Dean’s Residency Session Forum Small Group
Everything you need to know about applying to a family med residency. Helps you figure out what programs you should apply to.
Mock Interviews
Take this chance to practice your interview skills with residents and/or faculty who know the ins-and-outs of residency interviews.
Rank List Night
Get tips on how to create a rank list that will get you matched with your ideal program. Meet other students going into family medicine to discuss your impressions of various residencies. Held off-campus.
Four Rules for a Winning Rank List
- Rank the programs in the order that you would want to attend. This means the program you like best is ranked first, then the next, then the next. This seems simple, but people often try to somehow “beat the system” through other ways of ranking (for instance, ranking programs in the order of what they think they are most likely to match). Do not try this, you cannot outsmart the match algorhithm and you are most likely to get your top choice of residency if you actualy put that program at the top of your list.
- Rank all programs you would be willing to attend. Before you leave a program off your list ask youself if you would rather scramble than attend that program. Certainly there are some programs that are such a poor fit for someone that they should be left off. This is usually rare and is likely limited to 1-2 programs per person. If you find yourself axing 5 or 6 programs, seriously consider how bad it really would be to attend these programs versus one you scrambled in to.
- Longer is better. A longer match list means you are less likely to go unmatched. Make you list as long as possible. In general this means your match list is the same number as the places you interviewed at, maybe minus 1 or 2 programs you really could not stand to attend.
- TALK IS CHEAP. There is a reason this is in capital letters. Do not believe anything a program says about promising you a slot or placing you high on the match list. This is not because the people you are talking to from the programs are lying or trying to advantage of you or some other evil thing. Interviewing for residency is a lot like a few first dates – both side are trying to look good to the other and gauge how interested the other party is. It means that what words you exchange with a program are just words. There is no assurance that anything will come from this conversation. Do not base your rank list on verbal assurances, base it on your desires for what you think is the best program for you. This is one time in life you get to be completely selfish. Enjoy it.