I have a few items I wanted to post for medical students and those applying to residency programs, but I just haven't had the time to write separate posts about them. So this will be a catch all post, but at least I will have made you aware, if you aren't already, of these items.

•  Physician Specialty Data. A report with a lot of stats on trends in different specialities. If you want to know how many active specialists there are per population numbers for everything from allergists to vascular surgeons, this is the place to look. It's here. If you want to know how many active physicians are over 55 in a given specialty, that data is here. If you are trying to determine your future career direction as a physician, this reports has valuable data.
• Charting Outcomes in the Match reports on the factors that contribute to success (placing in your first choice specialty) in the Match.
• Extended Work Duration and the Risk of Self-reported Percutaneous Injuries in Interns. This Harvard study published in JAMA claims that extended hours, specifically 24-hour shifts, still contributes to significantly higher risk of injury to residents during their first year of residency. This study also reports that an overwhelming majority of resident work more than the 80 hour per week maximum established by the residency accreditation board.
  
• The AGME, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, vigorously disputes the findings of the Harvard study cited above.

If you would like tips for your residency personal statement, please check out Write Your Way to a Residency Match.  A reader named Louis last week sent me the following feedback:

"I bought your e-book a few days before I started formulating my personal statement.  I already had some ideas on what I might say, but I discarded most of them after reading your guide.  Your product helped me focus on what really mattered and craft a tight essay that, in the words of my peers, 'really lets your personality jump off the page!'  I also sent my final draft to the chief resident of our own program, who sits on the admissions committee here.  His feedback stated, 'It looks great. You are setting yourself up for matching with an excellent training program.'  Thanks so much for a great product that was very much worth the $20 I spent on it. "