4TH YEAR MED STUDENTS!!💡✨
⠀
It’s your turn!! And it’s YOUR TIME!😭🙌🏾 Obviously, this was the best year of my med school life! Here’s what I learned/what worked for me:
⠀
📄Ask for residency letters of recommendation EARLY! Some faculty members will want to (zoom) meet with you. Polish that CV and send it to your letter writers when making the request. And then follow up on those letters. Especially now, Docs are busy and may need a little reminding about uploading your letter. Even if you feel annoying, this is your career. Get those letters in early💪🏾
🖥 Residency Explorer Tool is CLUTCH!!! This tool is an extension of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and allows you to see some really important stats for residency programs. You can see the number of students who applied, the number of students interviewed, the number of seats filled, pay rates, and expected minimum exam scores. Especially if you faltered on your STEP exams, this tool really helps gauge if the program is worth applying to. You can also compare programs using this tool. This is a great way to strategize where you apply and spend those coins wisely. Highly recommend!!
👩🏾⚕️Apply for residency when YOU are ready and when you will be at your most competitive. If that’s not during graduation year, that’s OK!! Getting into and completing medical school is a PHENOMENAL accomplishment even without residency placement. DO NOT let anyone convince you of otherwise. There is nothing wrong with a gap year to do research, to live, to breathe. When you do apply, make that list far and wide. Read the requirements early on for each program–Chair letter? STEP policies–so you don’t waste money. Have all application requirements loaded into ERAS by the time programs can VIEW it in September. And if you have STEP failures, try your best to get in a passing score before November when most interview spots are filled.
⠀
💯Beast STEP II ! I have a blog post here about all I did to prepare. Take your time to prep for this exam, but I suggest getting it out of the way as early as possible, especially if you are trying to offset an uncompetitive STEP I score❤️
⠀
💵Save. Think residency apps, relocation costs, graduation party costs, graduation IG content costs😂🙌🏾 If you have run out of financial aid, you may consider talking with your parents (if possible) about a personal loan under their name. Your parents may have to apply because…well most med students haven’t had jobs in a while.
⠀
💌Invest in thank you cards. Your village has been there! And they deserve your thanks!
⠀
📚Find some leisure reads. Chances are you haven’t been able to read much outside of medical textbooks for a while. Take advantage of this time and tackle that reading wish list!
⠀
🧖🏾♀️Rest. You did it. Like you REALLY did it. Lay back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. I don’t know any academic program quite like med school. You DESERVE to take a beat.
⠀
Sooooo happy for everyone finishing up this year!🙌🏾🙌🏾 My Sincerest Congratulations!! You can shop my 4th Year essentials below! And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a blog post!
My scrubs are from FIGS! Use code FIGSXSURGERYCITY for 15% off!
xoxo,
Photos by Tina Smith
