This blog was originally published in 2023 by Dr. Alina Khil and updated for accuracy in February 2025 by Dr. Coco Stewart.   The Hardest Medical Specialties to Match Into Choosing a medical specialty is a challenging task, especially when it comes to many of the more competitive specialties. Is...

This article was updated by Rebecca Lapides in September 2026.   “Tell me about yourself.” This is probably the first question you’ll be asked in any residency interview. Certainly makes you wonder why you spent countless hours writing and rewriting that blasted personal statement.   The truth is that the...

After four years of college, four years of medical school, countless research projects and long hours shadowing you finally got a residency interview and you want to cancel it?! Yes, it happens. And here’s how to respectfully decline.

If you’re a medical student preparing your CV for ERAS and thinking, “I don’t have enough research,” you are not alone, and more importantly, you are not necessarily at a disadvantage in the way you might think. Somewhere along the line, the narrative took hold that research is the defining...

If you ask a group of medical students what program directors (PDs) care about most, you’ll probably hear a familiar list: strong grades, high board scores, glowing letters of recommendation, meaningful research, and solid clinical evaluations. And yes, those things absolutely matter. They form the foundation of a competitive application...

SOAP Is Not Just a “Backup Plan” Every year, there’s a moment during Match Week when excitement across medical schools suddenly shifts. While many students are celebrating match results, others are opening an email they hoped they would never receive: a notification that they did not match. For many students,...

After months of applications, interviews, second-guessing your rank list, and counting down the days until Match results, residency applicants finally arrive at the moment they've been waiting for: Match Week.   For many medical students, Match Week is equal parts excitement, anticipation, and anxiety. It's the culmination of years of...

After months of applications, interview invitations, travel, thank-you emails, and endless conversations with mentors, residency applicants finally reach one of the most important stages of the Match process: creating their rank order list. For many students, this period feels surprisingly stressful. Interviews are over, but now comes the question that...

This article was updated on June 19, 2026, by Rebecca Lapides to reflect the most current information and recommendations.   The final year of medical school marks the start of your residency application journey. To succeed, you need a clear understanding of the application process and its key milestones. For...

  Applying to residency as an international medical graduate (IMG) can feel like navigating foreign territory. Between understanding the nuances of ERAS, optimizing your application, securing interviews, and preparing for the Match, there are countless moving pieces, and unfortunately, plenty of opportunities to go wrong.   Over the years, I’ve...