1. DCOM Career Services

2.  Assess your competitiveness: ◦ Osteopathic GME Match Report 2015 ◦ NRMPs Charting Outcomes in the Match - characteristics of the applicants who matched into various specialties ◦ NRMPs Results of Program Directors Survey – specialty specific data from program directors like factors used in granting interviews, ranking, etc ◦ Careers in Medicine Specialty Information ◦ Match stats on the NMS and NRMP websites

3.  You can request Letters of Recommendation (LoRs) for your residency application, especially from really good rotations: ◦ Be sure to request a STRONG LoR ◦ Provide your letter writers with your CV and Photograph.

4.  American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Opportunities Database  AMA: Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA)  Careers in Medicine  ACGME Accredited Program Search  Military Graduate Medical Education

5.  Confirm the following for each program in which you plan to apply: ◦ ERAS participation status ◦ Program requirements:  COMLEX/USMLE  LoRs ◦ Program DEADLINES

6.  Many residency programs welcome elective rotations during 3 rd and 4 th year ◦ Some programs only 4 th year  Apply early (Spring of 3 rd year)  You may increase your chances of Matching into the program with an outstanding performance during the rotation  Before the end of your rotation, request a STRONG Letter of Recommendation

7.  Most residency programs use ERAS  You will receive your ERAS E-Token by email from Career Services on or before June1 st of your 4 th year  Download the MyERAS User Guide (available on the ERAS website) and follow the step-by- step instructions  ERAS Opens the end of May  Complete your applications by August/September!

8.  You create/upload on ERAS: ◦ Application Form /CV ◦ Personal Statement ◦ Photograph  From your Designated Dean’s Office: ◦ Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) ◦ Medical School Transcript  NOT from your Designated Dean’s Office: ◦ COMLEX Transcript ◦ USMLE Transcript (optional) ◦ LoR’s – Send your LoR authors the cover letter created when you confirmed the LoR slot in your ERAS application

9.  In ERAS, you can have an unlimited number of Personal Statements ◦ Use different Personal Statements for different specialties ◦ Note program requirements ◦ Personal Statement examples available on Careers in Medicine and on the DCOM website ◦ Tip: customize your Personal Statements to reflect your interest in specific programs

10.  Consist of information about your professional background, academic and clinical qualifications, how your decision was made to pursue medicine, your chosen specialty as a career, and career goals  Should reflect information about your personality and style that is relevant to residency training in your selected specialty  Opportunity to showcase your unique qualities, talents, and professional passions and to explain how they might be expressed in a career in medicine and your specialty

11.  Most programs require a minimum of 3 LoRs, but you can assign up to 4 in ERAS  Different programs will have different requirements. For example, some programs will require letters from particular departments or Department Chairs.  Most EM Programs require a Standard Letter of Evaluation (SLOE).

12.  It is your decision on whether or not you waive your right to see the LoR.  Many medical schools recommend waiving your right to view the LoR for two reasons: 1. This makes your letter confidential and the letter is then considered more strongly by residency programs. 2. Many program directors see a student’s decision not to waive their right to see a letter as a red flag.

13.  Pay attention to residency program requirements  Focus on quality, NOT quantity ◦ 5-6 STRONG letters are better than 10 weak letters  Do NOT request ALL specialty-specific letters ◦ Request some general STRONG letters, too

14.  Formerly known as Dean’s Letter  A comprehensive assessment of your medical school performance through your third year of medical school  DCOM MSPE follows the AAMC Guidelines and Template

15.  The MSPE contains: ◦ Grade comparison graphs for years 1-3 ◦ Class rank for top quartile students for years 1-2 ◦ Preceptor comments from 3 rd -year rotations- Only the comments from the Strengths section and the MSPE comment section. If the evaluation is not submitted there will be “no comments” under that rotation.

16.  You will be contacted by email when it is ready for your review  MSPEs must be reviewed in person (it cannot be emailed or faxed to you)  Students are permitted to correct factual errors only. Revision of evaluative statements is prohibited  Released by ERAS to programs on October 1st

18. MSPEs are signed by the Dean. Last 3 pages are Medical School Information pages – see AAMC MSPE Guidelines and Template for more info

19.  Medical School Transcript ◦ Use the ERAS Transcript Request form found on the DCOM Website ◦ Registrar will send your transcript to Career Services electronically and it will be uploaded directly to the your ERAS application  Photographs (optional but recommended) ◦ The photo from your 2 nd year composite taken at DCOM can be emailed to you for your use in ERAS.

20.  Do not expect your designated dean’s office to attach or transmit your files at the last minute. Processing may take a week or longer. If there is a problem with transmissions, you may miss a deadline. Give your designated dean‘s office and yourself enough time to meet your deadlines. Ensure documents are sent to your designated dean‘s office as early as possible.

21. Before you certify your ERAS application, consider whether you will apply to ACGME and/or AOA-accredited programs. If you apply to ACGME-accredited programs and you have taken the USMLE, you must report that on your application. If you only apply to AOA-accredited programs, you do not have to report the USMLE on your ERAS application.

22.  Schedules are program dependent  Usually are scheduled September-January ◦ Can be as early as August  Invites through ERAS and by email (be sure to use and check the email you use for your ERAS application)  Budget for traveling expenses

23.  Administered on behalf of the AOA by National Matching Services Inc. (NMS)  Administered on behalf of the ACGME by the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP)  Determines the final placements into residency programs (separate service from ERAS)

24.  You can register for both matches, but if you match in the AOA Match in February, the NRMP will withdraw you from its process so there is no chance of matching in two programs. If you do not match into an AOA program, you can continue in the NRMP Match  Registration begins the end of June and early registration deadline is in October

25.  Following interviews, students will identify on their Rank Order Lists, in numerical order of preference (first choice, second choice, etc.), the programs where they would like to be matched  Students should include on their Rank Order Lists only those programs where they would agree to accept a contract  The results of the Match are binding for both the students and the institutions

26.  Students may list as many or as few choices as they wish ◦ listing too few choices may decrease the probability of a match taking place ◦ Research shows that applicants with longer rank order lists are more successful than those with shorter ones ◦ List your choices in YOUR true order of preference  Match participants must be fully eligible to begin residency on July 1 st ◦ The majority of programs have orientations in June

27.  COUPLES: Two students who are participating in the Match at the same time and who wish to coordinate their matches may participate in the Match as a "Couple”  Students who wish to participate as a couple must each register separately for the Match  They then update their profiles to indicate they are part of a couple and identify their partner

28.  Program Types Offered in the Match ◦ Traditional Rotating Internship: These programs involve a one-year commitment between the student and the institution for an OGME-1 internship position only  For students pursuing an Option 3 specialty (dermatology, public health and Preventive Medicine, and related specialties such as occupational medicine, aerospace medicine and public health)  For students who are undecided ◦ Residency: These programs involve a multi-year commitment between the student and the institution for training in a specialty

29.  Match Results ◦ Released in February ◦ Match results binding ◦ Contracts sent within 10 days ◦ Unmatched students who registered with NRMP will continue on to the NRMP Match or they can “Scramble” for an AOA position ◦ Unmatched students who did NOT register with NRMP can “Scramble” for unfilled AOA positions  Students will be provided information on programs with available positions  Programs with available positions will be provided with information on unmatched students

30.  We will have a “Scramble Command Center” on campus ◦ Clinical faculty advisors available ◦ Assistance with application and document submission  You will contact programs with available positions and follow their directions for submission of applications and documents ◦ ERAS (regular charges apply) the most reliable way to apply ◦ Email applications/documents ◦ Fax applications / documents

31.  Same process as AOA match with the exception of the Scramble---NRMP has Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP)  Both Matches have a Couples Match  Registration begins September 1st and deadline is late November ◦ Late registration available for additional charge  Rank order list begins mid-January with deadline in mid-February  Match results released in mid-March

32.  Rank all of the programs in which you would accept a contract, from highest preference to lowest  Include a mix of highly competitive and less competitive programs  Rank your most preferred programs in an alternate specialty (Parallel Path!)

33.  Include all of your qualifications on your application  You must register for ERAS and the Match (NMS and/or NRMP) separately  Register and apply early!  Top 3 criteria used by program directors*: 1.The student rotated through the program director’s specialty 2.Personality match with the program (audition rotations and/or interviews) 3.COMLEX scores *According to: Outcomes in the Match 2014

34.  Take COMLEX Step 2 CE and PE early  Complete applications early and apply early  Budget for interviews, it’s expensive  Take notes during interviews  Rank programs to YOUR preferences (don’t try to game the system!)  Rank as many programs as you can and are willing to go to  4 th year goes by fast!

35.  Formulate a good application and Match strategy with a Parallel Path (or 2 or 3!)  Apply as early and broadly as possible!  Questions?