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Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of The Long Call, where we delve into the complexities, lessons, and triumphs of residency.
00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:16.960
Through candid conversations, we want to explore how meaning and connection can emerge from the challenges, chaos, and unexpected moments along the way.
00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:23.359
It's about discovering the purpose and sometimes even magic woven into the everyday work of being a physician.
00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:34.240
As always, the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of any institution, organization, or employer.
00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:43.439
This podcast is for informational and reflective purposes only and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of any official entity.
00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:49.600
And while we are doctors, we are not your doctors and we are not providing any medical advice on this podcast.
00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:53.359
This is Mary coming to you with another solo episode today.
00:00:53.600 --> 00:01:06.079
As OBGYN residency applications are due just around the corner, we thought this would be a good time to pull back the curtain a little bit and talk about what I as a PD actually notice when I review an application.
00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:13.359
This isn't meant to be a formula or prescription for creating the perfect application, as there really is not one.
00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:18.480
And I'm speaking only from my own experience reviewing applications in OBGYN.
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Of course, this isn't on behalf of every program director or every program.
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And I'd also like to emphasize that application review is an attempt to look at each applicant as a whole person.
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So no individual point that I'll discuss today will determine whether or not someone gets an interview.
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But after reading a lot of applications over the past few years, there are definitely things that catch my attention, for better or for worse.
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So in a classic Kemdown fashion, here are 10 things I notice when I open a residency application.
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So at the top, number 10 will be typos, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
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Now while small mistakes probably aren't going to sync an otherwise excellent application, they are surprisingly noticeable to me.
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I think especially for PDs who may tend toward perfectionism, misspelled words, punctuation issues, inconsistent capitalization, and incomplete sentences are probably likely to stand out.
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Obviously everyone does make mistakes, but this is a document you've had months to prepare, so we may be a bit less forgiving here.
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And especially now when spell check, grammar tools, and large language models can proofread something in seconds, there's very little reason for obvious errors like this.
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I do want to make an important distinction.
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Okay, number nine, I'm calling the Goldilocks problem, too little versus too much.
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So the main point here is that the application should give me enough information to understand what you've accomplished without making me work too hard to find the point.
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And this can be especially important when it comes to describing your listed activities.
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For example, too little could be volunteering at a women's health clinic.
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That will leave me asking, well, what was your role?
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What did you actually do?
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Whereas too much could be three long paragraphs describing every detailed nuance of the clinic.
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I think in the sweet spot would be answers to the questions of what was this activity and what did you specifically do?
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Why did it matter to you, and what did you learn or contribute here?
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Remember that the folks reviewing applications are likely reading dozens of applications in one sitting.
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So making an application easier to understand is really a kindness to your reader.
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Alright, coming in at number eight, I have hobbies and interests.
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And I really like this section because this is one of the few places where I get to meet applicants kind of outside of medicine.
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I notice here interests that sound genuine, that are specific, particularly things that could spark an interview conversation.
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And I think this is a nice place where positive personality traits can really shine through.
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For example, some applicants may simply list running, cooking, and travel as their interests, versus other applicants may be more personal and specific, such as trying to run every trail in Philadelphia, recreating restaurant pasta dishes at home, and planning trips around national parks.
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The second really paints a picture and gives me something fun to talk to you about on interview day.
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At the same time, while this can be a good place to have a bit of fun, remember that this is still a professional application.
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Quirky can be memorable, but trying very hard to be quirky is also memorable, and maybe not always in the best way.
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Number seven, I have geography and your reason for wanting to be at a program.
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I think a compelling geographic connection will get noticed.
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So for example, if you have family nearby, your partner's career makes sense for a certain region, you have grown up or spent previous time in a region, you have a long-term interest in practicing there, or a particular community or a patient population that speaks to you.
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However, of course, you shouldn't be manufacturing an origin story if you don't have one, but if there is a sincere reason for your interest in a program, you should tell the PD.
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It helps us to understand why our particular program might genuinely make sense for your life.
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Especially as for many folks, residency is more than just an academic decision.
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People are building their lives during their four years here.
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Number six is signaling.
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So not all specialties use signaling yet, and not all specialties or programs use them in the same way.
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But OBGIN applicants have enough signals that when someone doesn't signal us, I have to at least wonder whether they are genuinely considering our program.
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Speaking only for myself, I don't put an enormous amount of weight on the distinction between gold and silver signals within OBGIN.
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I think asking a fourth-year medical student to know with that degree of precision which programs are their absolute favorites before they've even interviewed is a pretty big ask.
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And this is a good time, I think, to mention the importance of working with your advisor in preparing your application.
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Really for all of the points I've been mentioning today, but particularly when it comes to using signals wisely, your advisors will likely have some good advice for you.
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Number five is academic context, including class rank and the MSPE.
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Basically, if your medical school reports comparative information, we application reviewers are probably going to find it.
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And that includes class rank, quartile or quintile, clerkship performance, narrative comments, and honors distribution.
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Some schools do bury some of this remarkably deep in the MSPEE, but we will still find it.
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Importantly though, this is one data point, not your entire identity as an applicant.
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Number four, I'll say anything that makes me pause.
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These could be failures, leaves, or unusual timelines.
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Whenever there's something unexpected in an application, the reviewer naturally wants some context.
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So some examples that I've seen in applications include failed step exams, failed or repeated courses or clerkships, leaves of absence or gaps in training, or extended timelines.
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So if there's something in your application that you know is going to make the reader ask, hmm, what happened here?
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Try not to make us guess.
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I would recommend explaining it somewhere appropriate, and a good explanation might communicate what happened, what you did, what changed or how you reacted, and where you're at now.
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Residency programs really aren't looking for applicants who have never struggled.
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We need people who can respond to struggle.
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So show us how you responded and how that shaped you into an excellent future physician.
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Number three will be letters of recommendation.
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Most letters are very positive, so differences do stand out here.
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Some things that make a letter especially memorable can be specific examples or direct observation, comparison with peers, descriptions of how someone functions on a team, and traits like reliability, coachability, judgment, and work ethic.
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And then most importantly, some evidence that the writer actually knows the applicant can go a long way.
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Also, if I'm reading a letter from someone I know and trust, of course that creates some additional context as I am human.
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There can be a nice balance sometimes if you would like to get a letter from a well-known or well-established physician, but perhaps a more junior physician has worked with you more directly or intimately, and asking if that they perhaps would be willing to write you a joint letter together.
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My overall advice here though would be to ask people who know you well and who can enthusiastically advocate for you.
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And you can and probably should come out and actually ask folks would you feel comfortable writing me a strong letter?
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Since glowing letters are really the norm, faint praise or you know lack of strong support can be very loud.
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Number two will be the personal statement.
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This is probably your best opportunity to tell a PD something we otherwise wouldn't know.
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Now I'll point out that in my experience, there are three main archetypes of personal statements I have come across.
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The first is the patient story, where the applicant uh, you know, tells a story of a remarkable patient they had the opportunity to care for, and through that experience realized that OBGYN, you know, combines all of their favorite parts of medicine.
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And this is perfectly fine, it's a very serviceable personal statement, comes across as very competent.
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It's rarely unforgettable though, for what it's worth.
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The next kind of prototype I've come across is surrounding lack of discussion of female biology while growing up.
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I think this is probably specific to obstetrics and gynecology applications, but it is a common one here.
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Sometimes it can be very compelling, sometimes it can unintentionally sound as though the applicant has arrived to enlighten everyone around them.
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So I would caution you to be careful with that story.
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And finally, um, there's personal or family illness, and these can be incredibly powerful personal statements because they explain why you know the work is truly personal to that applicant.
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An important caveat, of course, it should go without saying, but particularly, particularly in an era when people can be tempted to outsource writing to AI, your story should actually be your own story.
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The question shouldn't be what does a good residency personal statement sound like, but instead I'd encourage you to consider what do I want someone to understand about me after reading this that they couldn't learn elsewhere in my application.
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Especially with portions of the application often being blinded to reviewers these days, this may be one of the few opportunities to intentionally communicate your identity, formative experiences, motivation, and the perspective that you would bring to your work.
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Finally, rounding us out at number one, the story the whole application tells.
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Ultimately, I think what I notice most is whether the pieces of the application add up to a person I can imagine contributing to our residency community.
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And this does not necessarily mean the most publications, the highest scores on step exams, coming from the most prestigious schools, or the most dramatic personal statement, but instead I'm looking for the application weaving a coherent story.
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As I read through an application, I find myself asking questions like what matters to this person?
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What have they invested their time in so far?
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What kind of colleague might they be?
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What are they curious about?
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What will they contribute?
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What are they hoping to become?
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And can I picture their joy when they are delivering a baby with me at 2 a.m.
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on labor and delivery?
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Sometimes an applicant has done many impressive things that don't really tell much about them.
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Another applicant may have done fewer things, but deeply and consistently, and suddenly it's easier to understand exactly what they care about.
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So to close, I want to emphasize your application does not need to be perfect, but it should be an excellent representation of the physician you are growing into.
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If you're an applicant listening to this with your residency application open in another window, my final advice is to not spend the next couple of weeks trying to engineer the perfect application.
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You should, of course, proofread it, make it easy to read, give context where that's needed.
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Hopefully you've already been thoughtful about the people you've asked to advocate for you, and use the places where you have a voice, such as the personal statement, listing your experiences and your interests, to actually let us meet you.
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The applications I enjoy reading the most aren't necessarily the ones where every box is perfect, but they're the ones where by the time I finish I have a sense of who that person is and I want to learn more.
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And do remember if you've gotten to the point where you're submitting a residency application, you've of course already done an extraordinary amount of work to get here.
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Your application is not supposed to prove that you're a flawless future position, but it's supposed to help us understand the position you're becoming.
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I personally am very much looking forward to residency recruitment season starting again here in OBGYN land.
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As overwhelming as the application review process can be as a program director, there is something genuinely exciting about getting that first glimpse of the folks who may become the next class of our residents and eventually our colleagues.
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Thank you so much for listening today.
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Remember, if you have comments, questions, or ideas for a future episode, please reach out to us via email at longcallpodcast at gmail.com or you can message us on Instagram.
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We'll catch you on call next time.
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Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of The Long Call, where we delve into the complexities, lessons, and triumphs of residency.
00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:16.960
Through candid conversations, we want to explore how meaning and connection can emerge from the challenges, chaos, and unexpected moments along the way.
00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:23.359
It's about discovering the purpose and sometimes even magic woven into the everyday work of being a physician.
00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:34.240
As always, the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of any institution, organization, or employer.
00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:43.439
This podcast is for informational and reflective purposes only and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of any official entity.
00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:49.600
And while we are doctors, we are not your doctors and we are not providing any medical advice on this podcast.
00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:53.359
This is Mary coming to you with another solo episode today.
00:00:53.600 --> 00:01:06.079
As OBGYN residency applications are due just around the corner, we thought this would be a good time to pull back the curtain a little bit and talk about what I as a PD actually notice when I review an application.
00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:13.359
This isn't meant to be a formula or prescription for creating the perfect application, as there really is not one.
00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:18.480
And I'm speaking only from my own experience reviewing applications in OBGYN.
00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:22.640
Of course, this isn't on behalf of every program director or every program.
00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:29.280
And I'd also like to emphasize that application review is an attempt to look at each applicant as a whole person.
00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:35.280
So no individual point that I'll discuss today will determine whether or not someone gets an interview.
00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:43.040
But after reading a lot of applications over the past few years, there are definitely things that catch my attention, for better or for worse.
00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:49.200
So in a classic Kemdown fashion, here are 10 things I notice when I open a residency application.
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So at the top, number 10 will be typos, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
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Now while small mistakes probably aren't going to sync an otherwise excellent application, they are surprisingly noticeable to me.
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I think especially for PDs who may tend toward perfectionism, misspelled words, punctuation issues, inconsistent capitalization, and incomplete sentences are probably likely to stand out.
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Obviously everyone does make mistakes, but this is a document you've had months to prepare, so we may be a bit less forgiving here.
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And especially now when spell check, grammar tools, and large language models can proofread something in seconds, there's very little reason for obvious errors like this.
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I do want to make an important distinction.
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Okay, number nine, I'm calling the Goldilocks problem, too little versus too much.
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So the main point here is that the application should give me enough information to understand what you've accomplished without making me work too hard to find the point.
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And this can be especially important when it comes to describing your listed activities.
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For example, too little could be volunteering at a women's health clinic.
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That will leave me asking, well, what was your role?
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What did you actually do?
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Whereas too much could be three long paragraphs describing every detailed nuance of the clinic.
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I think in the sweet spot would be answers to the questions of what was this activity and what did you specifically do?
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Why did it matter to you, and what did you learn or contribute here?
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Remember that the folks reviewing applications are likely reading dozens of applications in one sitting.
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So making an application easier to understand is really a kindness to your reader.
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Alright, coming in at number eight, I have hobbies and interests.
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And I really like this section because this is one of the few places where I get to meet applicants kind of outside of medicine.
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I notice here interests that sound genuine, that are specific, particularly things that could spark an interview conversation.
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And I think this is a nice place where positive personality traits can really shine through.
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For example, some applicants may simply list running, cooking, and travel as their interests, versus other applicants may be more personal and specific, such as trying to run every trail in Philadelphia, recreating restaurant pasta dishes at home, and planning trips around national parks.
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The second really paints a picture and gives me something fun to talk to you about on interview day.
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At the same time, while this can be a good place to have a bit of fun, remember that this is still a professional application.
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Quirky can be memorable, but trying very hard to be quirky is also memorable, and maybe not always in the best way.
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Number seven, I have geography and your reason for wanting to be at a program.
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I think a compelling geographic connection will get noticed.
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So for example, if you have family nearby, your partner's career makes sense for a certain region, you have grown up or spent previous time in a region, you have a long-term interest in practicing there, or a particular community or a patient population that speaks to you.
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However, of course, you shouldn't be manufacturing an origin story if you don't have one, but if there is a sincere reason for your interest in a program, you should tell the PD.
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It helps us to understand why our particular program might genuinely make sense for your life.
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Especially as for many folks, residency is more than just an academic decision.
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People are building their lives during their four years here.
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Number six is signaling.
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So not all specialties use signaling yet, and not all specialties or programs use them in the same way.
00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:21.040
But OBGIN applicants have enough signals that when someone doesn't signal us, I have to at least wonder whether they are genuinely considering our program.
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Speaking only for myself, I don't put an enormous amount of weight on the distinction between gold and silver signals within OBGIN.
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I think asking a fourth-year medical student to know with that degree of precision which programs are their absolute favorites before they've even interviewed is a pretty big ask.
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And this is a good time, I think, to mention the importance of working with your advisor in preparing your application.
00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:57.360
Really for all of the points I've been mentioning today, but particularly when it comes to using signals wisely, your advisors will likely have some good advice for you.
00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:04.879
Number five is academic context, including class rank and the MSPE.
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Basically, if your medical school reports comparative information, we application reviewers are probably going to find it.
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And that includes class rank, quartile or quintile, clerkship performance, narrative comments, and honors distribution.
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Some schools do bury some of this remarkably deep in the MSPEE, but we will still find it.
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Importantly though, this is one data point, not your entire identity as an applicant.
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Number four, I'll say anything that makes me pause.
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These could be failures, leaves, or unusual timelines.
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Whenever there's something unexpected in an application, the reviewer naturally wants some context.
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So some examples that I've seen in applications include failed step exams, failed or repeated courses or clerkships, leaves of absence or gaps in training, or extended timelines.
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So if there's something in your application that you know is going to make the reader ask, hmm, what happened here?
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Try not to make us guess.
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I would recommend explaining it somewhere appropriate, and a good explanation might communicate what happened, what you did, what changed or how you reacted, and where you're at now.
00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:29.920
Residency programs really aren't looking for applicants who have never struggled.
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We need people who can respond to struggle.
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So show us how you responded and how that shaped you into an excellent future physician.
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Number three will be letters of recommendation.
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Most letters are very positive, so differences do stand out here.
00:08:48.720 --> 00:09:06.000
Some things that make a letter especially memorable can be specific examples or direct observation, comparison with peers, descriptions of how someone functions on a team, and traits like reliability, coachability, judgment, and work ethic.
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:11.840
And then most importantly, some evidence that the writer actually knows the applicant can go a long way.
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Also, if I'm reading a letter from someone I know and trust, of course that creates some additional context as I am human.
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There can be a nice balance sometimes if you would like to get a letter from a well-known or well-established physician, but perhaps a more junior physician has worked with you more directly or intimately, and asking if that they perhaps would be willing to write you a joint letter together.
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My overall advice here though would be to ask people who know you well and who can enthusiastically advocate for you.
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And you can and probably should come out and actually ask folks would you feel comfortable writing me a strong letter?
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Since glowing letters are really the norm, faint praise or you know lack of strong support can be very loud.
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Number two will be the personal statement.
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This is probably your best opportunity to tell a PD something we otherwise wouldn't know.
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Now I'll point out that in my experience, there are three main archetypes of personal statements I have come across.
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The first is the patient story, where the applicant uh, you know, tells a story of a remarkable patient they had the opportunity to care for, and through that experience realized that OBGYN, you know, combines all of their favorite parts of medicine.
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And this is perfectly fine, it's a very serviceable personal statement, comes across as very competent.
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It's rarely unforgettable though, for what it's worth.
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The next kind of prototype I've come across is surrounding lack of discussion of female biology while growing up.
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I think this is probably specific to obstetrics and gynecology applications, but it is a common one here.
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Sometimes it can be very compelling, sometimes it can unintentionally sound as though the applicant has arrived to enlighten everyone around them.
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So I would caution you to be careful with that story.
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And finally, um, there's personal or family illness, and these can be incredibly powerful personal statements because they explain why you know the work is truly personal to that applicant.
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An important caveat, of course, it should go without saying, but particularly, particularly in an era when people can be tempted to outsource writing to AI, your story should actually be your own story.
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The question shouldn't be what does a good residency personal statement sound like, but instead I'd encourage you to consider what do I want someone to understand about me after reading this that they couldn't learn elsewhere in my application.
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Especially with portions of the application often being blinded to reviewers these days, this may be one of the few opportunities to intentionally communicate your identity, formative experiences, motivation, and the perspective that you would bring to your work.
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Finally, rounding us out at number one, the story the whole application tells.
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Ultimately, I think what I notice most is whether the pieces of the application add up to a person I can imagine contributing to our residency community.
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And this does not necessarily mean the most publications, the highest scores on step exams, coming from the most prestigious schools, or the most dramatic personal statement, but instead I'm looking for the application weaving a coherent story.
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As I read through an application, I find myself asking questions like what matters to this person?
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What have they invested their time in so far?
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What kind of colleague might they be?
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What are they curious about?
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What will they contribute?
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What are they hoping to become?
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And can I picture their joy when they are delivering a baby with me at 2 a.m.
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on labor and delivery?
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Sometimes an applicant has done many impressive things that don't really tell much about them.
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Another applicant may have done fewer things, but deeply and consistently, and suddenly it's easier to understand exactly what they care about.
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So to close, I want to emphasize your application does not need to be perfect, but it should be an excellent representation of the physician you are growing into.
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If you're an applicant listening to this with your residency application open in another window, my final advice is to not spend the next couple of weeks trying to engineer the perfect application.
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You should, of course, proofread it, make it easy to read, give context where that's needed.
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Hopefully you've already been thoughtful about the people you've asked to advocate for you, and use the places where you have a voice, such as the personal statement, listing your experiences and your interests, to actually let us meet you.
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The applications I enjoy reading the most aren't necessarily the ones where every box is perfect, but they're the ones where by the time I finish I have a sense of who that person is and I want to learn more.
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And do remember if you've gotten to the point where you're submitting a residency application, you've of course already done an extraordinary amount of work to get here.
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Your application is not supposed to prove that you're a flawless future position, but it's supposed to help us understand the position you're becoming.
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I personally am very much looking forward to residency recruitment season starting again here in OBGYN land.
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As overwhelming as the application review process can be as a program director, there is something genuinely exciting about getting that first glimpse of the folks who may become the next class of our residents and eventually our colleagues.
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Thank you so much for listening today.
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Remember, if you have comments, questions, or ideas for a future episode, please reach out to us via email at longcallpodcast at gmail.com or you can message us on Instagram.
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We'll catch you on call next time.
