Newsletter Article by Marbree, Education Chair
Start now. Especially if your student has another year or two before they go through the clerkship match process. Make a binder or file to keep the information about different programs or general advice. Go to Hospital Day. Visit sites over midterm break. The hospitals get really excited to have you come to them and get some one-on-one interest.
Talk to the students or residents and advocates who have been at the site, not just the recruiters and “officials”. They may still give a slight bias, but these are the people who will be able to tell you what life is really like. Plus, programs don’t care as much about how many students they recruit, but they do care how many interns they recruit. And converting students into interns is a lot easier than starting from scratch.
Visit at least one rotation site. Even if you aren’t able to visit any other locations, you will get to see firsthand what you do or don’t like. Then you can formulate a list of questions that you want to have answered by your other candidates. Scheduling a visit to one of the nearby sites (i.e. Kirksville, Moberly, etc.) can be a worthwhile experience even if you are sure that you don’t even want to be in the Central Time Zone.
No matter where you match for clerkship, your student will almost definitely have to do at least a few out-rotations away from home. Especially if they are interested in a highly-competitive residency program (i.e. Radiology, anesthesia, orthopedic surgery, dermatology, urology & ENT). If they have a military commitment, none of the clerkship sites feed directly into a military residency. It is not normal to match to a residency program where you have never had any “face time” and almost impossible when there is any competition at all for the slot.
Do not “stack” your rank list so that you either match to your first choice or not at all. Do not put all your eggs into one basket. Do not put down a choice that you would not actually consider accepting. Besides, it is good practice for the residency match. The school does allow negotiations and is willing to cooperate with you. The residency match program does not. Take advantage of the flexibility now. If you match to a slot at all for residency, then you are legally obligated to that site.
This is a fluid process. Clerkship sites can be approved for additional slots or entire new programs can get approved after the official match in October. People in slots you wanted may be accepted to fellowships or need to change locations due to family events (or even flunk a class and get Fifth-yeared).
Don’t be afraid to ask questions – of your student, of other advocates, of residents and their advocates. Ask anyone you can learn from.
And above all else, keep the lines of communication between yourself and your student open and active throughout the process.
