How to Successfully Match with Less Competitive Stats

As you all are well aware, I faced an abundance of setbacks and mishaps all throughout medical school: course remediations, multiple STEP 1 retakes, a dismissal (which I successfully appealed), and shelf exam retakes. BUT. GOD. There are some resources and tips I have gathered along the way that guided me in matching despite my past mistakes and less than pristine academic record. Keep reading for tips on how to successfully match into residency if you have less competitive stats.

Use the Residency Explorer Tool to focus your applications. This is where I started. The tool is beyond useful. Here, you can search for programs based on the STEP 1 and STEP 2 scores they typically look for. These stats are extremely helpful in deciphering which programs may give you a chance and which ones may not. Residency applications COST and you want to spend your money wisely. If a program has a cutoff score close to yours, consider adding to your list. If a program does not have a cutoff score listed, then definitely consider. It’s not guaranteed, but those programs may be more likely to look at students holistically. Using the Residency Explorer Tool to compare and contrast programs in this way really did help me make informed decisions on where I should apply and set me up for success.

Get STRONG letters of recommendation. It’s important to have professionals in your chosen field on your side vouching for you. Try your best to get letters from those who worked closely with you during your clinical years, helped you prepare for board exams, worked on publications and presentations with you, and can really speak to your potential. Ensure these persons truly believe in you and are not just writing generic letters. Start requesting letters in May at the latest and schedule a meeting to discuss your goals and application. Be honest about your academic record so there are no surprises and so they are vouching for ALL of you. Send your CV along with the meeting request so the writers can start formatting your letter. And if you are reapplying, there is nothing wrong with getting some fresh eyes on you especially if you have worked on a new research project or have additional clinical experience under your belt. It’s also perfectly ok to keep the same letters from last year. Just ensure these are letters of SUPPORT you feel good about.

Use your network. Y’all. If you have a relationship with a Dean, an Assistant Dean, or anyone else who is well-connected. Speak to them now-ish. Do not be afraid to ask for their assistance, especially if they are aware of your academic path and/or professional goals. I asked the Dean of my school–who accepted my appeal and ensured I remained in medical school–for a letter of recommendation. She told me she does not write letters, but she does make phone calls. Hello, somebody!! Phone calls are even better!! She never confirmed what she did or did not do on my behalf, but having her in my corner was a major blessing. Network and bump up that net worth…or whatever the Drake song said.

Schedule a tour of your top programs of interest BEFORE you submit applications. Y’all, I didn’t even know this was possible until a friend told me. I so wish I had known because I sure would have done this. Some programs allow you to tour their facilities and meet the program director before even applying. What a way to set yourself apart from the rest of the applicant pool and make the program remember you. It absolutely worked for my friend. She matched at the very institution where she requested the tour. Find the program director and program administrator emails. Contact them around July or August before applications are due. Set that appointment.

BIG up yourself in your application. You are so much more than a test score. Show it and show OUT. Include all your accomplishments, experiences, publications, and presentations from the past 10 years. Do not include anything from high school. Include college (if within the past 10 years) and onward. And that personal statement? Make it tight. Make it COMPELLING. From the very first sentence, draw your reader in and ensure they know exactly why you are going into your chosen field. Consider opening with a life-changing personal anecdote from a patient experience (without getting too personal). I applied to OB/GYN and Family Medicine, so I said my chosen field was Women’s Health so I did not have to write two personal statements. Work smarter, not harder. When it comes to mentioning any exam retakes or academic failures, do it quickly (even indirectly if you can), and immediately say what you learned from the experience. Then move on. Again, your scores are not the focal point of who you are or your potential as a physician. In my personal statement, I mentioned near the end that I want to be a provider and mentor for young Black women; demonstrating there is life and purpose after failure. Indirect. Concise. Positive spin. Move on. If you struggle with writing, consider getting a friend or editing service to look over your work. The majority of my interviewers commented on my personal statement, saying how it really touched them. One interviewer even told me she cried. There is also a section in ERAS that asks if you had an extended time in med school for any reason. Keep it short and sweet here too. I wrote, “I had to retake my STEP 1 exam and, therefore, had an extended tenure in medical school.” One sentence. Totally clear. If anyone wanted me to expound, they could ask in interviews. Only two people did. You are more than a number. Show them!

Email programs about your interest. Once those applications are in, start sending emails to programs indicating your interest in interviewing with them. ERAS is great because it lists contact emails for the majority of programs. Use that email address and try to find the program director’s email (program website) as well. Attach your CV even though it’s in your application. Make it easy for people to quickly learn more about you without searching for your application. Include your AAMC ID in the email title just in case they do want to search out your application. Share your specific connection to the area so they understand you have a vested interest in serving their communities. For programs in New York, for example, I would mention my entire paternal side of the family is from NYC and some still live there. “Therefore, I have a vested interest in serving the communities in the greater New York City area.” Show interest and email as many programs as you can. I say shoot for emailing all to which you applied.

Prep for your interviews. Know your elevator speech (1 minute answer to the infamous, “So tell me a bit about yourself.”) Oh yes, prepare to hear that all interview season long. Ensure your speech has in it exactly what led you to choose that specialty. And if you applied to more than one specialty, be sure to keep track of which one you are interviewing for. Nothing worse than saying, “I want to be a Surgeon because…oh wait, this is a Family Medicine program.” Know information about the program (quick read up on their webpage). Have a running list of questions to ask and ensure they were not already answered on the program website. Mention and play up your connection to the area. Again, here is where you ensure they know you are connected, have social support, and have a reason to care about their communities. For programs in Georgia, I would discuss how my maternal side of the family originated in South Georgia and how I grew up in Marietta. For one interview, I was even answering questions from other interviewees about where to live and what school districts to consider. LOL! I wanted the residents watching to know and think, “Oh, she belongs here.” So when you’re interviewing in NYC, try not to mention how much you Looooooove your hometown of Chicago. Yes?

Prepare what to say if you are asked about your scores. Have something in your back pocket—two or three lines—about what happened, what you learned, and how you will proceed with test-taking moving forward. It is NOT guaranteed you will get asked. Out of 8 interviews, only two interviewers asked me to directly address STEP 1. ONLY TWO. I was ready to answer, though. Own it. Say how you improved your study and testing methods so it’s not an issue anymore. They want to know you will be good to go for STEP 3. Speak to how the experience made you an even better doctor and patient advocate. Spend more time discussing the positive than the negative. Then take a breath, Doc. We’ve moved on to the next question.

Send hand-written thank you notes to each program where you interview. Show gratitude, y’all. Also send a thank you email to the program coordinator (thanking the whole program) for the opportunity and thanking the coordinator for assisting you with interview day. Show your gratitude especially in hand-written format. Not all students do this, so you will absolutely stand out.

Send a letter of intent to your top 1 program at the end of interview season. Try to include a personal anecdote about a specific way you connected with an interviewer (preferably the program director) on interview day. Try to find the direct email of the program director and cc the program general email. Briefly remind them of your career goals and indicate how the program will get you there. In this way, programs know you are serious SERIOUS about their program. This email serves to alert them they can rank you accordingly. It is ok to say you are ranking them number 1 if indeed you are. Also send letters of interest to your subsequent top four programs indicating you are very much so interested. These emails can be shorter, but still indicate why that program and how it will help you achieve your goals. You are covering your bases here. Again, include your AAMC ID in the email titles and attach your CV.

Show up with CONFIDENCE. Do not go into those interviews thinking about your test scores. Go in thinking about all else you have done. You are a Victor! (2 Corinthians 2:14-15) People want to hire the humble, but confident ones. Speak proudly of your experiences and accomplishments. Do not bring up any negatives on your record unless they do and you have to answer a question about it. On the interview trail, one of my former classmates commented on just how GOODT my interview presence was. That meant so much to me because I had succeeded in not looking or talking like what I had been through. Believe in yourself. That bodes confidence so others believe in you too.

I really hope this helps, y’all. As always, I am sharing from the perspective of what worked for me and praying it works for y’all too. And if you are taking a gap year, reapplying, or otherwise looking for something to do as you apply, click here for suggestions. The committee of faculty members that dismissed me claimed part of their reasoning was that I would never match and, therefore, completing medical school would only put me in more debt for no reason. That condemnation was a BOLD FACE LIE. If anyone has spoken anything even remarkably similar over you, I want you to know you do not have to accept that. March forward. Match forward. Use the above practical tips. And get on with your destiny. Praying and rooting for y’all!

xx,

Photos by Tina Smith