School of Medicine

Information for Year III students

Those Who Succeeded in the 2009 Residency Match Suggest (Recommendations from the Class of 2009):

Brooke Reich, M.D.
As for Matching advice. Rotate in the field at the program you would like to match at early in 4th year. It can make the world of difference for matching (that is if the student is a hard worker/has a good personality). This can help if their scores aren't stellar. Students need to have a good understanding of how competitive their application is and need to apply accordingly. Also, Wayne is better known in the Midwest, so Wayne students should preferentially interview in the Midwest over either coasts. If you have big goals then you need to plan ahead and set up contacts/do research, etc.

Henna Tirmizi M.D.
For me, success in the match was due to applying broadly. Since Anesthesiology is pretty competitive, I applied to over 30 programs (including TY yrs) and went to every single interview I was offered (around 10). That way I had many options when it came to making my rank list, and knew that I had much better chances of matching than others who might have only applied to few programs. I ended up matching my top choice, but in retrospect, much better safe than sorry.

Rebecca Peak
I think one of the things that helped me to obtain success in the match was doing some away rotations at the program I was most interested in (my number one choice, and where I ultimately ended up matching.) I think this can be particularly helpful for people applying from afar to geographic locations/programs that are more competitive/desirable. I have no doubt that getting to know the program (and giving them a chance to get to know me) during those visiting rotations played a significant role in my match success.

John Dentel
As far as advice goes, here it goes:
1)  Get ERAS submitted on the earliest date possible. Make sure there are no punctuation or grammar errors!
2)  Apply to more than enough programs - it's ok to turn down interviews, but make sure you have at least 12.
3)  Schedule interviews as soon as you get the invite. So, always have your calendar with you and updated.
4)  Try to schedule "home" or local interviews first, this can take make the "away" interviews less stressful.
5)  If you're going out of state for an interview, use the alumni program because it saves money in the end, and you'll need that money at the end of the year!
6)  Enjoy the process!

Garrick Spears
In regards to advice on the Match, I would suggest that the 4th years apply to as many programs as possible. I would suggest a minimum of 40. I would also suggest they look in smaller market areas. New York and Chicago are nice, but consider a smaller town, like Akron, Ohio or Shreveport, Louisiana for better results.I would also suggest that they ask the residents that they work with what programs they would suggest. There are many gems out there that they may not know about.

2009 Tips for Fourth Year Pediatric Students

The Pediatric Steering Committee makes the following recommendations for Year IV electives for students planning a career in Pediatrics:

1. SUB-INTERNSHIP

Do a Pediatric Sub-internship early in the year. This provides information to the residency program regarding your ability to function as a team member, your ability to apply clinical skills in order to manage patients and communicate with families. All sites are at Children's Hospital of Michigan. They include 6th floor inpatient teams of Rainbow (infants); RED (Infectious Disease); Heme-Onc; and 5th floor inpatient Yellow and Green Teams (General Pediatric and Adolescent); Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). If you are told by Records and Registration at the School of Medicine that all sites are filled, please contact me at yfriday@med.wayne.edu.

2. PEDIATRIC ADVISOR and ELECTIVES

Indentify an advisor in Pediatrics to review your schedule. We recommend electives in disciplines in which you have a future career interest as well as electives that satisfy educational curiosity. Pediatric Programs are interested in well-balanced students. At this stage of your education, your knowledge base and clinical skills will benefit from most instruction. Electives should include non-pediatric rotations. Adult disciplines will also provide you with insight regarding effects of disease on the family.

3. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION:

• Obtain at least one Letter of Recommendation from a member of the Pediatric Faculty who has direct knowledge of your ability to manage patients.
• Another letter may be done by a faculty member who has knowledge of your character, clinical abilities and/or career interests (i.e. Clerkship Director, Pediatric Education Committee Member, Mentor/Advisor). This letter is especially helpful if it adds another dimension in your skills and attributes.
• Consider letters from non-pediatric faculty who can write strong letters regarding your clinical skills and qualifications. Letters are especially desirable from other primary care disciplines. These provide evidence of your ability to work with adults. Because children are cared for by adult care-givers, it is important to demonstrate adult communication and rapport skills.
• A letter from the Department Chairperson or designee, may b e needed. Ask each program whether they specifically require it. Make it your fourth (4th) letter.

4. THE APPLICATION PROCESS - Where to find information?

• Graduate Medical Education Directory ("The Green Book")
• FREIDA at http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2997.html for actual survey information provided by each program as well as website addresses
• American Academy of Pediatrics at www.aap.org
• "Pediatrics 101"
• Scholarship and loan information
• "Selecting a Pediatric Residency: An Employment Guide"

5. THE INTERVIEW

• Some programs extend invitations, others you may set up an interview by request.
• Programs vary in whether they will consider invitations only after receipt of your MPSE or perhaps the USMLE transcript with a Step II score.
• Consider this a two-way street: an opportunity to show who you are, but also assess the program's ability to meet your needs.
• Be prepared to discuss your personal goals and ideals, as well as your commitment to pediatrics. Know why you're interested in that particular program.
• Legally you're not required to answer personal questions, but it may be prudent to respond honestly to questions about your future plans of marriage and childbearing. You can use this opportunity to gain insight as to how the institution and program look upon these situations.
• Listen carefully to residents you encounter (usually on a tour or at lunch).
• Be punctual and dress professionally. Project and image of self-confidence without being brash or inconsiderate.
• Prepare specific questions before the interview; taking notes is OK. Tailor questions to either the Director, faculty or other residents as appropriate. Seek information on the following topics (not an all-inclusive list):

• Education and related issues (e.g., academic vs. clinical emphasis of program, available electives, research opportunities, faculty accessibility, available conferences, etc.)
• Facilities or physical plant (e.g., parking, daycare)
• Benefits (e.g., health, life, and disability insurance; sick leave; parental leave; vacation; salary)
• Work load and distribution, call schedule, duty hours
• Patient population (e.g., size, demographics, private vs. indigent)
• Ancillary services (e.g., IV and phlebotomy services, nursing staff, laboratory services, radiology, computerized medical records, etc.)
• Quality of life (e.g., meal stipend, conference travel, coverage for illness, laundry service, extracurricular activities in the area, fitness center access, etc.)
• Community relations (e.g., housing, transportation, neighborhoods, etc.)
• Support and guidance services for resident well-being (e.g., retreats, social events)
• Policy on moonlighting
• Block diagram of scheduled rotations.
• Program's accreditation status
• Where do program graduates end up?

6. TYPES OF PEDIATRIC HOSPITALS/PROGRAMS
Excellent pediatric training can be obtained in any of these locations. Quality of training is related to the enthusiasm, special attention, and the commitment of the faculty to teaching and to the care of children, and is dependent of the number and mix of patients.

Community Hospital
Usually in a general hospital. The number of faculty is usually smaller. A spectrum of pediatric subspecialty services may be lacking. Must have a medical school affiliation for accreditation. Opportunity to work with community physicians. Bed size may be small, with a limited patient population. Frequently, a large private attending service.

University Hospital
Attendings are part of university faculty and often engaged in research and teaching. Tertiary care is provided and  facility staff size is large with varied resources, including pediatric sub specialist and pediatric-oriented support services. Usually academically oriented with the opportunity to progress further into fellowship training. Greater mentorship and resources available for research. Mission includes medical student education/involvement.

Free-Standing Children's Hospital
Usually large well-developed pediatric subspecialty and support services. Usually in large metropolitan/urban areas. All employees experienced at working with children. May emphasize tertiary care; interaction with community primary practitioners may be limited in some but not necessarily.

Public-Funded Hospital Programs
Usually a general hospital, with a large indigent population. Usually large programs, with large patient populations. Most are university affiliated. You may have more autonomy and responsibility. Ancillary services and faculty may be less available. Work load may be heavy. May have associated Level 1 Trauma accreditation.

The above information was excerpted from "Selecting a Pediatric Residency: An Employment Guide." American Academy of Pediatrics.

For More Information:

CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF MICHIGAN - Undergraduate Education Office: (313) 745-5751
Yvonne M. Friday M.D.
Director, Undergraduate Education
yfriday@med.wayne.edu

Charles Pelshaw M.D.
Associate Director, Undergraduate Education Program Director, Pediatric PM&R Residency
cpelshaw@dmc.org

Joshua Evans, M.D.
Assistant Director, Undergraduate Education
jevans3@dmc.org

CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF MICHIGAN- Pediatric Residency: www.chom.net
3901 Beaubien Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48201-2196

Bonita Stanton M.D.
Professor & Chair of Pediatrics
(313) 745-5870

Anne Mortensen M.D.
Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program
amortens@dmc.org
(313) 966-0254

Srinivasan Suresh M.D.
Associate Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program
suresh@dmc.org
(313) 993-7712

Erica Crane M.D.
Associate Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program
ecrane@dmc.org
(313) 966-0254

eAdvice for Dermatology

Rotations in any Dermatology department gets you in one step ahead of others when the departments are looking at interviews and selecting future residents. If you spent a month in their clinics, met their faculty and residents and hopefully did a good job, then you are one step ahead of the candidates who just come through interviewing. You may have to be creative and use an elective for something other than straight dermatology. Some programs will let medical students rotate in dermatopathology or derm surgery or have research electives. Obviously, it is best to do all these before the end of November since we start interviewing typically in December or January.

Also, any research projects, publications, etc that one can accumulate before interviewing is best. In a small department like ours it is hard to satisfy all the needs of projects. But HFH also is close by and will work with WSU students.

Fourth year schedule planning for students interested in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

With changes in residency training that have been occurring over the past few years, such as limitations of resident work hours, expanding mandated curriculum, etc. preparation for residency, is increasingly important. On July 1st of the intern year, most program directors expect first year residents to hit the ground running. Thus, it is important to take advantage of opportunities during the fourth year of medical school to prepare oneself for a PM&R residency. The following general recommendations should be considered when planning your fourth year schedule:

1. Identify (now), an advisor in PM&R. A list of these is available from the medical school and is available on the website. If you have difficulty locating an advisor, you can call the PM&R Department (313 745-9880) who can assist you in this.  Plan on meeting with this advisor before turning in your final schedule for the fourth year. Stick with this advisor or seek other advice from faculty when planning your applications, program choice, interviews, etc.
2. Plan to do a PM&R elective early in the year, if you end up liking it, then try to arrange an elective at a residency where you would like to go.
3. Make sure that you use your PM&R elective to get a letter of recommendation (or more than one letter) from a faculty member who will know you well after this rotation. It is always best to get at least 1-2 letters of recommendation from your chosen specialty.
4. Suggested websites to view to guide your decision are www.aapmr.org , www.abpmr.org, or www.physiatry.org. Go to the medical student section of this under the education area. They has valuable career advice.

The following specific rotations are highly recommended, and you might pick up skills that could help in your PM&R residency: radiology, orthopedics, anesthesiology (pain), neurology and neurosurgery. Feel free to contact anyone in the PM&R department for questions.

Advice for Anesthesiology

Recommend a July Anesthesia elective at St John (excellent and fun!), August elective at WSU/DMC or another place you could see yourself attending residency. A possible third elective could be ICU or SICU...My 3rd elective was a free month off because I was involved in co-curriculatr activities. Try to do the electives early...July-Aug-Sept-Oct before interview season starts in October. Schedule an easy month or vacation in Oct-Nov-Dec (Either something real easy or ER maybe so you can do all your shifts early in the month and get free time at the end...that's what I did) so that you will be able to get out for interviews.

Advice for Radiology

Basically, the schedule should include two radiology rotations (one in 3rd year, one in 4th, or both in 4th) but both before interview season. After that, light courses should be elected for the interview months of November January.  I would recommend any courses that focus on anatomy or imaging to prepare for the residency, but keep in mind that the student will be studying radiology for the subsequent 4+ years and maybe this is an opportunity to take other courses of interest. If the student is interested in IR, I recommend surgical specialties (urology, transplant, general, vascular), ICU, ID, or nephrology.  All of these can be taken after the interview process is complete and the education becomes more elective and relaxed. If you need a sample, I would need your help understanding requirements (i.e. Sub-I) and what type of format you would need.

Family Medicine: Year 4 Advising Guidelines

Scheduling:

Year 4 electives:

USMLE:

Letters of Recommendation:

Interviews: