]avvar, ,ov va, ri.b to .eva ,ovr to cboice rograv. a tetter ere..ivg ,ovr covtivvea ivtere.t iv tbeir
rograv ava ,ovr aeci.iov to rav/ tbev bigbt,. 1bi. ritt reviva tbe rograv of ,ovr ivtere.t ava ritt rovt tbev to
rerier ,ov a. av aticavt. Yov .bovta ao tbi. iv tbe eva of ]avvar,,eart, ebrvar,, vear tbe tive rbev rograv. ritt
be va/ivg tbeir RO. ;ee Part .evai for eavte. of tetter. ere..ivg covtivvea ivtere.t.)

Ranking

In January, you will receie inormation rom the Student Aairs Oice about using the NRMP
website and establishing a rank order list ,ROL,. \hen you prepare to rank the programs at which you`e
interiewed, irst consider which attributes you alue the most about the program with which you hope to
match. I, or example, the most important consideration or you is matching at a certain location, then
programs in that region will likely be at the top o your list. Alternatiely, i your major concern is
matching at an academic program that will proide you with the best educational experience, then those
programs will likely top your personal rank list. Be sure to irst decide what attributes are most important
to you, and then rank your programs accordingly.
1here oten is a temptation to rank your programs based on eedback that you receie rom
indiidual program directors. \ou should rank programs based on your preference or that program. \ou
should neer rank your programs based on eedback you receie rom arious program directors. Always
reach for the stars when creating a rank list, even though you should also have a few safeties.
Let`s say - or example - that you receie a erbal guarantee rom a program director rom a
middle-tier` residency program. Also, you hae interiewed at seeral upper-tier programs and preer to
match at these programs oer the middle-tier` program. I you rank the middle-tier` residency program
higher than the upper-tier` programs that you actually preer - because o the eedback you receied
rom the program director - and you end up matching at the middle-tier` program, you will hae robbed
yoursel o the possibility o matching at any o the upper-tier` programs that you interiewed at. I,
conersely, you rank the preerable upper-tier` programs higher on your list, you then allow or the
possibility o matching at the upper-tier` programs to exist. 1his might seem like a subtle point.
loweer, in speaking with preious R\JMS students who matched at top programs in eery specialty,
you`d be surprised to discoer that this concept - o reaching or the stars` - oten made all the
dierence.
31

A big decision point or many students comes when they consider whether or not to exclude
certain programs rom their rank list. By the end o the interiewing trail, it will be obious to you that not
all residency programs are created equally. Neertheless, making the choice to exclude a program rom
your rank list is a ery serious decision. Beore making it, really gie a lot o thought to whether or not you
will be absolutely miserable i you match at that program or i potentially matching at that program is
literally the end o the world` or you. I this is truly the case, exclude that program rom your rank list.
I, howeer, a particular program is okay`, but you refer many other programs to it, rank the program all
the way at the end o your ROL so it will only be a back-up. Ultimately, whereer you end up matching or

31
lor a more detailed description and examples o the NRMP Match system algorithm see the ollowing website:
www.nrmp.org, res_match,about_res,algorithms.html

111

residency is a unction o how competitie you are at any gien program or in the specialty you are
applying or, and it is always better to match at your 2
th
choice than to not match at any program at all.
\ith that said, i you are applying in an extremely competitie specialty such as dermatology, consider
ranking all o your programs to maximize your chances o matching somewhere.
Again, always remember that matching at any program is better than not matching at all. I you
exclude seeral less preerable, but desirable` programs rom your rank list and you do not match, all o
the spots at those less preerable, but desirable` programs that you excluded rom your rank list will hae
been saturated by the time you`re ready to scramble. Also, during the scramble, you may be orced to
choose between an undesirable residency position in your specialty and a position in a dierent specialty
altogether. Don`t let this happen to you.
Good news is that most students match to one o their top choices, in 2004 86.1 o US students
got one o their top 3 choices, howeer do not let this statistic limit the length o your rank order list. It is
ery important NO1 to be stingy with your rank list. lor seeral years now, the NRMP has collected data
32

pertaining to the number o programs that a matched` candidate ranked, as well as the number o
programs that an unmatched` candidate ranked. lor the 2004 match, matched` US candidates ranked -
on aerage - 8 programs, whereas unmatched` candidates ranked only 5.34 programs. O course, being
unmatched` may inherently be a unction o the competitieness o ield that you are applying to, since
some ields are much more competitie than others
33
. Neertheless, there are always some R\JMS
students that eel comortable ranking only a handul o programs. Statistically, there are risks with such a
strategy, and you should be cognizant o these. lurther, i you intend on ranking 5 or ewer programs, be
sure to consult with Dr. Rosenthal or Dr. \oung as well to get more adice on your strategy.
The Couples Match Process

1he most recent couple`s match data rom the NRMP indicate that 55 couples entered the match
in 2004, and enjoyed a 93.9 match rate, which is comparable to the 92.9 match rate o all graduating
U.S. medical students.
1he couple`s match process allows two students to enter the applicant pool as one unit by linking
their rank lists together. \ou`ll hae to pay a nominal ee to utilize this serice, although you don`t hae to
be married to enroll. \ou and your partner decide which programs to link together. \ou can een mix and
match arious institutions within a geographic area.
I you are thinking about participating in the couple`s match, you need to hae a rank discussion
with your partner in which you honestly discuss each other`s academic proile. 1hen, once both you and
your partner hae inished the interiew trail, you should each deelop a rank list on paper, and check each
list against the other, eliminating programs in locations that aren`t acceptable options or either o you.
1his will enable you to ocus on the programs and locations that are mutually agreeable. Because a
successul couple`s match` entails both partners matching at their respectie programs, it may be
necessary or you to apply to and rank more programs than i either partner was applying indiidually in
the regular match.
1he NRMP website contains additional inormation about the couple`s match process, as well as a
sample algorithm or students interested in applying in the couple`s match.
34


32
Check out this data at: http:,,www.nrmp.org,res_match,about_res,impact.html
33
1hough unlikely, you can rank 8 dermatology programs and theoretically remain unmatched, simply because o the sheer
competitieness o this ield.
34
See the ollowing website: www.nrmp.org,res_match,special_part,us_seniors,couples.html

112


Part II Appendix

Sample Request for a Letter of Recommendation
Although you should ask an attending in person or a letter o recommendation, you may not hae all the necessary
documents on hand when you ask him,her ,or instance i you ask on the last day o a rotation,. 1hereore, you will need to
either hand delier the necessary documents to them or send them ia mail. Lither way you should include a short note
reminding them that they had said they would write you a letter and thanking them in adance. Below are a couple examples o
how you can write a short request or a recommendation.

Sample letter to someone you hae worked with during a rotation or sub-I who has already agreed to write
you a letter o recommendation:

1:
Dear Dr. ____________`:

1hank you or proiding me with a great educational experience during my sub-internship at
_______` Medical Center. It was a pleasure working with you during the month o date`. I
appreciate your willingness to compose a recommendation letter or residency on my behal. I
hae attached the LRAS coer sheet and a copy o my Curriculum Vitae. Please address the letter
as either Dear Program Director` or 1o \hom It May Concern.` I you hae any questions, please eel
ree to contact me. I truly appreciate your time and eort in preparing my recommendation.

1hank you,

2:
Dear Dr. ,

Iud sucI u wonderIuI LIme uL MedIcuI CenLer und Ieurned so mucI ubouL . . . . sIncereIy
upprecIuLe you oIIerIng Lo Luke LIe LIme Lo wrILe me u IeLLer oI recommenduLIon Ior resIdency. Iuve
encIosed u copy oI my CV us weII us LIe ERAS cover sIeeL. TIIs cover sIeeL IndIcuLes wIere Lo muII LIe
IeLLer und Lo wIom LIe IeLLer sIouId be uddressed. I you Iuve uny quesLIons, especIuIIy regurdIng my
CV, wouId be more LIun Iuppy Lo provIde you wILI IurLIer deLuIIs. TIunk you und Iook Iorwurd Lo
workIng wILI you uguIn In LIe IuLure.

Sincerely,

Sample letter to someone who oered to write you a letter some time ago and now you want to take
him,her up on the oer and actually get the letter o recommendation ,you should also call or go see this
attending,:

Dear Dr. ____`:

1he application process or residency has begun and I am writing in hopes that you would still be
willing to compose a recommendation letter or residency on my behal, as we had discussed in
month` at the end o my X` rotation. I hae decided to pursue a residency in X` ater haing
such a wonderul experience during my X` rotation ,or whateer other reason,.


113

I hae enclosed the LRAS coer letter and a copy o my Curriculum Vitae. I hae also included a
stamped and addressed enelope or you to mail the letter o recommendation upon completion.
Please address the letter as either Dear Program Director` or 1o \hom It May Concern.` I
you hae any questions, please eel ree to contact me. I truly appreciate your time and eort in
preparing my recommendation.

1hank you,

Sample 1hank You for Recommendation Letter

Dear Dr. X`,

1hank you or writing a letter o recommendation or residency on my behal. I appreciate the
time and eort you put into composing the letter. As you know, I hae applied or a residency in
internal medicine. 1his decision was inluenced by my wonderul experience in Internal Medicine
during my third year clerkship at Saint Peter`s Uniersity lospital. I hae receied seeral oers to
interiew and I look orward to begin interiewing in Noember.

I am grateul or your support and conidence in my success.

Sincerely,


Sample Information Request Letter
1his letter may be sent ia e-mail or mail to a program director or resident with whom you spoke at a conerence or
meeting about a speciic program and now you want to show your interest or to a program with limited inormation
aailable online that you wish to learn more about.

Dear Dr. X:

I am a fourth year medical student at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - Robert Wood
JoInson Medical School. I learned about your residency program from my faculty advisor (or at a conference,
etc.) Your residency program in (specialty) is of particular interest to me and I would appreciate being sent
additional information about the program. Below, please find my return address to which the information can be
sent. I look forward to learning more about your program.

Thank you,


Sample 1hank You for Interview Letter
Ex. 1: Dear Dr. X ,
TIunk you Ior LIe opporLunILy Lo InLervIew uL your progrum on (duLe). L wus u pIeusure speukIng wILI
you und meeLIng some oI LIe IucuILy und resIdenLs. Everyone encounLered wus exLremeIy IeIpIuI und
consIderuLe. TIey wenL ouL oI LIeIr wuy Lo muke my InLervIew duy InIormuLIve und enjoyubIe.

wus very Impressed wILI (progrum`s nume) Iong IIsLory und dedIcuLIon Lo LruInIng weII-rounded IumIIy
pIysIcIuns. Iound (progrum`s nume) beIuvIoruI scIence currIcuIum und dedIcuLIon Lo servIng LIe
communILy equuIIy us ImpressIve. As Iud menLIoned durIng our InLervIew, workIng wILI LIe

114

underserved popuIuLIon Ius been un ImporLunL purL oI my medIcuI scIooI cureer LIuL wouId IIke Lo
conLInue LIrougIouL my resIdency.

upprecIuLe LIe LIme you Look Lo meeL wILI me und dIscuss (progrum`s nume) unIque IumIIy medIcIne
resIdency progrum. PIeuse exLend my gruLILude Lo Dr. X, Ms. X, und Ms. X Ior LukIng LIe LIme Lo Ieurn
ubouL me und unswer my quesLIons. n uddILIon, wouId IIke Lo LIunk LIe resIdenLs, Dr. X, Dr. X, Dr. X,
und Dr. X Ior LIe Lour oI LIe IospILuI und Ior sucI u pIeusunL IuncI. TIunk you uguIn Ior LIe InvILuLIon Lo
revIsIL your progrum IuLer durIng LIe yeur, un oIIer Iope Lo urrunge Ior, us um sLrongIy consIderIng
your progrum.

SIncereIy,


Sample 1hank you for Interview Letter

Ex. 2: Dear Dr X,
wouId IIke Lo LIunk you Ior LIe opporLunILy Lo InLervIew uL your progrum IusL rIduy, OcLober z
LI
. TIe
resIdenLs und (progrum coordInuLor nume) were very IeIpIuI und consIderuLe, und reuIIy seemed Lo go
ouL oI LIeIr wuy Lo muke LIe duy InIormuLIve und enjoyubIe. wus very Impressed by LIe progrum us u
wIoIe.

PIeuse, exLend my gruLILude uIso Lo Dr KuunzInger, und Dr SIenoudu Ior LukIng LIe LIme Lo geL Lo know
me. L wus u pIeusure geLLIng Lo meeL LIe uLLendIngs und LIe resIdenLs, especIuIIy durIng mornIng
reporL: wIIcI exempIIIIed your commILmenL Lo educuLIng LIe resIdenLs In u sLress Iree yeL educuLIonuI
munner.

Once uguIn, LIunk you. Iook Iorwurd Lo LIe possIbIIILy oI workIng In u resIdency progrum wIIcI
upproprIuLeIy buIunces supervIsIon und uuLonomy und uIso buIunces educuLIon wILI LIe cIInIcuI duLIes.

Sincerely,

Name
Lmail
phone 4

Ex. 3: Dear Dr. X,
TIunk you Ior LIe opporLunILy Lo InLervIew uL your progrum on (duLe). L wus u pIeusure speukIng wILI
you und meeLIng oLIer IucuILy members und resIdenLs. Everyone encounLered wus exLremeIy IeIpIuI
und consIderuLe. TIey wenL ouL oI LIeIr wuy Lo muke my InLervIew duy InIormuLIve und enjoyubIe.

I realize that ,program`s name, has a truly unique amily medicine residency program. 1he
program proides all the beneits o a residency at a large academic center which is rich in
resources, experienced educators, and
subspecialty consultants, while maintaining autonomy or the residents on the amily medicine
inpatient serice and at the outpatient acility in the Urban lealth Institute. I know this
arrangement would allow me to receie a strong medical training while in a riendly and supportie
enironment. In addition, considering my interest in urban community medicine and in working in
an undersered community, I was impressed with the program`s community medicine curriculum
and its commitment to proiding high quality healthcare to an undersered population. I was

115

equally impressed with the genuine enthusiasm about the program seen among the residents and
the aculty. linally, considering my desire to continue to participate in international health and
serice actiities, I was excited to learn about the opportunity or international experiences while at
,program`s name,.

I appreciate the time you took to meet with me and answer all my questions about the program. I
eel that I could be truly happy at your program which has a philosophy and ision that is
consistent with my goals. 1hank you or the initation to reisit or a second look, which I hope
to hae an opportunity to do, as I am strongly considering residency at ,program`s name,.
Sincerely,


Sample 1hank you for Interview Letter
Letter to a program where you interviewed and also have already done a rotation or sub-I:

Dear Dr. X:,
TIunk you Ior LIe opporLunILy Lo InLervIew uL your progrum on (DuLe). L wus u pIeusure beIng buck uL
(progrum`s nume) Ior LIe duy und IuvIng LIe opporLunILy Lo speuk wILI you und meeL wILI severuI oI LIe
oLIer IucuILy members und resIdenLs uguIn. Everyone meL wILI wus exLremeIy IeIpIuI und consIderuLe.
TIey wenL ouL oI LIeIr wuy Lo muke my InLervIew duy InIormuLIve und enjoyubIe.

AILer spendIng u monLI Ior my sub-InLernsIIp uL (progrum`s nume), Iuve no doubL LIuL wouId receIve
un exceIIenL educuLIon us u resIdenL In your progrum. , uIso, um conIIdenL LIuL wouId be Iuppy uL
(IospILuI nume), wILI ILs IumIIy-IIke uLmospIere, IrIendIy und supporLIve IucuILy, und enLIusIusLIc
resIdenLs. n uddILIon, (IospILuI nume) wouId provIde un IdeuI geogrupIIcuI IocuLIon Ior my proIessIonuI
IIIe. (Progrum`s nume) Is cIeurIy commILLed Lo IuvIng LIe very besL (specIuILy nume) resIdency progrum.

upprecIuLe LIe LIme you Look Lo meeL wILI me. PIeuse exLend my gruLILude Lo Dr. X Ior LIe IospILuI
Lour, Dr. X Ior meeLIng wILI me uL LIe cIInIc, und XX Ior LIe Lour oI LIe surroundIng ureu und dIscussIng
LIe BeIuvIoruI ScIence currIcuIum. n uddILIon, wouId IIke Lo LIunk Dr. X und Dr. X Ior LIe wonderIuI
IuncI und Ior unswerIng uII my quesLIons. InuIIy, pIeuse LIunk (progrum coordInuLor`s nume Ior
mukIng LIe duy run so smooLIIy. (Progrum`s nume) Is LruIy un excepLIonuI (specIuILy nume) progrum,
commILLed Lo LruInIng LIe very besL pIysIcIuns, und Iook Iorwurd Lo LIe opporLunILy Lo be u purL oI LIIs
progrum.

Sincerely,
Letter to a program you interviewed at near the end of the interview season:

Dear Dr X,
Iud LIe pIeusure oI vIsILIng your progrum Ior un InLervIew on (duLe). jusL wunLed Lo LIunk you Ior LIIs
opporLunILy. wus very Impressed by LIe progrum us u wIoIe, und purLIcuIurIy wILI LIe sLrong
opporLunILy Ior LruInIng In boLI your InLervenLIonuI und pedIuLrIc rudIoIogy depurLmenLs. BoLI oI LIese
ureus ure oI purLIcuIur InLeresL Lo me. TIe resIdenLs, Dr. X und Dr X were IrIendIy, enLIusIusLIc und very
InIormuLIve.

Iope wIII be consIdered IIgIIy us u IurdworkIng, enLIusIusLIc poLenLIuI cundIduLe uL (progrum nume).
know couId exceed uny und every expecLuLIon oI your progrum und conLrIbuLe my work eLIIc Lo your
rudIoIogy Leum.
PIeuse exLend my gruLILude Lo Dr X und Dr X Ior LukIng LIe LIme ouL Lo InLervIew me und unswerIng my
quesLIons. TIey were ubIe Lo convey LIe muny greuL uspecLs oI your progrum Lo me.

116


As my InLervIew seuson Is now compIeLe, jusL wunLed Lo IeL you know LIuL LIe progrum`s IumIIy IIke
uLmospIere, und poLenLIuI Ior sLrong LruInIng In rudIoIogy, coupIed wILI u perIecL geogrupIIcuI IocuLIon
Ior my proIessIonuI IIIe wIII Ieud me Lo runk your progrum very IIgIIy.
know wouId be more LIun excILed Lo be uL MorrIsLown.

Sincerely,

Name
Lmail
phone 4






Sample I am still interested Letter ,send out in late Jan,early lebruary to top choices,
Ex. 1 Dear Dr X,
jusL wunLed Lo LIunk you Ior LIe opporLunILy Lo InLervIew wILI you on (duLe). wus very Impressed by
LIe progrum us u wIoIe, purLIcuIurIy LIe sLrong LruInIng couId receIve In your InLervenLIonuI rudIoIogy
depurLmenL, us LIIs Is oI purLIcuIur InLeresL Lo me.

As LIe resIdenLs were ubIe Lo convey LIe muny greuL uspecLs oI your progrum Lo me wILI enLIusIusm,
Loo, Iope conveyed myseII us u IurdworkIng, enLIusIusLIc poLenLIuI cundIduLe Ior (progrum`s nume).

Now LIuL my InLervIew seuson Is compIeLe, jusL wunLed Lo IeL you know LIuL (progrum`s nume) IumIIy
IIke uLmospIere, und poLenLIuI Ior sLrong LruInIng In rudIoIogy coupIed wILI u perIecL geogrupIIcuI
IocuLIon Ior my proIessIonuI IIIe wIII Ieud me Lo runk your progrum very IIgIIy.
know wouId be more LIun excILed Lo be uL (progrum`s nume) und Iook Iorwurd Lo LIe opporLunILy Lo
work wILI you In LIe IuLure.

Sincerely,

Ex. 2 Dear Dr. X,
Iope you ure doIng weII. um enjoyIng my IourLI yeur und Iuve ucLuuIIy jusL
reLurned Irom u IeuILI mIssIon In LIe DomInIcun RepubIIc, wIIcI wus un umuzIng yeL
cIuIIengIng experIence. TIme sure does IIy! L seems IIke yesLerduy wus doIng my
sub-InLernsIIp uL (progrum`s nume) und now LIe yeur Is suddenIy more LIun IuII wuy done und LIe
InLervIew seuson Ius come Lo u cIose. Now LIuL Iuve Iud LIe cIunce Lo vIsIL und Ieurn ubouL severuI
IumIIy medIcIne resIdency progrums, wunLed Lo Luke LIIs opporLunILy Lo IeL you know LIuL LIe progrum
uL (IospILuI nume) MedIcuI CenLer sLunds ouL on Lop. (HospILuI nume) oIIers LIe prospecL oI receIvIng
my LruInIng Irom un experIenced und presLIgIous progrum wILI u IrIendIy und supporLIve envIronmenL.
Bused on my sub-InLernsIIp experIence, um conIIdenL LIuL wouId IeeI very comIorLubIe und geL uIong
weII wILI LIe enLIusIusLIc resIdenLs und IucuILy uL (IospILuI nume), wIIIe receIvIng un ouLsLundIng
cIInIcuI educuLIon. n uddILIon, (IospILuI nume) wouId provIde un IdeuI geogrupIIc IocuLIon Ior my
proIessIonuI IIIe consIderIng LIe proxImILy Lo my IumIIy und Ioved ones.
(Progrum nume) Is LruIy un excepLIonuI IumIIy medIcIne progrum, commILLed Lo LruInIng LIe very besL
IumIIy pIysIcIuns. Iope wIII be consIdered IIgIIy us u IurdworkIng, enLIusIusLIc poLenLIuI cundIduLe.
Iook Iorwurd Lo LIe opporLunILy Lo be u purL oI your progrum.


Sincerely,


11

Deur Dr. X,

wouId IIke Lo LIunk you Ior LukIng LIme ouL und InLervIewIng me uL your progrum on rIduy, Junuury
1oLI. very mucI enjoyed speukIng wILI you. wus very Impressed by LIe progrum us u wIoIe und LIe
resIdenLs seemed very enLIusIusLIc ubouL und Iuppy wILI LIe progrum.

Iope wIII be consIdered IIgIIy us u IurdworkIng, enLIusIusLIc poLenLIuI cundIduLe uL (progrum nume).
know wouId work Lo exceed uny und every expecLuLIon oI your progrum und wIII sLrIve Lo conLrIbuLe u
greuL deuI Lo LIe Leum.

As my InLervIews ure uIso now comIng Lo un end, wouId IIke Lo express my sLrong InLeresL In your
progrum. TIe opporLunILy Lo be u purL oI u sLrong yeL smuII ucudemIc IospILuI coupIed wILI LIe mosL
IdeuI geogrupIIcuI IocuLIon Ior my personuI und proIessIonuI IIIe wIII Ieud me Lo runk your progrum very
IIgIIy.
wouId be mosL excILed Lo prucLIce medIcIne uL (progrum`s nume)!

Sincerely,