Preparing for Pediatrics Residency Training

1. Preparing for Pediatrics Residency Training Department of PediatricsUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2. Contacts • Harvey Hamrick, MD – Residency Directorharvey_hamrick@med.unc.edu • Julie Byerley, MD – Student Directorjulie_byerley@med.unc.edu • Kenya McNeal-Trice, MD – Student Directorkmtrice@med.unc.edu • Kelly Lear – Student and Residency Coordinator klear@med.unc.edu

3. Med/Peds Contacts • Anne Stephens, MD – Residency Directoranne_stephens@med.unc.edu • Denise Craig – Residency Coordinatordtc@med.unc.edu

4. Choosing Pediatrics as a Specialty • Caring for children and working with their families • Breadth of opportunities • Primary care • Subspecialty • Cognitive • Procedural • Outpatient and inpatient opportunities • Variable schedules, work load, income, etc. • Further discussion is welcomed by advisors

5. Overall Perspective on Pediatrics Training • You will be able to match somewhere if you list enough programs • Significant variability in “competitiveness” of individual programs • Prediction of who could match where is difficult • programs rank using different priorities

6. Pediatric Career Advisors • Dr. Byerley, Dr. McNeal-Trice, or Dr. Hamrick will be your advisor • S/he will meet with you regularly, give individualized advice, and write your departmental letter

7. The Fourth Year Schedule at UNC • Rotations completed in September should be in the Dean’s letter • Do at least one “hard core” rotation (AI or critical care) before interview season • It doesn’t have to be in Pediatrics • If you want a letter from a fourth year rotation plan that to be completed by the end of September

8. The Fourth Year Schedule at UNC • Contrasting opinions • Get started on Pediatrics • This is your last chance to take non-pediatric courses that interest you: take advantage of that • Do a critical care unit • Consider radiology and other electives • Consider traveling • Signing the forms – Byerley, McNeal-Trice, and Hamrick

9. A New Elective • Transition to Pediatric Internship • Offered only one block • Combination of didactics and clinical work • Not required

10. Away Rotations • Performance here will outweigh the application, positively or negatively • Not necessary to match at any given place • Helpful if your heart is set on one program or one geographic area • If you do one, complete it by the end of January

11. Deciding Between Two Fields • Ok to apply to two fields but decide on one preference by the interview if possible • Be careful with your ERAS letters • Programs do not want to match applicants who are not committed to a given field • Be honest

12. Considering Where to Apply • Use FREIDA to choose programs for applications • http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2997.html • Start with geography

13. Where to Apply • Geography • Size • Reputation • Academic or community setting? • Children’s hospital or not? • Presence of fellows • Board pass rates

14. How Many to Apply To • Individual question – your advisor can help • Generally not more than 20 • Couples match candidates should apply to more places than individuals

15. The Application Process • Use ERAS to apply • http://www.aamc.org/students/eras/start.htm

16. Application Components • General ERAS Application • Personal Statement • CV • Transcript • Dean’s Letter (MSPE) • Letters of Recommendation • USMLE Transcript • Photograph

17. Personal Statement • Statement of one page or less that clarifies why the student is choosing pediatrics • Sincere, individualized • Why pediatrics suits your talents • Gives the interviewer something to talk about • Everyone entering pediatrics loves children – be sure it says more than that • Choose safe over bold

18. Essentials about the Personal Statement • Assure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors • Don’t try to be too unique • Be sure your career goal advisor reads it before its finalized to ERAS • Don’t hurt your application with your personal statement

19. CV • Outlined by ERAS • Include elements from college and medical school, and other previous work • Be sure your CV looks sincere and not filled with meaningless one time activities • Longer doesn’t necessarily mean better • Have it reviewed by your career advisor before submission

20. Letters of Recommendation • Dean’s Letter • Pediatric Departmental Letter • Written by your assigned career advisor • Is “the chair’s letter”, which may or may not be required • Two to three others • Choose someone you worked with clinically • Inpatient is generally more valuable than outpatient • Don’t have to all be in pediatrics • Research mentor letters are okay as long as there are adequate clinical letters • Be sure to thank those who write for you

21. USMLE Transcript:When to Take Step II • Early if your Step I is low • Whenever if Step I is high • As required by the Dean’s Office • When it fits your schedule

22. Interviews • Schedule as early as you are invited • Season is November - February • Try to group geographically • talk directly with programs so they can help you do that • Be very, very nice to coordinators • Go to all the socials • Remember -they are part of the interview

23. The Interview Day • Remember the whole visit is a job interview • Meet as many people as possible • Be yourself, but on your best behavior • This is not the time to complain • Be professional at all times • Have questions prepared to ask, and ask multiple people

24. The Faculty Interview • Show your enthusiasm for learning and patient care • Show respect for research, opportunities in primary care, subspecialties, etc. regardless of your own interests • They should have read your application • remember what you wrote • Be prepared to ask good questions (not the details about call schedules, maternity leave, etc.)

25. Follow Up After Interview Day • Send thank you notes routinely, but don’t go overboard • It’s ok to tell your top choice you love them • It is NOT required • Always be honest • “Near the top of my list” doesn’t many anything to programs • Complete whatever communication you intend before mid-February • Don’t expect follow up communications from the programs to you • No news is NOT bad news

26. Second Visits • Scheduled visits after the interview day arranged by the coordinator at the student’s request • Much less formal • An opportunity for shadowing • Done only if the student needs to see the program again, but can be very helpful • Definitely NOT required

27. How Programs Rank • Highly variable and hard to predict • Interview • Clinical performance – academic (based on grades, dean’s letter) • USMLE scores, step 2 > step 1 • Dean’s letter, class rank • Letters of Recommendation • Preclinical performance (based on grades, dean’s letter) • School reputation • Extracurricular experience (leadership, service) • Research experience

28. How to Rank Programs • Geography • Feel • Resident satisfaction, friendliness, support • Breadth of experiences offered, patient population • Affiliated sites • Strength of faculty • Resident responsibility • Fellowship opportunities • Board pass rate • Stability

29. How Many to Rank • Your advisor can help • Generally people entering peds rank 8-12 programs • Rank anywhere you interviewed that you would rather be an intern than jobless

30. Subsequent Meetings • May: meeting with this year’s MS4s who matched in peds • July: you should have met with your advisor at least once • September/October: social

31. Last Bits • Please let us know when your career decision is finalized • Stay organized along the way