Communicate Meaningful Contributions During the Residency Interview

Which of the following discoveries is credited to a medical student?

A) Heparin

B) Insulin

C) Sinoatrial node

D) Pancreaticobiliary sphincter

E) Ether anesthesia

Give yourself a gold star if you selected any of the above answer choices (if only all standardized exams were this easy!). In fact, the most appropriate answer is not listed and would have been F) All of the Above. You can read about famous discoveries made by medical students in a wonderful article written by Drs. Mark Stringer and Omid Ahmadi published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery.

Today's medical students continue to make significant contributions to patient care, teaching, research, and community service. In reviewing ERAS applications, guiding advisees, and conducting mock interview sessions with residency applicants, I have the great opportunity to hear or read about these fantastic accomplishments.

In residency interviews, I often ask applicants, "What sets you apart from other applicants?" or "Why should our program choose you as a resident?" This question is an ideal opportunity to discuss meaningful contributions you have made as a medical student. You  may not have discovered heparin or insulin but I have yet to meet a medical student who has not made a significant contribution.

To help you identify contributions and communicate them effectively during the residency interview, I refer you to an article I wrote several years ago for the Student Doctor Network:

The Successful Match: How to Succeed in Your Residency Interview

A Different Way to Interview Residency Applicants

"Wear comfortable shoes to our interview, and remember you will be changing into scrubs." This is information you may receive if you are invited to an interview by the general surgery residency program at the Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.

The program developed a "working approach to interviewing" in the late 1970s. In this approach, following check-in, the interviewee changes into scrubs, attends morning conference, and receives an overview of the program from the chief resident. The bulk of the day is then spent with an assigned surgical team in the OR and on the wards. Faculty are given the applicant's ERAS application to review before the visit. Faculty and senior residents are both asked to evaluate the interviewee.

What was the impetus for the program's use of this novel approach? "This method was developed to help faculty continue with their day-to-day activities, encourage candidates to experience the professional environment, and provide a forum for evaluating candidate's knowledge and interpersonal skills in a fair way," wrote Dr. Richard Thirlby in an article published by Academic Medicine. Dr. Thirlby is the program director of the general surgery residency program at Virginia Mason Medical Center.

The program seeks feedback from its applicants on its interview approach, and the feedback has been consistently positive over the years. What do you think? Would you like to have programs evaluate you in this manner or do you prefer the traditional interview?

Good Questions to Ask During Residency Interviews

As a graduate of the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, I had the opportunity to complete rotations at many fine institutions in Southeast Michigan, including Henry Ford Hospital and William Beaumont Hospital. Both are recognized for excellence in patient care, teaching, and research.

When news broke that a letter of intent to merge had been signed last week, it certainly caught my eye. "We are a strong, profitable and growing organization today, but the world of health care delivery is changing, so we are taking proactive steps to ensure continued growth and success,” said Gene Michalski, CEO of Beaumont Health System in a news release.

Both hospitals have a rich history of training residents in a number of specialties. For the residency applicant considering a position at Henry Ford or William Beaumont Hospital, this news comes with some concern. What effect will the merger have on the residency program? Will the residency programs be merged?

 

Although both institutions are financially sound, this news serves as a reminder to ask questions about the financial and educational stability of residency programs and institutions. "In the current times of cutbacks, decreased reimbursements and mergers, it is vital that you are familiar with the finances and outlook of the institution at which your are considering training," writes Dr. Jeff Gonzalez at the AMA website. "The last thing you want to happen when you arrive to start your training, is to find that the community hospital you were hoping to spend much of your time at has been sold."

Answering Health Care Reform Questions in the Residency Interview

Health care reform has been a hot topic for some time now, and interviewers love to ask residency applicants questions about reform. With this being an election year, I wondered months ago whether applicants would be asked about reform more often. Feedback I have received from my mock interview clients early in this interview season seems to suggest just that, and you should certainly be prepared to field these questions.

 

Applicants are understandably concerned about their ability to answer these questions. The health care system is complex, and even seasoned practitioners of medicine may not have a firm grasp on all aspects of the system.

To answer these questions effectively, you obviously have to be well read on the topic. For many residency applicants, the last time they were asked about the health care system was at the time of the medical school admissions interview. Much has happened since then, and you may be feeling unprepared to engage in a conversation about these issues.

One useful resource to bring you up to speed is The Health Care Handbook written by Elisabeth Askin and Nathan Moore, medical students at the Washington University School of Medicine. “We wanted to write a book that would be like giving people little floaties to help them learn to swim through the vast and confusing ocean that is health care,” Ms. Askin said in a New York Times interview with Dr. Pauline Chen.

 

 

Getting into a Radiology Residency

We recently discussed the radiology residency selection process with Dr. Vicki Marx. Dr. Marx is the program director of the radiology residency program at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. Read what Dr. Marx had to say about USMLE scores, research, personal statements, audition electives, and interviews:


Getting into a Radiology Residency


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Residency Interview Success

With residency interviews right around the corner, be sure to read our article about residency interview success on the Student Doctor Network.

In the article, we discuss specific ways in which you can stand out. If you need personalized coaching to improve your interview performance or wish to do a mock interview, contact me through one of the following websites:

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Getting into an Emergency Medicine Residency

We recently discussed the emergency medicine residency selection process with Dr. Jamie Collings, the Executive Director of Innovative Education and an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. For many years, she served as the program director of the emergency medicine residency program at Northwestern. Read what Dr. Collings had to say about shadowing, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and EM clerkship success:


Getting into an Emergency Medicine Residency


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Residency Interview Cancellations

With just a few weeks left in January, we are nearing the end of the residency interview season. Programs are accustomed to having applicants cancel interviews in the latter half of January and the first week of February.

If you happen to be on the wait list at a program or simply haven't heard from a program, now is the time to contact these programs, express your continued interest, and ask if there are any interview cancellations.

Many applicants have secured interviews through these efforts. It is not unusual for applicants to match at these programs. It is well worth the effort.

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Residency Interview: Keys to Success

No matter how many residency interviews you have completed, be sure to read our latest article about residency interview success on the Student Doctor Network.

Through my own experiences interviewing applicants, and through discussions I have had with other faculty interviewers, I know that few applicants make a concerted effort to stand out from the rest of the pack. I believe that this represents a lost opportunity to really impress the program.

In the article, we discuss specific ways in which you can stand out. If you need personalized coaching to improve your interview performance or wish to do a mock interview, contact me through one of the following websites:

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