It’s almost time to start submitting residency applications. Do you feel prepared? Don’t worry, the Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) shared some tips at a recent Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) workshop to help third- and fourth-year College of Medicine students prepare to submit their applications.
“M3s and M4s aren’t able to be as actively involved in FMIG, so the ERAS workshop was a way for us to remind them that we care about them and their success,” says second-year College of Medicine student Shana Strunk.
With the understanding that many of the third- and fourth-year students are off-campus and potentially out-of-state for rotations, the group allowed students to tune into the workshop using Zoom video conferencing.
Tips for a successful match
Residency program directors from Mercy Health-St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital; Summa Health, Akron; Cleveland Clinic Akron General; and MetroHealth System, along with David Sperling, M.D. (’85), associate professor of family and community medicine, offered their best advice for completing residency applications.
Here are some of the takeaways:
- Make sure your applications are polished and ready to submit soon ― residency programs begin reviewing applications Sept. 15.
- Get familiar with the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA). It is an online database of almost 10,000 graduate medical education programs.
- Triple-check your CV and personal statement before submitting them into ERAS.
- Start early when asking for letters of reference – allow your references four to five weeks to write.
- Try to submit as complete an application as possible, including your letters of reference.
Practicing to be prepared
Along with several College of Medicine events and courses, the College of Pharmacy prepares its students for residency, too. It offers resources such as a residency preparation elective, residency boot camp and one-on-one meetings for students.
The next FMIG residency preparation workshop will be held Tuesday, Sept. 18 in Meshel Hall. Join the group for a residency interviewing event and practice your interviewing skills with a variety of residency directors and faculty from around Ohio.