Some Questions about Applying to Residency?

[montag617]

Hi all! I am a MS4 and have a few random questions about applying for residency:

(1) For neurology programs that list themselves as being 4 year programs under Frieda, do you still have to apply seperately for their prelim medicine years (i.e. U of Pittsburgh, U of Virginia, etc.)?

(2) How important is it to contact individual programs and ask for more information if you are interested in them? Do programs have more information available they send to potential candidates then the info available on their websites, Frieda, etc.? Does this factor in at all when they consider you? Is it better to call or email?

Thanks!

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[Boxer1]

These are excellent questions. I would like to know the answers to them as well.

 

[GopherBrain]

(1) For neurology programs that list themselves as being 4 year programs under Frieda, do you still have to apply seperately for their prelim medicine years (i.e. U of Pittsburgh, U of Virginia, etc.)?

Sometimes. There is a difference between the truly integrated programs and those that simply guarantee a prelim year. For the former, you shouldn't have to do anything, for the latter you will at least have to go through the motions of submitting an ERAS application. (And no, to answer the logical follow-up, I don't know of any good way to find out which of these a program is other than scouring the websites and talking to the program secretary. It will probably be different than past years, due to the change in the match.)

(2) How important is it to contact individual programs and ask for more information if you are interested in them? Do programs have more information available they send to potential candidates then the info available on their websites, Frieda, etc.? Does this factor in at all when they consider you? Is it better to call or email?

Not at all important. My SIGN group wrote to every program a few years ago requesting material, and most sent just junk printed from their web page. Others sent post-cards telling us to look at their web page! So, hit the web. If you have specific questions (like where their grads do fellowships, etc) that you just can't possibly wait until interview day to have answered, go ahead and request the info. However, "showing interest" early by contacting them isn't going to sway the interview decision one iota.

 

[Claymore]

Hi all! I am a MS4 and have a few random questions about applying for residency:

(1) For neurology programs that list themselves as being 4 year programs under Frieda, do you still have to apply seperately for their prelim medicine years (i.e. U of Pittsburgh, U of Virginia, etc.)?

(2) How important is it to contact individual programs and ask for more information if you are interested in them? Do programs have more information available they send to potential candidates then the info available on their websites, Frieda, etc.? Does this factor in at all when they consider you? Is it better to call or email?

Thanks!

For most programs, if you are offered an interview, they will send you a big package of info about the program and sometimes the location (local city guides, campus newspaper, etc). You will also get more info on the actual interview day. Some places like U of Iowa did a really good job of putting together very nice, comprehensive spiral bound books with all kinds of helpful information in them answering pretty much everything you would possibly want to know about the program.

 

[montag617]

For most programs, if you are offered an interview, they will send you a big package of info about the program and sometimes the location (local city guides, campus newspaper, etc). You will also get more info on the actual interview day. Some places like U of Iowa did a really good job of putting together very nice, comprehensive spiral bound books with all kinds of helpful information in them answering pretty much everything you would possibly want to know about the program.

Thank you for your responses!

 

[montag617]

Another question...how do you enter prelim year programs into ERAS? Do you apply to the internal medicine programs (as there is not prelim catagory) and tell them in the personal statement/interview that you are looking just for prelim spot?

Thanks again for any help!

 

[sambar]

After you enter each program in ERAS there is an option to select categorical or preliminary(if the program offers preliminary too)