On Wednesday October 21 your applications will go to the EM Residency Programs you applied to. So we are going to try to answer some common last minute questions that a lot of folks are asking. These are questions where there is no evidence base for answers/recommendations, so what you are getting is one advisors opinion, informed by conversations with other advisors and PD's.
Question 1: How should I describe work, research and volunteer experiences in ERAS - bullets or paragraph?
Either is fine. Applicants are paying more attention than usual to how they complete the ERAS application, probably because they have more time on their hands to craft and perfect these entries. Just make sure you concisely explain what you did and what your role was. This won't affect how programs rate your application.
Question 2: Should I customize my Personal Statement to different regions or even to different programs?
Maybe. In previous years (and posts) I have pretty strongly said "no" - because this is a poor use of time and Program Directors generally felt this comes across as "too desperate" and unnecessarily raises concerns: "what is wrong with this persons application that they think they need to do this". HOWEVER, this year is probably different. You do not have the ability to do Away Rotations to demonstrate interest in a specific region or type of program. You can and should use the "hometown" section of the application to clarify regions you have a connection to. It is also common to include in your Personal Statement a section (usually closing paragraph) that describes what you are looking for in a Residency Program: academically and geographically. And it would also be reasonable to have different versions of this closing paragraph for different geographies or types of programs. This is OPTIONAL. It may not help. It may even hurt you if interpreted as desperation. BUT, if you are concerned that there is no other way to make clear your interest in a region or in a type of program, then this MAY be helpful.
Question 3: Should I hold a spot for a late arriving letter or just fill all four spots with what I have now?
Hold a spot if it is an eSLOE from a residency program. This application season is starting later than in years past but the date of the Match has not changed. Programs are on a compressed timeline to review applications, and offer and complete interviews and rank lists. And we all expect to interview more applicants than we normally do. Programs will look at whatever you have on October 21 as they make INITIAL interview offers. A late arriving letter can still impact your chances of getting a "wait list" interview when someone cancels later in the season. Only an eSLOE from a residency program is a valuable enough addition to your application to move a program from "maybe" to "interview". Other letters, even O-SLOE's, are unlikely to make a difference late in the process.
Question 4: Should I be doing more than 10-12 interviews this year because programs are interviewing more people?
Yes, but not many more. The number of interviews (and ranks on your rank list) needed to reliably match in EM has been steady for many years at 10-12. Even with the number of applications submitted per applicant steadily increasing over the last decade this number has not changed (because the number of residency spots has grown at the same pace as the number of people who are applying). Ranking 10-12 programs gives a 95%+ chance of matching in EM. BUT, that is based on non-pandemic application cycles. This year we anticipate applicants are going to apply to more programs (because they have more available funds with interviews being virtual and less ability to audition) and programs will interview more applicants because they are worried that many of their applicants are not really interested but are just panic-applying. HOWEVER, residency programs are limited in how much they can increase the number of interviews they do. On the program end the virtual interview process takes just as much faculty and coordinator time, AND possibly more time, if you account for the challenges of trouble-shooting virtual interviews. So while an applicant can pretty easily (though not wisely) double the number of applications they send out, the programs will need to make a huge investment of resources just to increase their number of interviews by 20-30%. If you are an applicant without extenuating circumstances, like being in a complicated couples match, you can do 12-15 interviews and be confident in matching. AND for most of you 12-15 is overkill, just like 10-12 was overkill for most applicants over the last decade (1/3 of applicants match to their #1 and more than half match in their top 3).
Question 5: Wait a minute! I should be doubling the number of programs I apply to?!?
NO! That is totally unnecessary. But fear and uncertainty have steadily driven up the number of applications per applicant for the last decade. And this year has produced an abundance of fear and uncertainty. As an applicant your chances of matching are exactly the same as they have been in the past. The proportion of available EM residency spots to applicants who want them (spots/applicants) has not changed. Because you can't go to most of the programs you will eventually rank the most important thing to do this year is research programs throughout the process. Hopefully you have been doing this already. You want to make good use of your interview time so choose places to apply that you are actually interested in and have already vetted for matching what you are looking for. A plan of "apply to a ton, see where you get interviews, and then learn about the programs on interview day" is going to work even more poorly than usual this year. Programs are going to be looking to interview applicants who are obvious fits for their program: geographically and academically. A smart application is one where most of the programs on your "core list" (the 20-30 realistic programs, NOT the longshots) make sense for you. Your geographic ties are clear: connection from med school, college, work/life spent there, or explained in PS. AND your academic profile (degree, scores, specialty interests like US, wild med, research, etc.) match what they advertise they are looking for.
I bet these questions generate even MORE questions. We will try to respond quickly to anything you put in the comments section, so fire away!
Wow, this is awesome. Thank you for always looking out for us. I collected some last-minute questions from my school's EM bound group. We don't have any EM advisors or faculty at the school, so any feedback would really help us out.
ReplyDeleteWow, this is awesome. Thank you for always looking out for us. I collected some last-minute questions from my school's EM bound group. We don't have any EM advisors or faculty at the school, so any feedback would really help us out.
-Should all leadership experiences during med school go under the volunteer experience section? Or should some of them be under in "Membership in Professional Societies" section by simply listing the EM organization and the position we had or committee we were involved with?
-How many experiences listed is considered too many?
-Are there any particular things that past applicants have put on their ERAS app that you think watered down the application?
-Should we avoid including evidence-based medicine case presentations that we gave to residents/attendings at the end of a clerkship? On the same note, should we avoid listing journal club presentations we gave during a clerkship?
-Should students mention president/dean list and scholarships from undergrad in the Other Awards section?
-Many resources and webinars advised against listing these hobbies (running, hiking, cooking, working out, reading, traveling), because everyone does them unless we took a hobby to another level, such as marathons, many double digit hikes, cooked as a chef, were a professional trainer, won competitions, etc. If we do not have any unique hobbies or did not take our hobbies to another level, should we list them anyway or should we just give up and quit EM?
-Is it known amongst PDs that "hometown" does not just refer to the place we were born in/grew up/lived in? You mentioned during the Baystate panel if we have connections to an area, such as having family living there even though we never did would be okay to put it as our hometown this year. I want to list the city my spouse and his family live in because we would like to move to there to be closer to them, but I am afraid that some PDs might think it is disingenuous when they find out that I never lived in that state even though I put it as one of my "hometowns". Is there a consensus amongst PDs on this? Another option would be to customize the personal statement to address the geography, but I like the hometown section idea better because programs may less likely screen me out when they see an obvious geographical tie versus having to actually read my personal statement to find that out. I am just concerned that it will rub people off the wrong way.
THANK YOU, DR. KELLOG!
Should all leadership experiences during med school go under the volunteer experience section? Or should some of them be under in "Membership in Professional Societies" section by simply listing the EM organization and the position we had or committee we were involved with?
DeleteI would put these under the Volunteer experiences, which will make them stand out more and give you greater ability to describe your role.
-How many experiences listed is considered too many?
DeleteThere is no cap so long as they are all real. IF you do have a lot, consider writing less about each, or at least about the ones that were smaller. If you write too much you increase the chances of reviewers not reading it.
Delete-Should we avoid including evidence-based medicine case presentations that we gave to residents/attendings at the end of a clerkship? On the same note, should we avoid listing journal club presentations we gave during a clerkship?
In the past lots of applicants include these kinds of presentations. Anything that was mandatory for you to give on a clerkship doesn't need to be in there, and usually gets included to fill out the application when folks feel insecure that they don't have something for a section.
-Are there any particular things that past applicants have put on their ERAS app that you think watered down the application?
DeleteThere is no specific thing that I would say everyone should leave off. While something might not move one reviewer, that experience could deeply resonate with a different one. The application should be painting a picture of who you are so that the reviewer can project how well you will do in their training environment.
-Should students mention president/dean list and scholarships from undergrad in the Other Awards section?
DeleteThis would only hurt you by distracting from more meaningful/later awards (dilution). I would keep scholarships over Dean's list as most people who get into med school make a bunch of Dean's list.
-Many resources and webinars advised against listing these hobbies (running, hiking, cooking, working out, reading, traveling), because everyone does them unless we took a hobby to another level, such as marathons, many double digit hikes, cooked as a chef, were a professional trainer, won competitions, etc. If we do not have any unique hobbies or did not take our hobbies to another level, should we list them anyway or should we just give up and quit EM?
DeleteI totally disagree with that advice. Especially the quit EM part. Any hobby you do and is important to you can go there, even if you are terrible at it. I am not looking at these to be impressed, but to see if you are going to be able to do those hobbies here.
-Is it known amongst PDs that "hometown" does not just refer to the place we were born in/grew up/lived in? You mentioned during the Baystate panel if we have connections to an area, such as having family living there even though we never did would be okay to put it as our hometown this year. I want to list the city my spouse and his family live in because we would like to move to there to be closer to them, but I am afraid that some PDs might think it is disingenuous when they find out that I never lived in that state even though I put it as one of my "hometowns". Is there a consensus amongst PDs on this? Another option would be to customize the personal statement to address the geography, but I like the hometown section idea better because programs may less likely screen me out when they see an obvious geographical tie versus having to actually read my personal statement to find that out. I am just concerned that it will rub people off the wrong way.
DeleteHometown is too new for their to be consensus on how it is used and interpreted (only appeared in the last year or two). You are allowed to list more than one, so the intent is to show places you are connected to, especially that may not be obvious from the easily viewed part of your application (college and med school). The PS is not always read during the initial application screening BUT hometown takes only seconds to review. Even if you add a section on the PS explaining your interest/connection in a region/city I would also list it in the hometown if you have a connection there. Don't list places you WANT to go to as a hometown. That is missing the point. Example: if you have family in Chicago whom you have visited a bunch, but you never lived there, it is okay to list as a hometown because that would tell programs there that you have a connection and support system in Chicago. Which will make you more likely to be happy as a resident there.
Hey Dr. Kellogg,
ReplyDeleteMy only true E-SLOE will most likely be coming in late (that rotation ended last Friday). I technically have an E-SLOE from my home site because even though the hospital doesn't have a residency, as the clerkship director is associated with a residency. How much would the late coming E-SLOE affect my chances of an interview (low board scores)? Is it appropriate to email PDs (that I've talked to and been corresponding with) and let them know I have one E-SLOE coming in at this point?
Thanks!
Letter writers are trying to turn around eSLOE's as fast as they can so it will likely not be that late. Without a true eSLOE in your application, and an open spot waiting for one to arrive, most programs will just hold off on reviewing your application until you have that one true eSLOE, seeing as that is the most heavily weighted piece of your application (> than boards). I don't think you need to contact programs unless it arrives more than a week after applications open (next Wed, 10/28). With lower board scores you should anticipate not getting as many interview offers in the initial wave. That does not mean you wont' get plenty before it is all said and done. Programs have a very narrow window to do application review so objective measures like board scores will likely prioritize the first wave of offers. That will change. It always does.
Delete