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Getting into a medical residency
To join an internship or residency, you should have the standard ECFMG certificate and apply to medical residency programs in the U.S. Most residency programs participate in the Electronic Residency Application System - ERAS. ERAS is a simple and pain-free way of applying to several residency programs, in different residency specialties, with the click of a mouse from your home computer. This is an excellent service for medical residency applicants. ERAS website for medical residency applicants.
You will be required to upload your CV, Personal statement and other information from your computer to the ERAS website. Medical school transcripts and letters of recommendation (reference letters) should be mailed to the ERAS office. These will be scanned and uploaded by ERAS staff. You will then have to select the residency specialty and specific residency programs that you wish to apply to. Once this is done and fee is paid to ERAS / NRMP, the application and supporting documents are sent electronically to the designated residency programs. You will have to register with both, ERAS and NRMP by paying separate fees.
The residency program directors and secretary will now screen your application and determine whether to call you for a medical interview. If you are chosen, you will be informed either by e-mail or Postal mail. If you wish to take part in the residency interview, you should call the residency program secretary and arrange for a mutually convenient time for the medical interview. You will then have to make your own travel arrangements (at your own expense) and attend the residency interview.
You can, and should plan to attend as many residency interviews as you can. This gives you more choice in selecting a residency program and increases your chances of a successful ERAS / NRMP match. The residency interview season comes to an end by the last week of January. You will then be required to submit a rank order list to ERAS / NRMP for the match. This is your final ranking of the residency programs, in your order of preference.
Medical residency programs will also rank the residency applicants according to their preference and submit it to ERAS / NRMP. Now the National Residency Matching program - NRMP takes over. NRMP computers will now match individual residency program’s preferences with your preferences and come up with the final list. NRMP website for medical residency applicants.
2008 NRMP Residency Match:
2008 NRMP Match results and data (100 pages report)
2009 ERAS NRMP Residency Match
- Aug 15, 2008: Match application process starts
- Nov 30, 2008: Deadline to register for the NRMP match. If you do not register, you will not be able to participate in the match. After this date, you can still register by paying a late registration fee of $ 50 until Feb 25, 2009.
- Jan 15, 2009 to Feb 25, 2009: Rank order list submission
- Quota change deadline: Residency programs must submit the final number of residency spots that they will be putting into the NRMP system for a computer match by January 31,2009
[Total number of residency spots = Pre-matched residency spots + Number matched through NRMP].
- Quota change deadline: Make sure you look at this information before putting in your rank order lists. For example: Residency program A has 10 spots and you are strongly considering ranking it as # 1 on your rank order list. If this program filled 9 of its spots through Prematch and now has only one spot that it is putting into the NRMP system for a computer match, then your chances of getting this one spot decreases. So, you are better off, ranking another program (with several spots) as your # 1 choice.
- Feb 25, 2009: 9 PM ET. Rank order list certification deadline
- March 16, 2009: Applicants get to know if they matched or not. Information will be posted to the NRMP Web site at 12:00 noon eastern time.
- March 17, 2009: Programs get to know if they filled their residency spots or not. Information will be posted to the Web site at 11:30 am eastern time. Locations of all unfilled positions are released at 12:00 noon eastern time. Unmatched applicants may begin contacting unfilled programs at 12:00 noon eastern time.
- March 19, 2009: Match Day! Match results(names of residency programs) for applicants are posted to Web site at 1:00 pm eastern time.
- March 20, 2009: Hospitals send letters of appointment to matched applicants after this date.
After the NRMP residency match
- Your residency program will contact you, in a few weeks, with details on their intern orientation, ACLS course, Visa processing, and the state medical license application.
- The NRMP residency contract also needs to be signed by you and the residency program director.
- Most residency programs start their Intern orientation in the third week of June. You should be prepared to move to your new place by the second week of June. This will give you adequate time to get used to the new city, furnish your apartment and get settled in.
- Network with the third year residents (PGY 3) to find out about specific apartments and houses.
- Remember that they are preparing to leave, and may be trying to sell their furniture, house and medical books. You can get a great deal on these, besides some free advice on your residency.
Match & Residency Data - 2004-2005 Data Analysis
- The total number of Residents and Fellows in training for the year 2004-2005 was 101,200. 14% of these were Fellows.
- The number of US Citizen IMGs is growing every year representing the fact that more US Citizens are going abroad for Medical School training.
- Internal Medicine: There were 21,300 Internal Medicine residents in training in 2005. Compared to 10 years ago, the number of US MDs remained the same. There was a slight decrease in the number of IMGs.
- Family Medicine: There were 9,300 Family Practice residents in training in 2005. Compared to 10 years ago, the number of US MDs declined by 22%. There was a corresponding increase in the number of IMGs.
- Pediatrics: There were 7,800 Pediatric residents in training in 2005. Compared to 10 years ago, the number of US MDs increased by 5%. There was a slight decrease in the number of IMGs.
- Med-Peds: There were 1400 Med-Peds residents in training in 2005. Compared to 10 years ago, the number of US MDs and IMGs remained the same.
- OB-GYN: There were 4700 OBGYN residents in training in 2005. Compared to 10 years ago, the number of US MDs increased by 16%. There was a corresponding decrease in the number of IMGs.
Medical resident work hours: the 80 hour work week
Medical residency is a tough period with long hours in the hospital. Sometimes as long as 36 or more hours of consecutive patient management duties. The work week can run into 100+ hours. Such conditions can lead to sleep deprivation, medical errors and even road traffic accidents.
On November 1, 2002, the 80-hour work limit went into effect in residencies accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). In brief...
1) The trainee shall not be assigned to work physically on duty in excess of 80 hours per week averaged over a 4-week period, inclusive of in-house night call. 2) The trainee shall not work in excess of 24 consecutive hours inclusive of morning and noon educational programs. Allowances for inpatient and outpatient continuity, transfer of care, educational debriefing and formal didactic activities may occur, but may not exceed 6 hours. Residents may not assume responsibility for a new patient after working 24 hours. 3) The trainee shall have on alternate weeks 48-hour periods off, or at least one 24-hour period off each week. 4) Upon conclusion of a 24-hour duty shift, trainees shall have a minimum of 12 hours off before being required to be on duty again. Upon completing a lesser hour duty period, adequate time for rest and personal activity must be provided. 5) All off-duty time must be totally free from assignment to clinical or educational activity. 6) Rotations in which trainee is assigned to Emergency Department duty shall ensure that trainees work no longer than 12 hour shifts. 7) The trainee and training institution must always remember the patient care responsibility is not precluded by the work hour policy. In cases where a trainee is engaged in patient responsibility which cannot be interrupted, additional coverage should be provided as soon as possible to relieve the resident involved. 8) The trainee may not be assigned to call more often than every third night averaged over any consecutive four-week period.
Detailed article on Medical residency work hours
