If you have any friends who’ve just gone through Match Week, you know it’s never too early to start thinking about your future residency. Though matching can be stressful, there are many strategies to landing your dream residency. We’ve highlighted some key ways AUA alumni have earned residencies.

Research

Working on research projects at teaching hospitals can give you an advantage over less experienced applicants. Radbeh (Class of 2010) and Radmehr (Class of 2009) Torabi each postponed their Match selection process for two years to complete research at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brown-Rhode Island Hospital, respectively, leading to their acceptances at the General Surgery and Neurosurgery programs of those schools. Dr. David Schwartzberg (Class of 2011), now a Junior Chief General Surgery Resident at NYU Langone Medical Center, earned his current residency thanks to his research credentials from projects he worked on during his clinical rotations and first residency.

Networking

Getting to know the hospital administration, attendings, residents, and physicians during your clinical rotations can boost your application for a future residency. Because Dr. Kirill Alekseyev (Class of 2014) made a point of working with everyone in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department at the hospital he was rotating at,, he received enough recommendations to earn a place in their PM&R residency.

Acing the Interview

All applicants who’ve landed a particular interview are on great footing, which makes standing out from the competition even more important. Dr. Michael Talarico (Class of 2014) drove to his interview in New Hampshire from Nebraska in the middle of a blizzard. The adverse weather conditions worked to his advantage, as his interviewers remembered him as the applicant who went above and beyond to meet them.

Academic Success

At the end of the day, residency programs are meritocracies that want the best of the best. Dr. Jasmine Riviere-Marcelin (Valedictorian, Class of 2011) earned an Internal Medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic because of her exceptional work at AUA and is now an Infectious Disease Fellow. You don’t have to be a valedictorian from a Caribbean medical school to earn an excellent residency, though. Dr. Adrian Wylie (Class of 2015) earned a General Surgery residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital thanks to his stellar grades, excellent test scores, and an outstanding interview.

As you prepare to apply for residencies, remember that none of these strategies exist in a vacuum. Implementing all four will give you a bigger advantage over other applicants.

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