Careers In Medicine@VCU: Find Your Fit

Match 101: Summer Experiences SessionChris Woleben, MDAssociate Dean of Student AffairsDecember 17, 2013

Match 101: Basics of The National Residency Matching Program

• Prior to 1951, appalling hiring practices were often used to attract students to residency programs.

• The Match is a national system (NRMP) by which students are paired with residency training programs using a standard algorithm.

• There are three types of residency positions offered:-Categorical-Advanced-Preliminary or Transitional

Categorical PositionsDesigned for broad specialty trainingDo not require a year of preliminary trainingIncludes both your internship and residency training at the

same facility: Family Medicine Internal Medicine Pediatrics Emergency Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology General Surgery Pathology

Advanced Programs• Programs available to senior medical students starting at the

second year of training (residency)

• Students must also match into a preliminary year (internship)

• Examples of programs that may require a preliminary year include:• Anesthesiology, Diagnostic Radiology, Neurology• Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Radiation Oncology• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Preliminary Programs• Designed for students needing a year of clinical experience

prior to completing a residency program

• Available in two program types:• Internal Medicine• General Surgery

• If you apply to an advanced program, you must also apply separately for a preliminary position

Transitional Positions• Generally designed for students who cannot decide upon a

medical specialty

• Year closely resembles the M3 Clerkship requirements

• May serve as substitute for a preliminary year for some advanced programs

Match 101: The NRMP Algorithm

• The algorithm favors students.

• All applicants are treated equally• U.S. allopathic and osteopathic students• Physicians• International medical graduates

• Both students and residency programs enter their lists of choices = Rank Order Lists.

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How Competitive is the Match?

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Extremely and Highly Competitive Specialties

• Extremely Competitive• Plastic Surgery• Ophthalmology• Urology• Radiation Oncology• Dermatology

• Highly Competitive• Neurosurgery• Otolaryngology• Orthopedic Surgery• Radiology• Emergency Medicine

Very Competitive andCompetitive Specialties

• Very Competitive• General Surgery• Anesthesiology• OB/Gyn• Internal Medicine • Pathology

• Competitive• Psychiatry• PM&R• Family Medicine• Neurology• Pediatrics

Resources for Specialty Information • AAMC Careers in Medicine Website

• Use your AAMC username and password in order to access the content reserved for medical students

• Comprehensive website to help you better understand your specialty preferences, research various specialties

• https://www.aamc.org/cim/

• National Residency Match Program (nrmp.org)• Good source for data and statistics on residency programs• Charting Outcomes in the Match published every other year

• Detailed analysis of that year’s match• Board scores, importance of research, number of programs needed

on rank list for successful match

• Yearly Match Statistics

Planning Your M1 Summer

• Use your M1 summer wisely!• If you are considering an extremely or highly

competitive specialty:• Seriously consider research experiences.

• If you are not considering a competitive specialty:• Seek informal shadowing of physicians and/or

volunteer opportunities.

Summer Experiences Website• As the Student Affairs Office receives notifications about

external summer opportunities for students, they will be posted in the following places:• Student Affairs Announcements section of eBoard on

eCurriculum• Link for Summer Opportunities on Dr. Woleben’s Blog:

• http://wp.vcu.edu/cimvcu

• Variety of experiences include:• Clinical / basic science / translational research experiences• Cultural immersion experiences• Clinical shadowing / observation programs• Volunteer / service opportunities• Essay / poetry contests

VCU Summer Research Fellowships• Students in the School of Medicine may do research with

any faculty member in the School.• Students can receive a stipend ($2,500) funded by the

Dean’s office.• Fellowships are for a period of two months and are

offered between the M1 and M2 years.• Application process is competitive.• Must apply to the Senior Associate Dean for Research

and Research Training by March 31, 2014 by using the application found on the following website:• http://www.medschool.vcu.edu/research/summer/index.html

Ideal Research Project

• Clinically related to the field in which you have an interest

• Research preceptor has experience working with medical students

• You are actually interested in the project• The project could potentially yield a publication

and/or presentation

Shadowing Experiences• Student Affairs Office annually surveys VCUHS physicians to

determine who would be interested in having students shadow them

• Comprehensive list of specialties compiled and posted on the Student Affairs website and is updated periodically

• Contact schools / residency programs / offices in your hometown

• Best recommendation is to spend time in a variety of settings to help you better decide which specialty may be your best fit• Inpatient versus outpatient• Procedural based specialties / exposure to OR setting• Patient populations (pediatric to geriatrics)

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Careers in Medicine@VCU: How we help you “Find Your Fit”

• M1 and M2 Project H.E.A.R.T. sessions• Individual Career Advising• M2 CiM Course & Elective• Career Development Sessions

• Myers Briggs• Match 101/Summer Experience• Effective Decision-Making• ERAS/NRMP workshops• Debriefing the Match

• Alumni Career Fair & Residency Information Sessions• Friday, April 11 in MMEC (11:45am – 1:15pm)

• Curriculum Vitae & Personal Statement Review• Residency Interviewing Practice

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CiM@VCU Resources• Christopher Woleben, M.D

Associate Dean of Student Affairs828-9791 (cwoleben@vcu.edu)

• Janet MundieStudent Services Specialist828-9791 (jhmundie@vcu.edu)

• Sara M. LoritschAssistant Director, Career Center828-1645 (smkohout@vcu.edu)