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Students helping Students: Student Discussion/Panel

2/28/18 6:30-8:30

15 Attendees: J. Hughes, Aakash Batra, Katherine Fong, Hilary Neufeld, Marian Raygon, Kevin
Stephanoff, Mozghon Vafee, Chris Wright, Mike Ohabughiro, Vincent Fussel, J. Michael Kyrouac,
LisauiLiang, Julie Nguyen, Paul Weatherby, Laura Linscheid

Goals:

1. Overview of 4th Year in a nutshell: ERAS, MSPE, LOR, CV, PS, advisor, match/NRMP schedule
(with reference to the presentations Dr. Levine/Ainsworth provided and upcoming Dr. McKee
presentation). Consider light schedule when interviews most common for your field. Consider
online BSHS during interview season.
2. Discussed contacts for residency in Austin.
3. Reviewed Match for the country and specific to UTMB 2017 Year
4. Sign up for the organization specific for your intended field, ie. Pediatrics : American Academy of
Pediatrics, and look at info at the board for your field, ie. American Board of Pediatrics; there is
often a section specific to medical students interested in the field.
5. Sharing of Information and Guidance from the 4th years
a. Preparation:
i. Think of who to select as letter writers and prepare schedule for 4th year with
letters in mind. Pay attention to your requirements.
ii. Start personal statement and CV EARLY (likely earlier than you even want to) so
they can be used for VSLO and ERAS, scholarship applications and can be used
to send to your letter writers. CV can have medical related, or non-medical
related with attributes that contribute to success as a resident/physician (i.e.
resident competencies: medical knowledge, practice-based learning and
improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism,
systems-based practice). PS, think of telling a story, regular essay format, intro
paragraph, then usually 3 paragraphs for the body, and a concluding paragraph.
iii. Your schedule: CK/CS early if need it to bring up a suboptimal step 1 depending
on competitiveness of field. ICEE is harder than the CS per students. You need
to take CS early enough so if you fail, you have time to retake and pass before
ranking. If you do not have a passing score by the time of ranking (most finish
up their lists at the end of Jan and for sure by early Feb) programs will not rank
you.
iv. Utilize your advisor, make sure to get a field specific mentor familiar with the
residency process as well.
v. ERAS token will come out to you in June. You have to apply to NRMP to enter
the match. Pay attention to the ERAS and NRMP schedule.
vi. How to pick where to apply:
1. NRMP 2017 Applicant Survey: applicants surveyed responded to how
they chose programs to interview and rank http://www.nrmp.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/09/Applicant-Survey-Report-2017.pdf
2. Some used Doximity. Can go to the licensing board of the different
fields, will list all programs and their board pass rates.
3. Some used Student Doctor Network (SDN). There are forums for each
individual specialty in addition to each USMLE exam.
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/categories/physician-resident-
forums-md-do.35/ An applicant in psychiatry noted they were able to
search all the programs they were interested in applying to with
comments over the last multiple years from residents, program
directors, students. Beware of trolls, filter through the info.
4. Talk with your advisor, you should be meeting with them prior to the
application and in the midst prior to you submitting your application, as
well as contact during your interview season.
5. Geographic location, where you would want to live.
a. If want to go out of state, list permanent address as your out of
state address, current address as your Texas address.
b. If you need to be near your support system for a high stress
time like residency, apply to programs near your family.
c. Run through a list of cities with your significant other if
applicable.
d. Texas bias is real!
vii. NRMP resources:
1. Charting the Outcomes: overall and field specific.
http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Charting-
Outcomes-US-Allopathic-Seniors-2016.pdf
2. Program Director Survey http://www.nrmp.org/wp-
content/uploads/2016/09/NRMP-2016-Program-Director-Survey.pdf
3. Results and Data 2017 Main Residency Match
http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Main-Match-
Results-and-Data-2017.pdf; http://www.nrmp.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/03/2017-Match-by-the-Numbers.pdf;
http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Advance-Data-
Tables-2017.pdf
4. Program Specific Results 2013-2017 broken down by state
http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Main-Match-
Program-Results-2013-2017.pdf
b. Apply: Plan to submit your application on day it opens, Sept 15th. Let your rotation
faculty and residents know that you may need to step out momentarily when you get a
notice of a residency offer and that you mean no disrespect but you need to provide
time sensitive responses to respond to interview offers. (They will be happy for you!
Especially helpful if you are rounding or are in the OR).
i. Set a special phone ring/notification for emails offering interviews.
c. Interview
i. Consider a paper calendar so you can keep track of all your interviews and don’t
need to go back and forth with your email when getting offers.
ii. Schedule your peak interest programs in the middle so you have a few under
your belt and it is not at the end where you might be too tired.
iii. When you get offers if they are your safety programs, go ahead and schedule at
the tail end of the season, later when you get other offers, you can cancel.
iv. Do TSA Precheck (faster through airport security, $85, good for 5 years,
convenient to get).
v. Reach out to friends and family for places to stay. Airbnb effective.
vi. Group interviews out of state one block and interviews in state another block.
vii. Lyft and Uber affordable means to travel. Southwest airlines as well.
d. Finances
i. TCMS/TMA loans up to 4K, 4.4 % interest.
ii. UTMB Office of Student Affairs, can give emergency loan for 4th year application,
e. Reassurance
i. You don’t have to have discovered something, or created a huge project to be
successful in the match. Take the time for your personal statement (keep it to a
page) and CV. Have a lot of people review your documents for you. Take the
advice you want to take, it is absolutely ok if you take some people’s advice and
not others. This is about you!
ii. Field and residency choice is about what is important to you.
iii. You will be ready and the more you are prepared the smoother it can be.

Thank you to all the 4th years for their advice and guidance to the 3rd years. To the 3rd years, thank you
for your engagement and questions. This information is by no means complete and will not all apply to
everyone. Residency process if individual and very field specific. Use the resources UTMB provides, and
make sure to reference the Rising 4th Year Material and Student Affairs presentations for the formal in
depth material.

Part 2 to come in April.

Fourth Years: after the match, preparing for residency.

Third Years: 4th year’s reflection of would they do anything different in retrospect since match has
happened.

Good luck!

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