Tag: ERAS

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What happens when you don’t match

What happens to medical students who don’t match? Here’s what one unmatched psychiatry applicant had to say.

 

Thanks for letting me interview you Steven. You have a pretty unique story that my readers would love to hear about but before we delve in can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Who are you professionally? Did you go straight from undergrad to Ross? Who are you outside of the hospital?

My pleasure, Marc. I appreciate the opportunity to share my story as I feel people can learn from any experience in this process, both good and bad. I graduated from NYU in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics. After graduation, I had about six months before starting with Ross University’s MERP (Medical Education Review Program) and I knew I needed to make money. So I took a job that any medical school bound person takes – working in the jewelry and diamond industry. I did mostly bookkeeping but I also prepared orders for a wholesale company that dealt with Macy’s, JcPenney, Sears, HSN, QVC, etc. It taught me a lot about dealing with large staffs and it was a nice break away from the science and math world I had spent so much time with in undergrad.

Professionally, I’m the one making jokes in the office but I focus on the patient when I’m in the room. I like to be a reason people enjoy coming to work, because they know it’ll be fun and productive. On the same token, I’m also someone who isn’t afraid to call someone out for their BS because I expect someone to do the same to me if I ever act out of line. I also am one of the first people to teach someone how things run in the office, how to order labs, do procedures, etc. Not only do people feel comfortable if it’s a peer teaching them but it helps me better my skills as well.

 

 

What specialties did you apply for? How many programs in each specialty? What was your reasoning for that number of programs?

I applied to psychiatry, internal medicine, and internal medicine-psychiatry combined. For psychiatry, I applied to 76 programs. For internal medicine, I applied to 10. And for IM-psych, I applied to all 9 programs in the country. My step scores weren’t that competitive and there are only 196 psychiatry programs in the country. I went through each program on FREIDA and checked to see if I matched their step requirements. If I did, I tried to see who the residents were. If there were zero or one Caribbean grad in all the PGY positions, then I didn’t apply as I felt that that one particular Caribbean grad may have had a connection there or had stellar scores. Plus, why would I spend money on programs that were going to outright reject me?

For IM, I applied to where I had rotated and since I could apply up to 10 for one fee, I applied to some hospitals in the NY/NJ area (which is where I’m from). And for IM-psych programs, there were only 9 so it made the most sense to apply to all of them.

 

 

How many interviews did you end up receiving? How did you feel your chances were at matching?

Formally, I received three interviews, but in total, I ranked four positions. I received 2 for psychiatry and I was taken off the waitlist for 1 IM-psych program. All of them were university-based programs. At the IM-psych program, I had mentioned that I had also applied for a psychiatry categorical position at the same place and I wanted to know if I had to come back for another interview, which I was totally willing to do. Ten minutes after that mini-interview, I had an impromptu meeting with the program director of psychiatry and she told me that she will see what the other four interviewers had to say about me from that day and she would let me know if I needed to come back or not. Two weeks later, I’m notified that she had enough to consider me for a position. Throughout the next two months prior to match day, I had received several emails about how the psychiatry program is expanding and there’s new facilities and all these wonderful things. I didn’t think I was a shoo-in but I felt that maybe I had a great shot.

 

 

So, it’s Monday, March 14th. The day applicants find out if they matched. You open the e-mail and find out that you did not obtain a residency. What’s going through your head?

Before that day, I told myself whatever happens, happens. I actually slept well the night before! I was driving in Fort Lauderdale and taking care of some errands and I happened to look at my phone. For five seconds, I was completely numb. And then it hit me. My biggest fear came true. All that work, all that money, all the stress, and for what? Nothing.

*cue Kim Kardashian ugly crying*

I can honestly say that it is one of the most devastating experiences and I would not even wish it upon an enemy. The e-mail just says “you did not match”. Not even a “good morning” or “hey girl!” Just one line that says you’re not good enough to continue in your career. After quickly doing my errands and a few snot-filled tissues later, I sped home passing several cops on the way and began on SOAP.

Most of us aren’t familiar with the SOAP, or the Supplemental Offer & Acceptance Program. Can you walk us through your experience with it? (Here’s a link to the SOAP schedule for my readers)

SOAP is a chance for unmatched applicants to apply to unfilled spots in all fields of medicine. However, this means that you will have to come up with new personal statements in the matter of hours, which is exactly what I had to do for family medicine. As Markus said in a previous posting, the website was down and no one could send in applications (because like LOL, heaven forbid the ERAS website works when it needs to).

I spoke with a friend who match into IM the year before through SOAP and she guided me through the process while she was at work. She told me to apply to the IM prelim, IM categorical, and family med programs that had the MOST open spots. I had only 45 spots to pick from and I used 5 of them on psychiatry programs that were unfilled. Then I went through family medicine and internal medicine. In retrospect, I could’ve used those 5 on family medicine or IM spots but what’s done is done.

 

 

So on Monday you found out that you didn’t match. Then during the week you went through the SOAP.  Friday comes along and you find out that you didn’t SOAP into a residency. How did that feel?

By that point, I had already gone through the five stages of grief. Denial set in when I was in the car. Then anger when I was cursing at anyone on the road that was slowing me down from getting home (which is what I do on a regular basis and I’ve been trying to work on but YOU try driving on I-95 in Fort Lauderdale and Miami and tell me you don’t have road rage, but I digress…). Bargaining was SOAP. Depression set in when the 5th round of SOAP happened and I hadn’t received any offers. It continued for a week when all I saw on Facebook were my friends posting that they matched at their number one or number two choices. It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy for them. Every single one of us had a unique journey and even the people I didn’t like, I respected them enough in a professional sense to be proud that they get to continue their journey. It was more about the fact that I didn’t get to continue my journey with them.

Several months had passed and I hadn’t reached the acceptance stage of grief. It wasn’t until I went to the AAFP National Conference in Kansas City at the end of July that I had realized that I had been in the wrong field all this time. I realized within the first hour of the conference that I had such a wrong idea as to what family medicine and primary care entailed. There are so many opportunities for me as a family medicine doctor, whether it be to provide medical care for a whole family, work as a hospitalist, deal with mental health issues, or even perform procedures. After I didn’t match, I had told myself that something big was in store for me, and I finally believed it. Networking at the expo hall with the residency programs made me realize that I was a perfect fit for family medicine and that there are programs out there that WANT me. As I’m writing this, I can definitely say that I wasn’t supposed to match into psychiatry because I realized that I was meant to match into family medicine (I’m hoping). It feels good to be in that acceptance part of grief!

 

 

Why do you think you didn’t match? What were your step scores? Was your application particularly weak in any one specific area?

I had thought about not giving exact numbers here, but in all honesty, who cares? Step 1 was a 208, and step 2 CK was a 209 (yes, the EXACT passing score). Step 2 CS was a pass and everything was on the first try. I expected my Step 1 score but my CK was an absolute miracle. I had worked harder for CK than I did for step 1 and yet, I was not getting anywhere with my studying. I took a UWorld assessment two days before just to get more questions in and I had about 179. So in two days, my score JUMPED 30 points. (This is NOT a plan I recommend to ANYONE, by the way.) I know I’m a terrible test taker and that in rotations, I shined and my letters of recommendation reflected that.

In addition, I had failed one course in basic sciences, and THAT was a reason why a program didn’t take me. They were too worried that I may not pass step 3 (which I’ll go into below) and therefore, not be able to be licensed. However, my scores were good enough to get some interviews at university programs so I must have done SOMETHING right.

 

 

Do you think the fact that you attended a Caribbean medical school played a factor?

Not at all. The places I had interviewed at were very IMG friendly, as were the residencies I spoke with at the AAFP National Conference.

 

 

What do you plan to do while you wait to apply for the 2017 match?

I am currently a Clinical Teaching Fellow for Ross University. Some of my colleagues know it as “junior faculty” but teaching fellow is the formal title and you better believe I am using that on my CV. For those who don’t know what that is, my role is to act as a standardized patient for the incoming 3rd year medical students and assist other junior faculty in teaching how to handle difficult patients and certain common primary care cases, as well as how to begin to formulate an efficient style of medical interviewing. I also assist in Ross’s Ambulatory Care Competencies elective, where we prep the 4th year students for Step 2 CS by presenting cases and critiquing their notes.

Outside of Ross University, I tutor for Huntington Learning Center (which I have been doing since 4th year of med school), where I mostly do SAT/ACT math and high school subject tutoring in math as well. In addition, I’m getting my MBA in Health Services Management through Keller Graduate School of Management, which is one of the sister schools of Ross University. What’s great about that is that they have an “MD to MBA” program where I was able to get credit for 5 out of the 16 courses, so now I only need to complete 11 of them. In addition to working, I plan on taking Step 3 by the end of October. Needless to say, I only know one speed and it is full speed ahead.

 

 

How are you handling your loan debt?

Some of my loan debt could not be deferred or put into forbearance, so I have been paying that off. However, since starting grad school, I’ve been able to defer most of my loans while taking out more. Thanks, Uncle Sam!

 

 

What words of wisdom would you give to someone knowing what you know now?

Have plans A through Z ready to go from the jump. You don’t want to rely on them, but you want them ready if you have to execute them.

Go to as many networking conferences as you can. I know those things can cost money, but at the very least, go to the big ones run by the specialties to which you are applying.

But most importantly, it’s not a matter of “if” you become a resident, but rather it’s a matter of WHEN. 2016 was not my time and I realize that now. However, come 2017, I will be a better applicant and in a better frame of mind to continue on in the next chapter.

 

 

Thank you Steven for an informative and entertaining interview. I look forward to finding out where you match in 2017.

 

Next week I interview a Ross University graduate who matched into a categorical general surgery position. Be sure to subscribe to my blog, like me on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter so you don’t miss it!

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Spotlight Interview: a family medicine resident who failed step 1

Emily Chan is a Ross University graduate who successfully matched into her top choice residency program. However, it wasn’t an easy route to residency. As a Canadian citizen she could only apply to programs that would sponsor her visa. Oh and she also failed USMLE step 1. Here’s her story.

As a close friend, I know you pretty well. Can you tell my followers a little bit about yourself? Who are you professionally? Who are you outside of the hospital?

I’m from the beautiful area of Niagara Falls, Canada. True to stereotype, I am polite, love maple syrup, and say “eh” often. I received my Bachelor’s in biomedical sciences at the University of Montréal – in French.

Professionally, I am a hard worker and a team player. I show up to the office or the hospital with a smile and do my best. People have described me as a problem solver because I will come up with quick solutions for anything.

Outside of the hospital, I indulge in my hobby of cooking and baking. Nothing makes me happier than sharing good homemade food with friends. I also attempt, with varying degrees of success, to justify my paid gym membership even though I hate working out.

You matched into your top choice family medicine program. That’s an amazing accomplishment. Why did you choose to apply to family medicine?

Thank you! It is the most amazing feeling. I knew since I was 12 years old that I wanted to be a family doc. I’ve always loved talking to people and listening to stories about themselves, their families, and their lives. I believe that every personality fits in a certain branch of medicine. How will you know? Trust me, you’ll just feel it, you’ll know. Family medicine was my perfect fit.

Where are you from originally? Did you want to match in the US or Canada? Did you experience any extra hardships trying to match in American programs as a Canadian?

As a Canadian, I knew the odds were not in my favour across the board. Many factors influenced my choice to not pursue a Canadian residency. Canada made it very difficult for me to apply (poor matching stats, inconvenient availability of mandatory tests, and difficulty to obtain Canadian electives). I felt that if my own country made it so challenging for me to come back, then I wasn’t going to put up a fight. Instead, I concentrated all my energy to match in the US. I am very glad my strategic gamble paid off. Yes, you face discrimination because as a resident you will require a visa. I was ineligible to apply to many programs because they did not want to deal with the headache of visas. Disappointing, sure, but I don’t blame them.

Speaking of hardships, I remember the day that we all received our step one scores. You and I, along with three close friends of ours, were living together in Florida. I remember the moment when you came downstairs from your room and told us what every medical student dreads to even think of. That you failed step one. What happened? Why do you think you failed? Were you doing poorly in school? Did it come as a shock to you?

Oh that dreadful day… It was awful! I was so glad to be surrounded by friends like you when I found out I failed. You all rallied around me in a big group hug and reassured me that everything was going to be ok.

Failing Step 1 was a huge blow and I did not expect it at all. Granted, I’m not the strongest student so by no means did I expect to have a stellar score. I just expected to pass. So when I learned I was a few points shy of passing, I was crushed. I had done fine in school up to that point. I never failed any tests on the island, never repeated a semester, and I even passed the comp on the first try. Everything suggested that I’d be fine.

In hindsight, I realized what I thought was enough preparation for the test ended up being insufficient. To tackle Step 1 a second time around, I had to prepare more than ever before.

What was step 2 CK like for you? What steps did you take to make sure you didn’t make the same mistakes again?

Step 2 CK was definitely better than Step 1. I will say, all the self-doubting and insecurities resurfaced when I was prepping for Step 2. I spent 6 months studying and even delayed my test till October – meaning I applied to match without a CK score. As anyone and everyone will tell you, it’s best to apply to match with a full and complete application but mine lacked the CK. It was a risk I was willing to take. I absolutely could not afford to fail a second USMLE exam. Aside from doubling the time I dedicated to study, I got weekly tutor help to go over questions on UWorld that I got wrong. I also made sure that I took plenty of practice tests.

How many programs did you end up applying to? How many categorical? How many preliminary? How many interviews did you end up going on?

I applied to every single FM program in the US for which I was qualified. All categorical, no prelim. I spent a little over $3,100 on my 140+ applications. In the end, I only had 2 interviews. Yes, you read that right, two interviews. One interview was where I did all my core rotations in 3rd year. I got the other interview because I clicked well with residents from that program while attending the AAFP National Conference. I knew from the get go that on paper I was less than stellar so I worked hard on networking. I attended family medicine residency fairs like it was going out of style. In 12 months, I attended 3 residency conferences.

What was match day like for you?

Every medical student will tell you that match day is a nerve-wracking day, and for me, it was no different. I was hoping to match but I also mentally prepared myself that there was a good chance I would not match. When I learned that I successfully matched, I cried tears of joy and relief. Knowing that I beat the odds was the most incredible feeling. It validated all the people along the way who believed in me and said I would make it. I now had proof that outside people (not just family and friends) believed I was worthy of pursuing this profession.

I know we’ve talked a lot about a major weakness in your application but what do you think were your greatest strengths about your application? What set you apart from the other applicants?

Academia has never been my forte. I knew clinical years were my time to shine. It’s what I do best; it’s where I feel most comfortable. I worked diligently and was rewarded with A’s in all my core and elective rotations, except surgery. I genuinely connected with my attendings and they wrote me beautiful letters of recommendation. My strong LORs were undoubtedly a key component to my match success. I’ve always been a people person so interviews came naturally to me. When applying to medical schools, I had 4 interviews and was accepted to all 4. I knew I had strong interview skills. I harnessed that same energy and left my 2 residency interviews feeling confident.

The fact that you failed step one, the proverbial kiss of death to any applicant’s dream of obtaining a residency, but still managed to match into your top choice family medicine program is quite an accomplishment. In closing, what advice would you give to a medical student who failed or didn’t do well on step one?

I want people reading this to say to themselves, if she can match her top choice in her dream specialty with a 203 Step 1 score, a 215 Step 2 score, and only 2 interviews, I can do it too. One failure does not define you. You will encounter people along the road who will encourage you to quit medicine (one of my Ross professors counseled me to pursue non medical careers) or take time off (I was strongly encouraged to delay my graduation date and my match by a year) or give up all together. Take all that advice as fuel to prove them wrong.

Thank you Emily for bravely sharing your inspirational story. You are proof that it is possible to fail USMLE step 1 and still earn a residency. I’m sure it was an emotionally tumultuous path and taught you a lot about yourself along the way.

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UPDATE: Unfortunately due to the high volume of requests to speak with Dr. Chan I can no longer forward her private email. If you have questions for her please comment below. After sufficient questions have been posted we plan to release an updated blog post with the most frequently asked questions. Thank you for your understanding.

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Spotlight Interview: matching in Canada from a Caribbean medical school

Dana is a Ross University School of Medicine graduate from Toronto. She went through both the US and Canadian matches and successfully matched into her top choice Canadian program. I interviewed Dana about her experience going through the match and the difficulties she encountered along the way. Here’s what she had to say:

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who are you professionally? Who are you outside of the hospital?

If I could describe myself professionally I would use the words inquisitive and dedicated. For as long as I can remember I have had a constant need to know how and why things work the way they do (growing up this was often to the annoyance of my parents). I’ve always strived to excel in any position I hold so I believe my dedicated nature has really found its niche in medicine. Outside of the hospital, I would describe myself and adventurous and thoughtful. I love to travel, try new things and for the most part view the world as limitless. I also don’t make hasty decisions and I place significant value on the relationships in my life.

 

How many programs did you apply to? How many categorical? Prelim? How many in the United States? How many in Canada?

Originally I applied to approximately 100 IM categorical US programs. I did not apply to any back up programs or prelim spots, against my medical school’s advice. I spoke with other colleagues and was aware that they applied to 150-200 programs on average, but my plan was to stay in large cities or close to the Canadian border. After only receiving 4 interviews in the first 3 weeks I applied to the remaining 150 IM categorical programs available in the US (this was a humbling and expensive lesson). The Canadian match was a few months later and after my experience in the US I applied to every Canadian IM program, I believe there’s 7, as well as a dozen Family Medicine programs.

 

What as the most difficult part of applying to both the Canadian and the American match?

I think the most difficult part was that each system uses a completely different application. This meant that I couldn’t just use the same documents twice. I had to rewrite statements of interest and reformat resumes, which is an enormous task. The letters of recommendation could be the same but I had to bother my preceptors twice to use two different uploading systems.

 

Roughly, how does the Canadian match work? Can you end up with both a Canadian and an American residency?

Luckily CaRMs (Canadian Residency Matching Service) match date is about two weeks before the US match date. This is great since your chances of getting into a Canadian program are much poorer than a US program so ideally you would want to try this route first and use the US match as a backup if it doesn’t work out. If you match into CaRMs you are automatically withdrawn from the US match. You are also never able to find out how you were ranked in the US match.

 

How did you end up ranking your programs? Would you have rather gone to your least favorite Canadian program over your top American program?

It was a difficult choice deciding how to rank my programs since being close to home, Toronto, was important to me but also the quality of the program. In the end I ended up ranking my first choice US program as the one that I believed was the best place to be academically, which happened to be the second closest geographically to my home in Canada. When I submitted my rank list for CaRMs I reluctantly ranked a program that was across the country, but did so based solely on the fact it was in Canada. If I would have matched at this program I would have been automatically withdrawn from the US match, as I mentioned earlier, so I knew that would mean giving up my first choice US program. This was definitely the most difficult decision I had to make in all of my ranking.

 

How many interviews did you go on in the end? How many in the US? In Canada?

In the end I was invited to 7 interviews in the US and 2 interviews in Canada. Some of these interviews were in very undesirable locations for me, but I felt it was good practice to keep all my options open since I was not invited to a lot of interviews. In the end I ranked them all.

 

Any crazy stories from the interview trail?

At the end of one of my interviews I realized my middle button of my blouse was undone. No idea how long that was like that for.

 

What did you find to be the most frustrating part of the interview process?

The days were way more exhausting than I expected them to be. The travelling combined with the anxiety about the day really gets to you after a while. A couple of my interviews started at 7am for morning rounds and didn’t end until 3 or 4pm. These days were long enough without having to also roll out my charm for 8 hours straight.

 

Do you feel that coming from a Caribbean medical school hindered your chances to match back home in Canada?

Yes, but I don’t think my chances would have been any better coming from a US or European school. The Canadian match first and foremost ensures all of its Canadian graduates have a residency. There are designated spots for international medical graduates (IMG’s) in the CaRMs match, but they are very few for very many.

 

What do you think were your greatest strengths about your application? What set you apart from the other applicants?

I believe my work experience prior to Ross University was a strong point of my application; most programs asked about this during the interview process. I also made it a priority in my personal statement to express the hardships that came along with studying in a third world country and in constantly relocating during clinical years. In the end I believe that the impression I left on the staff during an elective rotation is what set me apart from the other applicants.

 

In contrast, what were your greatest weaknesses about your application?

A big weakness in my application was my USMLE Step 1 score. I was having personal troubles and knew going into the exam I was not as prepared as I should be. In hind sight I also wish I spent more time on my personal statement. I left it until the last minute and did not allow time to have people proof read it and critique it.

 

How did you do on the USMLE’s? What were your step scores? Do you think your step scores negatively/positively affected the number of interviews your received?

My USMLE Step 1 score was a full standard deviation below average, which I am disappointed with and believe negatively affected my interview invitations. I worked hard to redeem myself on USMLE Step 2 CK and scored 30 points higher, which I am very pleased with. On the Canadian version of the USMLE, the Medical Council of Canada Evaluation Examination (the MCCEE) I received two standard deviations above the average, which is the score I’m most proud of.

 

What advice would you give to other international medical graduates who want to pursue residency in Canada ?

I would tell other Canadians that if they want a residency in Canada to just try! I heard countless times along the way that it’s impossible as an IMG to get a residency in Canada. For this reason I was preparing the whole time to get rejected, but I worked really hard and was one of the lucky ones. If things would have gone the other way I was very excited for my US residency programs and looking forward to spending more time with our lovely neighbors to the south. Either way I would recommend that you keep all your options open; being an IMG does not mean you cannot have the residency you want.

 

Thank you Dana for sharing your experience with the Canadian and US match process. Going through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) was frustrating enough for me at times so I can only imagine what it was like to do it twice. I wish you the best during your internal medicine residency and hope to hear more from you soon.

Next in the spotlight series is an interview with a family medicine resident who failed step 1. Subscribe so you don’t miss out!

 

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How to Successfully Submit Your ERAS Application

This post is for any third year med students watching your fourth year friends or Twitter followers freak out while ERAS crashes and runs at a snail’s pace. Here are my tips to successfully submit your ERAS application.

 

Finalize and upload your application before ERAS opens

There are thousands of applicants sitting in front of their computers waiting to click submit the second that ERAS opens. When it finally does open, the system is going to operate quite slowly if it doesn’t crash altogether like last year (the 2015 match). The last thing you want to be doing is uploading your personal statement, photo, or assigning documents to programs when the system is running so slowly. So do yourself a favor and finalize your application the night before.

 

Submit your application sooner than later

My biggest stressor about submitting my application was not knowing how late I could submit my application. Most programs don’t even download your application the first week. Admittedly, my source of information is hearsay and info from the internet and there are bound to be programs that break this guideline. But the majority fall under the bell curve of not downloading your application before the end of the week. Again however, every program is different and some will wait a few days to download your application, some will wait a week, and some might wait longer. It’s frustrating and infuriating that there is no clear-cut answer for when you should submit your ERAS application but the general consensus is the sooner the better.

Here is the dilemma I went through: I only got my step 2 CK score back on Wednesday but applications were able to be sent out on Tuesday. I sent out my application the day ERAS opened on Tuesday and resent my USMLE transcript the following day but I’m fairly certain I could have waited one more day to include my score with my application. It is a different story entirely if you were only getting your score a month or so after your application goes out. At that point the program would need to re-download your application in order to receive your updated USMLE transcript. In my mind, you can apply as soon as you want and get extra documents into ERAS the rest of the week as long as you get your extra documents in before your application is initially downloaded. When that tipping point is I couldn’t tell you. Just get it all in as soon as possible.

 

At least one of your letter writers will bail on you

One of my letter writers didn’t have the letter uploaded till the day before my application went out (thankfully I already had three others and didn’t even end up using it!). A friend of mine had a letter writer’s secretary forget to upload her letter entirely. It’s a frustrating and anxiety provoking experience. Do your best to gently remind your writers to submit your letter. From your perspective, this is THE most important part of your relationship with your letter writer at the moment. For them, you are likely at the bottom of their priority list. Not to say you aren’t important, but come on…you’ve worked with attendings before. They’ve got shit to do. My best advise is to secure an extra letter or two from people who are willing to write you STRONG letters. That way, if one of them falls through you will have extra ones that you can use and submit. Hopefully your worst case scenario is that you have too many letters and you don’t end up using all of them.

 

Personal statements are the worst part of the application

It’s hard to humble-brag about yourself while telling a compelling story that illustrates why you will make a perfect candidate for residency. Yeah, try that thesis statement on for size. Start writing your PS early. I wrote three different drafts before it evolved into its final form and those three drafts included dozens of revisions. Not to mention I only had to write a single PS for my internal medicine residency application. Some friends of mine had to write ones for surgery/emergency AND their back up. So start writing those rough drafts and keep on the look out for my follow up blog post about how to write a strong personal statement for residency. It’s a daunting subject and deserves its own post entirely.

 

I know this doesn’t nearly encompass all of the anxiety inducing questions that med students have on the subject so feel free to comment and ask me a question the process of applying for residency!