What you wish you knew

[Dongzhuo]

Anyone want to share what they wish they knew before entering the Carms match?

[Lactic Folly]

CaRMS interviews require much of the same preparation as medical school interviews, so make sure you've allotted time for that in the midst of your rotations and electives.

[physiology]

If you get a good evaluation for clerkship, make sure you ask for a strong reference letter at the end.

 

People change their minds about residencies, even in third year!

 

Also, reference letters from other specialties, can make your application stand out. For instance, a strong psychiatry reference letter works well in internal medicine, particularly if the program is interested in knowing if you have good people skills. Also, psychiatrists, I find in general, will support you in whatever residency you want to pursue.

[entkeener]

I wish I knew there would be ENT spots left open after the first round... I'd have been much less stressed for the past two years!

[BlackJack]

Also, psychiatrists, I find in general, will support you in whatever residency you want to pursue.

 

I had this experience as well. I was going for something a bit competitive, so the psychiatrist I worked under gave me a killer eval. Didn't work out in the end though.

 

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I wish that I wasn't so cynical and stubbornly independent. I had this mindset that I could do everything on my own and didn't want to bother others for help because it would make me seem like a nuisance. I felt like I could only really ask favors of people I knew very well. But the truth is that people, even ones you barely know, will go out of their way to help you. You just have to be sincere and ask. Had I realized this earlier, I'd probably be matched to the residency of my choice.

 

Another thing I wish I knew is that medicine is a huge field with many disparate parts. Don't get stuck focusing on only the core curriculum. Seek out other opportunities and fields.

 

Also, read core, big, prose texts like Cecil's and Robbin's before you use the review books like the TO notes. It may seem like a slog but you'll know the material far better.

 

Know that there's no harm in saying no to a request that is unreasonable or uninteresting to you. For instance, if you are asked to take part in research projects by a preceptor who is not well established in being helpful to students, and you don't think that there will be any value in completing it, you can say no. It won't reflect badly on you.

 

If you find something you love to do, concentrate on making yourself competitive for it. Ask your deans and program directors what you need to do. It's ok to show interest. Don't be embarrassed or feel like you aren't even in the same league as the other applicants. Be forward in your ambitions.

[tooty]

I wish that I wasn't so cynical and stubbornly independent. I had this mindset that I could do everything on my own and didn't want to bother others for help because it would make me seem like a nuisance. I felt like I could only really ask favors of people I knew very well. But the truth is that people, even ones you barely know, will go out of their way to help you. You just have to be sincere and ask. Had I realized this earlier, I'd probably be matched to the residency of my choice.

 

can you elaborate?

[GGGSaint]

can you elaborate?

 

I'm not in med so take my comment with a grain of salt but I think what he/she means is that there is no set threshold for getting to know a professor/preceptor in terms of getting a great reference.

 

Also, there are many people you encounter along the way that can potentially help you more than even somebody who you knew for a longer period of time. When it comes to great references it is likely a combination of how much the letter writer wants to help you achieve your goals and how much they know you. The former can sometimes overwhelm the latter and result in a great reference from someone that you didn't expect it from.

[Madz25]

For instance, a strong psychiatry reference letter works well in internal medicine, particularly if the program is interested in knowing if you have good people skills. Also, psychiatrists, I find in general, will support you in whatever residency you want to pursue.

 

agreed. i had a good letter from a psychiatrist and i applied to radiology. worked well for me!

[peachy]

• LOTS of people will be unhappy with their matches. LOTS of people will get locations or specialties that were their nth choice. Make sure that you take all your interviews seriously and that you only rank programs you are really okay with being matched to. One tip that I found helpful is to spend a day living as if you had matched to whatever program, and see how it makes you feel.
  
• Play the game: find out who program directors are and do electives with them, do research, etc.
  
• One or two Family electives is enough if you are backing up with family. Don't do extra Family electives at the expense of electives in your desired specialty.
  
• People will go unmatched, and they will be people who you respect as colleagues and would refer family members to. The Carms game sucks, and good people will get hurt.
  
• Schedule in downtime, vacation time if you can, time to relax, etc, in fourth year. Carms is very stressful. There's just so much uncertainty about your future and it feels so arbitrary.
  
• Try to decide about your specialty as early as you can. There are always a few inspiring stories about people who change at the last minute and get into some super competitive specialty, but it's really hard. The earlier you choose, the more competitive you can make your application.
  
• That said, know that there is only so much control you have over the process. There is a lot of randomness and factors outside your control. You can't decide whether or not you'll have a family member on the admissions committee at your chosen program. You can't decide whether or not your personality happens to mesh really well with the program director. You can't decide whether or not you get an interview with a staff who happens to be really interested in your area of research. Do your best, but accept that a lot of what happens is outside your control. I've heard Carms called a lottery, and that's not entirely wrong.
  

[Melisende]

Applying to two specialties can be a dangerous game, especially if you are applying to something even slightly competitive. Splitting electives as a way of backing up will make you look like you are not committed to being in either specialty and neither specialty will want to take you.

 

Also if you did not get an interview in the first round when the offers went out, there is no harm emailing the secretaries to ask for one. Sometimes, you have to go above the program assistant and go to someone in a higher position (ie. PDs) and plead your case. I know people who got into programs by pleading their case after getting an rejection.

 

If you are in Med I/II, go shadow as many people as you can to figure out which field you want to go into. It can't be emphasized enough that you need to decide on your specialty early. Deciding late will make you a less competitive applicant.

 

Play the GAME and schmooze with the program directors. Go meet the program directors when you are on away electives. Meet with as many as you can. CaRMS is a big game. Play it well and you will come out a winner.

[Dany]

Play the GAME and schmoozing with the program directors. Go meet the program directors when you are on away electives.

 

do you mean, when i go do an elective in another university's network, I need to go meet the PD? I am wondering what the chances are that, as a "foreign" student, I'll meet the big boss...

[Lactic Folly]

Are you eligible to apply to a residency position at the program where you are doing your away elective? If so, you are not a "foreign" student, but a potential future applicant, and most program committee members take an interest in such elective students. (Infrequently, a few PDs have a policy not to meet with students - but you will learn about this when you ask around.)

[peachy]

do you mean, when i go do an elective in another university's network, I need to go meet the PD? I am wondering what the chances are that, as a "foreign" student, I'll meet the big boss...

You probably won't randomly run into them if it's a big department, but you can ALWAYS email them and request an appointment.