Understanding the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP)
The Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, or SOAP, is the process by which unmatched or partially matched medical students can apply for residency matching spots left unfilled following the NRMP match. SOAPing is the dreaded outcome of the match. I will never forget the grief and anxiety I felt after...
Observations and Trends After the Switch to USMLE Step 1 Pass/Fail: What Learning Specialists Are Saying
2024 Update: This blog was originally posted on April 19, 2022. In 2024, an additional subheading was added to reevaluate the advice given within the context of the 2024 USMLE Step 1 landscape. One of the hottest topics among medical education learning specialists (MELS) is the behavior, motivation, and...
What Questions Do They Ask in a Residency Interview?
You hit submit on your ERAS application and realize you’re finally a post-ERAS M4 – nothing can hurt you now. That is, until the residency interview invitations start to roll in (sometimes just 24 hours later!). So, what questions do they ask in a residency interview anyway? And how can...
Applying to Medical School Timeline
Applying to medical school is a lengthy process. From the moment you get serious about applying in the current cycle to deciding which school to attend, you will spend more than a year writing, interviewing, and waiting. One of the most important steps you can take to ensure success in...
How to Get Into Medical School: What Do Medical Schools Want to See?
Knowing what is needed to present yourself as a successful applicant to medical school can be difficult. A lot of different sources and medical schools expect you to have certain achievements and to have participated in a variety of experiences.
The 8 Best MCAT Resources: How to Start Studying for the MCAT
There are a wide variety of resources available to help prepare when you are thinking about how to start studying for the MCAT, but it is difficult to know which have the best value and are right for you. Additionally, there are more excellent resources than any individual can possibly...
Writing a Hook for Your Personal Statement for Medical School
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. —George Orwell, 1984 (1949) You better not never tell nobody but God. —Alice Walker, The Color Purple (1982) It was a pleasure to burn. —Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953) Some of the best...
What Do Medical Schools Look for in Their Applicants?
So, you are considering applying to medical school and wondering how to get in? Every year, U.S. medical schools evaluate tens of thousands of applications from some of the brightest and most talented college students and recent graduates in the country. The admissions process is highly secretive, yet we know...
How To Get The Most Out of Shadowing
Shadowing is an extracurricular that most premeds participate in to fulfill requirements for medical school. However, it is also an important part of your journey in understanding medicine and connecting with your reasons for pursuing the field. What Is Shadowing? When shadowing, you will be following a...
How to Study for CCS on Step 3
By the time most medical students begin their intern year, they are expert test-takers. Graduating from medical school and matching into their specialties of choice requires them to be attentive learners, good multitaskers, and skilled test-takers. That being said, a few extra tips for how to study for USMLE Step...