How to Match into Residency

It’s hard to believe that four years of medical school are over. Seems like yesterday that I took the stage with 180 fellow incoming medical students, all equally excited and anxious to receive our white coats. The last four years have been nothing short of phenomenal. Medical school proved to be more enjoyable and fulfilling than I ever imagined. Naturally, I endured a lot of studying, hard work, long hours, and a plethora of information crammed into my ever-so finite brain. But these have also been the most fun years of my life, with some of the best friends I could hope to make.

Looking beyond the rigorous workload and countless adventures, the last four years have unambiguously illustrated one thing above all else: the TRUE PURPOSE OF MEDICAL SCHOOL is simply to prepare students for RESIDENCY. More specifically, to “Match” into the specialty and training program of their choice (more details on this whole “Match” business below). Residency is where you learn how to be a doctor; med school just helps you get there. Baylor College of Medicine has been an extraordinary medical school in this regard, and I’m tremendously fortunate to be starting my five-year Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at The University of South Florida – Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa this summer.

                                                       Tampa: five years of broken bones & beautiful…

                                                       Tampa: five years of broken bones & beautiful beaches

I previously chronicled my journey through college leading to medical school acceptance. Combined with that, this series now completes the in-depth look at my eight-year path to finally becoming a doctor. In this portion I’ll describe my journey through medical school to Residency, highlighting what worked well and what didn’t. I discuss specifics I found particularly helpful, things I wish I had known or done, and proper timing for picking your specialty, starting research, building faculty relationships for letters of recommendation, completing Residency applications, etc. This post about Matching into Residency is geared towards medical students. But it provides insight into this convoluted process for anyone contemplating a career in medicine or simply interested in the full path to becoming a doctor. I’ll focus on the following factors that I believe are most important to Matching into your specialty and program of choice:

  1. How and when to pick your specialty
  2. Getting the most out of your clinical rotations
  3. How to be a strong applicant – the Big Four
  4. The Residency Application
  5. Interviews, Rank Order Lists, and the “Match”
  6. Specific advice for Matching into Orthopaedic Surgery

 Let’s dive right in.