Accepted Admissions Almanac - ResidencyAccepted Admissions Almanachttp://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010-09-02T15:00:51ZSquarespaceResidency Personal Statement: 7 Don't Do'shttp://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010/9/1/residency-personal-statement-7-dont-dos.htmlAccepted.com2010-09-01T15:00:42Z2010-09-01T15:00:42ZIn honor of September 1, we are posting this tip for your residency match personal statement.

Your personal statement is your first and best opportunity to put a personal face to the scores and evaluations that each residency program receives. Like the AMCAS (or AACOMAS) essay you wrote to get into medical school, the residency essay needs to introduce you, demonstrate your interest, and convince the admissions committee that you have what it takes to succeed in their program. But there are some important differences in these essays. We'll start by talking about what not to do in your residency personal statement. 

1. Explain why you went into medicine. You're already a doctor. You don't need to rehash your entire story for the program director. (The exception to this rule is if the reason you entered medicine is the same reason you chose this specialty. In that case, you might be able to make a convincing argument for your unwavering commitment to the field.)

2. Give generic or superficial reasons for choosing this specialty. "Since playing Operation as a child, I have always wanted to be a surgeon." Sure you want to explain when your interest piqued. But you're better off doing this in a serious way, probably with an example from your medical school days, that shows that you're serious and knowledgeable about this residency and what it entails.

3. Make the reader guess why you chose this specialty. Don't cleverly hide your interest in the particular residency. Residency directors want to know from the very beginning why you chose this residency and why you'll be good at it. This is not to say that your opening line should be "I want to be a dermatologist because…" but you should get this point across in the first paragraph – with a little creativity and finesse.

4. Use gimmicks to get attention. Writing your personal statement as a newspaper article, interview, or any other so-called "creative" format is a sure way to turn off a good portion of your audience. Residency committees want to see that you can communicate well in a professional setting. Write with originality and creativity, but don't go overboard.

Note: The ERAS online application uses an ASCI format – boldface, italics, and unusual fonts aren't allowed. You'll have to use language to add emphasis, not special characters.

5. Send the same personal statement to every program. If a residency (or even a particular program) isn't research-based, then you probably don't want to go into too much detail about your senior thesis in neuroscience. And while your oncology essay may have a lot of related stories, if your interest is really GYN ONC, your chances of a match in an OB/GYN program will go up immeasurably if you can speak convincingly about your experiences with women's care.

6. Use all the allotted space to answer every question the residency director might have. ERAS allows 32,000 characters (approximately 5 pages) for your personal statement, but residency directors do not want to read that much. Writing a tightly focused one-page essay that addresses the key points you want to convey is a much more effective way to make sure that you get that all-important interview – and a chance to answer questions in person.

7. Submit an application with typos or grammatical mistakes. Your entire application – not just your personal statement but also your CV, personal information, etc. – should be as polished as it can possibly be. Errors convey the impression that you aren't taking this process seriously – and consequently, telling the program director that they shouldn't take you seriously.

This post is excerpted from Write Your Way to a Residency Match: Advice for Your Personal Statement, CV, and Letters of Recommendation by Linda Abraham and Cydney Foote. Now you that you know what to avoid in your personal statement, learn what you should do by ordering this informative ebook today.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

]]>Personal Branding in Admissionshttp://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010/8/29/personal-branding-in-admissions.htmlLinda Abraham2010-08-29T19:00:40Z2010-08-29T19:00:40ZThe term "personal brand" is bandied about a lot in admissions. I don't claim to be an expert on branding, but after fifteen years editing essays and advising applicants, I know a bit about admissions. I see the concept of "personal brand" as a threat and opportunity for applicants.

Want to know more?  See this 4-minute video where I discuss the good and the bad of "Personal Brand in Admissions."

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.

]]>Plagiarism in Residency Essays: Just Don'thttp://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010/7/21/plagiarism-in-residency-essays-just-dont.htmlLinda Abraham2010-07-22T03:21:54Z2010-07-22T03:21:54ZThe WSJ's Health Blog recently posted "Study: Medical Residency Applicants and Plagiarism" which cites a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine by a team of researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.  The researchers found "evidence of plagiarism" in 5.2% of residency application personal statements by comparing the essays to publicly available material as well as to previously submitted essays. When they saw text that matched more than 10% of material on other essays, they felt it "showed evidence" of plagiarism.

Drs. Papadakis and Wofsy, both from UCSF, wrote in an accompanying editorial that:

"plagiarism is only a 'symptom' of a larger trend toward using professional essay prep services. (One charges $2,730 for a 'complete, rush 10-hour package service.') While such services 'may not constitute plagiarism,' the authors write, 'they certainly constitute misrepresentation of the applicant’s independent capabilities.'”

Let me respond to the main points in this editorial that relate to my work and to Accepted.com.

  1. Plagiarism is "the act of taking the writings of another person and passing them off as one's own." according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Accepted.com and all legitimate admissions consultants oppose plagiarism. Period. Please see the Principles of Good Practice of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC), of which I am a founding member and past president.
  2. There is no connection whatsoever between plagiarism and use of essay editing services. The editorial authors don't have a clue as to what admissions consultants do if they associate our work with plagiarism or misrepresentation of abilities. Consulting a specialist is an enhancement of one's capabilities, not a misrepresentation of them.
  3. Just as patients must distinguish between doctors and quacks, doctors must distinguish between essay writing services and services provided by legitimate admissions consultants, such as those in AIGAC.
  4. When residency applicants turn to a consultant they are seeking the help of a specialist so they can present themselves -- not someone else -- at their best. This is the same service provided by many medical school advisors, parents, friends and family. However, we have the combination of experience, knowledge, time, and commitment that is lacking in other possible advisors. Furthermore, our service is similar to the assistance that high school counsellors and college consultants provide college applicants. And it is similar to the services provided by universities and private consultants to medical school applicants.  Accepted.com's Cydney Foote, author of Write Your Way to a Residency, makes the argument forcefully in her comment on the WSJ blog:

I have been working with the Accepted.com team as a professional admissions consultant for nine years, and I’d like to respond to the claim that services such as the ones my company offers “constitute misrepresentation of the applicant’s independent capabilities.” I think this reflects a profound misunderstanding of what admissions consultants really do. My job is not to misrepresent applicants’ capabilities but to encourage them to look deeper into who they are and what they have to offer their particular specialty. This level of introspection isn’t necessarily easy, especially for students embroiled in med school’s day-to-day challenges, but with the support and guidance of an experienced admissions consultant, applicants reflect more deeply on their personal goals and start to identify in clear terms exactly why they are pulled to a particular field. I then can help them convey the results of this self-reflection in interesting and engaging ways. This process is neither plagiarism nor misrepresentation; it is merely consulting a specialist and expert in the field.

A good admissions consultant will help the applicant craft his or her unique story in a way that won't work for anybody else. In my opinion, that’s the measure of a successful personal statement–how well it reflects the applicant's true capabilities and individuality.

If you would like to know more about reputable admissions consultants, I encourage you to look to the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (www.aigac.org). This organization was founded specifically to address concerns like the ones you've raised, as well as to implement ethical guidelines for our profession.

Drs. Papadakis and Wofsy argue at the end of their editorial that perhaps residency programs should eliminate the residency personal statement. If programs do not find that the 95% of the residency applicants who write their own essays provide useful insight, then maybe the personal statement should be discarded. Of course that would imply higher costs associated with interviews, recommended by Drs. Papadakis and Wofsy, or no understanding into what moves and motivates residency candidates.

However, the value of the essay is a separate question from the integrity of the authors or of a profession devoted to aiding and guiding applicants. Don't scapegoat and malign admissions consultants if you want to find an alternative to essays.

Roughly five years ago the business school world was rocked by charges that MBA admissions consultants were corrupting the admissions process. Several consultants and I reached out to the schools. The resulting dialogue led to the founding of AIGAC and to a much more constructive relationship with the schools as evidenced by AIGAC's annual conferences, (See 2010 AIGAC Conference in Boston for information on the most recent event.) which have included presentations by admissions directors and deans from schools including  Chicago Booth, Kellogg, Wharton, Columbia, NYU, MIT, Harvard, Dartmouth Tuck, INSEAD, UC Berkeley's Haas School, UCLA Anderson, UVA Darden, Michigan Ross and other leading business schools.

Similarly, I look forward to the development of a constructive relationship with medical schools and residency programs marked -- not by sniping  and accusations based on ignorance -- but by dialogue, professional collaboration, and a commitment to integrity in the medical school, residency, and fellowship application process.

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.


 

]]>Shorter Shifts for New Residentshttp://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010/6/30/shorter-shifts-for-new-residents.htmlAccepted2010-06-30T22:00:33Z2010-06-30T22:00:33ZIt looks like the dreaded days-long medical residency shifts could be a thing of the past. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has proposed new guidelines for residency programs amid concerns that overtired residents were making unnecessary mistakes and harming their patients. The ACGME had previously limited resident hours from up to 120 hours a week to a more reasonable 80 hours a week in 2003.

The new guidelines—which, pending approval, will go into effect in July 2011—advise that first-year residents be treated differently than those with more experience. Therefore, first-years should be limited to 16-hour shifts, and those in the second year and up should not work continuously for more than 24 hours. The guidelines also emphasize direct supervision of newer residents by more experienced ones. Plus, the ACGME will work harder to enforce these requirements by conducting annual on-site visits of each institution, and those programs not complying could lose accreditation.

The new guidelines have been received with mixed reactions, with some feeling the requirements don’t go far enough to protect patient safety, and others finding issue with the timing of the new shift limitations. In any case, in compliance with the new rules, many hospitals will need to hire additional medical staff and could face logistical and financial challenges. 

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best


]]>Dealing with the Doctor Shortagehttp://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010/6/22/dealing-with-the-doctor-shortage.htmlAccepted2010-06-22T15:00:08Z2010-06-22T15:00:08ZAccording to an LA Times article medical schools will boost their enrollment by 30% by 2013 to accommodate the forecasted doctor shortage.

The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that by the year 2025 there will be a deficiency of about 125,000 doctors. The Health Resources and Services Administration estimates that there will be a shortage of 65,560 doctors following the year 2020. A third prediction, set by the American Academy of Family Physicians, suggests that by that time there will be a deficit of 149,000 physicians.

As if we don't sit in waiting rooms long enough as it is!

These groups suggest that not only will patients have to spend more time in waiting rooms, but doctor visits will become briefer and costs will increase. People may have to travel farther distances to reach a particular specialist as well.

What is the source of this predicted shortage?

First, fewer doctors are interested in primary care or general surgery, and are instead opting to specialize. The reason for this is financial. According to the LA Times article, Medicare reimburses doctors $103.42 for a 30-minute general office visit. For a 30-minute colonoscopy, on the other hand, Medicare reimburses $449.44. Over a lifetime, this could amount to a $3.5 million difference. (That being said, a primary care physician will still probably make about $150,000 to $200,000 a year.)

Second, doctors aren't as evenly distributed among disciplines as they once were. There are too many neonatal doctors and too few child psychiatrists, for example. Pediatric specialists in general make less than their adult alternatives. For example, a pediatric ophthalmologist makes about half of what an adult ophthalmologist makes.

Third, the baby boomers are getting on in years. People are living longer, thus extending their need for doctors. Between the years 2000 and 2030 the number of people over the age of 65 will double. People in this over 65 age bracket often require more than double the amount of care of younger adults.

According to Dr. David Goodman, director of the Center for Health Policy Research, the real risk isn't a doctor shortage, but a shortage of funds at teaching hospitals and of doctors in particular areas, usually in inner cities or rural areas. It's important to look at where doctors are located, not just how many doctors there are.

In order to reach underserved areas, Dr. Goodman suggests that doctors make better use of telemedicine, a service that would allow patients in rural or underserved areas access to medical care via audio/visual equipment.

Another solution is to encourage doctors to settle in these medically underserved areas. Recruiting people from these areas to attend medical school is one way of working towards this goal, as many would likely return to their hometowns after graduating.

Want our news sent directly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Accepted Admissions Almanac by clicking here!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best



Source: Agencies warn of coming doctor shortage (http://www.latimes.com/news/health/la-he-doctor-shortage-20100607,0,7762076.story)

]]>Newsflash: Accepted.com Publishes New Special Report and Email Course on how to Create Exemplary Essays!http://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010/6/16/newsflash-acceptedcom-publishes-new-special-report-and-email.htmlAccepted2010-06-16T16:00:55Z2010-06-16T16:00:55ZReading sample essays is a great way to stimulate your creative juices before you sit down to write your essays. However, most people spend a ton of time reading sample essays, but have no idea how to apply the techniques used in the perfectly crafted examples to their own essays.

In this exciting new special report (which can also be downloaded as a free, 5-day ecourse), you'll learn how to transform your boring or bland application essays or personal statements into intriguing and exemplary works of prose by studying other successful essays.

Here are some tips from the first section of From Example to Exemplary:

  1. Open with a colorful anecdote or a question to engage the reader's interest right from the beginning.
  2. Hold the reader’s interest by building on your story, sentence by sentence, adding new information and avoiding repetition.
  3. Refer back to your opening when you conclude your essay, bringing your story full circle.

However, in the special report the tips all reference the sample essays on Accepted.com. You can see exactly how applicants just like you applied these techniques and created compelling personal statements and application essays. When you download the free From Example to Exemplary special report or subscribe to the Exemplary email course, you'll receive more insightful tips and rich advice about how to transform your essays into masterful writing.

From Example to Exemplary author, Judy Gruen, is an Accepted editor and co-author of the ebook, MBA Letters of Recommendation That Rock. She has helped hundreds of students through the application process and knows what works and what doesn't. Profit from her knowledge, experience, and skill.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best



]]>Save 20% on June Featured Ebooks for Medical Residency and Fellowship Applicantshttp://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010/6/8/save-20-on-june-featured-ebooks-for-medical-residency-and-fe.htmlAccepted2010-06-08T15:00:14Z2010-06-08T15:00:14ZThere's only one thing better than a monthly featured ebook…TWO monthly featured ebooks! Between now and Wednesday, June 30, 2010, you can save 20% on both Write Your Way to a Residency Match and Write Your Way to a Fellowship Match with coupon code MATCH20.

In Write Your Way to a Residency Match, you'll learn:

  • 7 mistakes not to make in your personal statement.
  • 5 criteria for choosing recommenders.
  • 4 terrific tips for your CV.

In Write Your Way to a Fellowship Match: Advice for your Subspecialty Personal Statement, CV, and Letters of Recommendation, you'll learn:

  • 16 steps to an exceptional personal statement.
  • 6 building blocks of an effective letter of recommendation.
  • 4 proven tactics for foreign medical school graduates.

…and much, much more!

Both of June's featured ebooks contain vital tips, advice, and sample essays for medical school students who are ready to take their educations—and their careers—to the next level.

Start working towards your optimal match today and save 20% when you buy Write Your Way to a Residency Match and Write Your Way to a Fellowship Match!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best


Related: Write Your Way to a Residency Match (http://www.accepted.com/Ecommerce/residency/writeresidency.aspx?utm_campaign=EBSpecial&utm_medium=blog&utm_source=blogvisitors&utm_content=WriteResMatch)
Related: Write Your Way to a Fellowship Match: Advice for your Subspecialty Personal Statement, CV, and Letters of Recommendation (http://www.accepted.com/ecommerce/fellowship/writematch.aspx?utm_campaign=EBSpecial&utm_medium=blog&utm_source=blogvisitors&utm_content=WriteFellowMatch)

]]>Application Boxes Should Do the Heavy Liftinghttp://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010/5/23/application-boxes-should-do-the-heavy-lifting.htmlLinda Abraham2010-05-24T06:34:16Z2010-05-24T06:34:16ZFor one of Accepted's first forays into video, I decided to focus on application boxes, the mundane, pedestrian elements of an application that frequently are not given appropriate attention.  Please watch the video to see how you make the ordinary into extraordinary, value-added elements of your application.

Since this is our first attempt at providing admissions advice via video, we are particularly interested in feedback. My first suggestion to me for the future is to smile more. :-)  I am rarely this serious. However, if you have other suggestions, particularly suggestions for topics you would like me to address in short videos, please let me know in comments below.

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.

]]>FINAL REMINDER: Birthday Book Sale Ends Today!http://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010/5/13/final-reminder-birthday-book-sale-ends-today.htmlAccepted2010-05-13T15:00:37Z2010-05-13T15:00:37ZWe just wanted to remind you that Linda's birthday book sale ends today, Thursday, May 13. Until the end of the day today you can save 50% on all of the ebooks in our online book collection. If you haven't had a chance to browse our bookstore, make sure you do so now—you don't want to miss this fantastic offer!

Browse our growing ebook collection, choose a few that speak to you, and enter coupon code SAVE50 at checkout to save 50% on your entire purchase!

Don't delay—time is running out!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best


Source: Accepted.com Online Bookstore (http://www.accepted.com/Bookstore/Default.aspx)

]]>Medical School Admissions Round Uphttp://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2010/4/11/medical-school-admissions-round-up.htmlAccepted2010-04-11T08:59:11Z2010-04-11T08:59:11Z
  • Until Friday of last week, two rival schools, the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, had been running a joint medical school in Phoenix. This partnership came to an end on Friday when Arizona State University pulled out of the deal. The University of Arizona will continue to operate the medical school and plans to expand the Phoenix campus. (The Chronicle)
    • A recent Chronicle article, "Women in Academic Medicine: Equal to Men, Except in Pay," explores the pay discrepancies between the salaries of men and women in academic medicine. According to a study carried out by Academic Medicine, women earn significantly less in the field of academic medicine than men do, "even when their professional activities and qualifications are comparable." According to Catherine M. DesRoches, a researcher and instructor at Harvard Medical School, one reason for the pay imbalances is that women don't work as many hours or publish as much as men do.

    Related Accepted.com Med School Ebooks

     

    Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best


    Source: Arizona State U. Pulls Out of Medical School It Ran With U. of Arizona (http://chronicle.com/article/Arizona-State-U-Pulls-Out-of/64968/?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en)
    Source: Women in Academic Medicine: Equal to Men, Except in Pay (http://chronicle.com/article/Women-in-Academic-Medicine-/64892/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en)
    Related: How to Submit a Great Application for Your Residency Match (http://www.accepted.com/Ecommerce/residency/writeresidency.aspx?utm_campaign=MedContent&utm_medium=Blog&utm_source=BlogVisitors&utm_content=WriteYourWayResidency)
    Related: How to best present yourself in your medical school application. (http://www.accepted.com/ecommerce/medschooladmissions.aspx?utm_campaign=MedContent&utm_medium=Blog&utm_source=BlogVisitors&utm_content=WriteYourWayMedSchool)
    Related: How to Get Accepted to a Top Med School From a Waitlist (http://www.accepted.com/Ecommerce/medwait/medwaitlist.aspx?utm_campaign=MedContent&utm_medium=Blog&utm_source=BlogVisitors&utm_content=9MistakesMedEBook)

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