Tips for the Orthopedic Surgery Match
Written by Janice Havasy
Apply to aways at programs you want to go to:
An away rotation is your time to ✨shine✨ and see if a program is the right fit for you. “Fit” might seem like a vague, catch-all term at first, but during my away, I broke it down into these five factors.
Did the people make me feel welcome? Did they go out of their way to teach me? Do I want to go grab a margarita and binge-watch TV with them?
Were the attendings good role models? Did they teach me and did they challenge me?
Was the program director responsive? Did the program support the residents and fight for them?
Do I like the geographical area?
Does the hospital have the right balance of trauma/subspecialty that I want?
You do yourself a disservice if you attend an away because of your mentor’s or home program director’s (PD) connections and don’t envision yourself attending. If your dream is to work somewhere, do your away there! Be ambitious, and don’t be afraid to “waste” an away because you worry the program won’t accept you or it might not be a fit. This is your chance to prove yourself and, worst-case scenario, you’ll get a killer letter of recommendation out of it.
The letter of recommendation means more than you think:
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have strong letters of recommendation (LORs). In most of my interviews, at least one person noted my mentor’s strong LOR. I conducted research with him for over a year, so he knew me and my work. While the name of the letter-writer can come into play, especially geographically (orthopedics is a small community), I would prefer the writer who can write me an amazing, personal recommendation over the big name who uses the same old template they’ve used for every student.
Advocate for yourself:
I was advised the magical number of interviews is 12; at that point, my chances of matching were pretty good. Before the universal interview date, I sought personal connections to programs and sent letters of interest relaying those connections. For example, I sent a letter to the hospital where I was born, another to where I delivered patients when I drove ambulances. You might send a letter to your dream program and explain why you love it.
I sent about 15 letters of interest, three or four weeks before the universal interview date. Each letter included a short email to the PD on why I would be a good fit for the program, and in addition, I asked my mentor to contact 10 of those programs to reiterate my interest. These admission committees are reading 700-800 applications. If my letters helped someone look out for my name, even subconsciously, that’s amazing.
I did most of my advocacy before the universal interview day. Once I got the interviews, I sent a letter of intent to one program and had my mentor call them. My letter of intent was only one paragraph, thanking them for the interview, reiterating why I fit with their program and clearly stating I had ranked them first. Timing this email is tricky, because some programs create their lists the same night as their last interview, while others will wait. You can ask the residents in the resident rooms (or even the night before, during happy hours) when each of your programs creates their lists.
If you have any additional questions, I am happy to help future applicants! Reach out to @JaniceHavasy on Twitter.
