CLASS OF 2014
RESIDENCY APPLICATION &
MATCHING PROCESS
DECEMBER 3, 2012
DGSOM Office of Student Affairs
Jason Bergschneider
Aurora Reyes
Margaret Stuber, M.D.
Meredith Szumski, Ed.D.
Sarika Thakur, Ed.D.
Mitsue Yokota, Ed.D.
CHECKING IN…

Increase Knowledge

Decrease Anxiety

Identify Resources
WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA?
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Support in 3rd and 4th Year
Elements of the Residency Application
The Winter Break Assignment
Demystifying the Process
Q&A and Survey (The SAO and MSC)
SUPPORT IN YEARS 3 & 4
SUPPORT IN 3RD & 4TH YEAR
CHOOSING YOUR CAREER
You do not have to make this decision now. There
are many resources available to help guide you
through this process.



AAMC’s Careers In Medicine
DGSOM’s Virtual Advisor
DGSOM’s Resident Roundtable discussions
These resources are still available to you, make sure
to utilize them!
Questions/Advice?
Mitsue Yokota myokota@mednet.ucla.edu
SUPPORT IN 3RD & 4TH YEAR
RESEARCH AND TAKING TIME OFF
If you decide to apply to a competitive specialty and have
concerns that you do not have enough research…

Do your homework
NRMP’s “Charting Outcomes in the Match”
 AAMC’s “Roadmap to Residency”
 ERAS’s FACTS



You may not necessarily need to take a year off
There are research opportunities you can get involved
with during 3rd and research electives in 4th year.
Questions/Advice?
Sarika Thakur sthakur@mednet.ucla.edu
SUPPORT IN 3RD & 4TH YEAR
ADVISING IN THE FOURTH YEAR (COLLEGES)
The Colleges are designed to provide guidance and
support during your fourth year and you will receive
mentoring specific to your specialty.
Informational Meeting January 7th
Questions and Advice?
Aurora Reyes amreyes@mednet.ucla.edu
Academic
Medicine
College
Acute Care
College
Applied
Anatomy
College
Drew
Urban
Underserved
College
Primary
Care
College
SUPPORT IN 3RD AND 4TH YEAR
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
Specialty Choice



You won’t be positive about
your career choice until
you’ve finished 3rd year and
completed a couple
rotations this summer
It is ok to change your mind
You do not have to take
time off if you don’t know yet
The Perfect Match



There’s no “right way” to
match
Follow your instincts
Listen to the people you
trust
SUPPORT IN 3RD AND 4TH YEAR
APPLICATIONS LOGISTICS (THE SAO & DEANS)
How to fill out your application
How to prepare for an interview
How many programs to apply to
How to rank programs
SUPPORT IN 3RD AND 4TH YEAR
SPECIALTY SPECIFIC ADVISING (THE COLLEGES)
Which LORs/PS to include
Which programs to consider
Which interviews to accept
Which programs to rank
RESIDENCY APPLICATION BASICS
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
OVERVIEW
Who:
What :
When:
Where:
Faculty (MD or PhD)
Knows you well
Is well-known
4 LORs total (1 from Yr. 3)
Medicine or Surgery
Any with LOD
Ask in Yr. 3 and follow-up in Yr. 4
LORs are sent to the SAO and stored
until you need them
OBTAINING AN LOR:
LOGISTICS
1.
Whenever possible, ask in person and ask in advance

Allow at least 4 weeks for them to write - let them know your
deadlines/timelines
2.
Ask if they can write a strong letter of recommendation on
your behalf.
3.
Best to provide Letter Writer with your CV, Personal
Statement (rough draft), and with signed waiver form.
SPECIAL LORS:
CHAIRS LETTERS & SLORS

Who typically needs a Chair’s Letter?





Internal Medicine
Ob/Gyn
Pediatrics
Orthopaedics
Anyone applying to preliminary medicine or transitional
medicine programs
List of Chairs at UCLA/DGSOM
Chairs Letter Form
THE CV & PERSONAL STATEMENT
CV
OVERVIEW
Who:
What :
CV specifically for the Match
Relevant information from medical
school that encompasses the following:
Education
Work
Research
Volunteer
When:
Where:
For use throughout Yr. 3/Yr. 4
Submit to mentors/letter writers
Use content to populate ERAS
Submit for AOA consideration
ERAS Application Worksheet
THE PERSONAL STATEMENT
PERSONAL STATEMENT
OVERVIEW
Who:
What :
When:
Where:
1 page written statement for application
Statement of purpose every applicant
writes when applying to programs
For use throughout Yr. 3/Yr. 4
Drafting/editing begins now
Submit to mentors/letter writers
Upload to ERAS
PERSONAL STATEMENT & CV TIMELINE
SPRING
Aim to have a first draft of the personal statement and CV for
your letter writers. Have your peers and family members give input on
this draft.
*see Roadmap to Residency for details about the Personal Statement*
SUMMER
Attend optional brainstorming workshop with Jason & Meredith.
Have a mentor from your chosen specialty read your updated CV and
personal statement then schedule a one-on-one appointment with
the GSRC.
Make a Writing Appointment
http://gsrc.ucla.edu/gwc/
THE MEDICAL STUDENT
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION (MSPE)
MSPE
OVERVIEW
Who:
What :
Drafted by you, compiled by SAO,
finalized by Dr. Parker or Dr. Calmes
Performance Evaluation
Unique Characteristic
Academic History
Years 1 & 2
Core Clerkship Evaluations
Elective Evaluations
Summary
When:
Where:
Draft of UC due in February
Meetings with Deans in summer
Part of application to residency
Used for licensure
Use for future application to fellowship
STUFF YOU DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT

MSPE Appointments w/ Dr. Parker and Dr. Calmes
We will email you (in no particular order)
 Don’t worry! Everyone’s MSPE is released nationally on the same
day, regardless of when it was completed.


Senior Photos
Free and taken during College Foundations
 Automatically uploaded to ERAS


LORs
SAO will email you when they arrive
 Scanned automatically into ERAS
 You can verify they are in ERAS (when website is live)) at:
http://services.aamc.org/eras/myeras2013/


Transcript

The SAO will upload it to ERAS 9/25

If you need it before then, just email jbergschneider@mednet.ucla.edu and he will upload an unofficial one
THE WINTER BREAK ASSIGNMENT
DGSOM’S MSPE QUESTIONNAIRE
DGSOM’S MSPE QUESTIONNAIRE
OVERVIEW
1.
2.
3.
Questionnaire
Unique Characteristics Section
Draft CV
http://www.medstudent.ucla.edu/mspequestionnaire/
You can save your progress and re-edit before final
submission
 All info is kept confidential and used in you MSPE unique
characteristics section
 Complete by February 1

THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS DRAFT
Unique Characteristics
 Childhood
 High School
 College
 Work Experience
 Medical School
 Plans for the Future
 Outside Interests
 Summary

TIMEFRAME & NEXT STEPS
February 1st
Finalize and submit the DGSOM MSPE Questionnaire
March-April
Apply to Away Electives
Select College & Submit Year 4 Schedule
June- September
Take CPX Exam
Residency Bootcamp
College Foundations
MSPE Meetings w/ Deans
Sub-I’s/Electives
September
Review and sign off on MSPE
Submit Application on ERAS
October 1st
MSPE released nationwide (previously was November 1st)
TIMEFRAME
STAYING ON TRACK DURING YEAR 3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Begin clinical rotations and
record your reflections on the Clinical Rotation Evaluation
Review Charting Outcomes in the Match to assess your
qualifications and competitiveness for specialties
Conduct informational interviews or participate in preceptorships
Join appropriate specialty associations and organizations to make
contacts and learn more about the specialties you're considering
Meet with your College Chair to discuss your top specialty
preferences
Complete the Specialty Indecision Scale if you're having difficulty
making a decision
Complete the Choosing Your Specialty exercise
TIMEFRAME
STAYING ON TRACK DURING YEAR 4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Research residency training programs through the AMA's FREIDA Online or its
Graduate Medical Education Directory (i.e., the "Green Book")
Rate your preferences using the Residency Preference Exercise
Begin reviewing and comparing residency programs
ERAS® service opens for applications (July 1)
Register with the ERAS service and begin preparing residency applications (i.e., CV,
letters of recommendation, personal statements)
Register with the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) for the Main
Residency Match
Register for early Match programs, if applicable
Begin applying to programs and transmitting applications through ERAS service
(September 15)
Take USMLE Step 2
Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) released (October 1)
Interview with residency programs
Rate programs using the Residency Preference Exercise
Early Match deadline (early–mid January)
Rank your selections for the NRMP Main Residency Match
Match Day (third Friday in March)
AWAY ELECTIVES
VSAS OVERVIEW
VSAS® is an AAMC application designed to streamline
the application process for senior "away" electives at U.S.
LCME medical schools and independent academic medical
centers that are members of the Council of Teaching
Hospitals and Health Systems (COTH). The service
requires only one application for all participating
institutions, effectively reducing paperwork,
miscommunication, and time. VSAS also provides a
centralized location for managing offers and tracking
decisions.
AWAY ELECTIVES
DGSOM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
UCLA & UCR students – Monica Perkins (UCLA SAO) handles the processing of paper “Away”
applications and final approval rests with the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Dr.
Neil Parker
DREW students – The Drew SAO handles the processing of paper “Away” applications and the
final approval rests with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Dr. Daphne Calmes
ALL STUDENTS – Monica Perkins handles verification for all VSAS applications
Contact Information:
Monica Perkins
David Geffen School of Medicine
Student Affairs Office
12-159 CHS, Box 951720
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1720
Phone: (310) 825-6282
Fax:
(310) 794-9574
mperkins@mednet.ucla.edu
Joe Corrao
CDU/UCLA Medical Education Program
Charles Drew University of Medicine & Science
1731 E. 120th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Phone: (323) 563-4888
Fax:
(323) 563-4957
josephcorrao@cdrewu.edu
HOW COMPETITIVE AM I? SHOULD I DO AN AWAY ROTATION? HOW DOES
AOA WORK? WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH EVAL ADJECTIVES? HOW MANY
PROGRAMS DO I HAVE TO APPLY TO?
WILL I MATCH?
RUMORS AND THE FACTS

Adjectives


Rankings


DGSOM is a true pass/fail school. There is not mention of
ranking in the MSPE.
LODs


DGSOM does not use a legend to link adjectives to
performance (i.e. “superior=top 1%) but some schools do
Harder to get than is commonly perceived  actual numbers
to come soon.
AOA

The formula is not released because the Delta Chapter (not
the school) sets it every year but…no scores from Years 1 & 2
or shelf exams are used.
ACCURATE DATA AND RELIABLE ADVISING
HOW WE ADVISE IN THE SAO
1.
2.
3.
Surveys throughout application process
Internal Database and NRMP Data
Weekly updates using ERAS for school-specific trends
ACCURATE DATA
NRMP-CHARTING OUTCOMES IN THE MATCH
ACCURATE DATA
RELIABLE ADVISING
ERAS INFO
SAO WEEKLY UPDATES
COMBINING DATA AND ADVISING
KNOWING WHAT WORKS FOR MOST UCLA STUDENTS
Rank
10
Interview
10-20
Apply
40+
WORDS OF WISDOM: GET THE FACTS
Know who/what to trust
 Utilize official data
 Ask us if you need help!

What worked for someone else
may not work for you—trust your instincts!
RESOURCES
Glossary
& Terms
Types of Matches & User Guides
Fees & Billing
Contact Information
GLOSSARY & TERMS
ELECTRONIC RESIDENCY APPLICATION SERVICE (ERAS)

ERAS is the Electronic Residency Application Service
developed by the Association of American Medical
Colleges to transmit electronically the residency
applications, personal statements, recommendation
letters, Medical School Performance Evaluations (MSPE),
transcripts, and other supporting credentials from
medical schools to residency program directors.
GLOSSARY & TERMS
NATIONAL RESIDENT MATCHING PROGRAM
The NRMP Main Residency Match provides an impartial
venue for matching applicants' preferences for residency
positions with program directors' preferences for
applicants. Each year approximately 16,000 U.S. allopathic
medical school seniors and 15,000 graduates of
osteopathic, Canadian or foreign medical schools compete
for approximately 24,000 residency positions.
GLOSSARY & TERMS
CATEGORICAL/ADVANCED/PRELIMINARY
There are four categories of programs participating in the Main Residency Match:
1.
Categorical (C) programs begin in the PGY-1 year and provide the training
required for board certification in medical specialties. Categorical programs in
primary care medicine and primary care pediatrics are designated by (M) to
distinguish them from regular medicine and pediatrics programs.
2.
Advanced (A) programs that begin in the PGY-2 year after a year of
prerequisite training.
3.
Preliminary (P) or one-year programs beginning the PGY-1 year and provide
prerequisite training for advanced programs.
4.
Physician (R) programs are reserved for physicians who have had prior
graduate medical education. Physician programs are not available to senior
U.S. medical students.
5.
The NRMP is not an application service or a job placement service. Applicants
must apply directly to residency programs in addition to registering for the
Match. Most programs participate in the Electronic Residency Application
Service (ERAS), which transmits residency applications to program directors
via the Internet. Applicants must register with both NRMP and ERAS to
participate in the services of each.
RESOURCES:
TYPES OF MATCHES & USER GUIDES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
ERAS MATCH: ERAS User Guide
Couples Matching
OPTHALMOLOGY MATCH: Centralized Application Service (CAS)
UROLOGY MATCH: AUA Urology Match Guide
NRMP: User Guide for Registration, Ranking, and Results
Military Match
RESOURCES
FEES & BILLING
ERAS
Application Fees
Up to 10 - $92
11-20 - $9 each
21-30 - $15 each
31 or more - $25 each
USMLE Transcript Release
$70
NRMP Main Residency Match
Registration Fee
$50.00
$65.00 (couples match)
Ranking Fee
Up to 20 programs FREE then $30 for each additional program
RESOURCES:
CONTACT INFORMATION
DGSOM Student Affairs Career Advising Team
UCLA Staff/Faculty Directory
UCLA’s Paging Directory