Residency Application GuideFeinberg School of Medicine2020-2021

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Introduction

Congratulations!Believe it or not, you are reaching the end of your medical school journey. This is going to be an incredibly exciting year! You will be making a lot of important decisions that will impact your future career. While this may seem a bit intimidating right now, you have an entire team of people to support you through this process.

We have developed this resource guide to help answer many of the questions that you may have about the residency application process. We hope that you will find this information useful. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us. We want to help!

Match Day will be here before you know it!

Applying for Residency in the Wake of the COVID-19 PandemicThe COVID-19 pandemic has touched all of us in both our personal and professional lives and has resulted in many abrupt changes to the regular schedule of medical student education and career planning. Although the future course of the pandemic remains uncertain, we are seeing some return to our more typical routines. This includes your return to the clinical environment, including both “in hospital” and “in clinic” training. While some uncertainty does still linger, we are now entering important months as you prepare to apply for residency training, and we want to provide as much insight as possible regarding circumstances poten-tially affecting you at this time.

“Home institution” elective rotations and “away” elective rotations are key components of the M4 education process. These rotations have traditionally served an important role in deepening a student’s understanding of a particular field and confirming the student’s de-sire to apply to a chosen specialty for residency training. These rotations have also enabled a stu-dent to forge relationships with faculty in the specialty, some of whom the student will sub- sequently ask to author a letter of recommendation on their behalf. At this time, except under very rare, specific circumstances, “away” rotations at outside medical institutions will not occur this summer. Similarly, students from other institutions will not be doing “away” ro-tations here at Northwestern. Despite all of these circumstances, we will work hard to facili-tate your ability to obtain the Feinberg electives that you need for your education and career development.

For those of you entering fields that have traditionally encouraged “away” elective rotations at other institutions, other opportunities are arising. This includes “virtual experiences,” including “virtual electives” and “virtual open houses.” We encourage you to seek out these opportunities in an effort to learn more about programs and also to demonstrate your inter-est in programs. These experiences will provide you with a chance to forge relationships that could potentially favorably impact your residency selection process.

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Sandy Sanguino, MD, MPHAssociate Dean for Student AffairsAugusta Webster Office of Medical Education

Robert Brannigan, MDAssistant Director of Student AffairsAugusta Webster Office of Medical Education

Please be assured, that at Feinberg we will do our very best to advocate for you and work to facilitate your learning in these challenging times. We will continue to stay in touch with you, and we also encourage you to stay in contact with your mentors during these times. Take care of yourselves.

Table of Contents

Contents2020-2021 Academic Year Advising Calendar ��������������������������������������������������������������������6

Contact Information, Student Affairs/Career Advising ��������������������������������������������������10

Career Advising and Specialty �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������11

Glossary of Terms �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������12

CV Preparation �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������16

Sample CV ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������17

Personal Statement Preparation Tips �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������19

Sample Personal Statement �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������20

ERAS Application Timeline ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������21

ERAS Application Tips �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������22

Medical School Transcripts and Photographs ��������������������������������������������������������������������38

Early Match ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������39

Ophthalmology .....................................................................................................................................................39

Urology .......................................................................................................................................................................40

Couples Match ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������43

Registering for NRMP �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������45

Letters of Recommendation �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������46

Feinberg School of Medicine Honors & Awards  ���������������������������������������������������������������48

Information Provided in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) ��52

Sample MSPE .........................................................................................................................................................53

Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................58

Away Rotations������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������62

Requirements for Graduation ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������68

The Residency Interview Process and Tips �����������������������������������������������������������������������69

Rank List Information ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������71

Match Week Schedule ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������72

Preliminary Year Positions ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������73

Table of Contents

Residency Application Guide by Specialty ������������������������������������������������������������������������75

Anesthesiology ....................................................................................................................................................76

Child Neurology ....................................................................................................................................................77

CT Surgery (Integrated) .................................................................................................................................78

Dermatology ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������79Emergency Medicine ........................................................................................................................................81

ENT (Otolaryngology) ......................................................................................................................................82

Family Medicine ....................................................................................................................................................83

Internal Medicine ................................................................................................................................................85

Internal Medicine and Pediatrics (Combined) .................................................................................86

Neurology ................................................................................................................................................................88

Neurosurgery ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������89Obstetrics and Gynecology ........................................................................................................................90

Ophthalmology .....................................................................................................................................................93

Orthopaedic Surgery ........................................................................................................................................94

Pathology ................................................................................................................................................................95

Pediatrics .................................................................................................................................................................96

Plastic Surgery .....................................................................................................................................................99

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) ...............................................................................100

Psychiatry ............................................................................................................................................................101

Radiation Oncology .......................................................................................................................................102

Radiology (Diagnostic) ................................................................................................................................103

Radiology (Interventional, Integrated) ............................................................................................105

Surgery (General) ...........................................................................................................................................106

Urology ..................................................................................................................................................................108

Vascular Surgery ............................................................................................................................................110

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June 2020 – April 2021 Attend Career Development sessions in IC2Complete personal profile at the Careers in Medicine (CiM) website at: http://www.aamc.org/cim

November 2020 Receive ERAS tokenComplete draft of CV: Due January 8th

Nov. 2020 – Jan. 2021 Attend department specialty information sessionsInvestigate electives and begin applying (program deadlines range from (March through May)Schedule USMLE Step II CK and Step II CS

February 2021 Schedule Phase 3 (process will be reviewed in IC2)Apr. 2021 – June 2021 Work on Personal Statement

Research residency programs of interest through FREIDA or Careers in Medicine website

May 2021 – Aug. 2021 Sign up for application and matching services (ERAS, NRMP, SF Match, AUA, military)Submit MSPE worksheet (July)Request Letters of Recommendation

September 2021 ERAS Applications SubmittedLetters of Recommendation due

October 2021 MSPE released

Oct. 2021 – Jan. 2022 Residency Interviews

January 2022 Ophthalmology and Urology MatchFebruary 2022 Rank order list dueMarch 2022 NRMP Match

LegendImportant ItemsItems to be completed by student

Phase 2/M3 Career Development Timeline2020-2021 Academic Year Advising Calendar

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Phase 3/M4 Career Development Timeline2020-2021 Academic Year * May change due to COVID

* Items listed in bold are for those applying to an early match.

May – June 2020 ERAS 2021 User Guide MyERAS 2021 Overview Visit the ERAS website: www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/eras/ Review SF Match site for general information about the early match process: http://www.sfmatch.orgUrology Residency Match information is available online. To reg-ister please visit: http://www.auanet.orgInvestigate online sources for specialty and program information, requirements and deadlines at Careers in Medicine: https://apps.aamc.org/cim-residency/#!residency-search or FREIDA at https://freida.ama-assn.org/Freida/eula.do First opportunity to have senior portrait taken. You will receive an email a week prior with details on how to sign up.

May – July Put final touches on CV and personal statementMay – October Track letters of recommendation (LoRs) through ERAS June – October Begin residency program applications.

Note: Individual programs set the deadlines. You should contact programs directly for their deadlines.

May – June Gather Central Application Service (CAS) materials (LoRs, tran-scripts, personal statement, application, CV)

June 8 MyERAS site opens to applicants to register and begin working on their applications

June 10 Personal Statement Panel*Zoom meeting

June 24 Urology registration is available through the AUA site at http://www.auanet.org/education/urology-and-specialty-matches.cfm

July 1 Early Match registration is available through the SF Match site at http://www.SFMatch.org

July 9 Personal Statement due *Submit to Jenny Dick: jenny.dick@northwestern.edu Online MSPE worksheet due

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August 31 ERAS Residency Application Question and Answer Session * Daniel Hale Williams Auditorium or Zoom meeting, 5:30 p.m.

Early September Student review draft of MSPE (online) and review transcript.

September 9 Interviewing for Residency workshop *Daniel Hale Williams Auditorium or Zoom meeting, 5:30 p.m.

September 15 CAS Target Date for Ophthalmology. Note: This is not a deadline. It’s the target date to have your application submitted for central distribution.ERAS Post Office opens. Applicants may begin applying to ACGME accredited residency programs. Applications will not be distributed to programs until October 21..

October Transcripts will be loaded to ERAS

October 21 Programs may begin contacting the ERAS Post Office to download your application. This is also a target date to submit your applicationLetters of Recommendation dueRegistration for NRMP opens MSPE release date

October – January Virtual interview at residency programs

November Complete Step 2 CK; CS timeline on hold for nowNovember 6 All Urology programs offer interviews

November 9 All Urology applicants accept or decline interviewsNovember 24 Ranking for AUA opens

December – January Early match students review rank order list (ROL) with advisor

December Military Match results released

December 29 Urology registration deadlineJanuary Session on Rank Order Lists and Matching StrategiesJanuary 12 Deadline for submitting rank order lists for AUA (Urology) January 25 Deadline for submitting rank order lists for OphthalmologyJanuary 31 11:59 p.m. Deadline to register for NRMP. Applicants who register

after January 31st must pay an additional $50 late registration feeFebruary Schedule individual loan review meeting with Cynthia GonzalezFebruary 1 Match results for Ophthalmology made available to AWOME

Urology Match! Match results e-mailed to AWOME and appli-cantsBegin to enter rank order lists for NRMPYou will need an AAMC ID and password to access the site

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March 3 Deadline for rank order list (ROL) certification. NRMP ROL must be certified by 8:00 p.m. CST. NRMP staff will be available to answer questions during the final hours.

March Required Loan Exit SessionFinancial Planning and Mortgage Information Session (both op-tional)

March 19 Match Day!May 24 Graduation!

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Marianne Green, MDSenior Associate Dean for Medical Educationm-green@northwestern.edu(312) 503-0394

Sandra Sanguino, MD, MPHAssociate Dean of Student Affairsssanguino@northwestern.edu(312) 503-0345

Robert Brannigan, MDAssistant Director of Student Affairsr-brannigan@northwestern.edu(312) 503-2105

Allison MatricariaStudent Support and Wellness Coordinatorallison.matricaria@northwestern.edu(312) 503-8798

Josh Hopps, PhDDirector of Academic Successjosh.hopps@northwestern.edu(312) 503 2496

Patricia Garcia, MD, MPHAssociate Dean for Curriculump-garcia@northwestern.edu(312) 503-1898

Linda DanielsCoordinator for Student Support Servicesl-daniels2@northwestern.edu(312) 503-0434

Stephanie MillerRegistrar, Director of Registration & Recordss-miller8@northwestern.edu(312) 503-0974

Jenny DickProgram Assistant, AWOMEjenny.dick@northwestern.edu(312) 503-0440

Cynthia GonzalezSenior Assistant Director of Financial Aidcgonzalez@northwestern.edu(312) 503-1923

Contact Information, Student Affairs/Career AdvisingAugusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education, Feinberg School of Medicine

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Career Advising and Specialty

Specialty Career Advisor Email

Anesthesiology Dr. Louanne Carabini l-carabini@northwestern.edu

CT Surgery (Integrated) Dr. Chris Malaisrie malaisrie@northwestern.edu

Child Neurology Dr. Rebecca Garcia -Sosa rgarciasosa@luriechildrens.org

Dermatology Dr. Maria Colavincenzo m-colavincenzo@northwestern.edu

Emergency Medicine Dr. Amy Kontrick a-kontrick@northwestern.edu

ENT (Otolaryngology) Dr. Alan Micco alan.micco@nm.org

Family Medicine Dr. Deborah Clements dclements@northwestern.edu

Internal Medicine Dr. Aashish Didwania Aashish.didwania@nm.org

Radiology (Interventional, Integrated)

Dr. Kent Sato ksato@nm.org

Internal Medicine and Pediatrics (Combined)

Dr. Cheryl Lee Cheryl.lee@nm.org

Neurology Dr. Stephen Van Haerents svanhaer@nm.org

Neurological Surgery Dr. Katie Bandt katie.bandt@northwestern.edu

Obstetrics/Gynecology Dr. Susan Goldsmith susan.goldsmith@nm.org

Ophthalmology Dr. Rukhsana Mirza r-mirza@northwestern.edu

Orthopaedic Surgery Dr. Matthew Beal mbeal@nm.org

Pathology Dr. Luis Blanco, Jr. luis.blanco@northwestern.edu

Pediatrics Dr. Jennifer Trainor jtrainor@luriechildrens.org

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Dr. Leslie Rydberg lrydberg@sralab.org

Plastic Surgery Dr. Greg Dumanian gdumania@nm.org

Psychiatry Dr. Eric Gausche Eric.gausche@nm.org

Radiation Oncology Dr. Timothy Kruser tkruser@nm.org

Radiology (Diagnostic) Dr. Cecil WoodDr. Jon Samet

cecil@northwestern.edujsamet@luriechildrens.org

General Surgery Dr. Nabil Issa Nabil.issa@nm.org

Urology Dr. Robert Brannigan r-brannigan@northwestern.edu

Vascular Surgery Dr. Andrew Hoel andrew.hoel@nm.org

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Glossary of TermsAdvanced (PGY-2) Residency Positions: Advanced Residency Positions are synonymous with PGY-2 positions. They begin 1-2 years after the match, preceded by at least 1 year of preliminary training. Only some specialties offer advanced positions (some of which also offer categorical positions): Anes-thesiology, Child Neurology, Dermatology, Neurology, Ophthalmology, PM&R, Plastic Surgery, Radia-tion Oncology, and Radiology. For specifics on each individual specialty and/or program consult with your advisor.

Advisor: Each student is assigned an advisor who is also a Feinberg School of Medicine faculty mem-ber. Their role is to provide counseling, feedback, and guidance around career selection, generally, as well as the residency application process. If you have questions or need assistance navigating the residency match process or reviewing your application materials, your advisor is there to support and guide you.

Categorical Residency Positions: These positions are required for board certification in the respec-tive specialty. They offer full residency training.

Categorical-C: Programs that provide the full training that is required for board certification in that specialty. Begin in PGY-1.

Primary-M: Programs that provide the full training that is required for board certification in primary care medicine and primary care pediatrics. Begin in PGY-1.

Advanced-A: After 1 year of prerequisite training, programs that begin in PGY-2.

Preliminary-P: Programs that provide prerequisite training for advanced programs. Begin in PGY-1.

Physician-R: Reserved for physicians with prior graduate medical education, programs that offer PGY-2 positions that begin during match year (senior medical students are ineligible).

Early Match: Some specialties run on an earlier match schedule (e.g. Ophthalmology, Urology, and all military residency programs). For Ophthalmology, applicants match through the San Francisco Match (http://www.sfmatch.org/), and Urology applicants apply via ERAS, but match through the Amer-ican Urological Association (http://www.auanet.org). If you are planning on matching in either of these specialties, consult with your advisor regarding the exact timeline. At this time, the application registration site for the Ophthalmology match is scheduled to open on June 1, 2020, and the target date (not deadline) to submit applications is September 2, 2020. Final rank lists must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. noon on Tuesday, January 5, 2021. The match results will be announced on Tuesday, January 12, 2021.

ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service): ERAS is the centralized online application service where you will upload your application, along with supporting documents, which will then be sent to the residency programs that you select. ERAS website: https://www.aamc.org/services/eras/

Joint A/P: The joint A/P option enables students to link applications to an advanced (“A”) PGY-2 pro-gram with a preliminary (“P”) PGY-1 program in order to create a continuous course of training.

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LOR (Letter of Recommendation): Each student must submit 3-4 Letters of Recommendation as part of their ERAS application. The number of letters, as well as who the letter writers should be depends on the specialty. You can expect to ask for at least 2 letters from physicians who have a strong sense of your clinical abilities and performance, as well as personal attributes and interests. You should plan to ask for letters of recommendation at least 6 weeks in advance of submitting your application.

Match Day: On Match Day, every student finds out into which residency program they have matched. Match Day is held on the third Friday in March each year. All students open their match envelopes from the NRMP together at 11:30 a.m. CST.

MSPE (Medical Student Performance Evaluation): The MSPE is a letter, which evaluates a student’s medical school performance, including an assessment of the student’s academic performance as well as their professional attributes. The MSPE is sent to residency programs on October 1.

MSPE Worksheet: The MSPE Worksheet is distributed to fourth-year students in June of their fourth year. The worksheet has multiple functions: some of the information entered automatically gets en-tered into the MSPE as well, and other information submitted (e.g. specialty selection, LOR writers’ names) helps the career advising team better advise individual students throughout the application process.

*Noteworthy Characteristics: As part of the MSPE Worksheet, students will supply three noteworthy characteristics about themselves. These are each 2-3 sentences, in bullet point format, and should be written in the third person.

NRMP (National Resident Matching Program): Also called ‘The Match,’ the NRMP is the U.S.-based organization responsible for placing U.S. medical school students into residency training programs located in U.S. teaching hospitals. The NRMP uses an algorithm that matches students with residen-cy programs based on how students ranked each program and vice versa. All residency programs use the NRMP, except for the early match programs. The registration deadline is the end of Novem-ber. NRMP website: http://www.nrmp.org/

PGY: PGY is an abbreviation for “post-graduate year” and defines how many years post-medical school the trainee is. PGY-1 designates a first-year resident (i.e. an intern), and PGY-2 designates a second-year resident. Residency programs tend to range from three to seven years or more.

Preliminary Residency Positions (PGY-1): These positions include just 1 year of training prior to entry into advanced specialty programs. Many Internal Medicine and Surgery training programs offer pre-liminary positions in addition to categorical positions. Transitional year programs are categorized as preliminary programs. 

PRISM®: PRISM® stands for Program Rating and Interview Scheduling Manager. It is a free, NRMP mobile app that allows applicants to track their interview process, and rate programs, which is then used to generate a rank order list.

ROL (Rank Order Lists): Lists of programs in order of preference, which applicants submit to the NRMP before the last week of February deadline.

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SLOE (Standardized Letter of Recommendation): Some specialties (e.g., Emergency Medicine and Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery) require this type of letter of recommendation. Contact your specialty advisor for more information. These letters typically do have a portion dedicated to written comments by the advisor.

SOAP (Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program): For students who do not match through the regular Match process, the NRMP offers SOAP for students to submit additional ERAS applications with the goal of obtaining a residency position. SOAP begins the Monday of Match Week.

Specialty Advisor: A faculty member in the specialty to which you will apply. The student will select their advisor based on recommendations of the department and their own familiarity with the facul-ty member. This advisor provides specialty specific guidance throughout the match process, including constructing a list of programs to apply to, identifying LOR writers, and reviewing rank lists.

Transitional Residency Positions: An alternative to the preliminary year, it offers a blend of experi-ences in Surgery, Medicine, Pediatrics, and other specialties for those who are interested in a broader clinical experience. It can be a good option for supportive specialties (e.g., Anesthesia or Radiology).

VSAS (Visiting Student Application Service): An AAMC service that assists students in streamlining their applications for away rotations by submitting one application for an away rotation. For a list of participating institutions, check the VSAS website: https://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/vsas.

Other ResourcesAUA (American Urological Association)http://www.auanet.org/Careers in Medicinewww.aamc.org/cimERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service)https://www.aamc.org/services/eras/FREIDAwww.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/graduate-medical-education/freida-online.pageMilitary Matchwww.militarygme.orgNBME (National Board of Medical Examiners)www.nbme.orgNRMP (The National Resident Matching Program)http://www.nrmp.org/SF Match (San Francisco Match)https://www.sfmatch.org/USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam)www.usmle.orgVSAS (Visiting Student Application Service)https://students-residents.aamc.org/attending-medical-school/article/students

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USMLE Step 2The Feinberg policy is that all students must take USMLE Step 2 CS by November 1, 2020 and USMLE Step 2 CK by November 30, 2020; however due to the COVID pandemic we will be flexible with the policy this academic year. Please note, USMLE Step 2 CS is currently suspended and will not be a graduation requirement for the Class of 2021. We would strongly encourage you to complete CK as close to the deadline as possible. Residency programs have become quite sensitive to the possibili-ty of a student failing Step 2 at the last minute and not being able to graduate on time. Many more programs are requiring passage of USMLE Step 2 prior to ranking applicants; however, we anticipate that programs will be more lenient with this requirement this academic year due to the difficulty in scheduling both exams. Please note: USMLE scores are not automatically released after you have submitted your application through ERAS. If you receive a new score you must manually retransmit the USMLE transcript to pro-grams to which they have applied using the retransmit option on the Documents/USMLE transcript tab in ERAS. We would urge you to do this as soon as you receive a new score.

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CV PreparationA CV is a concise summary of pertinent information about your background and accomplishments (contact information, education, honors and awards, work experience, research, professional mem-berships, extracurricular activities, publications, presentations, and hobbies). You will enter most of this information directly into your electronic application through ERAS. However, you will still need to create a CV for several reasons. Letter writers want to review your CV and personal statement be-fore they write your letters. In addition, having an organized document with all of your activities and experiences will make completing your application easier.

CV Preparation Tips• Use the “sample CV” provided by AWOME as a starting point.

• Attend the CV preparation session during Career Development session during IC2 (add link to the pre-sentation)

• Include the following sections:

o Education (college to current day, include graduate degrees)

o Honors

o Research Experience (include the topic, your PI, and institution)

o Publications (perform a PubMed search of yourself to ensure you capture all)

o Presentations

o Work experience

o Extracurricular activities

o Memberships (societies, organizations; include your role if you have a position)

o Personal (list areas of interest, hobbies)

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Susan Jones10 Davison Street, Apt. 112

Chicago, Illinois 60601(312) 222-2222

susanjones@northwestern.eduEDUCATION

2011-present Northwestern University, Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, ILM.D., anticipated May 2015

2011-present Northwestern University, Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, ILM.P.H., anticipated May 2015

2007-2011 University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MIB.A. in Psychology

HONORS

2014 Julius Conn Award - most outstanding performance of a third year medical student on the surgery clerkship

2011 Graduated summa cum laude

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE2010 Summer Research Fellow

University of Michigan, Department of Microbiology Preceptor: Lani Malani, PhDCharacterized a receptor protein involved in the biogenesis of plant peroxisomes.

2008-2009 Research AssistantUniversity of Michigan Alcohol Research Center Preceptor: Fred Rogers, PhD.Interviewed study participants as part of an investigation to determine if brief interventions decrease emergency room visits for alcohol related problems.

PUBLICATIONS

Harris SF, Jones S, Brown BB. Successful Interventions in Decreasing Emergen-cy Room Visits Among Alcohol Abusers. Annals of Alcohol. 2009; 22:2312-2319

PRESENTATIONS

Jones S, Brown BB. “The effects of troglitazone and exercise on insulin sensiti-zation on mouse muscle”. Poster presentation at the Michigan Intercollegiate Science Conference, East Lansing, MI. April, 2011

Sample CV

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WORK EXPERIENCE

2011 (summer) Editorial Assistant/InternPublic Health JournalU. S. Department of Health and Human Services Supervisor: Marietta Spar, M. D.Assisted with all phases of editing/publication of DHHS public health journal

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES2012 Community Health Clinic

Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, ILVolunteered monthly to provide patient care to an underprivi-leged, predominantly Spanish-speaking population

2012-2013 Wellness CommitteeFeinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, ILEducated students about coping skills through the organization of guest speak-ers and activities. Helped organize a “Stress Relief Week” for medical students.

2012-present Student for Mental HealthFeinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, ILOrganized guest speakers for medical student education regarding men-tal health awareness and career opportunities in medicine

2013-present President of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA)Intercampus Liaison (2004-2005)Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, ILMedical student organization aiming to address issues important to Asian medical students. Feinberg APAMSA produces “Fusion,” an annual cultural show.

MEMBERSHIPS

2011-present American Medical Student Association

PERSONAL

Avid runner (Chicago Marathon 2011-2013), Hiking, Tennis

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Personal Statement Preparation Tips• This is the opportunity to “tell your story”• Where have you been, where are you now, where are you going.• Avoid flowery language or unusual content that might be off-putting• If you have overcome challenges or adversity, this is a good time to highlight. However, it is

encouraged to do this in conjunction with your career advisor.• Good to include rationale for your chosen area of specialty• In general, avoid discussion of political, religious, and potentially controversial topics• The Personal Statement Panel will be held on Wednesday, June 10th at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

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Sample Personal StatementIn the 100-bed hospital in a rural town in Chhattisgarh, India, I caught my first glimpse into

how complex the doctor-patient relationship can be. After a cesarean section, I watched the only sur-geon within a two-hour radius explain to his patient that he had, without her consent, intentionally tied her tubes during the operation. He believed that she would be unable to safely undergo anoth-er pregnancy, and with contraception carrying such a stigma in the community, she had a very high chance of becoming pregnant again. The woman’s shock at hearing the news was dampened by an overwhelming expression of relief and gratitude, but what fascinated and deeply troubled me were the instances in which this was not the case.

The complexity of the doctor-patient relationship and the profound effects urologists can have on a patient’s life drew me to urology. The opportunity to care for patients with urologic di-agnoses offers uniquely rewarding challenges of providing longitudinal care in a surgical specialty. During my rotations in the urology programs at Northwestern, UCSF, and University of Washington, I learned a lot about focusing complicated treatment discussions around patients’ values and expecta-tions. In the operating room, I am continually impressed and humbled by the ability of urologists to perform life-altering procedures. With the diversity of cases ranging from minor in-office procedures to massive RPLND operations, I am looking forward to continually being challenged during residency and throughout my career.

The Indian surgeon’s actions were an egregious abuse of power, even though, thinking back years later, I recognize that his relationships with his patients are more complex than I am accus-tomed to seeing. At Northwestern University, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, and am currently enrolled as a dual degree student for an MD/MA in Medical Humanities and Bioethics. Through these programs, I have gained the tools to more articulately discuss these challenging situ-ations, which I feel is integral to becoming a successful and caring urologist. My research in male in-fertility and bladder cancer, along with my master’s thesis on how the history of forced sterilization in the U.S. affects current perceptions of vasectomies, have driven my appreciation of the importance of facilitating a patient’s journey through what is often the most difficult time in his or her life.

My curiosity, hard work, and focus on interpersonal skills on the wards have allowed me to meaningfully impact my patients’ lives by taking the initiative to have difficult conversations and ensure their medical and non-medical needs are met. I am looking forward to a career in academic urology because of the opportunities to become an expert in a field, affect public policy, and pursue my passions for research and teaching. Training at a high-volume residency program which will chal-lenge me every step of the way, will push me to reach my ideal potential as an enthusiastic, compas-sionate, and skillful surgeon. Continuing research in residency is important to me, as is developing the public health impacts which can arise from that research. My background in the humanities and the phenomenal mentors I have had have taught me the importance of connecting with people on a deeper level, which I have found is at the core of the all the great urologists I have worked with. Moving forward, I am excited to work hard, join a team of incredible residents and attendings, and learn as much as I can on my way to becoming a great physician.

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ERAS Application Timeline*May change due to COVID

• September 1, 2020: Applicants can start applying to programs• September 15, 2020 (11:00 a.m. CT): NRMP registration opens• October 21, 2020: Residency programs start receiving applications; Transcripts uploaded;

MSPE released• January 31, 2021: Deadline to register for NRMP• February 1, 2021: Rank order site opens• March 3, 2021: Rank order list deadline• March 15, 2021: SOAP begins• March 19, 2021: Match Day!

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ERAS Application Tips

General Tips• Must be able to frame and explain everything in your application• Everything in your application is “fair game” for discussion• Must include enough detail to explain what you did and what your role was• A publication is a completed manuscript• Mention patents/intellectual property • Regarding pre-college activities or college activities, only include if highly noteworthy (e.g.

competed in the Olympics or college athlete, meaningful employment experience)• Research from college (include if you can talk about it meaningfully)

Section by Section Tips (provided by a current M4 student) EmailCreate an email address for ERAS only and set to notifications only – you know if phone goes off it is an interview offer.

Medical EducationJuly of start year to present – do not put an end date.

Medical School Honors or AwardsGive description of an award if it is not intuitive.

AOA and Gold HumanismList AOA and Gold Humanism under Award section and Profession Honor Societies section. Also, spe-cialty specific societies. AOA will be elected prior to your application, so you will have a disposition.

ExperienceWork: List if you were getting paid, had defined responsibilities, etc. Include internship, jobs.

Volunteer: Include volunteer activities, responsibilities.

Research: Any longitudinal projects. Mentor(s)/ PI. Sometimes hours per week might have been low, but this is not a concern. You should list hours per week for all of these activities.

Reason for Leaving: Can leave reason for leaving blank for most items.

DescriptionWrite in first person. Who, what, when, where, why?” For projects or work, who was your supervisor or advisor, what was your role? Be concrete and do not use vague or fluffy language. Okay to write more about the things that you are interest in.

ERAS will automatically put your entries in order, and you cannot change it.

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PublicationDo include PMID. In reference Last name, first initial .second initial (do not put a period because the system will automatically enter this).The way publications order themselves is by the last name of the first author – you cannot change this.How do we note articles that are accepted but not yet published: These are categorized as “Other than published.” Publication status options appear in a drop down box.Do include institutional and AOSC conferences.Any publication that you list is fair game. Review and understand the papers. Print and bring your papers with you. Be able to clearly discuss them, including the hypothesis, findings, and significance of the work.

Language ProficiencyFor language proficiency: Do not overestimate.

Hobbies and InterestsList authentic items, show it to a mentor to make sure that your choices are appropriate.

Other Awards and AccomplishmentsIt looks suboptimal if nothing is listed here. List authentic items if these exist– study abroad, grant, half marathon, races, certifications (EMT), etc.

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Medical School Transcripts and PhotographsMedical School Transcripts All ERAS applicants will have an official copy of their medical school transcripts scanned into the system automatically (usually in late September to allow for the posting of as many grades as possible).

Photographs The Augusta Webster Office of Medical Education will arrange for pictures to be taken on campus in at the beginning of the academic school year. These photos (if purchased from the photographer) can be used for ERAS. Students should submit photos directly to ERAS that meet these requirements:

• JPEG format • Maximum file size of 100 KB • Photograph must be no larger than 2.5 by 3.5 inches in size • Clear full front view of your head and shoulders; your face should be in the middle of the

photograph, and your expression should be natural with your eyes open looking directly ahead

• Plain white or light-colored background • Wear professional attire (remember: this is a job interview)

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Early MatchOphthalmologyOverviewThe Ophthalmology Residency Matching Program (OMP), managed by the San Francisco match, supplements the PGY-1 matching services of the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). The OMP is timed to allow applicants to secure their PGY-2 placement in ophthalmology before they must submit their rank list for PGY-1 choices.

SponsorshipThe Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology sponsors the ophthalmology match pro-cess and enforces the applicable rules. The function of SF match is limited to processing the match. Programs being listed or not listed in the directory does not imply approval or disapproval.

The MatchThe OMP Match takes place in February and will process all applicants who aim to start their residen-cy in July of the following year. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they meet all eligibility requirements prior to registering for the match.

RegistrationThere is a $100 non-refundable registration fee that will cover registration and matching. Applicants can log into their online profile to manage their account.

EligibilityAll applicants must complete PGY-1 prerequisite training in an ACGME approved program prior to their PGY-2 Ophthalmology Residency. Applicants must register with NRMP for their PGY-1 place-ment.

Central Application Service• All applicants must apply through SF Match’s Central Application Service (CAS), which will

distribute completed applications to programs electronically. • Applicants are required to fill out a CAS application form, provide required documents, and

select programs for application distribution. CAS distributions require a separate fee.• The following documents are required to apply to programs:

o Completed CAS application form onlineo College transcript(s)o Medical school transcriptso Three letters of recommendation (and only 3!) (letter writers can choose between

writing a recommendation letter or completing the Ophthalmology Standardized Form instead)

o Distribution list and payment

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• Distribution fees:

Number of CAS Distributions Fees

1-10 $60 total

11-20 $10 per program

21-30 $15 per program

31-40 $20 per program

41 or more $35 per program

Supplement distributions cost $35 per program

UrologyOverview

• The match is for medical students graduating in 2021 for their first year of urology, regardless of the number of pre-urology years required.

• The matching system combines the rank-ordered lists of the applicants and programs to cre-ate a list of matches acceptable to both parties.

Training RequirementsRequirements for foreign medical students may vary, be sure to obtain up-to-date information from individual programs.

Accredited U�S� Urology ProgramsThe American Urological Association website will provide a listing of programs that are participating in the Urology Residency Match Program. All accredited programs are added to the list once they register.

• Programs can access ERAS applications on September 15.• Check with each program regarding their application deadline, but in general applicants

should aim to have their application materials submitted before September 15.• Access the individual program websites to obtain additional information

Interview ProcessInterviews are typically held between early October and mid-December.

Program Applications• It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact all of the programs that they are interested in,

and to follow each program’s application and interview procedures. Each program will have an individual application deadline.

• Participation in ERAS is on an individual program basis. The ERAS website will list all programs participating. Nearly all programs participate in ERAS.

• Applicants are under no obligation to disclose their program preferences to any program director. Programs directors cannot make binding offers outside of the match program. Both

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parties can change their preferences without prejudice up until submission of their final rank-ordered lists.

• No changes can be made after your rank-ordered list is submitted.Post Interview Contact

• Contacting programs after an interview by letter or email is always permissible• You should not be contacted by any program directors by phone, as this is considered undue

pressure• Telephone calls from applicants to programs are acceptable

Preference List Submission• Applicants may change their preference list or withdraw from the match completely up until

the submission deadline• Following the submission deadline, if you are matched with a program you are legally com-

mitted to accept• AUA recommends that applicants rank all of the programs they would be willing to attend, to

maximize their chances of obtaining a match.

Match PhasesPhase I

• Participating programs are provided an identification number• Participating programs agree not to make any appointment prior to the match, and agree not

to make any commitments to residents matched with other programs after the match.

Phase II• Applicants obtain an identification number from the Urology Resident Match Program.

Phase III• Applicants are responsible for contacting desired programs and going through the interview

process.• Applicants must provide their AUA identification number to all programs when contacted or

at the time of interviews.Phase IV

• All programs and applicants submit rank ordered lists online to the Urology Residency Match Program no later than the deadline.

Phase V• Match is performed

o If you do not include a program on your list, you cannot be matched with it.o Ranking a program is a binding commitment to accept that program if you are

matched with it.o The AUA will try to match applicants with the first program on their list. They will not

match anyone with programs low on their list until their higher ranked programs do not match them.

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o If two or more programs make offers to an applicant, the applicant will be matched with the program they ranked highest on their list

o Not all applicants will be matched. If an applicant is not ranked by any program on their list, they will not be matched. Vacancies after the match process will be listed on Urology Program Vacancies. Applicants can make arrangements with programs that have vacancies.

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Couples MatchOverviewParticipating in a couples match allows applicants to link their rank order lists in order to obtain posi-tions in the same geographic location. The matching algorithm will form pairs of program preferenc-es, and the couple will match with the most preferred pair of programs on their list where both are offered positions.

RegistrationApplicants must first register individually through NRMP, and then one partner can submit a couple request. Applicants must be participating in the same match in order to register for couples match-ing. Once an applicant sends a couple request to his/her partner, the applicant is required to pay a couple fee regardless of whether or not their partner accepts the couple request. The couples match process will be complete once the Couple Status field in the R3 system displays “Accepted” and the fee status displays “Paid.” Couple fees are non-refundable.

Rank Order Lists• Couples will only be matched at a pair of ranked programs• If applicants do not match as a couple, the algorithm will not process their lists separately to

find individual matches• Couples must have the same number of ranks on their rank order lists• Each partner can submit no more than 300 ranks on their lists• One partner can rank a “No Match” code, which means that if the other partner matches at

that rank, the partner raking the “No Match” code will not match. The No Match code for residency is 999999999 and for fellowship it is 888888888. Pairs of ranks with the No Match code should be at the bottom of the couples’ rank order lists to create the best chance of both partners matching to programs.

• Either/both partners can rank an advanced program on their primary rank order list, and submit a supplemental rank order list of preliminary programs to obtain a full course of train-ing. However, supplemental rank order lists will be processed individually, not as a unit. The algorithm will only process supplemental rank order lists after a match is established to a pair of programs on the couple’s primary rank order lists.

• Applicants who rank the same advanced program multiple times on their primary rank order list must have the same supplemental list or no supplemental list attached to each instance of the advanced program.

• Each partner may rank up to 20 unique programs on their primary rank order lists, and the couple can rank up to 20 programs on their supplemental lists combined, before an extra fee of $30 will be charged for each additional program. The “No Match” program code is consid-ered a unique program.

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UncouplingIf a couple registered for couples matching makes the decision to instead participate in the match as individuals, both partners must uncouple in the R3 system. After uncoupling, both individuals must adjust their rank order lists to remove duplicate programs and re-certify it before the Rank Order List Certification Deadline.

All individuals who are planning on couples matching must meet with Dr. Sanguino prior to the end of August.

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Registering for NRMPStudents, including those participating in the San Francisco Match (Ophthalmology match) must register with the National Residency Match Program (NRMP). Early match students are required to rank preliminary programs through the NRMP. Registration for the NRMP is completed via the NRMP website. This registration is distinct from the ERAS registration. The NRMP processes matches from rank order lists submitted by both students and residency training programs that result from the interview process.

• To participate in the match, applicants must use the NRMP’s R3 system to register. The R3 system can be accessed through the NRMP website. Applicants must have an AAMC ID to register with NRMP for the match.

• Applicants should first register and complete an ERAS application. An NRMP ID is not required to submit ERAS applications.

• Once applicants register with NRMP and receive their NRMP ID, they must log back into ERAS and update their profile with their NRMP ID. This allows program directors to rank them.

• The deadline to register for the NRMP without paying a late fee is January 31, 2021.

Registration• During NRMP registration, applicants are asked to provide information including name, date

of birth, AAMC ID, exam scores, and work and volunteer experiences. Profile information can be updated at any time.

• Maintain current email addresses and phone numbers in the R3 system• Applicants must pay a fee of $85 to access the R3 system

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Letters of RecommendationOverviewA letter of recommendation on a student's behalf serves to provide valuable information to pro-gram directors. You will need several letters of recommendation for your application. Each program requests a specific number. Usually, a total of three to four letters are required in addition to the MSPE. In general, programs ask that the people who write your letters of recommendation be famil-iar with your clinical or research skills. Letters from individuals who have not worked directly with you but who can attest to your character are generally not helpful. Some specialties require a letter of recommendation from the chair of the department; in fact, for most specialties, a chair’s letter is routinely expected. Your department advisor will let you know if this is required for the specialty to which you are applying. Please carefully check to see what the individual program requirements are for letters of recommendation.

How to Ask for Letters of RecommendationIt is important that faculty write strong letters of recommendation for you. Ask the potential letter writers: "Do you feel comfortable writing a strong letter for me?" or “Do you feel that you worked with me long enough to write a strong letter of recommendation for me?” This allows the faculty an “out” if they believe they cannot write you a strong letter.

What to Give your Letter WritersYou will be responsible for presenting each letter writer with the following:

• CV and personal statement (if the writer wants to see it)• ERAS Letter Request Form • Letters of Recommendation and ERAS

Letters of recommendation (LoRs) to be submitted through ERAS can ONLY be processed as follows: • Applicants access MyERAS to create LoR slots for each letter writer via the LoR Portal. • Applicants print out the Letter Request Form for all letter writers and deliver it by email, stan-

dard mail, or in person. • Each LoR should be printed on official letterhead with an actual signature. The letter is saved

in PDF format. The letter writer then accesses the LoR Portal to upload their letter. (Most letter writers do this on an annual basis and are familiar with the process) Technical specifica-tions for LoRs can be found at the following link: https://www.aamc.org/eras/lorp.

• The writers access the LoR Portal and create their own username and password. • Letter writers log in, enter the applicant's unique LetterID, verify the applicant and LoR slot

details, and then follow the prompts to upload their letter in PDF format. PDFs with encryp-tion, password protection, or digital signatures cannot be processed.

• The LoR is transmitted to the ERAS PostOffice. • Some important things to know about letters of recommendation:

o A maximum of four LoRs can be sent per program. o Do not send more letters than are required.

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o The specialty to which this letter will be assigned field is not viewable by programso If you are applying in more than one discipline, ask the letter writer to provide a sep-

arate letter specific to each specialty in which you are applying. o The Letter Request Form lists the procedures required for faculty preparing a letter

for ERAS.o The letter should be on letterhead with an actual signature addressed to “Dear Pro-

gram Director”o The letter should include the student’s name, AAMC ID Number, and state whether or

not the student has waived the right to see the lettero It is strongly recommended that applicants check the box on the Letter Request Form

that indicates you “waive” the right to see the letter. Programs expect this.o The Letter Request Form that is generated by the ERAS system when setting up LoR

slots should be provided to letter writers and contains instructions for using the LoR Portal. The Letter Request Form itself should not be loaded to the ERAS LoR Portal.

Your application does not need to be complete for letters to be transmitted to programs, and it is not necessary to have all LoRs/documents in before applying to programs.

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Feinberg School of Medicine Honors & Awards Alpha Omega Alpha Alpha Omega Alpha, founded in 1902, is the national medical honor society. Its mission statement is:

Alpha Omega Alpha — dedicated to the belief that in the profession of medicine we will improve care for all by:

• recognizing high educational achievement;

• honoring gifted teaching;

• encouraging the development of leaders in academia and the community;

• supporting the ideals of humanism; and • promoting service to others.

Election to Alpha Omega Alpha is an honor signifying a lasting commitment to scholarship, leader-ship, professionalism, and service. A lifelong honor, membership in the society confers recognition for a physician’s dedication to the profession and art of healing.

Criteria for election to Alpha Omega Alpha are detailed in the Constitution. About 3,500 students, alumni, house staff, and faculty are elected each year. Since its founding in 1902, more than 150,000 members have been elected to the society. To find a member, type the last name into the search box under Locate a Member on the left.

Alpha Omega Alpha supports 12 national programs for medical students and physicians at our 131 chapters, and publishes a quarterly journal, The Pharos, which contains articles on nontechnical medical subjects, including history, ethics, national issues, personal essays, and poetry. (alphao-megaalpha.org)

Students will be notified about nomination in August. Elections occur in September before ERAS submission date.

Gold Humanism Award The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) recognizes students, residents and faculty who are exem-plars of compassionate patient care and who serve as role models, mentors, and leaders in medicine. GHHS members are peer nominated and are the ones that others say they want taking care of their own family.

Frederick and Harriett Stenn Fund for Humanism in Medicine For demonstration of humanism and compassion in the practice of medicine. Fund was established in 1981 by Mrs. Harriet Stenn and is awarded annually to a graduating fourth-year who demonstrates humanism and compassion in the practice of medicine.

Neil Stone Award for Professionalism and Compassion in Medicine Nominated by a clerkship director in recognition of commitment to professionalism and compassion in medicine.

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Phi Rho Sigma-Dennis Award Award was established by the medical school’s Phi Rho Sigma fraternity and is funded through a generous gift that was provided by Dr. George J. Dennis in 1944. This prize is awarded to a medical student for his or her outstanding performance during third-year clerkships.

Kenneth M. Viste, ‘66 MD, Student Service Recognition Award In recognition of outstanding service and contribution to the Feinberg School of Medicine. Award was established in 2005. This award was created by the Northwestern University Medical Alumni Association’s National Board in memory of the late Dr. Kenneth Viste, an esteemed member of the Class of 1966.

M2 Student Senate Service Award Awarded to students who were selected by their peers for their outstanding service and leadership within the Feinberg and Chicago community.

Daniel Hale Williams Diversity and Inclusion Award This award recognizes a graduating medical student who most embodied the mission of Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine. The award recipient will be that student with a strong commitment to Diver-sity & Inclusion within the Feinberg School of Medicine who extends that commitment to address issues of Diversity & Inclusion in the external community of Greater Chicago as well. In keeping with the mission of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, we seek scholarly competence, research ambitions, community service and evidence of conviction to enhance Diversity and Inclu-sion at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Departmental Awards American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Prize for Excellence For the graduating student who demonstrated excellence in neurology during the third-year clerk-ship as well as the selective experiences in neurology

American College of Physicians Award For outstanding performance in the junior medicine clerkship

Clare Giegerich Award for Outstanding Promise in Orthopaedic Surgery Awarded to a graduating student who demonstrated outstanding performance in the field of ortho-paedic surgery

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Beatrice Tucker Award In recognition of outstanding commitment, service, and advocacy in the field of women’s health

Edward A� Brunner Medical Student Award in Anesthesiology In recognition of the highest level of academic excellence demonstrated by a graduating student pur-suing a career in anesthesiology

Eugene Bauer, MD, Award for Excellence in Dermatology For the best overall performance in dermatology by a graduating student pursuing a career in derma-tology

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Frederick and Harriett Stenn Award for Humanism in Medicine Nominated by a classmate for demonstration of humanism and compassion in the practice of medi-cine

Gayle E� Woloschak Medical Student Award for Excellence in Radiation Oncology For excellence in radiation oncology

Henry B� Betts, MD, Award for Excellence in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation For best performance during the physical medicine and rehabilitation medical student clerkship rotation

James Kozlowski Award for Excellence in Urology Presented to the graduating student with the most outstanding performance in urology

James Thomas Case Radiology Award For best overall performance in radiology by a graduating student pursuing a career in radiology

James A� Stockman III Award for Excellence in Pediatrics and Child Health For outstanding performance in the pediatric clerkship and a passion for advancing the care of children through advocacy, education and research

Jan Reddy Excellence in Pathology Award For excellent effort and learning on the pathology elective rotation

John P� Phair Award Awarded to a graduating student who excelled on the infectious disease rotation in both the intellec-tual and human side of medicine

John T� Clarke, MD, Award For an outstanding graduating student pursuing a career in internal medicine

Jonathan Philip Reder Award For outstanding leadership and extracurricular accomplishments by an Honors Program Graduate with exceptional involvement in In Vivo

Julius Conn, Jr�, MD, Award For outstanding performance in the surgery clerkship

Lee M� Jampol, MD, Award For outstanding achievement by a graduating student in ophthalmology, in clinical care and vision science research

Louis G� Keith, MD, PhD, Award in Obstetrics and Gynecology In recognition of clinical and academic excellence in the field of obstetrics and gynecology

Martin Lipsky Award for Excellence in Family Medicine Named for the inaugural chair of Family and Community Medicine and granted to the graduating student entering a family medicine residency who most exemplifies the characteristics of altruism, compassion, and intellectual curiosity

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Neil Stone Award for Professionalism and Compassion in Medicine Nominated by a clerkship director in recognition of commitment to professionalism and compassion in medicine

Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award Awarded to a graduating student who has demonstrated excellence in the specialty of emergency medicine

Stephen M� Stahl Award for Excellence in Psychiatry For an outstanding graduating student in psychiatry

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Information Provided in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) (Source: http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/md-education/current-students/career-de-velopment/residency-application-process/medical-performance-evaluation.html)

Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine provides each student with an MSPE letter when applying for post-graduate training to supplement the transcript. The Medical Student Perfor-mance Evaluation (MSPE) represents an evaluation of a medical student’s performance during the process of medical education.

It includes a review of the student’s academic history, including a summary of the clinical skills sequence, third-year clerkship summaries, and the listing of the clerkship internal designators. Any disciplinary sanctions imposed during medical school will be included in the MSPE. The MSPE will include information about required remediation of academic per-formance, as appropriate. Feinberg-sponsored honors and awards, participation in research projects, community service work, summer activities, and other relevant activities may be mentioned.

Each current student will have their MSPE/Dean’s letter scanned into the system on or be-fore the Oct. 21 deadline. All MSPEs transmitted via ERAS are automatically held until Oct. 1. Paper copies sent to programs are not mailed before Oct. 21.

Prior-year graduates applying to immediately vacant positions that are not open to U.S. med-ical school seniors are not subject to the Oct. 21 MSPE release date. MSPEs for these appli-cants may be sent outside of ERAS as soon as they are available.

Steps to Complete MSPE Worksheet The MSPE worksheet is one of the documents that we use to help us construct your MSPE. It is critical that you submit this to us by the designated date in July. In order to submit your worksheet, you will need to have competed your CV and personal statement. These only need to be drafts. They do not need to be your finalized versions. Please follow the directions below: 1.   Login to eMerg. 2.   Click “MSPE Worksheet” on the left. 3.   Complete the form and click “Submit” at the bottom of the page.

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Sample MSPE : Medical Student Performance Evaluation for Typical Student October 1, 2018

Identifying InformationTypical Student is a fourth-year student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois.

Noteworthy Characteristics• Typical was awarded a summer stipend from the National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney

Disease to study at UCLA/Cedars Sinai. She has since presented projects in obstetrics/gyne-cology and otolaryngology.

• Typical has been dedicated to service as a medical student by volunteering at the Devon Clin-ic, a student-run clinic providing basic medical care to the underserved community.

• Typical has developed her interest in medical education as a supplemental instructor for the cardiopulmonary block and volunteer instructor at anatomy lab review sessions.

Academic History Date of Initial Matriculation in Medical School: August 2015Date of Expected Graduation from Medical School: May 2019

Please explain any extensions, leave(s) of absence, N/Agap(s), or break(s) in the student’s educational program. Date of Transfer from Prior Medical School: N/AFor dual/joint/combined degree students:

Date of Initial Matriculation in other degree program: N/A

Date of Expected graduation from other degree program: N/A

Type of other degree program: N/AWas this student required to repeat or otherwise Noremediate any coursework during his/her medical education? Was this student the recipient of any adverse action(s) No by the medical school or its parent institution?

Academic PerformanceProfessional PerformanceWe have assessed all students’ capabilities to meet standards for: accountability, self-improvement and adaptability, appropriate relationship with patients, relationship with healthcare team, initiative, professional demeanor, and behavior under stress. Unless otherwise noted, all students have met the stated objectives for professionalism at Feinberg.

Preclinical/Basic Science CurriculumDuring the first phase of the curriculum (Phase 1A& Phase 1B), the only grades assigned are Pass or

Fail. Students must receive a grade of “Pass”, in each block prior to beginning clerkships.Typical Student earned grades of Pass in all preclerkship courses and recorded a score of 230 on Step 1 and 249 on Step 2 CK of the USMLE exam.

Core Clinical ClerkshipsFollowing are the unedited narrative evaluations of Typical’s performance on the successive clerk-ships and electives.

MEDICINE CLERKSHIP: PASS (5/8/2017 - 6/30/2017)Typical was a very good student who was inquisitive and thoughtful. She tended to be quiet in group settings but connected very well with her patients one-on-one. Her fund of knowledge as assessed by her preceptors and the final exam was appropriate for her level of training. She clearly was reading about her patients and enjoyed sharing what she learned with her team. Her written H&P’s were well organized and thoughtful and included relevant differential diagnoses. Typical’s final grade is Pass.

SURGERY CLERKSHIP: HONORS (7/3/2017 - 8/25/2017)Ms. Student did an excellent job on the surgery clerkship and earns a grade of Honors. Her knowl-edge as assessed on the NBME Surgery Subject Exam was outstanding, as demonstrated by a score in the 90 percentile nationally. On service, Ms. Student’s preceptors and residents found her fund of knowledge to be good. Her clinical skills as measured on the OSCE were outstanding. On service, Ms. Student’s preceptors and residents found her clinical performance to be good. Her reasoning and judgement were good. Ms. Student’s professional behaviors and attitudes as measured on perfor-mance appraisals were very good. As a team member, Ms. Student was a good collaborator, a very good advocate and a good communicator. Ms. student’s preceptors and residents describe her as diligent and a good team player. “Typical was great to work with, had a good attitude and was willing to help the team and her patients.” “Typical did an excellent job on her surgery rotation at the VA. She was easy to work with, supportive of the team, and eager to learn about surgery.” “Typical was able to recognize patterns of symptoms and applies them from patient to patient.”

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PEDIATRICS: PASS (9/18/2017 - 10/27/2017)During her six week pediatric clerkship, Ms. Student rendered a very good performance. Her history taking and physical examination skills were appropriate for her level of training. Her oral case presen-tations were clear and well organized. She was “polite and helpful,” followed her patients diligently and developed a very nice rapport with her patients and parents. Ms. Student was professional and respectful to all members of the medical team. She was intellectually curious and read consistently about her patients. Ms. Student was described by the house staff as being an important member of the medical team, asking insightful questions and sharing important information about her patients’ diagnosis and medical issues. Her fund of knowledge, as assessed by her clinical evaluators, was ap-propriate for her level of training. Ms. Student’s score on the NBME Subject Examination was above the national average. On the basis of her performance, we believe that Ms. Student will make a very good house officer and physician. She receives a final grade of PASS for the pediatric clerkship.

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY: HIGH PASS (10/30/2017 - 12/8/2017)Typical Student is a very diligent student whose overall performance during the Obstetrics and Gy-necology clerkship was excellent. She spent the majority of the six week rotation at Prentice Wom-en’s Hospital. Her written notes were appropriately detailed and contained pertinent positives and negatives. She readily developed assessments and plans that were detailed and comprehensive and focused on each surgical and medical issue. Typical’s oral presentations flowed logically and she cor-rectly reported patient findings to her team. She collaborated extremely well with all members of the health care team. As a member of the Labor and Delivery team, “Typical went above and beyond.” She impressed her senior resident with her willingness to stay late to assist in a delivery or to partic-ipate in an interesting case. She rounded on her patients without prompting and took ownership of their care. Her fund of knowledge was outstanding— she achieved a score in the 90th percentile na-tionally on the NBME Subject Examination. She actively sought out learning opportunities and asked thoughtful questions to ensure her grasp of the material. She built a quick rapport with patients. Typ-ical’s technical skills and dexterity were great. She picked up skills quickly and readily incorporated advice. In the operating room, Typical was an excellent assistant who carefully and correctly manipu-lated tissues so as to create adequate exposure for the surgeons and she anticipated the instruments and tools that were needed next. Classmates found her to be “very professional and collegial in all interactions. Treats everyone with respect and always on time and well prepared.” They were im-pressed with her teamwork. Nursing evaluators noted Typical “was a pleasure to work with. She was thoughtful in her questions and showed clear preparation for her rotation with us in her knowledge of birth control options.” Final Grade: High Pass.

RESEARCH ELECTIVE: CREDIT (12/11/2017 - 12/21/2017)Worked hard organizing and analyzing all the data collected previously.

PRIMARY CARE: HIGH PASS (1/8/2018 - 2/2/2018)Ms. Student is a bright, personable medical student who performed at an excellent level during the Primary Care Clerkship. She has very good history taking skills and excellent physical examination skills. She was able to perform them within a reasonable time frame in the ambulatory setting. She is friendly and compassionate with patients. She worked well in her various clinical settings and was always curious and interested in patient care. In her Weekly Report sessions, she was engaged during other students’ case discussions but could have contributed a bit more. She presented her own patients thoroughly but could be more concise. She had good reading effort and taught her peers relevant ways to diagnose and/or treat the disease process she was discussing. Her Learner Centered Learning Goal presentation on “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” was considered excellent. It was an in-teresting practical topic, which she researched well. Her presentation flowed well and she answered her peer’s questions adeptly. She made excellent use of the literature to highlight her key points. Her NBME Ambulatory Medicine score was 85, which is at the 90th percentile nationally. Her clinical pre-ceptors felt her strengths to be reliability, professionalism and her ability to quickly research topics. She receives a grade of High Pass for her work during this clerkship.

NEUROLOGY: HIGH PASS (2/5/2018 - 3/2/2018)Ms. Typical Student did a very good job on the neurology rotation. She could usually obtain many of the details of a basic neurological history. Her neurological examination technique was as expected for her level of training. Initially her oral presentations did not always contain the pertinent informa-tion but this improved throughout the rotation. Based on an assignment her written H&Ps were well written, concise and appropriately detailed. Also, through this assignment she demonstrated that she could use evidence to guide medical decision making. In some subspecialty clinics in particular she excelled in synthesizing the information she gathered and formulating a relevant assessment and plan. She scored in the 81st percentile of the nation on the written neurology shelf examination. Her score on the OSCEs (1 standardized patient case and 2 written short cases, and 2 multiple choice cases- total of 9 stations) was: 76%. Clinically she received a pass. Typical was a hardworking and professional member of her neurology teams. She clearly listened attentively and often was able to improve her history taking and decision making from one encounter to the next, particularly in the outpatient setting. She asked a lot of questions after rounds suggesting that she was thinking criti-

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cally about the cases she encountered. She was helpful to her team. She was very kind with patients. For overall performance on this rotation, the grade of HIGH PASS is awarded.

PSYCHIATRY: HONORS (3/5/2018 - 3/30/2018)Ms. Student spent four weeks on the inpatient service at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Her teams remarked, “Typical showed genuine enthusiasm and curiosity about her patients and the field of psychiatry. She is calm and mature and maintains her composure during difficult encounters. She is bright and thoughtful. She showed good progress in being more assertive in her interviews and presentations.” She scored an 87 on the nationwide shelf exam demonstrating an excellent fund of knowledge. On the OSCE, she displayed fair communication skills and clinical reasoning. Overall, she did superb work on the rotation and receives a grade of Honors.

DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY: HONORS (4/2/2018 - 4/27/2018)Great job on the rotation. Nice presentation on a complex trauma case.

SUB-INTERNSHIP_MEDICINE: HIGH PASS (6/4/2018 - 7/1/2018)Typical’s contribution to the team cannot be overstated. She truly assumed and embraced the intern role during her Sub-I. She was able to show up each day and just knew what needed to get done. She called consults without needing a reminder, updated families regarding their loved ones, and truly advocated for her patients. We had one patient who was admitted to the hospital routinely for the same problem – alcohol withdrawal. Her attending and resident had taken care of the patient many times prior and had little hope that he would ever be able to abstain completely from alcohol. Typi-cal, however, took a fresh approach and did research on other medications that the patient had not yet tried to help him abstain. She was an advocate for this patient. Her team really trusted Typical with her patients. Typical was very pleasant to work with. She was kind, upbeat, and so helpful with the third year medical students. She performed as a sub-I and was a valuable asset to the team. She had excellent notes that were updated and succinct. Typical would go above and beyond to help care for her patients, and the patients often commented on her excellent care. She is very compassionate, hardworking, and dedicated to excellent patient care. Typical’s final grade is High Pass.

SummaryTypical has demonstrated immense effort and aptitude and has clearly excelled during her career at the Feinberg School of Medicine.

Based on a comprehensive review of Typical’s academic record, her overall medical school per-formance has been excellent in comparison to that of her peers at this institution. Students in the “excellent” category (third tier) have demonstrated their ability to excel in several of the required clerkships. This group constitutes approximately 25% of the Class of 2019. Category placement is determined by grades in the required clerkships. Grades of Honors are awarded one-point, high pass 0.5 points and pass 0 points. The point total is weighted by the length of the clerkship. Please note that USMLE scores, leadership roles and extracurricular activities are not considered in category placement. The Feinberg School of Medicine does not compute class rank.

We believe that Typical will be an excellent addition to your residency program.

Please feel free to contact us if you would like additional information on this candidate. We also wel-come any comments on this Medical Student Performance Evaluation

Medical School Information PageFeinberg School of MedicineMedical School NameChicago, IllinoisCity, State

Special programmatic emphases, strengths, mission/goal(s) of the medical school:The mission of the Feinberg School of Medicine is to mentor and educate students to become exceptional, compassionate and innovative physicians, educators, and researchers who will be inquiry-driven team leaders and serve patients, society and the profession. At the time of grad-uation, each student demonstrates achievement in the following competencies: (1) Patient-Cen-tered Medical Care; (2) Effective Communication & Interpersonal Skills; (3) Medical Knowledge & Scholarship; (4) System Awareness & Team-Based Care; (5) Personal Awareness & Self-Care; (6) Community Engagement & Service; (7) Continuous Learning & Quality Improvement; and (8) Professional Behavior & Moral Reasoning. Feinberg students understand the science of

Marianne Green, MDSenior Associate Dean for Medical Education

Sandra M. Sanguino, MD, MPH Associate Dean for Student Affairs

MSPE Rank: Excellent

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behavior change and demonstrate the communication skills necessary to effect change in their patients. They excel at applying principles of evidence-based medicine and they can conduct a quality literature review. Life-long learning and professional and personal growth is emphasized throughout the mentored portfolio process in order for students to become reflective practi-tioners. Students become part of a community of scholars and pursue research through an Area of Scholarly Concentration or a dual-degree program.

Feinberg Student AttributesThe Feinberg School of Medicine is fortunate to attract students who possess grade-point av-erages and MCAT scores, which are above the national average. The exact data for the Class of 2019 is shown in the table below:

GPA Science GPA Total MCAT Verbal MCAT Physical MCAT Biological

National 3.63 3.69 10.0 10.6 10.9

Feinberg 3.78 3.81 10.9 12.5 12.5

In addition, the average scores for Feinberg students on the United States Medical Licensing Examination for Step 1 and for Step 2 CK are substantially above the national average for these examinations.In summary, based on the data from external sources and the history of where our graduates match for postgraduate education, students who are at the 50th percentile in our academic setting would rank at a significantly higher percentile within the national cohort of students graduating in 2019.

Special characteristics of the medical school’s educational program:The curriculum is divided into 3 phases over four years. There are 4 major curricular elements: Science in Medicine, Professional Development, Health & Society, and Clinical Medicine. Each element has associated curricular “threads” that continue throughout all three phases of the curriculum: Lifestyle Medicine, Patient Safety & Health Care Quality, Health Equity & Advocacy, Medical Decision Making & Laboratory Medicine and Teamwork & Leadership.

Phase 1 consists of 15 organ-based modules over 20 months. Each module fully integrates all elements and threads. Several weeklong “Synthesis and Application modules” (SAM) are in-terspersed which provide spaced repetition of essential content and focus on active learning formats. Phase 2 and 3 consists of required clinical rotations with additional SAM modules. Basic science and curricular threads are the focus of a monthly half-day session during Phase 2. At the conclusion of Phase 3, all students complete a two-week Capstone during which they demon-strate mastery learning of key competencies. All students participate in a longitudinal area of inquiry either as a dual degree student or as part of the Area of Scholarly Concentration.

Unique Courses taught during the Clerkship Years:

Education Centered Medical Home (ECMH)Approximately 40% of students in the Class of 2019 participated in an ECMH. The ECMH is a four-year, longitudinal, primary care experience that focuses on the care of underserved pa-tients with complex, chronic conditions in order to address the social determinants of health and quality improvement of the care provided. One ECMH clinic consists of 16-17 medical stu-dents (M1 through M4) working with one faculty preceptor caring for a panel of patients across

all 4 years of medical school.

Phase 2 Interdisciplinary Curriculum (IC- 2)In Phase 2, students meet for Interdisciplinary Curriculum one Friday afternoon a month. The overall goal of IC-2 is to return to basic sciences and to continue to develop students in the Fein-berg competencies of health equity & advocacy, health care quality & patient safety and person-al/professional ethics.

Average length of enrollment (initial matriculation to graduation) at the medical school:Four years and three months.

Description of the evaluation system used at the medical school:Preclerkship courses in Phase 1 are evaluated on a Pass or Fail basis.Required Clerkships are evaluated using Honors, High-Pass, Pass. Specific criteria for the grade of Honors or High Pass have been established for each clerkship. The grade of Pass is given to all other students who satisfactorily meet the objectives of the clerkship. In some instances, extra time was required to meet the passing criteria of the clerkship and this extra time is indicated on the transcript. Required Phase 2 Clerkships: Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Pediatrics, Neurology, Primary Care, (or an Education Centered Medical Home), and Psychiatry. Required Phase 2 Clerkships: Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics- Gynecology, Pediatrics, Neurology, Primary Care, (or an Education Centered Medical Home), and Psychiatry. Required Phase 3 Clerkships: Sub-internship (Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery or Ob-Gyn), Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care Unit Rotation (Medicine or Pediatrics), and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Electives are evaluated using Honors, Pass and Fail. For 2-week electives, only Credit/No Credit is given; this is usually noted in the narrative assessment. Elective credit is granted for research, providing the research is approved and deemed meritorious by the Director of the Area of Schol-arly Concentration.

Overall evaluation of the Class of 2019 Based on their performance in the required clerkships, students have been placed in one of four tiers. We have numbered these tiers from the highest (first tier) downward (second tier) etc. The individual student’s tier is specified in the “Summary section. There is no numerical designation of class rank.

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Away Rotations(Important Reminder: Away rotations will generally not be an option for Feinberg students this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

• Remember, the entire rotation is an interview.The decision to pursue an away rotation should be based on a discussion with your advisor.

• Some fields require away rotations to match (Emergency Medicine and some surgical disciplines), while for others away rotations are not typically done (eg., General Surgery, Medicine).

• The timeline for the application process can be highly variable from institution to institution, even within a specific field. It is wise to check in periodically (in a polite and courteous fashion) with institutions to which you have applied to check your status for an away rotation.

• Some programs use the VSAS (Visiting Students Application Service), which is ad-ministered by the AAMC to coordinate extramural electives for visiting students. Please go to https://students-residents.aamc.org/attending-medical-school/arti-cle/how-use-vslo-application-service/.

• The VSAS site contains an Extramural Electives Compendium (EEC) which is a searchable database listing elective opportunities at AAMC-member medical schools.

• It is reasonable to begin inquiries into away rotations in February of your third year.

• If you need to cancel an away rotation at an institution, notify that institution as soon as possible.

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Requirements for Graduation• Students must successfully complete the required clerkships: Surgery, Medicine,

Pediatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Psychiatry, Neurology, and Primary Care• Students must successfully complete the advanced required clerkships: PM&R,

Sub Internship, ICU, and EM• Students must receive a passing score on Step 1, Step 2CK, and Step 2CS• Students must successfully complete (or be exempt from) the AOSC requirement• Students must complete 20 weeks of elective credit (e.g. home electives, global

electives, away electives, selectives, NUVention, ECMH, approved research, dual degree credit)

• Students must complete a two-week capstone• Students must successfully complete a teaching selective• Students must successfully complete PTTP

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The Residency Interview Process• Students will receive interview invitations from September to January• The bulk of interview offers come in October• Students should respond to interview invitations as soon as possible, preferably

within 24 hours.• Remember that each interview begins with your first contact with the program• Administrative staff coordinating interviews often provide feedback about the ap-

plicants as part of the interview process. The feedback these individuals provide can help “make” or “break” an application. Remember to ALWAYS be polite and professional in your interactions.

• If you choose to cancel an interview, you must provide at least two weeks’ notice so the program can offer the spot to another student. However, it is best to noti-fy that institution as soon as possible once you change your plans.

Residency Interview TipsBefore the Interview

• Know the specialty to which you are applying. What is the specific specialty look-ing for in a resident? Equally, what are you looking for in a residency?

• Research the program ahead of time.

• Plan for enough time to travel to the interview. Take into account traffic, severe weather, time for parking, and any other delays.

• Plan for enough time prior to the interview to review your application, personal statement, and prepare your list of questions for the interviewers.

• Treat everyone you encounter with respect. The interview begins as soon as you make contact with the program. Be polite and courteous. Say “thank you.”

• Before you enter the interview, ground yourself by reflecting on your unique attributes, why you’re interested in this particular specialty, and what you hope to learn from your residency.

During the Interview• Ask for the names of the interviewers and write them down.

• Be friendly and professional, look the interviewers in the eye, greet them with a handshake.

• If you’re excited about the program, don’t be afraid to show it! Verbalize your excitement, and express it through body language as well (e.g. smiling, eye contact, open body language)

• Be present throughout the interview. Be an active listener, be yourself, and ask thoughtful, intelligent questions that you prepared prior to the interview.

• If you freeze or are caught off guard by a question, it’s OK to pause and think before respond-

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ing. It’s also OK to say, “that’s a really good question, let me think about that for a few mo-ments” before responding.

• When responding to questions, give real-life examples as much as possible. This gives the interviewers a real sense of who you are as a person, and this approach makes the interview much more substantive.

After the Interview• Directly after the interview, jot down your Impressions of the program and of your interview-

ers, while the experience is still fresh in your mind.

• Send short, personalized thank you notes to the program director. Thank them for their time, and highlight a specific topic discussed that the two of you connected around.

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Rank List InformationEntering Your Rank Order List (ROL)After you’ve decided the order in which you will rank the residency programs at which you inter-viewed, you must communicate this ranking to the NRMP. You will enter your rank order list (ROL) directly into a computer at the secure NRMP Matching System website. After you have entered your ROL you will be asked to certify your list. Each time changes are made to your ROL you must re-certi-fy your list. You are the only person who can see your list unless you give your AAMC ID and password to some-one else.

Tips1. Your life, your list: As you determine your rank list there are many things to consider: academics, geography, family prestige. Only you know what how to prioritize all of these factors. At the end of the day, you want to rank programs that will be a good fit for you an all aspects of our life and allow you to thrive. 2. Rank in true order of preference: There is no advantage in ranking a less desirable program higher than your #1 choice just because your #2 program ranks (or says it will rank) you higher. We strongly recommend that you not remove or re-order programs from your list based on anything a residency program tells you. For a full explanation of the mechanics of the match algorithm please see this web site: www.nrmp.org/matching-algorithm.3. Rank all programs you interviewed at unless you would prefer not to match at a particular program. If you interview at a program and decide not to rank it, consider that you have decided that you would rather not match at all than go to that program. Essentially, it means that you would rath-er not be an internist, pediatric surgeon, etc. than go to that program. The likelihood of being able to SOAP into a program in your preferred specialty is low.

DefinitionsApplicant Status: ACTIVE Registered with the NRMP RANKING ROL started CERTIFIED ROL finalizedVerification Status: VERIFIED Credentials have been verified for Match participation NOT VERIFIED Credentials have not been verified for Match participa- tion

Please note, our office is required to “verify” your credentials prior to the ranking deadline. What that means is that we need to indicate that you are on track to graduate. You do not need to do any-thing to verify your credentials. You may certify your rank list prior to being “verified”. In past years, we have verified credentials the 2nd week of February.

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Day Tentative Match Week Schedule 2021

Friday Before Match Week

11:00 a.m. – NRMP notifies all applicants, regardless of match status, whether they are eligible for SOAP.

MATCH WEEK

Monday

10:00 a.m. – Applicants: Did I Match? 10:00 a.m. – Programs: Did I Fill? 10:00 a.m. – List of Unfilled Programs posted11:00 a.m. – ERAS opens in SOAP mode; Applicants begin sending applications using ERAS. 2:00 p.m. – Programs can download applicationsProgram-initiated telephone interviews with applicants begin, but no offers allowed.

Tuesday Applicants and programs communicate by program-initiated telephone interviews.10:30 a.m. – Programs begin entering preference lists in R3 system

Wednesday 10:55 a.m. – Program preference list deadline for Round 1 offers11:00 a.m. – Round 1 electronic offers made in the R3 system1:00 p.m. – Deadline to accept/reject Round 1 offers1:55 p.m. – Program preference list deadline for Round 2 offers2:00 p.m. – Round 2 electronic offers made in R3 system4:00 p.m. – Deadline to accept/reject Round 2 offers

Thursday 7:55 a.m. – Program preference list deadline for Round 3 offers8:00 a.m. – Round 3 electronic offers made in R3 system10:00 a.m. – Deadline to accept/reject Round 3 offers11:00 a.m. – List of Unfilled Programs posted

Friday Match Day!

* Source: http://www.nrmp.org/ ** Times shown are Central Standard Time.

Match Week Schedule

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Preliminary Year PositionsPreliminary Year Positions (PGY-1 year)Training programs that begin in the PGY-2 year (for example Dermatology, Radiology, Ophthalmology, and Anesthesia) require the completion of a preliminary year prior to starting in the advanced posi-tion. There are 3 types of preliminary year programs, Transitional, Preliminary Medicine and Prelim-inary Surgery. Residents in one-year Transitional programs rotate through different hospital depart-ments every few months. Most Transitional year program are located in community-based hospitals. In Preliminary Medicine and Preliminary Surgery programs residents rotate through the services similar to the categorical residents. In general, Transitional year programs are considered the most competitive followed by Preliminary Medicine and finally Preliminary Surgery. Please remember that in order to start in an advanced position you must complete a preliminary position first so it is im-portant that you focus on obtaining this position as well. Every year we have student not match into a Preliminary year position. Fortunately, our students have been able to obtain a position in SOAP; however, in general there are almost no Transitional year positions, a few Preliminary Medicine posi-tions with the majority of positions available being Preliminary Surgery.

Personal StatementYou must write a separate personal statement for the preliminary position. We suggest that you write your personal statement for an “intern” year position so that you can use the same statement for Preliminary Medicine, Preliminary Surgery and/or Transitional Year. In your personal statement you can discuss the specialty (PGY-2) that you plan on pursuing; however, we recommend that you include something about what your goals are during your intern year. Additionally, consider discuss-ing why you would make a great intern.

Letters of RecommendationPreliminary positions require that you submit a separate set of letters. Most program require 3 letters. At least some of these letters may be the same letters that you included as part of your advanced position application. However, your letter writers will need to write a separate letter for an “intern” year position. It can be extremely similar to the advanced letter. This will require a separate ERAS Letter of Recommendation Request form with a distinct code.

Recommendations for Composition of LettersPreliminary Medicine Letters

1. Department of Medicine Chair letter (a must). The Department of Medicine will send infor-mation on how to obtain this letter

2. Clinical Medicine Letter (preferably inpatient)3. Any other letter

Preliminary Surgery Letters1. Clinical Surgery letter (a Department of Surgery Chairman letter is not required)2. Any other letter (may use a letter from the discipline you are applied to for your advanced

position) 3. Any other letter

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Transitional Year Letter 1. Department of Medicine Chair letter (can used but not required) or any other letter2. Clinical Medicine letter (preferably inpatient)3. Any other letter (may use a letter from the discipline you are apply for your advanced posi-

tion) For preliminary year positions, we do not recommend including a research letter as one of your three letters.

Final Tips for a Successful Match1. Apply to 10-15 PGY-1 positions.2. Do not apply to only Transitional year programs. We strongly recommend that you apply to

both Transitional year programs and Preliminary Medicine or Preliminary Surgery programs.3. Interview and rank no fewer than 8-10 preliminary positions.

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Residency Application Guide by Specialty Please note that the information about away rotations was collected this year, but prior to COVID. This will undoubtedly change due to the difficulty in completing away rotations.

• Anesthesiology• Child Neurology• CT Surgery (Integrated)• Dermatology• Emergency Medicine• ENT (Otolaryngology)• Family Medicine• General Surgery• Internal Medicine• Internal Medicine and Pediatrics (Combined)• Neurological Surgery• Neurology• Obstetrics and Gynecology• Ophthalmology• Orthopaedic Surgery• Pathology• Pediatrics• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation• Plastic Surgery• Psychiatry• Radiation Oncology• Radiology (Diagnostic)• Radiology (Interventional, Integrated)• Urology• Vascular Surgery

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Anesthesiology1. Program Director at Northwestern: Louanne Carabini, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Contact our Residency Coordinator since we have several faculty advisors. Sean Jones, Residency Coordinator, or Dr. Matthew Hire, alumni of NUFSM and member of residency recruitment team; Dr. Bruno DeCaria, Assistant Prof and Chair of Residency Recruitment Committee.

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? Highly recommended to achieve 220 or

above. We use passing score as cutoff.4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended?

a. If yes, how many? This is a case-by-case discussion with the advisor depending on clinical grades in core rotations and desired location for residency.

5. Researcha. Is research required? No

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? N/Ab. Are publications required? No

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3 letters required, 4 acceptedb. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Noc. Number of letters from within the specialty? Prefer at least 2 letters from anesthesiol-

ogy or critical cared. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Complete the MS4 elective

7. Personal Statement Advice: Make it original and personal. Not every story has to be a meta-phor for why you are interested in anesthesiology.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? October when ERAS opensb. When do programs begin offering interviews? Late Octoberc. When do programs conclude interviews? First week of January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Not required, but highly recom-

mended to attend otherwise it may be perceived as disinterested

10. Post interview advicea. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email: Letters are fine, but certainly not necessary and they have no impact on the applicant’s rank. Emails can seem impersonal especially if they are templated where one can just insert various institution names and send the same thank-you to everyone.

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ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent: To the coordinator or the Program Director (PD)

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season: Does not matter to me

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Not at all necessary, completely at the discretion of the candidate. As the PD, I do not know who has scheduled a second look. This is purely informative for the candidate.

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) I don’t think so. Again, this does not affect my rank list and it puts too much pressure on the applicants to misrepresent their intentions. Definitely do not tell a program they are your #1 and not rank them #1.

Child Neurology1. Program Director at Northwestern: Joanna Blackburn, MD2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title):

a. Joanna Blackburn, MD, Assistant Professor in Child Neurology & Pediatrics Child Neurol-ogy Program Director

b. Rebecca Garcia Sosa, MD, Assistant Professor in Child Neurology & Pediatrics – Epilepsy Division Child Neurology Clerkship Coordinator

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? – It may be helpful for the applicant, but it is not required or needed.

a. If yes, how many? N/A

5. Researcha. Is research required? It is encouraged for all medical students to have some exposure

to research, but not required to get into child neurology.b. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? Noc. Are publications required? No

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? Threeb. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Noc. Number of letters from within the specialty? We would prefer at least one from adult

neurology or child neurology if possible. Usually, others can be from pediatrics or a combination of the three.

d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Standard process

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7. Personal Statement Advice: Describe how you got here, what your interests are and your future goals. You can include experiences that impacted you, but be honest and transparent! Make sure it is proof read and makes sense.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Augustb. When do programs begin offering interviews? October and November c. When do programs conclude interviews? January

9. Advice for the interview a. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? No. Dinners and social gatherings

are not required. They are mainly recommended because you usually get to know the residents/fellows you would be working with. This is an opportunity to help you understand the culture.

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email: Either would be fine, but these are not required or expected and not sending one will not affect your application

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent: Program Director or people you interviewed with during your visit.

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season?: Shortly after the interview

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Only for your own good, if you think may help in your decision-making, but are not needed for the program.

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) No

CT Surgery (Integrated) 1. Program Director at Northwestern: S. Chris Malaisrie, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title):a. Patrick McCarthy, MD, Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Professor of Surgery

b. Ankit Bharat, MBBS, Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Associate Professor of Surgery

c. Joseph Forbess, MD, MBA, Division Head, Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Professor of Pediatric Surgery

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended?a. If yes, how many? 1

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5. Researcha. Is research required? Not required but encouraged

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? Strongly encouragedb. Are publications required? Encouraged

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3-4b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Noc. Number of letters from within the specialty? Alld. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter?

7. Personal Statement Advice: Demonstrate why you chose the specialty

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Septemberb. When do programs begin offering interviews? October/Novemberc. When do programs conclude interviews? January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Recommended

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email: Emailii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Program Coordinatoriii. Timing of correspondences? Immediately after interview vs. end of interview

season: Immediatelyb. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Yesc. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how

many? (#1, top 3?) Yes, for top choice only

Dermatology 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Maria Colavincenzo, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Advisors may include but are not limited to: Drs. Maria Colavincenzo (Residency program director), Shatil Amin (Clerk-ship director), Roopal Kundu (Dean Admissions), Lauren Guggina (Associate program director for combined internal medicine/dermatology residency program), in addition to any other faculty mentors with whom students have worked or whose clinical interests overlap with applicant (see website). Students are also typically assigned a ‘resident advisor’ at the time of their clerkship rotation.

3. USMLE Data: a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? NO, but some programs may indeed use cutoffs.

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b. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? In general, scores under 220 would cer-tainly be at risk for getting screened out by other programs. Scores >240 are consid-ered average to competitive. (Note that a very competitive step 2 score may to some extent “make up” for a less competitive step 1 score.)

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Usually done, usually encouraged, but not required. Decision depends on applicant goals/geographical considerations etc. Discuss with advisors.

a. If yes, how many? 0-25. Research

a. Is research required? Essentially yes. i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? No, but some type of scholarly

project within the discipline is strongly recommended.b. Are publications required? Most applicants do have publications, or at the very least

have submitted/presented posters/abstracts etc., to reflect their research endeavors

6. Letters of Recommendation: a. Total number of letters recommended? Usually ~4b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? No, but it is a good idea to consider as part of the

‘package’ (submitted derm LORs viewed together) whether any senior/experienced faculty are writing – if only new/junior faculty are LOR authors, they may consider co-letter/co-signing with more senior faculty. Discuss with advisors.

c. Number of letters from within the specialty? Usually ~3d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? N/A generally, but discuss with advisor

7. Personal Statement Advice: Should have PS read by ideally several different people/advisors for input

8. Application Timeline: a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Early October probably, after MSPE

availableb. When do programs begin offering interviews? Earliest offers in October, most in No-

vember-December, possibly some as late as Januaryc. When do programs conclude interviews? Early February there may be a few but bulk

are completed by end of January

9. Advice for the interview a. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? No. Often competitive applicants

may have to miss these due to a busy interviewing schedule. But definitely worth try-ing to attend if possible, can give a valuable perspective from the residents.

10. Post interview advice: a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email: Definitely emailii. To whom should these correspondences be sent?: Only PD, chairiii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview

season sometime in the days immediately after the interview is usually best;

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can follow up again later if program ends up as top choiceb. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Not done in this fieldc. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how

many? (#1, top 3?) #1 program should be informed that they are #1 on the list.

Emergency Medicine1. Program Director at Northwestern: Abra Fant, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Amy Kontrick, MDOther advisors change year to year

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Not currentlyb. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended?a. If yes, how many? Yes. Minimum of 1. Additional rotations approved in advance for

certain circumstances.

5. Researcha. Is research required? No

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline?b. Are publications required? No. Can be helpful at competitive programs with strong

research focus.

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3-4b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? No. Clerkship director writes a department letter.

Emergency Medicine has a standard letter that is used.c. Number of letters from within the specialty? Minimum 2d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Student must have completed the rotation,

submitted a CV and personal statement, and had at least one meeting with the clerk-ship director.

7. Personal Statement Advice: Keep it focused. It is about you not the specialty. Have someone from within the specialty read it. If you feel you need to address something in your statement specifically, talk with your advisor first.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Some start on September 15b. When do programs begin offering interviews? Some begin to offer shortly after they

can access applications. Most within the 1st two weeks of October. A group of pro-grams has come up with a “universal” release date for programs in that group.

c. When do programs conclude interviews? December or January

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9. Advice for the interview:a. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Most just strongly encouraged.

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email: Eitherii. To whom should these correspondences be sent?: Program Director

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season? Close to interview

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged?i. Program dependent

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) There is no hard and fast rule on this. Your top program probably. Remember, you can only have one number one.

ENT (Otolaryngology)1. Program Directors at Northwestern:

a. Robert Kern, MDb. Alan Micco, MD

c. Stephanie Smith, MD

d. Whitney Liddy, MD 2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Alan G. Micco, MD, Profes-

sor3. USMLE Data:

a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at Northwestern? No, but most applicants are above 230

b. If yes, what is the minimum score needed?

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended?a. If yes, how many? Away rotations can be very helpful. We recommend at least one,

but no more than 2.

5. Researcha. Is research required? It is helpful

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? The research is always preferred to be in Otolaryngology, however, any meaningful research is helpful

b. Are publications required? No, but once again they are helpful in stratifying candi-dates

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Yes

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c. Number of letters from within the specialty? At least 2d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? All applicants meet with Dr. Micco. They can

also meet with Dr. Kern. We write one letter signed by both of us.

7. Personal Statement Advice: Otolaryngology no longer requires an individual statement for each program you apply to. The statement should clearly define your interests and goals in Otolaryngology. Also, this is an opportunity to delineate any other trait or talent that is not otherwise in your application.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? October 1b. When do programs begin offering interviews? Otolaryngology programs try to keep a

window from the middle of October to the first few days in November.c. When do programs conclude interviews? Most conclude by the middle of January

9. Advice for the interview: Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? These events are not required at most programs. We understand that during interview season, travel plans change and applicants can’t make these events that occur either the night before or night of the interviews. We recommend that if you can make these events, they are extremely helpful. This is an opportunity to get to know the program’s residents in a casual, relaxed gathering. These events are also helpful to the program’s residents to get to know you.

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email?: Either is fine, but not necessaryii. To whom should these correspondences be sent?: You can send these to any-

one you interviewed with, including residents.iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview

season?: Usually these are sent soon after your interview date.b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Noc. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how

many? (#1, top 3?) If you send them, your top 3 or 4 choices is all that is necessary. If you are really interested in a certain program, and you are couples matching, these could be helpful to you and the program.

Family Medicine1. Program Director at Northwestern:

a. Deb Clements, MD, FAAFP, Northwestern McGaw Family Medicine Residency at Lake Forest

b. Satina Wheat, MD, Northwestern McGaw Family Medicine Residency at Humboldt Park

c. Natalie Choi, MD, Northwestern McGaw Family Medicine Residency at Delnor

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2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title):a. Dorothy Dschida, MD, Associate Professor, Associate Program Director b. Deb Clements, MD, FAAFP, Professor, Chair of Family and Community Medicine

3. USMLE Data: a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed?

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? a. If yes, how many? Not required, although experience in family medicine is an asset

5. Research a. Is research required?i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? Preferred but not required; patient-orient-

ed or community based research is most importantb. Are publications required? Again, preferred but not required

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Noc. Number of letters from within the specialty? At least one from a faculty member in

primary care who has assessed your clinical abilityd. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Contact our department for an interview.

Please be prepared to bring your CV and personal statement drafts.

7. Personal Statement Advice: The best personal statements describe your passion for the specialty, demonstrate an understanding of the role of the family physician in our health care system, what you hope to learn during residency and how you will contribute to our discipline both during training and in the future.

8. Application Timeline: a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? September 15 (the opening day of

ERAS)b. When do programs begin offering interviews? Typically, by the end of September or

first week of October c. When do programs conclude interviews? The second or third week of January

9. Advice for the interview:a. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? These events are not required, as

we understand the demands of travel schedules and competing priorities. They are, however, an excellent opportunity to meet the residents and faculty in a more relaxed environment as a group and may contribute greatly to your decision-making process.

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email? Either are fine.

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ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? At the time of the interview, you’ll be provided with the email/mailing addresses of all those you met during the day. You may send thank you’s to any or all of the team.

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview sea-son? Correspondence timing is a personal decision. Communication either after the interview or at the close of the season is fine. Don’t hesitate to reach out to ask any unanswered questions as you proceed through the season.

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Again, this is an individual decision. We do our best to give you a comprehensive look at the program on the day of your interview and recognize it’s difficult to return a second time, so we don’t encourage “second looks”.

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) True expressions of interest in a program are fine, but remember to comply with all NRMP rules

Internal Medicine 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Aashish Didwania, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): We assign students to an internal advisor. We don’t want students to pursue an advisor on their own

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Noa. If yes, how many? N/A

5. Researcha. Is research required? No

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? N/Ab. Are publications required? No

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Yesc. Number of letters from within the specialty? All but oned. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Communication from Bridget Murdoch will

explain

7. Personal Statement Advice: Think of it as providing suggestions for interviewer to ask ques-tions. Do not need to explain why you like medicine. Do not need to talk about a patient. Not like college personal statement where super original creativity is warranted.

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8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? September 15b. When do programs begin offering interviews? October 1c. When do programs conclude interviews? Mid-January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? No, but they are fun

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email? Not needed to interviewersii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Unless PD says don’t write

us, would write short email to PD telling them thank you and what you likediii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview

season, after interviewb. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Noc. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how

many? (#1, top 3?) Not needed, this is mostly for fun. Can send a short email to PD once you decide which program is #1, beauty of the match is that these emails are not necessary. If you are going to send a short email to the PD of your #1 program, you are welcome to do so. Emailing other programs that are not #1 is not advisable.

Internal Medicine and Pediatrics (Combined)1. Program Director at Northwestern: None (N/A)

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Cheryl Lee, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hospital Medicine

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? N/Ab. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Not expected. If you have your heart set on one particular program, you are more than welcome to do an away rotation, but I will caution you that an away rotation can work for or against you, depending on how well you perform there.

a. If yes, how many? N/A

5. Researcha. Is research required? Not required.

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? N/Ab. Are publications required? No

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6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? Typically, 2 letters plus 1-2 Chairman’s letters

(see below)b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Yes. Some programs require a Chairman’s letter from

both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics; some require only one (your choice whether it comes from IM or Peds).

c. Number of letters from within the specialty? It is expected to have one letter from Internal Medicine and one from Pediatrics

d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Please refer to the IM and Peds pages for this information.

7. Personal Statement Advice: Do not rehash your CV; instead, make it original – for example, tell a story about a patient or your upbringing. Also, make it clear why you want to do a com-bined residency over IM or Peds alone. Last, avoid unintentionally writing too many state-ments of “I did this, I did that” which tend to come off as boastful/self-focused.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Mid-Septemberb. When do programs begin offering interviews? Interviews occur from November to

Januaryc. When do programs conclude interviews? January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Not required, but I highly recom-

mend them. They will help you figure out the “feel” for the program and whether people seem happy with their training there.

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email?: Handwritten letters are always appreciated since they are becoming more rare. If you do email, make sure to not “copy and paste.”

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent?: Always good to send to the program director and interviewers.

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season?: I’d recommend sending them immediately after the interview to the interviewers, so that you will remember small details from your conversation that will make your letter personal. At the end of the interview season, if you have 1 or 2 programs that you absolutely loved, do not hesitate to send an email to the program director saying so.

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Not expected at all, but if you are struggling to figure out which program you loved the most, do not hesitate to reach out to the pro-gram director. But know that it will not change your ranking in their eyes, it is purely to help you decide.

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c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) See above. One caveat is that if you write a letter/email stating that a program is #1, please make sure it actually is your #1.

Neurology 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Danny Bega, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Stephen Van Haerents, MD

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed?

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Noa. If yes, how many? N/A

5. Researcha. Is research required? No

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? N/Ab. Are publications required? No

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3

b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? No

c. Number of letters from within the specialty? 1-2

d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter?

7. Personal Statement Advice: Have the personal statement reflect why you are interested in pursuing neurology and if you have any specific interests and know where you see yourself after residency, state those. If you say you are interested in something (e.g., research or med-ical education), then make sure you can back that up in your personal statement with some experience. If there is something in your transcript that would raise eyebrows (e.g., time off, repeat of a year) – make sure to address that.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? End of Sept/early October

b. When do programs begin offering interviews? October

c. When do programs conclude interviews? January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? They are not required but you

should attend them – largely because it gives you an opportunity to get a feel for the culture and the residents.

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10. Post interview advicea. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email – either is fine

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent – Program director

iii. Timing of correspondences: immediately after interview vs. end of interview sea-son – either is fine. One immediately after is good, but if you remain very interest-ed in a program, a follow up letter at the end of interview season is good.

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Optional

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) yes, top 3.

Neurosurgery 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Nader Dahdaleh, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): S. Kathleen Bandt, MD, Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery

3. USMLE Data: a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? No b. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Yesa. If yes, how many? 2-3

5. Researcha. Is research required? No, but strongly encouraged

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? If research is completed, it is most useful within neurosurgery or at least loosely related to neurosurgery (neurology, neurosciences, etc.)

b. Are publications required? No, but strongly encouraged

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3-4b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Yesc. Number of letters from within the specialty? 3-4d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Complete internal sub-internship with

Northwestern Neurosurgery and request letter from Dr. Lesniak during your rotation.

7. Personal Statement Advice: Why neurosurgery?

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Immediately upon receipt b. When do programs begin offering interviews? 2-4 weeks following application submis-

sion deadline

c. When do programs conclude interviews? Varies, late December through early Febru-ary, most are finished by mid-January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Essentially yes, the interview is your

opportunity to get to know the people in the department that you may be spending 7 years with. Most programs are small enough that one person who is a “poor fit” can be really toxic to the whole program so the residents take this opportunity seriously and it would behoove you to do the same.

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email?: Either is fine and appreciated, neither is expected and they probably don’t do too much to help you.

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent. Up to you. You can limit them to chair and program director if you wish but then your motivations will be trans-parent. You can write one only to the folks you had a particular connection with in which case they may serve as an advocate on your behalf during the rank list discussions.

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season. Up to you. Immediately after interview is most common and you will be freshest in their mind but end of interview season may more effectively communicate your interest.

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Supported and noted but not necessarily en-couraged. Second looks should be reserved for programs you liked that you didn’t rotate at and should be used as an opportunity on YOUR behalf to see the inner workings of a program you may be joining for 7 years. A second look at a program you rotated with is a waste of time. Do a second look because YOU are interested in potentially matching at a program you encountered on the interview trail and would like to spend some more time with before ranking them highly. DO NOT consider how a second look will make you “look” to a program you are not interested in joining.

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) A follow up e-mail upon the conclusion of interviews to the Chair and/or program director to express your interest can’t hurt but isn’t likely to help much either. If you are in the top tier of students to be ranked, it may push you up one or two above someone else who didn’t express interest but it isn’t going to take you from the middle or bottom tier into the top.

Obstetrics and Gynecology

1. Program Director at Northwestern: Susan E. Gerber, MD, MPH, Vice Chair, Education, Obstet-rics and Gynecology, Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medical Education

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Susan L. Goldsmith, MD, Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medical Education

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3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? No, at the current time, all NU FSM students applying in OB/GYN are invited to interview at Northwestern

b. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Not typically – this is reviewed on a case-by-case basis but the vast majority of NU FSM students applying in OB/GYN do NOT need to schedule “Away Rotations” to successfully apply and match in our specialty.

a. If yes, how many? N/A

5. Researcha. Is research required? No, it is not required but many students applying in OB/GYN

have some research background, including AOSC projects in our department. If a student is interested in conducting research, opportunities are readily available in a variety of subspecialty areas of OB/GYN.

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? Many students applying in OB/GYN may have participated in research in another specialty area. We encourage our students to include this experience in their application and be prepared to dis-cuss this research during residency interviews. However, if all of your research is in another area, you should make it very clear in the rest of your application why you have decided to pursue OB/GYN.

b. Are publications required? No

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 4 (minimum 3) - One letter should be an “out-

side specialty” letter (available to be used if a program specifically requests this or if a program requires 4 letters)

b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Yesc. Number of letters from within the specialty? 3 (including the Chair’s letter) - These

can include more than one letter writer in the same division or from the same fourth year rotation)

d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? All students applying in OB/GYN are sched-uled to meet with the Chair, Dr. Bulun, and with Dr. Goldsmith to discuss their appli-cation and to address areas to highlight in their Departmental/Chair Letter of Recom-mendation.

7. Personal Statement Advice: This should be no longer than one page in length. It should either explain “Why I want to be an OB/GYN” or discuss a meaningful patient encounter or future career aspirations. Avoid anything too flowery or personal—OB/GYN is still a surgical specialty, so straightforward is typically best. Controversial, inflammatory or overly personal topics should be avoided. You typically should not discuss your own medical issues or those of a close friend or family member. Make certain to proofread for spelling and grammatical errors and get feedback from several full-time faculty members (especially OB/GYNs) and Dr. Goldsmith.

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8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Many programs will download

applications on September 15th – as soon as applications can be released from ERAS, and may not download again, so it is critical to submit your completed application on September 15th. Most programs will have a hard deadline for application submission of October 1st in order to include the MSPE in the application review.

b. When do programs begin offering interviews? Most interview offers are sent to appli-cants in late September through mid-October. This year, most programs will send out interview offers on October 8th and October 15th. Wait list offers typically come out in mid to late October. Most programs will notify you of your status (interview offered, waitlisted or rejected) by mid- to late-November.

c. When do programs conclude interviews? OB/GYN residency interviews occur October through January. The vast majority of interviews are held in November and December. There are a small subset of programs that may have interview dates through mid-Jan-uary.

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? They are not required, but every

effort should be made to attend the dinner or social event the night before if a pro-gram has one (not all programs do). This allows you to meet a larger number of the programs’ current residents in a more relaxed environment. Please note that these events are absolutely a part of the interview process and the residents and other attendees will be paying close attention to you and your interactions, so please be on your best behavior.

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written cards are certainly a nice touch but emails work as well. Most programs will let you know if they expect to receive an email or thank you note (and also if this is unnecessary).

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Unless a program provides you with the list of all of your interviewers, a follow up thank you note or email to the residency program director and the residency program coordinator) is sufficient.

iii. Timing of correspondences: Ideally send the thank you notes/emails imme-diately after the interview. At the end of the interview season (by mid to late January) is a good time to circle back to your top program.

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged?No, unless a program specifically tells you to come back for a second look if you are very interested, we typically do not recommend doing a “second look.”

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?)Yes, an email to your #1 program (and only your #1 program) to let them know they are your top choice.

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Ophthalmology1. Program Director at Northwestern: Dmitry Pyatetsky, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Rukhsana G. Mirza, MD, Associate Professor in Ophthalmology and Medical Education, Director, Undergraduate Medi-cal Education in Ophthalmology

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? NO b. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? The San Francisco Match Program releases

the average scores yearly. I recommend that applicants familiarize themselves with this website.

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended?a. If yes, how many? They are recommended in certain cases (geographic preference,

etc.) I would recommend at most one. Away rotations can be helpful in specific cir-cumstance where student has a top choice and geography and can be connected to a specific individual in the away institution that they connect to. It is important to seek advice from mentors and advisors to make connections and review strategy.

5. Researcha. Is research required? No, but it is desirable

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? No, but publications help. Re-search in Ophthalmology helps.

b. Are publications required? They are certainly a plus. Evidence of significant research time without publications draws negative attention

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Noc. Number of letters from within the specialty? 1 minimum to 2d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Meet with Chairman early in season

7. Personal Statement Advice: It should be well written and tell the applicant’s story rather than a lot of time on saying what is great about Ophthalmology

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Septemberb. When do programs begin offering interviews? Late September-Octoberc. When do programs conclude interviews? December

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? No, but they are helpful

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

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i. Hand written letters vs. email? Personal preferenceii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Program coordinator

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season? Should be specific and comment on particular aspects for the program that they liked. Not a form letter and should be immediately after interview.

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Most do not do this.c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how

many? (#1, top 3?) Only top one if they are very certain. Subsequent correspondence can be at end of cycle if you want to let a single program know that they are the top of the list. There is little value is writing statements like, “I plan to rank your program highly”

Orthopaedic Surgery1. Program Director at Northwestern: Matthew D. Beal, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title):a. Kevin Hardt, MD, Assistant Professor/Assistant Program Directorb. David Manning, MD, Associate Professor/Vice Chairc. Terrance Peabody, MD, Professor/Chair

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? NOb. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? 230 minimum, but 245 and over is more

competitive.

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Yesa. If yes, how many? 2-3 away rotations is normal following your one month as a Sub-I at

Northwestern.

5. Researcha. Is research required? Yes

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? This is a very competitive specialty. Ortho-specific research is always better to have on your CV, but any research helps because it shows you are willing to dedicate some of your time to research.

b. Are publications required? Publications are not required, BUT the most successful ap-plicants will have at least one first author paper on their CV and several other publica-tions and presentations in different stages of production

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 4 is safeb. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Chair or PDc. Number of letters from within the specialty? ALLd. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? The student should meet early with Dr. Beal

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AND Dr. Peabody to discuss their application. They will rotate with one of us on ser-vice during their Sub-I to facilitate the letter.

7. Personal Statement Advice: Everyone has had an injury that led them to Ortho. The personal statement has become a letter from the walking wounded. Show people why you want to do Ortho, and then include things they are unique about your life to separate you from a very competitive applicant pool.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Octoberb. When do programs begin offering interviews? Decemberc. When do programs conclude interviews? Late January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Most of these events are not re-

quired, but you can use the time to familiarize yourself with the residents and see how they like their program. It is also a chance to show the residents who you are and if your personality fits into the current resident cohort. Pay attention. Are they happy? Is everyone present? Do you have a chance to ask questions without faculty around?

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email? Not required. You have one ace to play. The pro-gram you are putting number one on your Match List should get an email or an email from your faculty sponsor, but don’t expect a response.

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Most likely, the final communi-cation should be sent to the PD of your favorite program.

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview sea-son End of interview season

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? The American Orthopaedic Association frowns upon second looks. We feel it is too much of a burden on the student, so programs will likely not do a second look.

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) You only send a letter of interest to your top choice, so be careful and reflect a lot on each program before you send the letter.

Pathology 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Kruti P. Maniar, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): a. Luis Z. Blanco, Jr., MD, Assistant Professor in Pathology, Associate Residency Program

Director, Pathology Clerkship Director, Pathology Interest Group Advisorb. Kristy L. Wolniak, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Pathology, Associate Residency Pro-

gram Director, Pathology Content Expert

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3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Noa. If yes, how many? While away rotations provide the applicant with additional expo-

sure to Pathology, it is not a requirement.

5. Researcha. Is research required? No

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? Research experience is desirable, as our residents participate in multiple projects throughout their training. However, it is not a requirement.

b. Are publications required? No

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? Threeb. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Noc. Number of letters from within the specialty? None required. At least one is preferred.d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Not applicable

7. Personal Statement Advice: Explain why you chose Pathology and outline experiences and characteristics that will make you an excellent Pathology resident and future pathologist.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? September (as soon as ERAS opens)b. When do programs begin offering interviews? Shortly after application review is com-

plete (as early as the end of September)c. When do programs conclude interviews? Through the end of January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Dinners and social gatherings may

be offered by some, but not all programs. If they are available, these will provide a good opportunity for the applicant to get to know more about the program, as well as the faculty and resident, in an informal and relaxed setting.

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email: Although not required, thank you letters are al-ways appreciated and can help to convey your strong interest in the program. Emails are absolutely fine.

Pediatrics 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Sharon Unti, MD

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2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Jennifer Trainor, MD, Asso-ciate Chair for Education, Department of Pediatrics

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? No. Some programs do use a cutoff. According to the NRMP Program Director Survey in 2018, 40% of program directors who responded to the survey (N=72) use a target score, and 56% use pass only.

b. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? Only 27 PDs reported a score below which they did not generally grant interviews—in 2018 that score was ~208. Please note that this was a very small and non-representative sample of PDs who chose to answer this question.

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Away rotations are not routinely recommended. In special circumstances, it may be advisable to do an away rotation, especially if you “need” to be in a certain city for residency or you do not believe your academic record alone would make it likely you will get an interview. These circumstances are best discussed with a pediat-ric advisor.

5. Researcha. Is research required? Research is not required, but will be looked upon favorably by

the most academic programs. b. Are publications required? Publications are not required, but will be looked upon

favorably by the most academic programs.

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? Typically, three letters of recommendation are

required. Specific programs may have different requirements and we encourage all applicants to check the individual programs websites for more details.

b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? A chair letter is not required by all programs but is traditionally submitted. In pediatricA chair letter is not required by all programs but is traditionally submitted. In pediatrics, your advisor drafts a letter, which is then mod-ified and co-signed by the department chair, after an individual meeting with each student.

c. Number of letters from within the specialty? We recommend a minimum of two let-ters from within the specialty, one of which is the advising/chair letter.

d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? You must sign up for and meet with a pediat-ric advisor (email Colleen Cirilo-Marchant, ccirilomarchant@luriechildrens.org, or Dr. Jennifer Trainor, jtrainor@luriechildrens.org), and then respond to communication in the summer regarding meeting with the department chair in August.

7. Personal Statement Advicea. Your personal statement should reflect what specifically drew you to pediatrics as a

specialty and what experiences in medical school confirmed your decision. It really should reflect you as a person, as well as bring in the elements you are looking for in a program and what you can offer to them. It should not be a rehash of your CV and should provide the reader with insights that he/she would not necessarily know by

reading the CV/application. It needs to be carefully proofread for typos and grammat-ical errors. It should not over represent your involvement in the diagnosis or man-agement of a patient, as most students do not independently diagnose and manage patients in 2020.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Highly variable. Some begin review-

ing as soon as applications are uploadable on September 15th. Some do not review until the MSPE comes out on October 1st. Most have completed review and offered interviews by early November. See below for details.

b. When do programs begin offering interviews? Highly variable. See chart below on data from the NRMP Program Director Survey in 2018.

c. When do programs conclude interviews? Some programs conclude interviews in December. Many others continue interviews into January. Waitlist spots may open in January as applicants cancel their interviews in that time frame.

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Typically, those opportunities are

not required, but are recommended if you are seriously interested in the program, both for you to evaluate the culture of the program and for them to evaluate you. Programs understand that travel schedules may prohibit attendance at these events.

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email? Individual program directors may have pref-erences, but overall both are acceptable. Not all programs desire correspon-dence from applicants. If they explicitly do not want correspondence, the program will make that clear on interview day.

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Letters are typically sent to the program director and faculty with whom you interviewed. It is best to customize to the individual person/conversation you had, because it is not uncommon for a program to have access to all of your thank you letters at the same time.

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iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season? Immediately after the interview is more typical. The significance of this correspondence is highly variable. Some programs seem to care about “demonstrated interest,” other programs do not.

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? We recommend second looks only if you are having trouble deciding on some aspect of a program/feel you did not have an oppor-tunity to interact with residents as much as you would have liked. They are definitely not required. Pay attention when you interview to how the program describes their feeling on second looks.

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) There is a lot of debate on this topic and little evidence to guide practice. In general, only if you have a compelling reason to be at a particular place and it really is your clear #1 favorite do we recommend the #1 letter. Otherwise, we recommend you send final correspondence to your top 2-3 programs to indicate your level of interest and what you find compelling about their programs. NEVER misrepre-sent your level of interest or send identical letters to different programs. Pediatrics is a relatively small and collegial field and integrity is highly prized by program directors.

Plastic Surgery 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Jason Ko, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Greg Dumanian, MD, Orion and Lucille Stuteville Chair of Plastic Surgery, Professor of Surgery

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? 230. However, this is not an absolute cutoff, exceptions are sometimes made depending on the application.

b. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? 230

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Yes.a. If yes, how many? Two to three.

5. Researcha. Is research required?

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? Yes. Preferably the applicant should have participated in a plastic surgery research.

b. Are publications required? Yes

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? Three to fourb. Is a Chairman’s letter required? A letter from the Chair or Program Director is encour-

agedc. Number of letters from within the specialty? At least twod. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter?

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7. Personal Statement Advice: Keep it simple and to the point. Needs to answer the question: why plastic surgery? What are you looking for in a training program? What are you passionate about? What are your goals in life? Highlight what makes you a strong candidate.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? September to Octoberb. When do programs begin offering interviews? Late October to early Novemberc. When do programs conclude interviews? End of January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Yes

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email? No contact with the attendings whatsoever. ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? ‘Thank you’ letters are not

encouragediii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview

season? N/Ab. Are “second look” visits encouraged? They are not offered.c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how

many? (#1, top 3?) Applicants can express their interest indirectly to the residents or through their mentors who can call on their behalf.

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Monica Rho, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): a. Dr. Leslie Rydberg, Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation b. Dr. Aaron Gilbert, Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended?a. If yes, how many? We like to see that students have a good understanding of the field

of PM&R, therefore rotations where they see both inpatient and outpatient are help-ful. It is sometimes useful to do away rotations at programs where you would really like to match, especially for less competitive candidates.

5. Research a. Is research required? Preferred to have some experience but not required.

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? No

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b. Are publications required? No, but publications/posters/presentations are an advan-tage for matching at the most competitive academic programs.

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3-4b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? No c. Number of letters from within the specialty? 1-2d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? N/A

7. Personal Statement Advice: Have a trusted advisor read your personal statementMake sure you demonstrate understanding of and dedication to the field of PM&R.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? August - October b. When do programs begin offering interviews? October/Novemberc. When do programs conclude interviews? Interviews November - January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? No, but they are recommended. It is

a good way to interact with the residents on a less formal level.

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email ? Handwritten, unless told not to during the interviews

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? To interviewersiii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview

season? No preferenceb. Are “second look” visits encouraged? We don’t encourage this at our site but you

could consider if other programs are offering these.c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how

many? (#1, top 3?) – it is not a bad idea; consider sending to your #1 choice at bare minimum.

Psychiatry 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Brett Lloyd, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Eric Gausche, MD, Assis-tant Professor

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

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4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Noa. If yes, how many? N/A

5. Researcha. Is research required? No

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline?b. Are publications required? No

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Noc. Number of letters from within the specialty? 1d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? N/A

7. Personal Statement Advice: It is a more important component of your application than other specialties

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Octoberb. When do programs begin offering interviews? Octoberc. When do programs conclude interviews? January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? They are strongly recommended

10. Post interview advice:a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. emailWriting letters to institutions you think you will rate highly is advisable.

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Program Director or Coordi-nator

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season? End of interview season

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Noc. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how

many? (#1, top 3?) Yes, top 2 and 3

Radiation Oncology1. Program Director at Northwestern: Jonathan Strauss, MD, MBA

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): a. Jonathan Strauss, MD, MBA, program director

b. Tim Kruser, MD, clerkship director for the med student rotation

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3. USMLE Data: a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? No.

b. If yes, what is the minimum score needed?

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Yes a. If yes, how many? 1 or 2

5. Research a. Is research required? No, but strongly encouraged

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? Most commonly seen on applications

b. Are publications required? No, but viewed favorably

6. Letters of Recommendation: a. Total number of letters recommended? 3 or more

b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? No

c. Number of letters from within the specialty? 2-3

d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Not required. If desires just ask Dr. Mittal7. Personal Statement Advice: NO typos. Have a rationale for working in Oncology8. Application Timeline:

a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? ~October 1

b. When do programs begin offering interviews? November

c. When do programs conclude interviews? Late January

9. Advice for the interview a. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Pre-interview dinner with residents

offered but not required.

10. Post interview advice: a. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email? None. Email if writing ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Chair and PD iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of

interview season? Neither, but if writing then immediatelyb. Are “second look” visits encouraged? No. Never.

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) No. I am not convinced these help.

Radiology (Diagnostic)1. Program Director at Northwestern: Senta Berggruen, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Any faculty member is qualified to advise medical students. If you haven’t found anyone you would like to advise

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you on your clinical rotations, these faculty members are also available.a. Cecil Wood, MD, assistant professorb. Paul Nikolaidis, MD, professorc. Helena Gabriel, MD, professord. Benjamin Liu, MD, assistant professor e. Rishi Agrawal, MD, assistant professorf. Nishant Parekh, MD, assistant professorg. Dipti Gupta, MD, assistant professor

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? There is no minimum score.

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? It depends. If you have a specific program or small geographic region you are interested in, or, if you are couples matching, an away rotation can help you stand out at a specific program. However, it is not necessary to do one in order to match in radiology. Keep in mind that, depending on the structure of the rotation, it can be difficult to stand out on an away rotation. Be well prepared and think of it as a four-week job interview.

a. If yes, how many? 1-2

5. Researcha. Is research required? No. However, research greatly enhances your application. A pub-

lished, or in press, paper signals your commitment to radiology. Working with a faculty member on a research project, even if not published, allows them to get to know you better which may be important if you decide later to ask them for a recommendation.

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? Not required, but recommended.b. Are publications required? See above.

6. Letters of Recommendation:a. Total number of letters recommended? 3b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Noc. Number of letters from within the specialty? One. We recommend one letter from

radiology faculty and two letters from faculty on other clinical rotations. Internal med-icine and surgery letters are usually the best but it is most important to choose some-one who knows you well and can speak to you fine qualities.

d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? N/A

7. Personal Statement Advice: Radiology is a specialty which depends heavily on written com-munication. It is of utmost importance that the personal statement be written in a clear and concise manner. It should not contain errors in spelling or grammar. Most selection commit-tees are looking for an intelligent, interesting and hard-working candidate who has a strong interest in radiology. Your personal statement should highlight these qualities. Finally, if you

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have a specific interest in a program or location, communicate this in your personal state-ment. When reading a personal statement, we are often trying to judge whether a candidate really wants to come to our program or whether they just checked another box on the appli-cation just because they could. This is even more important if you have no obvious connec-tion to an area (e.g., grew up and went to college on the East Coast, went to medical school in Midwest and applying to a West Coast program).

8. Application Timelinea. When do programs begin reviewing applications? After the dean’s letter comes out.b. When do programs begin offering interviews? Soon after the dean’s letter comes out.c. When do programs conclude interviews? Late January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Programs often host a dinner or

other social gathering the night before the interview to allow applicants to interact with current residents in a relaxed setting. Usually this is not required. We also host a lunch for applicants the day of the interview and invite residents and faculty to attend. This is a part of the interview day.

10. Post interview advicea. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Handwritten letters vs. email? Both are acceptable. Handwritten is better.ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Program Director. If you hit it

off with an interviewer, it wouldn’t hurt to send them a thank you note as well.iii. Timing of correspondences? Within a week of the interview

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Noc. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? Yes

i. If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) 1-3

Radiology (Interventional, Integrated)1. Program Director at Northwestern: Kent Sato, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Same as previous

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Nob. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? N/A

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended?a. If yes, how many? 1-2 rotations are recommended

5. Researcha. Is research required? No, but encouraged

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline?

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b. Are publications required? No

6. Letters of Recommendationa. Total number of letters recommended? 3-4b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Noc. Number of letters from within the specialty? 1-2d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Arrange for a meeting with the Chair to re-

view rotation evaluations.

7. Personal Statement Advice: Do your best to convince the reader that you are passionate about the specialty and that you would be a good fit.

8. Application Timelinea. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Late September through Octoberb. When do programs begin offering interviews? Early Octoberc. When do programs conclude interviews? January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? Not required, but can be helpful to

meet current residents

10. Post interview advicea. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email? No preferenceii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Program Coordinator

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season? Both can be helpful

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Noc. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how

many? (#1, top 3?) Yes, top 2 or 3

Surgery (General) 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Nathaniel Soper, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Nabil Issa, MD

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? This changes every year depending on the number of applications and the average scores. Dr. Soper, the Program Director, is better equipped to answer these questions pertaining specifically to Northwestern. In general, yes. The majority of programs use USMLE Step I scores to help select for the interview process.

b. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? Dr. Soper, the Program Director, is better equipped to answer these questions pertaining specifically to Northwestern. Ac-cording to the published outcome results for the 2018 MATCH: The mean USMLE I

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for matched applicants was ≥ 236. Those with scores ≤ 219 did not match. The mean USMLE II score for matched applicants was ≥ 248. Those with scores ≤ 233 did not match. It is recommended but is not mandated, that you complete your USMLE STEP II by the time of application. Please discuss with the surgery advisor.

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? No, unless in very specific circumstances, which would be discussed with the surgery career advisor

a. If yes, how many? N/A

5. Researcha. Is research required? No, but strongly encouraged

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? N/Ab. Are publications required? No, but data from prior match years show that people who

have at least one publication are more likely to match. According to the published outcome results for the 2018 MATCH: The mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications of matched applicants was 6.2.

6. Letters of Recommendationa. Total number of letters recommended? Three to four letters depending on the pro-

gram. Check the requirements of each program you intend to apply tob. Is a Chairman’s letter required? Yesc. Number of letters from within the specialty? Preferably all d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Students meet individually with Dr. Soper

7. Personal Statement Advice: The personal statement should be concise and well-written. It should reflect your motivations for pursuing a career in surgery, as well as describe your future career goals. Seek feedback from as many people as you can. Expect to work through multiple drafts and revisions. You want your final statement to reflect who you are and your intentions in becoming a surgeon, but you do not want to stand out too much.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? As soon as they are receivedb. When do programs begin offering interviews? Octoberc. When do programs conclude interviews? January

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? No, but strongly encouraged.

10. Post interview advicea. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email? Many programs prefer emailed correspon-dence. Many faculty interviewers spend much of their time at other hospitals and may not get the traditionally mailed letters, whereas they are sure to get them if they are emailed.It is always best to check with the program coordinator to determine what is preferred at each program.

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ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? This is variable from pro-gram to program. As above, it is best to check with the program coordinator to see what is preferred at that program. At a minimum, one should thank that program director.

iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season? The earlier the better.

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? This is program dependent. Ask when you are there.

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) Most programs will not consider them. If an applicant feels strong-ly about sending one, then it should be to only one program.

Urology 1. Program Director at Northwestern:

a. Stephanie Kielb, MD (Program Director)b. Edward Schaeffer, MD (Chairman of Urology)

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title):• Greg Auffenberg, MD (Assistant Professor, Urologic Oncology, Health Services)• Nelson Bennett, MD (Associate Professor, Sexual Dysfunction)• Robert Brannigan, MD (Professor, Male Infertility)• Earl Cheng, MD (Professor, Pediatric Urology)• Edward Gong, MD (Attending Physician, Pediatric Urology)• Josh Halpern, MD (Assistant Professor, Male Infertility, Health Services) • Matthias Hofer, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor, Reconstructive Urology)• Emilie Johnson, MD, MPH (Attending Physician, Pediatric Urology)• Stephanie Kielb, MD (Associate Professor, Female Voiding Dysfunction• Som Kundu, MD, PhD (Associate Professor, Urologic Oncology)• Dennis Liu, MD (Attending Physician and M3 Clerkship Director, Pediatric Urology)• Josh Meeks, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor and M4 Clerkship Director, Urologic Oncol-

ogy)• Robert Nadler, MD (Professor, Endourology, Robotics, and Stone Disease)• Edward Schaeffer, MD, PhD (Professor & Chair, Urologic Oncology)• Elizabeth Yerkes, MD (Attending Physician, Pediatric Urology)

3. USMLE Data:a. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? We consider the number, but we do not have a strict cutoff. b. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? Many programs nationally use a cutoff

score of 240.

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4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended?a. If yes, how many? Most students do 1-2 away rotations at programs they are interest-

ed in. Some programs require an away in order for students to match. Speak to your advisor about this as you plan your fourth year schedule.

5. Researcha. Is research required? Research is a prerequisite at most programs.

i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? The research does not need to be in urology, but it is highly recommended

b. Are publications required? While publications are not formally required, the majority of students who match in urology have at least one medical publication.

6. Letters of Recommendationa. Total number of letters recommended? Programs typically request either three or four

letters of recommendationb. Is a Chairman’s letter required? While this might not be formally required by all

programs, applicants should consider it a requirement. It would be very unusual for a student to not have a letter of recommendation from their chairman.

c. Number of letters from within the specialty? All of the letters unless there is a special circumstance (i.e. research mentor outside of urology, PhD thesis advisor, etc.)

d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Simply contact Ms. Jean Michniewicz at jmz@northwestern.edu or 312-908-1615 to arrange for a meeting with Dr. Schaeffer.

7. Personal Statement Advice: Try to tell your story. “Where have you been, where are you now, where are you going?” This approach will provide a nice overview of your career to date and your goals/vision.

8. Application Timelinea. When do programs begin reviewing applications? September 15b. When do programs begin offering interviews? October 1 is typically the first datec. When do programs conclude interviews? December 21 is typically the final date

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? If you are able to go, you should

attend. This is a great time to meet residents and faculty and see them in a social setting. Keep in mind that these gatherings are an extension of the interview process. Programs are generally understanding if you are unable to make it due to a scheduling conflict or travel issues.

10. Post interview advicea. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email? Generally hand-written letters are preferred but thank you emails are also acceptable.

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent? Chairman. Program Chair-man, anyone with whom you might have felt a special connection

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iii. Timing of correspondences: Immediately after interview vs. end of interview season? Typically sent out immediately after interviews.

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? Some programs require “second looks.” North-western offers these visits but in no ways demands or expects them. They are general-ly tailored to the interests of the student.

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) This is sometimes done for the top program, although some pro-grams explicitly ask students not to communicate after the interview. This is all done on a program-by-program basis. Speak with your advisor about communication with programs.

Vascular Surgery 1. Program Director at Northwestern: Heron Rodriguez, MD

2. Please List Specialty Advisor(s) (Name, Academic Position/Title): Andrew Hoel, MD, Clerk-ship Director

3. USMLE Dataa. Do you use a USMLE Step 1 score cutoff when selecting applicants to interview at

Northwestern? Yesb. If yes, what is the minimum score needed? 200

4. Are “Away Rotations” recommended? Yesa. If yes, how many? Away rotations are recommended; however, there is not preferred

number of rotations that produce a competitive applicant. Participating in a vascular surgery away rotation, is more to provide applicants with the confidence to commit to an integrated training program through exposure and experiential learning. Integrat-ed training programs seek applicants that demonstrate a strong commitment to the field. Many students draw on their experiences in vascular away rotations because it serves as a strong foundation in shaping their specialty selection. Away rotations may provide applicants with a strong letter of recommendation, opportunities to engage in publications, and potentially increase your likelihood of finding a program that serves as a “good fit.”

5. Researcha. Is research required? Vascular integrated residencies are highly competitive. Research

is required to be considered a qualified applicant.i. If yes, does it have to be in your discipline? All research is valuable, and re-

search in vascular surgery is not required to apply to a vascular surgery resi-dency.

b. Are publications required? Yes

6. Letters of Recommendationa. Total number of letters recommended? 3b. Is a Chairman’s letter required? No

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

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c. Number of letters from within the specialty? 1 or more are preferred. Obtaining a strong letter of support from a Program Director or Division Chief is ideal.

d. Procedure for obtaining a Chair’s letter? Within our division, we ask that all requests for letters of support be accompanied by a written request along with a CV. Requests should be sent to the Chair and include his/her administrative assistant. Best practice is to schedule a 1:1 meeting to first speak about your interest in vascular surgery prior to requesting a letter.

7. Personal Statement Advice: Personal statements allow applicants to explain their interest in vascular surgery. These statements should be concise but also highlight unique attributes of applicants, which are not readily available on a curriculum vitae.

8. Application Timeline:a. When do programs begin reviewing applications? Mid-September. Exact dates are

listed on the Association for American Medical Colleges (AAMC) website. b. When do programs begin offering interviews? Programs can begin holding interviews

as early as October. However, the bulk of interviews occurs between November-De-cember.

c. When do programs conclude interviews? Usually programs will conclude interviews in January to prepare and certify the rank order list (ROL) submission. The ROL certi-fication deadline can be found on the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) website.

9. Advice for the interviewa. Are interview dinners, social gatherings required? These events are not required but

highly encouraged. Interview dinners or social gatherings the night before interviews are generally only attended by the residents and fellows. Without the faculty present, applicants are able speak freely with the program’s trainees about resident life and the program culture. Additionally, it allows applicants time with each trainee; which may not be available on a busy, curated interview day. Many applicants find this to be a very valuable experience.

10. Post interview advicea. “Thank you” letters/emails

i. Hand written letters vs. email? A thank you letter is a good practice to demon-strate your interest in a program. The format of the letter is entirely of person-al preference. Written letters and emails hold the same significance.

ii. To whom should these correspondences be sent: Thank you letters should be sent to the program director but also to any/all faculty that have taken the time to meet with an applicant. Many applicants include the residents and pro-gram staff (i.e. program coordinator) in these thank you correspondences.

iii. Timing of correspondences: The majority of thank you messages are received within a week of an interview but there is not an expected timeline. Genuine and thoughtful messages are always well received

b. Are “second look” visits encouraged? This practice depends on the program. Programs recognize the expansive interview costs incurred during recruitment season and do

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not expect applicants to engage in a second look as a regular practice. However, if an applicant expresses interest in a second look, it is best to contact the program director and program coordinator. You will want to ensure that your second look is a valuable experience and that you are scheduled at an appropriate time. In our division, if an applicant requests a second look, we suggest that they apply to serve as a clinical observer on the service.

c. Should applicant send a final letter of “expressed interest” in a program? If yes, how many? (#1, top 3?) Regular or sustained communication with the top two programs are encouraged. It is important to be engaged with the program or any faculty whom you made a connection with during the interview day.

Northwestern UniversityFeinberg School of Medicine Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education303 E. Chicago Ave.Ward Building 1-003Chicago, IL 60611-3008feinberg�northwestern�edu/md-education/

Last revised June 11, 2020 - Rev.20.3© 2020 Northwestern University. All rights reserved.