While 96% of USMLE test takers typically pass, if you’re someone who falls within that 4% and didn’t pass on your first try, you should know that each year over 20,000 people take USMLE Step 1. That means even within that 4%, there are at least 800 other students in your exact same situation. So, what do you do? We’ll tell you.

Towards the end of M3 year, medical students meet with one of their medical school’s Deans and write the Medical Student Performance Evaluation letter (MSPE), or the “Dean’s letter”, which is sent to all residency programs. Here’s what to (and not to) include.

What I can say about my residency application process is that I gained important perspectives on how residency program directors think, how to optimize your application, and even how to negotiate the process (you can negotiate more than you think!)

Do you love the ears, nose and throat? Me too! The residency application process in ENT can be daunting and stressful – the best way to navigate the system is by talking to friends and colleagues who have been through it before!

The most important step in deciding where to apply for residency is an honest evaluation of what specialty you are applying to. While it can be hard sometimes to “get real” with yourself about your USMLE scores, distinguishing features, etc. this step is critical because it can determine whether you match or not.

Flashcards are best used as a supplementary study aid, where they support knowledge retention from other core resources. For students preparing for USMLE Step 1, these core resources can vary, but often UWorld, First Aid and Pathoma are among the most widely used.

If you haven’t already heard of the Brosencephalon (Bros) deck, it’s time to get acquainted! Bros is one of several popular pre-made flashcard decks

Zanki (if you don't already know) is a very popular flashcard deck option for students studying for USMLE Step 1. If you're at the beginning of your dedicated study period and haven't selected a flashcard resource yet, we strongly advise you to check out our flashcard resource reviews to help you...

Letters of recommendation (LoRs) are becoming an exceedingly important part of a candidate’s residency application

ERAS, which stands for the Electronic Residency Application Service, is an online portal which contains the essential components to enable you to apply for residency