My misconception is someone, somewhere, had told me “it’s random, but they try to do the best for both the applicant and the hospital.” H and I were wondering how that worked. How random is it if they’re trying to do their best, etc? This led to his question. I took it somewhere where I knew folks would have the answer.
And now we know how it works and it makes sense. Yes, if both put #1, it happens, and yes, they try to do their best for both the applicant and the hospital (program). Yet it can seem sort of random because no one knows who is where on whichever list.
Having the video show their example really helped us understand it - hence my keeping it bookmarked if I want to share it in the future.
We’re on the sidelines with our lad applying this year. We get to be cheerleaders, but wanted to know how, exactly, the game works - if that could be known.
Good luck @creekland! It is a very rapid if somewhat nervewracking process. Hopefully your son is not looking at a highly competitive residency field needing to apply to 90 programs.
His advisor told him to apply to 15. I know he’s discussed potential places already with his advisors each suggesting a couple my lad didn’t have and axing a fair number that he was thinking about (usually due to first hand knowledge of those programs).
My lad told me he’s thinking of applying to 20 even though 15 was suggested. His friends are applying to 30 or so, but they were told to apply to 30 or so. None of us are quite sure what to make of the difference. Scores might have come into play.
It’s going to be weird this year not being able to go places to see them. Meeting people and seeing programs online doesn’t quite seem as adequate. It’s quite the frustration for my guy.
@creekland the residents at the program my kid is at have been asked to come up with some ideas to take the place of the night before social. They are working on it.
Yes, it will be different, but I’m sure the programs will do the best they can to make the interview process as good as possible.
I can’t believe the time has flown by. My kid is applying this year. A lot of kids are probably going to apply to more programs then they normally would since you don’t have to fly to interviews. All his away rotations have been cancelled. So he’s not sure how he will be able to know where he wants to end up.
@momworried from what I’ve heard, the programs are trying to come up with ways for those interviewing for residencies to get a good feel for the programs.
Remember, these programs aren’t getting the advantage of working with these last year Med school students for a month either…so it’s in everyone’s best interest to figure out how to make this process a good one for all. As good as it can be.
If your student knows any current residents at a program (maybe residents who were ahead of him at his Med school) perhaps reaching out to them for opinions would be helpful.
Lot of the work that goes into interviews is to impress the applicant more than applicant trying to impress them. So it is important for the applicants to ensure they collect as much information as they can about the programs outside of the interview process if they are not visiting in person.
It is not always easy to stay put since the programs dont always have enough positions. As an example, if one goes to UT Southwestern, there are 15-20 radiology residents coming out (18 this year) but I dont believe any single program supports that many. UTSW has only 12 seats and has only 3-4 of their own coming in. Most programs also want to ensure diversity among their incoming residents and not absorb all their own students.
Son finished up his residency and started “officially” last week as Chief. He has been super busy and all that comes with it at a large program and a huge hospital. He has to set his alarm to remind himself to eat! He has privileges at nearby hospitals to deal with covid patients and overflow from the main. Busy seems like such a small word to describe his life. I help as much as I can.
D is in week 2 of her first year of her residency. Long hours as expected. She has a couple of medical students to mentor which I find interesting considering she was one of those just a few months ago! Covid+ rates are going up there - so they are taking all the precautions.
@texaspg
It depends on the specialty. For some specialties and at some programs, chief residents are in their last year of residency. For others, being chief requires extending residency by an extra year or doing a 1 year administration fellowship.
@WayOutWestMom I have seen people be chief residents as you suggest (final year or extra year. One of our friends kids switched residencies and they gave credit for first year from other specialty and made him chief in the new specialty in the final year (or he took it because it padded resume for a tough to get fellowship). Some of the programs D interviewed at have either final years or extra years as CHIEFs.
I guess my question is that a CHIEF is still not making the real doctor money?
This is the same thing my lad is thinking. It’s really tough to know where you might want to go without seeing it. What is “known” is suddenly more appealing to many.
Nope. No extra money for being a chief. If the chief is a final year resident, they still get resident pay. If they’re chief as a fellow, then they get the standard fellowship salary.
@Creekland this is the time for your medical school student to reach out to others. Who does he know at other programs beside his home program? What do they think about their residency experience.
As I mentioned above…the program directors won’t have the benefit of a face to face conversation with the resident interviewees. The current residents won’t have a social the night before the interviews. I know at least one program where the current residents have been asked to design something so they can “meet and greet” those being interviews virtually.
I heard at one UC a new resident didn’t disclose that his parents had Covid and he tested positive (and became ill) few days after starting residency. Looks like they didn’t test any of incoming residents prior to starting. How about at programs your kids are attending?
He still has 15-20 places he’ll be applying to and doing their online interviews and whatever else they offer. I don’t think many (if any) will put down one choice for their match. We both just think the home hospital will likely be higher on many lists than otherwise would have happened, esp if the student likes it there anyway (as he does).
Regardless, we parents are still just cheerleaders at this point. I’ll be content with however he ranks his list and wherever he ends up getting matched. My role right now is listening so he has a sounding board and mentioning some non-medical things he might want to consider about any particular place he brings up. I have no clue about the depth of any program out there. He has advisors who have been actively helping him with that. They have added some to his list and had him cross some off - all based upon their knowledge of depth of programs and knowing him.
@srk2017 my D has not mentioned anything about whether her program is testing. She has been too busy with the residency to talk much.
@creekland your kid should rank every program he interviews at, unless he absolutely hates it and would rather not be a doctor as compared to living/working at a program for a few years. While your kids interview cycle will be different than usual, the programs will do their best to make sure the med students know as much about them as possible. There is no perfect solution, just everyone will do their best.
The testing has been incredibly lax at D2’s program.
Back in early March when CV-19 was exploding in Italy, D2 and one of her co-residents were supposed to take bike tour of the Amalfi Coast. They didn’t get there, but only because they flight to Naples got cancelled when they were already enroute. They ended up stranded in Paris–another CV-19 hotspot. They spent a week in France and returned on the last day of international European flights before the shut down. (A Saturday) Both were back to work & seeing patients (including those in high risk categories) Monday morning. No test. They weren’t even asked if they had traveled on their time off or where they went.
And that pretty much still seems to be the case. D2’s partner just got back from a trip to visit his parent. He wasn’t asked about his travels upon return to his job (in hospital PT rehab) this week, nor was he tested. He was asked if he had fever.
