Transcript Preparing for Pediatrics Residency Training Department of Pediatrics University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Preparing for
Pediatrics Residency Training
Department of Pediatrics
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Contacts
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Harvey Hamrick, MD – Residency Director
[email protected]
Julie Byerley, MD – Student Director
[email protected]
Kenya McNeal-Trice, MD – Student Director
[email protected]
Kelly Lear – Student and Residency Coordinator
[email protected]
Med/Peds Contacts
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Anne Stephens, MD – Residency Director
[email protected]
Denise Craig – Residency Coordinator
[email protected]
Choosing Pediatrics as a Specialty
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Caring for children and working with their families
Breadth of opportunities
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Primary care
Subspecialty
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Cognitive
Procedural
Outpatient and inpatient opportunities
Variable schedules, work load, income, etc.
Further discussion is welcomed by advisors
Overall Perspective
on Pediatrics Training
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You will be able to match somewhere if you
list enough programs
Significant variability in “competitiveness” of
individual programs
Prediction of who could match where is
difficult
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programs rank using different priorities
Pediatric Career Advisors
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Dr. Byerley, Dr. McNeal-Trice, or Dr.
Hamrick will be your advisor
S/he will meet with you regularly, give
individualized advice, and write your
departmental letter
The Fourth Year Schedule at UNC
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Rotations completed in September should
be in the Dean’s letter
Do at least one “hard core” rotation (AI or
critical care) before interview season
It doesn’t have to be in Pediatrics
If you want a letter from a fourth year
rotation plan that to be completed by the
end of September
The Fourth Year Schedule at UNC
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Contrasting opinions
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Get started on Pediatrics
This is your last chance to take non-pediatric
courses that interest you: take advantage of that
Do a critical care unit
Consider radiology and other electives
Consider traveling
Signing the forms – Byerley, McNeal-Trice,
and Hamrick
A New Elective
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Transition to Pediatric Internship
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Offered only one block
Combination of didactics and clinical work
Not required
Away Rotations
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Performance here will outweigh the
application, positively or negatively
Not necessary to match at any given place
Helpful if your heart is set on one program
or one geographic area
If you do one, complete it by the end of
January
Deciding Between Two Fields
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Ok to apply to two fields but decide on one
preference by the interview if possible
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Be careful with your ERAS letters
Programs do not want to match applicants
who are not committed to a given field
Be honest
Considering Where to Apply
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Use FREIDA to choose programs for
applications
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http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2997.html
Start with geography
Where to Apply
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Geography
Size
Reputation
Academic or community setting?
Children’s hospital or not?
Presence of fellows
Board pass rates
How Many to Apply To
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Individual question – your advisor can help
Generally not more than 20
Couples match candidates should apply to
more places than individuals
The Application Process
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Use ERAS to apply
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http://www.aamc.org/students/eras/start.htm
Application Components
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General ERAS Application
Personal Statement
CV
Transcript
Dean’s Letter (MSPE)
Letters of Recommendation
USMLE Transcript
Photograph
Personal Statement
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Statement of one page or less that clarifies
why the student is choosing pediatrics
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Sincere, individualized
Why pediatrics suits your talents
Gives the interviewer something to talk about
Everyone entering pediatrics loves children
– be sure it says more than that
Choose safe over bold
Essentials about
the Personal Statement
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Assure that there are no spelling or
grammatical errors
Don’t try to be too unique
Be sure your career goal advisor reads it
before its finalized to ERAS
Don’t hurt your application with your
personal statement
CV
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Outlined by ERAS
Include elements from college and medical
school, and other previous work
Be sure your CV looks sincere and not
filled with meaningless one time activities
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Longer doesn’t necessarily mean better
Have it reviewed by your career advisor
before submission
Letters of Recommendation
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Dean’s Letter
Pediatric Departmental Letter
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Two to three others
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Written by your assigned career advisor
Is “the chair’s letter”, which may or may not be required
Choose someone you worked with clinically
Inpatient is generally more valuable than outpatient
Don’t have to all be in pediatrics
Research mentor letters are okay as long as there are
adequate clinical letters
Be sure to thank those who write for you
USMLE Transcript:
When to Take Step II
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Early if your Step I is low
Whenever if Step I is high
As required by the Dean’s Office
When it fits your schedule
Interviews
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Schedule as early as you are invited
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Try to group geographically
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Season is November - February
talk directly with programs so they can help you
do that
Be very, very nice to coordinators
Go to all the socials
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Remember -they are part of the interview
The Interview Day
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Remember the whole visit is a job interview
Meet as many people as possible
Be yourself, but on your best behavior
This is not the time to complain
Be professional at all times
Have questions prepared to ask, and ask
multiple people
The Faculty Interview
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Show your enthusiasm for learning and patient care
Show respect for research, opportunities in primary
care, subspecialties, etc. regardless of your own
interests
They should have read your application
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remember what you wrote
Be prepared to ask good questions (not the details
about call schedules, maternity leave, etc.)
Follow Up After Interview Day
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Send thank you notes routinely, but don’t go
overboard
It’s ok to tell your top choice you love them
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It is NOT required
Always be honest
“Near the top of my list” doesn’t many anything to
programs
Complete whatever communication you intend before
mid-February
Don’t expect follow up communications from the
programs to you
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No news is NOT bad news
Second Visits
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Scheduled visits after the interview day
arranged by the coordinator at the student’s
request
Much less formal
An opportunity for shadowing
Done only if the student needs to see the
program again, but can be very helpful
Definitely NOT required
How Programs Rank
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Highly variable and hard to predict
Interview
Clinical performance – academic (based on grades, dean’s
letter)
USMLE scores, step 2 > step 1
Dean’s letter, class rank
Letters of Recommendation
Preclinical performance (based on grades, dean’s letter)
School reputation
Extracurricular experience (leadership, service)
Research experience
How to Rank Programs
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Geography
Feel
Resident satisfaction, friendliness, support
Breadth of experiences offered, patient population
Affiliated sites
Strength of faculty
Resident responsibility
Fellowship opportunities
Board pass rate
Stability
How Many to Rank
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Your advisor can help
Generally people entering peds rank 8-12
programs
Rank anywhere you interviewed that you
would rather be an intern than jobless
Subsequent Meetings
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May: meeting with this year’s MS4s who
matched in peds
July: you should have met with your advisor
at least once
September/October: social
Last Bits
 Please
let us know when your
career decision is finalized
 Stay organized along the way