If you are a medical student, chances are you will at least apply for a medical residency like the one Rachel Tobin Yale was matched with. Regardless of whether you have studied to be an orthopedic surgeon who treats diseases like congenital cervicothoracic scoliosis, a nephrologist specializing in kidney disease, or some other kind of medical professional, you will have to compete with many others. So what exactly will you be judged on? Here are three factors that can determine whether or not you are accepted by your medical residency of choice.
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Factors to Know That Affect Your Medical Residency Acceptance
1. The Numbers
As important as experience and personal ability are, the numbers do matter. This is because those screening applicants do not have the time to personally assess your skill, so they are judging based on what you can put on paper. This includes your GPA, medical school evaluation, science grades and USME/COMLEX assessment scores. The higher these are, the better the chances of your application receiving a second glance.
2. The Resume
As mentioned earlier, what you can put on paper plays a major influence on whether or not you are chosen. Application reviewers consider the extracurricular and electives you choose to participate in when weeding out applications, as they reveal aspects of you as a person that numbers do not. The school you attend does matter as well. Schools have different reputations and specialties, and this is taken into account when applications are viewed.
3. The References
Part of applying to medical residencies is providing references. Selecting the right people to write out letters of reference is an important process that should be done with careful thought as it can majorly impact whether you get in or not. Having letters of recommendation from specialists in the field you are trying to enter can be a deciding factor.
Medical residencies can be very competitive. It is important for you to be aware of the criteria used to assess your applications so that you can prepare your application to highlight your achievements and make yourself stand out.
