Tips to Decide Where to Apply
Written by Sawyer Bawek
Application season is approaching, and many third-year medical students nationwide are starting to prepare for the upcoming 2023 match cycle. The decision on where to apply for residency is important and stressful, as there are many factors to consider. Having an open conversation with loved ones about the upcoming application cycle can help the applicant identify which factors are most important to them. Here are some of the factors to consider when applying to residency programs:
(1) Family & Friends: residency is a significant time commitment and one of the most important periods of growth in your training. Having a strong support system that is nearby can help with resident wellness and will help you get through the toughest/busiest times. Applicants who have significant others should discuss what geographical location would work best for them. Applicants with families may consider job market opportunities for a significant other, the housing market, school districts, etc.
(2) Geographical Preferences: The most important question to ask yourself is where will I be most happy (warm vs cold weather, distance from loved ones, city size)? A significant percentage of physicians end up practicing in the same area in which they completed their residency. Although you are not limited to practicing near your residency location, it can be beneficial to go to a residency in the geographical region in which you intend on practicing. Applicants should also consider what hobbies they enjoy and if they will be able to continue these hobbies in the geographical area they are applying (hiking, surfing, snowboarding, etc).
Some programs will place a high emphasis on interviewing applicants that live or have lived in their region in the past. If you are interested in a program with no geographical ties, you can always send a letter of interest during the application cycle if you have not received an interview and are really interested in the program. Check out the Inside the Match Letter of Interest Tips for additional information.
(3) Quality of Life: resident salaries are typically fixed from 50-65k for an incoming PGY-1 depending on location. However, the cost of living significantly varies between cities and this is an important factor to consider as it could potentially limit how you can live during residency. The website nerdwallet helps estimate the differences in cost of living between different cities if you were to have the same salary.
(4) Career Aspirations: For some individuals, residency will be the final step in their training before they start practicing in their respective specialty. Others may seek to continue their training via fellowship. Researching in-house fellowships, research opportunities, networking opportunities, and distribution of alumni are all factors to consider when choosing a program. Individuals with an interest in academic medicine should consider opportunities within academics when applying.
(5) Past Alumni/Current Residents: Using Residency Explorer is a great way to see a breakdown of applicants who matched at each program from 2017-2021 and their backgrounds in terms of the school attended, board scores, volunteer and research experiences, publications, and applicant type. Applicants should look at past program matches to help determine how competitive they will be as an applicant in a particular program. Applying to programs with alumni from your medical school can be advantageous. Some schools provide alumni contact information if the alumni are willing to be contacted, so applicants can network with alumni from their school in programs that they are interested in.
