title: The residency application abyss: insights and advice.
abstract: Most medical students apply for residency training upon completion of medical school. The choice of specialty is one of a student's first major career decisions, and the application process often results in considerable anxiety, as it is competitive, unpredictable, and requires a significant investment of time and money. This article, which addresses several important facets of the residency application using both experiential and evidence-based data, is organized chronologically into sections that describe a logical approach to applying for residency: choice of a specialty, the personal statement, the interview day, and developing a rank list. A list of relevant websites is also included. This paper is a resource that provides timely and tangible guidance to medical students applying for residency training.
authors.affiliation: Community Health Centers, Inc., New Britain, CT 06051, USA. douglas.olson@yale.edu
authors.forename: Douglas P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: Julius T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Oatts
authors.forename: Barry G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Huot
mesh_terms: D002321:Career Choice; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008511:Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013337:Students, Medical