101 Tips to Getting the Residency You Want: A Guide for Medical Students

Closing Thoughts

Closing Thoughts S o . . . things didn’t work out the first time like you wanted them to. No one expects you to be happy about being in this position, but it is not the end of the world either. And not get­ ting into a program the first time around definitely does not mean that you will never get the residency you want. 76 c l o si n g t houg h t s 94 95 Play within the rules of the match, the first time and every time you apply This tip is an extension of the previous discussion . If you start to look sleazy or dishonest, in any context, the majority of good programs will simply just move on to someone who is honest (or at least appears to be so). Almost everyone I have ever talked to would take the most honest applicant over the smartest . Most of the problems that residents encounter in their programs and with their faculty come from some form of dishonesty. The most intelligent applicant in the world will not be able to outsmart a perception of dishonesty. Expect that the programs will play within the rules of the match You have every right to expect that the programs you are applying to will adhere to the rules of the match. No one is naive enough to believe that all programs will do so, but the really good programs just have too much to lose by trying to circumvent the procedures in place. Just like with applicants, the reputation a program has can be quickly and very negatively impacted if word gets out that the program is dishonest with applicants. 77 c l o si n g t houg h t s 96 97 Don’t volunteer the fact that you are interviewing for a second time Although some of the people interviewing you will likely remember you from the last time, it is possible that they may not. Don’t take this personally. The sta≠ interviewing you might have been very busy or distracted the last time they met you. You may have been part of a large number of resident applicants that they interviewed, or the people doing the interviewing this year may not have done it last year. This actually happens a lot in some programs where the duties of interviewing are passed around. It is sad to say, but many of the people interviewing may not have spent much time reviewing your file prior to your interview, and if you don’t volunteer the fact that you are interviewing for the second time, they may not even know. Of course, not volunteering information that may not help you is completely di≠erent from a situation in which you are directly asked if you failed to get into the program previously. This situation is covered in the next tip. Be prepared to give reasons why you think you did not get in the first time around Without doubt, someone will ask you why you think you didn’t get into the program the first time. From a superficial viewpoint, this may seem like a mean question. However, this is probably a fair 78 c l o si n g t houg h t s 98 question to ask to see if you have any insight on what your weaknesses may have been and what you have done to correct the situation. There may be legitimate reasons that you didn’t get in even though you were a good candidate. Maybe you didn’t apply to enough programs, maybe an unethical program director promised you a position and didn’t deliver and you didn’t leave other options open on the application, or maybe your C.V. was a little light on something that would have helped your application (publication of research, for example). In any event, there are several, if not many, perfectly plausible reasons why you may have been an excellent candidate but didn’t get in. So don’t hang your head and mumble when someone asks you about this. Use the opportunity to emphasize why you are now a much better candidate than you were when you went through the process previously. Be sure to convey that you are not bitter about the process, but rather that you see it as a learning experience. Highlight the positive changes you have made to improve...