Successfully Navigating the Residency Application Process!

For the current Class of 2023 4th-year MD and DO medical students, your time to shine is now! In addition to students taking Level 2/Step 2, ERAS application preparation and the availability of the supplemental ERAS application (as of August 1) are underway (see ERAS 2023 timeline here). And for students participating in early match options, you are in the home stretch!

As the residency application and match/scramble/SOAP processes have morphed through the years, students have had to prepare for different metrics of comparison and a shift in how to strategize for their optimal residency match success (specialty and program of choice). This application cycle is not different from prior years from having new aspects and processes in place. The primary shifts for the 2023 cycle from prior years are the expanded use of the Supplemental ERAS application and a preference by several specialties for letters that focus on more objective metrics over subjective letters of recommendation. With the Supplemental ERAS application now available as of August 1, 2022, thinking carefully about how to authentically and honestly complete it to ensure your best match to the program that may be your "best fit" is important. Also, deciding which LoRs/SLOEs to select, and from whom, fall into an area that students should think carefully about, especially realizing that the role of the letter writer is not necessarily as important as the ability of a letter writer to attest to an applicant's strengths, based upon both depth and length of their interactions. Finally, in an attempt to focus on student wellness and a better process for ensuring a good fit for both programs and future residents, minor timeline changes were made this past year with the SOAP timeline. With the new proposal put forth by the NRMP, stay tuned for possible updates to the structure of the NRMP match in future cycles.

In addition to the changes mentioned in the residency match process, many aspects have essentially remained the same. The eternal questions of which specialties (and programs) I am competitive for, how many programs I should apply to, how do I strategize and plan for a combination of PY/AY and categorical programs, and how should I balance financial and time limitations with the best likelihood of matching continue to exist. The question of do I need a parallel plan based on my individual competitiveness and application (including not only what is on paper but the likelihood of presenting well during an interview setting) also is one that must be addressed. In order to do so, understanding your specialty and future career goals, your strengths, your weaknesses, and optimizing your application are important to help ensure that you are best poised to present yourself both authentically and in your best light to residency programs.

The role and path of residency program directors (PDs) and associate residency program directors (APDs) in selecting residents for their programs is not easy. With an increasingly overwhelming number of applications, with the caveat of some programs that have preference signaling options, choosing a finite number of students from an overall exceptional pool is challenging. Similarly, the role and path of residency applicants in garnering their residency position of choice is not easy. The process of completing four years of medical school and additionally strengthening one's residency application with leadership, service, research, and/or advocacy, while presenting all of this well on paper and in person, is challenging.

However, with guidance and a roadmap to follow, the process for medical students does not have to be more challenging than it currently may be by its inherent design. By researching options carefully (i.e. doing your homework), adhering to timelines, focusing on what you need to do at the moment, and trying not to worry about the future, a medical student applicant can traverse this path with greater ease and hopefully less stress and anxiety.

For Class of 2023 DO or MD applicants, know that support is available to you. Reach out to your medical school advisors for guidance. Also, if you would like individualized, supportive guidance focused on your success, please feel free to reach out to me!

I have walked this path with hundreds of students and have helped with their residency match success by providing academic and career guidance, document (ERAS application, Supplemental ERAS, Noteworthy Characteristics, Personal Statement) review and editing, program selection (how many applications to submit and how to prioritize your list), letter of recommendation (LoR)/standardized/summary letter of evaluation (SLOE) selection, interview (virtual, and in-person) preparation, mock interview practice, rank order list (ROL) creation and guidance, preparation for Match Week and the SOAP, and 24-7 support through Match Week and the SOAP process.

I would be humbled and honored to do the same with you.

Wishing you the very best as you bring together the culmination of almost four years of medical school into your successful application for residency. You are amazing. You have got this!

Take good care and best wishes,

Sincerely,

Rupal Vora, M.D., MPH, FACP

email: rupalvoramd@gmail.com

phone: 602-295-0298

website: medstudentcoach.com