Specialty Residency Information and Advising

Contact Anesthesia Advisors

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MAIN

MANUEL
PARDO

KRIS BREYER

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Heather Hervey-Jumper

JOYCE CHANG

STEPHANIE LIM

Paul Su

 

 

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Anesthesia residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN ANESTHESIOLOGY, CRITICAL CARE & PAIN MEDICINE

What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?
Physicians who pursue a residency in anesthesiology have many career options available to them.  Clinically, they may concentrate their practice in general operating room anesthesia or pursue subspecialized clinical practice in procedural pain management, hospice & palliative medicine, critical care medicine, pediatric anesthesia, cardiac anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, acute pain medicine, regional anesthesia, transplant anesthesia, or neuroanesthesia. Some other specialties include sleep medicine and hyperbaric medicine. 

Clinical settings include academic medical centers, such as UCSF, or private practice venues including large hospitals, small hospitals, outpatient units, and even office settings. Clinical practice may include working alone, with residents, CRNAs, anesthesia assistants or a combination of perioperative care extenders.

Anesthesiologists are often medical directors of surgical centers and operating rooms, quality improvement officers, and other health care administrative roles. There is a great need for anesthesiologists interested in global health and anesthesiologists are often leading the way in helping to develop sustainable systems for quality care care delivery for surgical, trauma, critical care and obstetric patients in resource-poor settings. Anesthesiologists are also public health officers and advocates (our current Surgeon General is an anesthesiologist). Additionally there are many anesthesiologists who serve as medical officers for technology companies, are involved in research, and do consulting work. 

What is a typical workday like?
This varies significantly depending on what area of specialization anesthesiologists pursue (see above). For the anesthesiologist in private practice, a typical clinical day is 10 to 12 hours long, plus overnight call 2+ nights each month. The average number of hours per week depends on the group and its call structure, but typically 40-60 hours per week including call. In an academic setting (the minority of anesthesiologists), there is great variability depending on additional responsibilities outside the clinical setting. 

What is the culture of this specialty?
Many find the OR and ICU environments interesting and fun. Anesthesia is often challenging and always humbling. Many like concentrating on one or two patients at a time. This is a very hands-on specialty with many procedures and acute interventions. Many find patient contact to be the most satisfying part of the profession.
 Overall, there is a high degree of satisfaction with anesthesiology as a career choice.

What are how this career path may support or challenge having a family?
There is a lot of variation in anesthesiologists' practices. For example, an anesthesiologist who primarily practice pain medicine (clinic-based) is going to have a very different career than someone specializing in transplant anesthesia (operating room based, cases all hours). Therefore generalizations are difficult. After residency (which has set requirements across ACGME-certified programs), you are very much in control of the type of work environment and practice you have.

In general, if you are considering an operating room based focus, it is important to know that OR days start early (before childcare centers open) and do not always end at predictable times. Someone needs to be there to see the patient safely to the recovery room. When surgeries have to go in the middle of the night, an anesthesiologist needs to be there to take care of the patient. When a woman needs an emergency cesarean section, an anesthesiologist must be there. Anesthesiologists frequently work 12+ hour days and are on in-house call for 24+ hour shifts. In general, partners in your practice (academic or private) will split call requirements. The family-friendly aspect is that these calls will be prescheduled, your work starts when you arrive and most often ends when you leave. Most aren’t expected to be accessible on their days off.

The other family-friendly aspect is that in most cases you are paid for the amount you work, and practices/partners are okay with individuals working less (and being paid less) during times when they need more time at home. There are also different practice settings that allow even more flexibility (e.g. outpatient/office-based anesthesia) and predictable work hours (e.g. pain clinic).

Overall, the most important thing is that you enjoy your specialty, work environment, and what you do day to day.  No lifestyle is pleasant if you are doing something you don’t enjoy.

What are how this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity? 

The American Society of Anesthesiologists has a national diversity committee that encourages mentorship, sponsorship and coaching of women and underrepresented minorities in our field.  The ASA facilitates networking and actively recruits diverse speakers, panels, and committees.  That said, there is still significant work that needs to be done to bring diversity, inclusiveness and equity to our field.

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
Valuable traits include the following: honesty, strong work ethic, leadership abilities, emotional intelligence, empathy, vigilance, ability to think and communicate in fast-paced settings, appropriate humility, attention to detail.

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN ANESTHESIOLOGY

What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?

• Shadow an anesthesiologist at UCSF or in private practice. You can spend a day or part of a day with a faculty member in the operating room, preoperative evaluation clinic, pain management unit or critical care unit. This will give you exposure to these unique clinical areas as well as provide an opportunity to interact informally with the faculty. If you are interested in participating, particularly during your free time, please contact Vasilis Tabakis to help you coordinate with a faculty member.
• Join the anesthesia interest group, which will keep you up to date on activities and information within the specialty of anesthesia, please email Vasilis Tabakis at clerkships@anesthesia.ucsf.edu to join this mailing list.
• Consider applying for Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowship (MSARF). This is a two-month research experience with the opportunity to present findings at the ASA Annual Meeting.
• Consider presenting your deep dive work at conferences and pursue scholarly publications.
• Demonstrate leadership in your extracurricular activities.

Planning considerations for F2?
At UCSF all medical students complete an Anesthesiology rotation at Parnassus, Mission Bay or the VA.

Planning considerations for Career Launch?

• Find a deep dive scholarly project that matches your interests and strengths. You are certainly welcome to work with Anesthesiology faculty: we have many individuals doing phenomenal work in clinical, basic science, physiology, informatics, education, quality improvement, and global health research.  Also, feel free to work with a mentor in another department. There is no requirement to do anesthesia-specific research if you are applying in Anesthesiology. In fact, our own faculty and residents collaborate with investigators across departments regularly.
• If you are unsure of your specialty choice, then do sub-internships in those specialties early in Career Launch.  You do not need to do additional operating room anesthesia rotations if you are already sure of anesthesia as a career choice.
• We recommend completing sub-internships in Medicine and Critical Care. With the removal of F1 grades, it becomes more important to complete at least one (if not both) sub-internships prior to the MSPE deadline.  Many of our applicants also complete Surgery and Emergency Medicine sub-internships.
• The anesthesiology sub-internship is a great rotation if you are still trying to decide for certain if you would like to apply in anesthesiology.  The pediatric anesthesia, OB anesthesia and pain medicine rotations are excellent as well. 
• Coming from a medical school with a strong Department of Anesthesiology, you do not need to do any away rotations. If you are hoping to match to a specific program or in a specific area, please schedule a time to meet with a career advisor to discuss your application plan. 

What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?
The UCSF Anesthesia Interest Group is the best resource for UCSF students because the advice and information is tailored to UCSF students. Other sources include the ASA medical student section, the Society for Education in Anesthesia and the ACGME.

How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
Over the years, residency in anesthesia has waxed and waned in competitiveness and desirability. Currently, anesthesiology is considered quite competitive. An average resident applicant from a US allopathic medical school applies to 18 programs.

When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?
You may contact confidential or main anesthesiology specialty residency advisors at any time, and are encouraged to do so! We are happy to chat on the phone or set up a meeting to discuss any aspect of your career exploration and help answer questions you may have. 

How important are each of the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular leadership efforts	X			Demonstration of leadership qualities
Research/publications		X
Honors in F2*	X
AOA		X
Honors in Sub-I	X
Externship			X
USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores		X
Top Tier Medical School		X
Community Service		X

 *F2 Honors grades only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before fall 2018).  Grades in core clerkships have been very important to anesthesiology residency programs. Without honors in core clerkships, sub-internship grades and USMLE scores will likely become more important.

How can students best find mentors?
During your F1 Anesthesiology rotation you will have the opportunity to meet and work closely with many anesthesiology residents and faculty members. These clinical preceptors often end up becoming great career mentors. You may also set up an appointment with a designated Anesthesiology career advisor at any time: these faculty members have experience mentoring students through the residency application process.  Additionally, scholarly project mentors are also great resources for advice and information.

How can students evaluate their chances of matching?
Please set a meeting with a confidential or main anesthesiology specialty residency advisor to go over all aspects of your application. Grades, exam scores, evaluation comments, research, extracurricular activities, awards and recognition, flexibility with geographic location and couples matching are all considerations. Every UCSF student can match in Anesthesiology! Independently you can review data published by the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) including the yearly Program Director’s Surveys and Charting Outcomes in the Match. But UCSF advisors will make sure you are set up for success going into the process.

How competitive is the job market after residency?
The competitiveness of the job market fluctuates year to year and depends on the anesthesiologist’s degree of specialization. However, in general there are many anesthesiology jobs that need to be filled every year and almost everyone is able to find a spot in a practice location and type they desire.

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN ANESTHESIOLOGY

How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?
You should secure 3 letters of recommendation from clinical preceptors. We recommend 1-2 letters of recommendation from anesthesiologists who can speak to your clinical performance well.  1-2 additional letters are often from intensivists, medicine internists or surgeons. If you have a significant research or extracurricular mentor, they may write a fourth letter.

Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student?
You may request a departmental letter of recommendation from your rotation course director or site director.

Advice on writing personal statements?
This is your chance to write a short narrative that tells program directors and admissions committees something about who you are as a person that is unique, compelling and/or demonstrative of grit and resilience. It is not important to tell anesthesiologists what they do, but more important to tell us what makes you a compelling candidate. Also, it is important to show acceptable writing skills and attention to detail. Do not make spelling or grammatical errors. Do not use run-on sentences. Do not recite your CV. This is an excellent place to explain a leave of absence or any interruption in your training as well as any potential application deficiencies.  

How many programs do students typically apply to?
We recommend most UCSF students apply to at least 20 programs and rank at least 10 programs.  This advice may vary depending on factors such as grades, exam scores, flexibility with geographic location and couples matching.

What types of variations in training programs are there (eg, different tracks, different lengths)?
Internship can be in medicine, transitional, surgery, pediatrics or OB/GYN, but more programs are integrating the internship into the residency (called “categorical” tracks). After the Intern year, the anesthesia residency is 3 years long. If desired there is fellowship training in a variety of areas that are each one year long and include:

• ACGME certified subspecialties: pain management, hospice & palliative medicine, critical care medicine, pediatric anesthesia, cardiac anesthesia and obstetric anesthesia. Regional and acute pain medicine will become an ACGME fellowship in the next year.
• Non-ACGME subspecialties: transplant anesthesia, neuroanesthesia, outpatient clinic management, research, QI and other.

What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?
UCSF medical students are considered strong candidates for many excellent programs, including UCSF, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, MGH, Johns Hopkins, University of Washington, Stanford, Columbia, UCLA, UCSD, Duke, Oregon, Wash U, and others. Career goals, philosophy of training program, structure and location are often considered more important to many applicants than the so-called “tier” of the program.


Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service?
The anesthesiology match is through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), and most programs use the AAMC’s common Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application.

What are the important topics or themes to include in a personal statement?
This is your chance to write a short narrative that tells program directors and admissions committees something about who you are as a person that is unique, compelling and/or demonstrative of grit and resilience. It is not important to tell anesthesiologists what they do, but more important to tell us what makes you a compelling candidate. Also, it is important to show acceptable writing skills and attention to detail. Do not make spelling or grammatical errors. Do not use run-on sentences. Do not recite your CV.  

How can applicants best prepare for interviews?
Have an authentic “elevator pitch” about who you are. Know the details of your application well and be able to have engaging conversation about these things.  Stay engaged and interested throughout your interview day and ask appropriate questions about the programs. Read up on the program and identify a talking point or two about the specific program. Show interest in the interests of your interviewers. 

What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?
The NRMP provides strict regulations regarding the content of post-interview communications. Its official policy states, “Both applicants and programs may express their interest in each other; however, they shall not solicit verbal or written statements implying a commitment.”  Additionally, neither party can suggest that his or her own rank order is contingent on promises from the other party. Unfortunately, post-interview communications are common, a source of stress, and frequently misleading.  You should not make false or ambiguous statements in order to garner some perceived benefit. And you should be cautious about overinterpreting ambiguous statements made by residency programs. Almost all programs report that post-interview communication does not impact their rank lists.

Grimm LJ, Avery CS, Maxfield CM. Residency Postinterview Communications: More Harm Than Good?. J Grad Med Educ. 2016;8(1):7–9. doi:10.4300/JGME-D-15-00062.1

We recommend sending a single simple short email to the residency program leadership letting them know that you enjoyed your interview day. Do not write an essay.  You may share your interest with programs but do not tell multiple programs you are ranking them number 1. Also, telling a program you are ranking them near the top of your list simply means you are not ranking them first. Do not bother with this detail.

How many programs do students typically rank?
We recommend UCSF students to rank at least 10 anesthesiology programs. This advice may vary depending on factors such as grades, exam scores, flexibility with geographic location and couples matching.​​​​​​

FINDING A MENTOR

What advice would you give to students interested in your field to help them establish effective mentors?
Our department has regular meeting of the Anesthesia Interest Group that will include faculty who are confidential and non-confidential advisors, as well as current residents in the program. Please email Vasilis Tabakis to get on the AIG email list, and attend the meetings. Based on those, decide who to meet with as an advisor/mentor. It is useful to get the perspective of a resident in addition to faculty.

Who can students talk with when they want to find mentors? 
AIG meetings, UCSF SOM list of confidential and non-confidential advisors.

Are there specific faculty or staff in your department who have an interest in supporting students underrepresented in medicine (URM)? 
Our vice chair for diversity is Dr. Odi Ehie

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

 

Contact Dermatology Advisors 

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MAIN

Michael Waul

 

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Ryan
Arakaki

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Dermatology residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT 

What can students do in the 1st and 2nd years to explore and/or prepare for this career?
Since exposure to dermatology is rare during the 1^st and 2^nd years of medical school, the key is getting involved:       

• Join the Dermatology Interest Group (DIG): great way to find out about informational workshops/ meetings/ career panels, volunteer events, research opportunities. [contact: derminterestgroup@derm.ucsf.edu]
• Participate in Dermatology Homeless Clinic: part of the UCSF Homeless clinic, the dermatology clinic meets every other week and focuses on cutaneous complaints of shelter residents.  It’s a rich opportunity to learn clinical dermatology and meet different dermatology residents and faculty members, who precept the clinic. There are also great leadership opportunities to serve as coordinators for this clinic. Each year one to two students are selected to serve as coordinators for derm homeless clinic and these students hold these positions for all 4 years [contact: dermhomelessclinic@derm.ucsf.edu]
• Get a mentor.  There is an active mentoring program through the DIG, where DIG members are individually paired with a career mentor.
• Consider doing a research project over the summer after 1^st year: this is a project that could culminate in a research poster, a meeting abstract, or possibly a publication (the latter usually requires ongoing work during the academic year). 
• Explore the American Academy of Dermatology’s online dermatology modules
• Attend the bi-annual meetings of the San Francisco Dermatologic Society. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear dermatology experts speak about their clinical interests and research, see interesting case presentations, and interact with trainees and faculty of UCSF and Stanford, as well as dermatologists from the Bay Area.

What common variations exist in the length/content of residency programs for this career?

• Traditional residency program: internship (internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, or transitional year) + 3 clinical dermatology years. Unless you are strongly considering pediatric dermatology, internal medicine internship is looked upon most favorably (preliminary year in medicine is recommended over a transitional year).
• 2+2 research program (offered by some, but not all, departments): internship + 2 years of clinical dermatology + 2 (or more) years of integrated research and clinical exposure.  The research is almost always basic science, not clinical research, and these track positions are almost exclusively filled by individuals with advanced scientific degrees (masters, PhD).
• Dermatology and Internal Medicine combined residency programs: 5 years total of combined training and board certification in both specialties (not offered at UCSF). Visit American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Internal Medicine / Dermatology Policies for a description of the combined program with participating institutions

What common variations exist in this career after training?

There are four post-residency fellowship opportunities:

1. Procedural dermatology: 1 year, specialized surgical training that includes advanced training in Mohs Micrographic surgery, reconstructive surgery, cosmetics (botulinum toxin, fillers, lasers, liposuction) procedures.
2. Pediatric dermatology: 1 year, specialized training in treating skin disorders in children.  Preference for fellowship selection is given to individuals who have done a pediatrics residency or a pediatrics internship.
3. Dermatopathology: 1-2 years, specialized training in reading biopsies of skin malignancies and inflammatory disorders. Both dermatology and anatomic pathology residents are eligible for dermatopathology training.
4. Medical dermatology: 1 year, specialized training in complex medical dermatology, including disorders of skin with significant systemic manifestations and the use of systemic immunosuppression. There are specific programs that focus on areas within medical dermatology, such as rheumatology/dermatology.

What is a typical workday for someone in this field?

Depends on chosen subspecialty. The typical dermatologist will see 30-50 patients a day with a mix of procedures, cosmetics, medical dermatology visits.  Almost all dermatologists do quite a bit of surgery: dermatologists do a number of surgical procedures (biopsies, cancer excisions) as well as cosmetic procedures (botulinum toxin, filler, chemical peels, lasers, liposuction, vein sclerotherapy). Most dermatologists have nights and weekends off though the high clinical volume requires a significant amount of pager call (i.e. answering phone calls).  Since the specialty is primarily outpatient, the typical workday starts at 8am and ends at 6pm.  Some dermatologists that are affiliated with large hospitals may be part of inpatient dermatology consult services (typically seen after the clinic day ends).

What is the culture of this career?

• Dermatology is a very small field—many dermatologists know one another and the small size of our specialty and frequent meeting opportunities allows wonderful connections between dermatologists who live all over the world.  Dermatologists are highly involved with their specialty with excellent participation in local organizations (such as San Francisco Dermatology, CalDerm and other state and national societies).
• People who typically choose this field have a preference for: doing procedures, thinking about a broad spectrum of diseases (almost every disease has a cutaneous manifestation), highly academic people (requires a very large fund of knowledge, residency is reading-intensive), variety of ages seen (from children to the elderly), variety of conditions seen (mole checks to systemic lupus), variety of health status (from very healthy to very sick), doing cosmetic procedures, seeing high volume of patients during short visits (typical dermatologist sees 30-50 patients a day), dedicated to giving back to the specialty.

How compatible is this career with raising a family? How is this different for men and women?

Most dermatologists enjoy excellent work-life balance due to a largely outpatient practice, no inpatient/ overnight call, and flexible days worked.

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?

• Self-motivated
• Enjoys high clinical volume, lots of variety in their clinical practices
• Enjoys and is adept at performing procedures
• Ability to master clinical material across a broad spectrum of diseases and disorders
• Prioritizes commitment to serving/giving back to the specialty, being part of the dermatology community

How competitive are the residency programs in this field?

This is a relatively competitive residency program process.  The typical applicant applies to 60-80 programs, will be invited to 5-15 interviews.  Each interview will entail 1-2 days visiting a program and having approximately 8-10 individual or panel interviews typically lasting ~10-20 minutes each during that visit.  The 2014 AAMC data for outcomes from the match for dermatology are:

Students at UCSF typically do very well with the residency match process.  The key is to have good mentorship throughout the application process, including an individual or two (typically academic faculty) who will mentor you and advocate on your behalf through writing you a highly individualized letter of recommendation and calling programs to support your application.

How competitive is the job market after residency?

Depends on the type of practice and geographic location.  Job opportunities for dermatopathologists and dermatologic surgeons are rare in the big cities but there is a great need for these specialists in more suburban/rural locations.  Pediatric and medical dermatologists are highly sought after, though some cities are saturated (NYC, LA, SF).  There is a tremendous need for general dermatologists (individuals who do all types of dermatology) in rural areas.

The average starting salary of a general dermatologist who works 4-5 days a week in an urban setting (2016) is approximately $325,000.

What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?

The top dermatology programs in the country include UCSF, UCLA, U Penn, NYU, Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, Northwestern.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply broadly across the United States. The typical applicant will apply to 60-80 programs though an extremely strong candidate could successfully match with 30-40 applications.  Research-oriented applicants to the 2+2 program would likely apply to 30-40 programs as there are fewer programs nationwide that support such research-oriented trainees.

Key considerations include: opportunity to see a broad variety of diseases, types of patients, opportunity to work in different clinical settings (VA, county system, upscale practice, community practice, inpatient hospital), availability of experts in different specialties (ie pediatric dermatology, hospital dermatology, dermatologic surgery, dermatopathology), the size of a program (ranges from 3-21 residents), clinical teaching faculty, didactic curriculum (is it resident-led or faculty-taught?), research opportunities (if desired), track record with developing academic careers/mentorship. Cost of living is also an important consideration for individuals applying to residency.

Please note that there can be a disconnect between the reputation of a medical school and the dermatology residency training (i.e. there are SUPERB dermatology residency programs at medical schools that you may have never heard of (and vice versa). It is important to review the list of programs with a mentor.

What resources (eg, websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?

• AAMC
• American Academy of Dermatology
• Society for Pediatric Dermatology
• American Society of Dermatopathology
• American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, Mohs College Society
• Medical Dermatology Society
• Dermatology Foundation
• National Psoriasis Foundation
• San Francisco Dermatologic Society

How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
USMLE Step 1, 2		x		Board scores are not as important as they used to be. See mean scores of matched applicants in the AAMC table. A score of <225 may be problematic depending on the strength of the rest of your application. The key issue with board scores is that some programs still continue to use board scores as a “cutoff” for screening applicants. This cutoff is usually 200-225 and sometimes higher. It will be very difficult, and possibly impossible, to match in dermatology with a board score of <200 or if the board was not passed on the first attempt.
Extracurricular/ volunteer work	X			Recommend more significant involvement in a few organizations rather than superficial involvement in many; leadership positions are notable.
Research/publications	X			Recommend research in dermatology >> other specialties. Original research papers are more highly regarded over case reports (500 words). If an applicant has strong research background in another field (such as PhD in basic science or in another medical specialty), it is still recommended that they do some research in dermatology.
Honors in third year	X			Strong candidates have honors in >50% 3rd-year clerkships. At the most competitive programs, honors in all clerkships is typical of the applicants who are ranked highly. Honors in core rotations such as internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics is especially important.
AOA	X
Subinternship	X
Externship		X		May consider an away elective on the east coast or mid-west if the student is “born, raised, and schooled” entirely in California. There is significant geographic bias in the residency selection process whereby individuals who have done all of their schooling in California typically do not leave the west coast and thus are disadvantaged when applying to mid-west or East coast programs.  Consider doing an away elective at NYU, U Penn, Harvard, Columbia. This should be discussed with a mentor.
Other: experience in dermatology (clinical, research, or otherwise)	X			It is virtually impossible for a student to match in dermatology if they have never done a clinical rotation, research project, or volunteer experience in dermatology.
Letters of recommendation	XXX			Need 2-3 VERY STRONG letters of recommendation from dermatologists, ideally well-known (senior) academic dermatologists.   Timing: The letters (and ERAS application) are due October 1st of 4thyear so please give your letter writers at least 4 weeks to write your letter. It is important to note that if you are scheduled to do a dermatology elective in September, it will likely not be possible to get a letter of recommendation from that elective as there will not be enough time for the letter-writer to get to know you well enough to write a high quality letter. Goals: An ideal application includes 3 strong dermatology references and an excellent letter of support from internal medicine. Your letter writers should speak about your clinical skills, your research excellence, your personal attributes (not every letter writer needs to address all points but they should be covered somewhere and you can direct letter writers to cover a particular topic if you do not think it will be covered by other writers.) Please note: if you have a dermatology research mentor at another institution (ie from a summer experience), it is still very important to get a letter from your home school (ie UCSF) to demonstrate that you have connected with your home department; because you are a UCSF student, it is highly likely that faculty at other schools will call faculty at UCSF to inquire about you.

What are my chances of matching? Is it too late to consider dermatology as a specialty?

We highly recommend that you meet with your mentor AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE to review your board scores, clinical grades, CV, and discuss your career goals. You advisor can help you estimate your chances of matching and areas of your application that you may wish to strengthen, and whether you need to take a year off to develop your commitment to dermatology. If you have any areas of grave concern (i.e. very low board score, failed a clerkship), please discuss with one of the residency program directors or the confidential dermatology advisor as they have more experience in strategies for dealing with this.

Is it too late? It is generally not recommended to try to apply in dermatology if you have not had any clinical or research experience in dermatology by the summer of 4^th year. Why: you will not have enough experience in dermatology or connections to get strong support for your application. In these cases, it may be worth taking time off, or applying to internship only, and pursuing a clinical or research fellowship in dermatology after internship, then applying later.

Once you apply, you'll know a lot based on the number of interviews you get. The magic number of interviews that suggests a high likelihood of matching is around 7. If you have fewer than 4, you may want to consider a backup plan. Not matching is not a disaster; the match rate for second round applicants is still high. Most of the individuals who match on the second try do so with a notably improved application with new publications, fellowship experiences, etc – i.e. do not submit the same application as in 4^th year. Third and fourth attempts to match are generally not successful.

What should I do if my board scores are low?

• Electives and research experiences for students with scores lower than 225 can be key.

Some programs do screen applicants based on scores and if they know you, they are more likely to pull your file for an interview anyway. Some options for students with lower board scores include: taking a year off and doing a productive research project, doing a research fellowship (after internship) in clinical research, cutaneous oncology, psoriasis, hair/nail, etc.

• A word on taking a year off between 3^rd and 4^th year: It is not essential but may be recommended if other components of your application are weak.  However, please note that a research year must be productive and highly mentored. A year without publication or some other tangible result may hurt rather than help.

• If you are planning to take a year off, you should contact the program director(s) of the Pathway relevant to your interests (e.g., Clinical and Translational Research, Molecular Medicine, Global Health) < http://meded.ucsf.edu/pathways/five-pathways > so that you can find out options for funding and important application deadlines. In addition to the general intramural funding within UCSF, students may be able to apply simultaneously for funding through specific programs depending on their interests. For example, students with basic science projects can apply for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Research Fellows Program (this award is highly competitive). Students with global health projects can apply for Doris Duke International Clinical Research Fellowship. Students from underrepresented in medicine backgrounds and students interested in health disparities research (regardless of background) can apply for funding through PROF-PATH (Promoting Research Opportunities Fully – Prospective Academics Transforming Health).  Deadlines for these applications are relatively early. Students must meet with advisory college mentors, program directors, and mentors before submitting a letter of intent to pursue a yearlong project in October of MS3. Project proposals are initially reviewed in December, and final submissions (including multiple letters of recommendation) are due in January. The process requires significant planning, so it is advisable to identify a mentor and project as early as possible. Overall, about 70% of students applying for Pathways are funded. Additional derm-specific funding sources may be available through the American Dermatology Association, American Skin Association, North American Contact Dermatitis Society, and American Acne and Rosacea Society.

Advice on personal statements?

• It can be hard to write a statement that stands out and unfortunately many of them sound the same. You want to leave the reader with something that is memorable about you, but not too much of an outlier. Don't be afraid to be explicit about your goals and show it to some people you trust. But don't show it to too many people - it dilutes the originality and personal voice that really has to come through.
• Though you want the statement to be personal, it is generally not recommended to describe a cutaneous condition that you have experienced (severe acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, melanoma) unless you have a very unique aspect of this that you would like to discuss or explore.  This is a common pitfall for students (i.e. many students write about this and thus it ends up not being very original).
• It is generally recommended for the style to be straightforward, easy to read, and succinct.  Do not attempt to be creative or artsy unless creative writing is really your forte.  Be certain to not obscure the message of your qualifications and commitment to the specialty with your artistic flair.
• A general format would be:
  • Paragraph 1: I want to be a dermatologist because (ie how you decided on derm) and be clear on why you are a doctor.
  • Paragraph 2: describe your experiences, accomplishments in dermatology. Be specific and be comfortable highlighting your successes. i.e., “I collaborated with Dr. John Smith of University to perform analysis of melanomas taken from 340 patients to determine the patterns of XYZ staining and associate the relevance of this staining pattern to patient prognosis and survivorship; this work resulted in an oral presentation at the annual AAD meeting in Denver 2014 and also a first-author publication in the JAAD.” In the essay be gracious to your mentors (OK to name drop).
  • Paragraph 3: Summarize your story, your path to dermatology and indicate whether there are any particular career aspirations (ie to become a pediatric dermatologist – only state this if this is 100% certain, otherwise ok to leave this more general)
• The personal statement is a really good chance to explain any particular circumstances: low board score (because of illness, death in family), why you are switching from another specialty into dermatology, why you want to move to Chicago (because partner is being relocated there or your entire family lives there).  Please seek guidance on this aspect from mentors to make sure that the circumstances you hope to describe are appropriate and properly worded.

What do I do if I am asked to draft my own letter of recommendation?

• This sounds a bit awkward at first, but it turns out to be both routine and to your advantage. It saves the writer time and allows you to put in the time and effort in the areas that are really important to you. It is also a chance to emphasize thematic points that will be consistent with the rest of your application or highlight things that you want to get extra attention that might not be obvious to the writer.
• One basic outline is:
  • Paragraph 1: What is the relationship, ie How do you know each other and how long have you worked together?
  • Paragraph 2: What you have accomplished
  • Paragraph 3: Personal attributes.  This is the hardest part for most people. This it is an opportunity if there are themes you want to highlight so feel free to take a stab at it.
  • Paragraph 4: Summary paragraph. Good for a line or two that is the impression you want to leave with the readers.
• To make it easy to read, keep it to one page. Put in ERAS information also - it also saves the writer time from having to look it up.

Should I apply in something else as a back-up plan?

• This should be discussed with your mentor or with the confidential dermatology advisor.  First, it is logistically very difficult to interview for dermatology, internship, and a 2^nd specialty at the same time, unless the internship program (ie internal medicine) is the same as the 2^nd specialty.  You do not want to create such a hectic interview schedule that you show up to your dermatology interview(s) exhausted! 

• If you have been counseled that your chances of matching in dermatology are very low, but you still wish to apply: consider applying broadly in dermatology (plus internship) and your 2^nd specialty and see where you get interviews.  If you get only 1-2 dermatology interviews, then it will likely be possible to interview in both specialties, and then list dermatology at the top of your rank list.  However, if you decide to rank the 2^nd specialty, do so with caution. If you are even remotely a good candidate for dermatology, you will likely be a very strong candidate for a 2^nd specialty and may match in that specialty.  Because matching is a binding agreement, it will be very difficult to switch later.  Bottom line: it is important to decide whether your priority is to match in dermatology (and risk not matching, then apply again later) or whether your priority is to match in something (then okay to rank both specialties). Please seek advice and mentorship if you are considering this.

How do I find a research mentor? What type of research should I do?

• Join the DIG mentoring program: there is individualized pairing of mentees/ mentors.  This person will be your main career mentor.  It’s okay if their research interest isn’t exactly aligned with yours – they will be a very valuable resource to help you find research mentors/ projects either here at UCSF or at another institution.

• Look at the UCSF Department of Dermatology website for research interests of faculty and contact a mentor directly.  After establishing a mentorship relationship, it is advisable to notify the current career advisors for dermatology. The advisors play an important role in the application process (including responding to outside programs’ inquiries about students), so it is best if they are familiar with your derm-related projects/activities.

•  It is strongly recommended that you limit the number of mentors to focus on deeper relationships rather than talking with/ doing research with many mentors. There are limited mentors in the department so consider switching mentors if you feel that a mentoring relationship isn’t working rather than accumulating multiple mentors. It is also strongly recommended that your primary mentor is somebody other than the residency program director or the confidential derm advisor.

• Talk to current Residents in the Dermatology Department or previous students who have matched into Dermatology from UCSF (see recent match lists).  They can often give advice regarding good mentorship and perspective on the faculty you are considering doing research with. 

• Consider what types of projects you have time for.  Remember that any clinical research will likely entail writing an IRB or recruiting patients and will require time – a summer at the very least but more likely a year off.  Though first year seems very busy, it is one of the least busy years of medical school and possibly the best time to engage in a research project if you are managing the academic load well.  The summer between 1^st and 2^nd year, 2^nd year, and 4^th year are other good times to pursue ongoing research.  It is very difficult to do research during 3^rd year.  Be transparent with your mentors about what types of obligations you have with school or clerkships to ensure that your timeline meets theirs.  In general, it is recommended to consider some type of clinical case series or clinical review (which is almost guaranteed publication) in addition to an original research project (which are typically more time consuming and not guaranteed to be published).

• Aim to submit your research publications by the summer of 4^th year at the latest.  The ERAS application will require you to list submitted manuscripts separate from works that are published; in general submitted manuscripts are not as highly regarded because there was a study that demonstrated that very few manuscripts listed as submitted were ultimately published (this study was done specifically on dermatology applicants).

• Please note: it is not necessary to do multiple research projects with different faculty (in fact this is strongly discouraged). 

• It is imperative to make every attempt to FINISH any projects that you start, and to complete them according to your research mentor’s expected timeline; failure to fulfill a project commitment or to meet a deadline may result in losing your research mentor’s support and possibly even their willingness to write you a letter of support.

• There are several opportunities to engage in research during residency and in fellowships.  A 2+2 program or a year off are not the last opportunity and are not required to have an academic career.

• Think about funding options – some are general funding, while others are more relevant depending on the research project.  Do your homework and ask your mentor if any of these funding options make sense: Dean’s research award, grants through CTSI RAP program, American Dermatology Association grant, American Skin Association, North American Contact Dermatitis Society.

What 3^rd year clerkship program should I do? (Traditional, VALOR, MODEL SFGH, PISCES, KLIC, LIFE, etc)

• UCSF SOM offers a variety of programs that students may choose for 3^rd year clerkships.  These programs provide a wonderful array of unique opportunities to work with specific communities and populations.  The deadline to choose is often in the winter quarter of 2^nd year.  It is important to note that there is no "right" or "wrong" program for a derm applicant – different students have gone through different programs and have successfully matched.  The choice of a 3^rd year clerkship program is a highly personal one and should be based on your desire to work with certain communities/patient populations and how you best learn as a student. 
• DIG will provide an informational session to all 2^nd years that will cover this decision. 

Planning considerations for 3^rd year:

Consider doing the 140.01 elective (2 week basic dermatology elective), if available/ feasible. It is strongly recommended to do this in the second half of the year, after you have more clinical experience under your belt, as you would want to perform strongly in this rotation.  However, a benefit of taking it earlier (in the first half of the year) would be if you are torn between two potential future specialties and want to make a decision sooner rather than later.  This would be an important point to discuss with your mentor.

Planning considerations for 4^th year: remember, ERAS application must be completed by October 1^st, which is when the dean’s letter (aka MSPE) is uploaded.  Oct 1 is the deadline for a majority of dermatology programs.  Keep in mind that ERAS application opens September 15^th which is often when a majority students submit their internal medicine application (relevant if you are applying into an internal medicine preliminary/transitional year).  Thus it may be worthwhile to submit your application by September 15^th.  Some preliminary internal medicine programs do send out interview invitations in the time between Sept 15^th and Oct 1^st.

• Try to do dermatology as early as possible.  Take the 140.01 basic 2 week elective back-to-back with the 2 week 140.08 advanced elective.  You will choose the focus of your 140.08 elective when you arrive for the 140.01 (as faculty schedules/ availability changes).  Consider doing a 150.01 research elective during the late spring or early summer to finish up writing any manuscripts you have been working on so that you can submit them as early in the summer as possible.

• Do your medicine sub-I in the beginning of your 4^th year - late spring/early summer.  It is preferable to have your medicine sub-I grade before your application is due, and this is often where some students choose to get one of their Medicine letters of recommendation.

• Take USMLE Step 2 CK at a time so that your score will be reported on your ERAS application (ideally before September 1)

• Plan for any away electives to be during the summer (ideally before September 1^st) if you are planning to get a letter of recommendation from that rotation (see above table on letters of recommendation).

• Do you need to do an away elective? Consider it if: you are “born, raised, schooled” exclusively in California (see #12 table above), if you have a particular program that you would like to match in (consider this an “audition” rotation), or if you have nothing to lose (i.e. you are not a strong candidate because of grades, board scores, but you would really like to try to match because you feel that your personality/clinical skills shine best in person).  If you “look perfect” on paper, there are potential risks to doing an away elective and it may be in your best interest to not rotate outside of UCSF.  However, doing an away elective is by no means a guarantee that you will get a letter of recommendation or an interview from that institution.

• You do not need to do multiple away electives. Presumably, you will be a dermatologist in the future so you should instead take the necessary electives to prepare yourself for internship (i.e. how to read an EKG, radiology, procedures courses, cardiology, ID, rheumatology elective, etc).

• Plan to take the entire month of January and possibly also December (if possible) for interviews.  As it may be difficult to navigate with limited vacation time, you may consider doing a more flexible research month.  Most dermatology interviews are in January and are only offered on 1 day so it is imperative that your schedule is as flexible as possible.

• An overview of highlights of the 4^th year are:

      - June-mid-August: peak season for doing dermatology electives, derm research, one sub-I (preferably medicine unless you are pursuing pediatric internship year – in that case, then a pediatric sub-I is more relevant), taking Step 2 CK, and writing your personal statement

      - mid-August: recommend to take Step 2 CK before this date, as it will require approximately 4-6 weeks to get your scores posted to your ERAS file.  It is strongly recommended, though not essential, to have your Step 2 CK score included on your ERAS file; it is an important data point for many programs.  If you have a weak Step 1 score, it is IMPERATIVE to have your Step 2 CK score included on your ERAS file (hopefully improved).  Please take Step 2 CS according to the SOM guidelines (not an important consideration for dermatology residency)

- ERAS application opens in mid-August or early September so you can begin to work on your application online (without officially sending it to programs yet)

- September 1: last day to ask faculty to write a letter of recommendation.  This is not a firm deadline but more of a suggestion of courtesy – giving a faculty member 4 weeks to write a letter is standard and the letter is due in final form by October 1^st.  This means that it may be important to do any dermatology elective with a faculty member from whom you are hoping to get a letter at the latest in August.

- September 15^th – First possible day to submit your application on ERAS.  This is often when a majority of internal medicine applicants submit their application.  This is relevant if you are doing a preliminary/transitional internal medicine year.  Some prelim programs send out interview invitations between Sept 15^th and Oct 1^st.

- October 1^st: MSPE (aka Dean’s letter) is posted.  Most programs download their apps on this day so it is essential that all of your application and letters are submitted before this date.

- October/ November/December: preliminary year interviews

- January >>> December: dermatology interviews

- mid-February: rank lists are due

- mid-March: MATCH!

What’s the most important piece of advice for a student applying in dermatology?

• MENTORSHIP is the key to successfully matching in dermatology.  If you are considering a career in dermatology, it would be worthwhile to (a) join the DIG and (b) establish a relationship with a dermatology mentor, and to do these as early as possible.  Please note that it is not necessary to meet with multiple mentors (and in fact is strongly recommended against).  You should have a key career mentor (which you can get through the DIG mentorship program) and perhaps also a research mentor (if you are doing research in an area outside of your career mentor).  It would be worthwhile to meet with ONE of the residency program directors (currently Kanade Shinkai and Erin Mathes) or the confidential dermatology advisor (Amanda “Mandy” Raymond) at some point when you have officially decided to apply in dermatology; please note it is only necessary to meet with ONE of them, not all three.

• Attend as many DIG workshops/panel discussions as possible.  These are HIGH-YIELD sessions and can make your mentorship meetings more individualized to discussions re: your specific career goals, needs.

• Please consult your mentor frequently to help you navigate the residency application process.  Key decisions:

• picking a research mentor/ research project
• 3^rd year scheduling, choosing a 3^rd year track
• 4^th year scheduling, including away electives and whether to take a year off
• which programs, how many programs to apply to
• which programs, how many programs to interview at
• how to rank programs/ how to reach out to/ communicate with your top choice program.  This is an important step following interviews and you should set up a mentor meeting to specifically discuss this.

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2020

Contact Diagnostic Radiology Advisors

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MAIN

SooNmee
​​​​Cha

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Emily
Webb

 

Maya Vella

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Diagnostic Radiology residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY

 

What are some common variations in a career path in this specialty?
Trainees typically complete a fellowship after residency in a radiologic subspecialty of their choice. Fellowships last one to two years (most are one).  Examples include cardiopulmonary, abdominal, neuro, pediatrics, nuclear medicine, interventional radiology, breast, and musculoskeletal. After fellowship, the three most common practice settings are academics, private practice, or teleradiology (remote reading from a centralized locale, which is less common than the other two).  Some people focus on only a small subfield of radiology, some remain generalists, and some focus on procedures. There are a variety of ways to practice depending on what niche you find most appealing.

 

What is a typical workday like?
Typical work hours are 8am to 5pm. However, radiology services are offered 24 hours a day in many centers. Call schedules vary widely based on the type of practice environment one chooses.

 

What is the culture of this specialty?
Radiologists are often calm, personable, and have varied interests, given the relatively controlled practice setting. Particularly in busier subfields and in many private practice settings, the work load does require a great deal of focused attention and intensity. Radiologists are almost always intellectually curious and enjoy problem-solving. Radiologists tend to be respectful towards one another, and there is an overall acknowledgment of the importance of a work-life balance.

 

What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?
A career in radiology is very compatible with raising a family. One benefit is that the job is essentially shift work, so hours are predictable and regular.  Many trainees have children during residency.

 

What are the ways in which this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity?
Radiologists come from many backgrounds and provide care for a wide breath of patients.

Radiologists are spending more time with patients, performing image-guided procedures and discussing imaging studies. Diverse experiences and perspectives promote cultural competency, which creates a positive experience for patients during these interactions. 

A diverse healthcare workforce in radiology, as in other medical services, will help expand healthcare access for diverse communities we serve, including those who are traditionally underserved. Additionally, fostering research among these populations will enrich the pool of managers and policymakers to meet the needs of a diverse populace (Cohen et al. 2002. Health Affairs). 

 

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
Academic curiosity, problem-solving ability, ability to focus when multiple distractions may be present

 

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY

 

What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?

 

• Step 1 scores are important! Study hard!
• Get involved in a research project early
• Join the Radiology Interest Group
• Consider joining some professional radiology societies such as the RSNA, ARRS, or AUR
• Shadow a radiologist in the reading room to get a feel for the specialty

Planning considerations for F2?
Consider a ClEx elective in Diagnostic or Interventional Radiology. A required radiology curriculum is presented during IDS 113.

 

Planning considerations for Career Launch?
Plan to take an elective rotation in radiology before applications are due in September.  We generally recommend that students applying in radiology take either Rad 140.19 or an IR elective.  If you have any questions as to which elective is most appropriate you can visit the following website for descriptions or contact us for advising: https://radiology.ucsf.edu/education/medical-students

 

What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?

 

• RSNA: http://www.rsna.org
• ARRS: http://arrs.org 
• AUR: http://www.aur.org 
• Auntminnie.com (medical student forums are available, but take the information you read here with a grain of salt!)
• Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology (AMSER) Medical Student Resources:  https://www.aur.org/Secondary-Alliances.aspx?id=670

How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
Very competitive

 

When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?
Contact the confidential advisor as soon as you think you might have an interest in radiology.  It’s never too early! 

 

How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular leadership efforts		X
Research/publications	X
Honors in F2*	X
AOA		X
Honors in Sub-I		X
Externship			X
USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores	X
Top Tier Medical School		X
Community Service		X

*F2 Honors grades only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before fall 2018)

 

How can students best find mentors?

The confidential advisor and medical student coordinator can help make connections to faculty mentors and organize shadowing.  We also offer a radiology resident big sib mentoring program for interested students

 

How can students evaluate their chances of matching?
Please meet with the confidential advisor to discuss

 

How competitive is the job market after residency?
This is geographically dependent and cyclical.  At present, the job market is strong.

 

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY

 

How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?
Three letters from faculty you have worked with clinically.  Generally, one should be from a radiologist and two from other specialties (often third year core clerkships or sub I).  Medicine, Surgery, Neurology, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, and longitudinal preceptors are all common choices.

 

Students may also submit an optional 4^th “research letter” from a research mentor.

 

The content of the letter is far more important than the specialty or professional rank of the letter writer.

 

Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student?
No, but students who complete a Rad 140.19 elective or IR elective can expect a faculty letter of recommendation.

 

Advice on writing personal statements?
Please meet with the confidential advisor for detailed advice and draft editing.  In general, this is your opportunity to present any information about yourself that is not well reflected or adequately explained in the remainder of the ERAS application.

 

How many programs do students typically apply to?
This varies tremendously based on the strength of the applicant and geographic considerations.  A minimum of 30.

 

What types of variations in training programs are there (eg, different tracks, different lengths)?
Categorical residency programs are almost universally 4 years and require a preceding internship. Some residency programs may offer research tracks or allow clinical focus in a specific subspecialty. 

 

What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?
There are a huge number and range of programs across the country. Come see us to discuss your best options when it is time to formulate an application list.

 

Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service?
NRMP

 

What are important topics or themes to include in a personal statement?
Personal statements commonly address the applicant’s reasons for wanting to go into diagnostic radiology and why they would make a good radiologist.  However, themes do vary!  Again, please meet with the confidential advisor for detailed advice and draft editing.

 

How can applicants best prepare for interviews?
It is helpful to have a short, printed CV to give your interviewer. 

 

Radiology interviews are often very conversational with the goal of getting to know the applicant and their personality.  Topics often surround hobbies and interests, not just professional achievements.  Therefore, it is useful to have a well-rounded “hobbies/interest” category on both your ERAS application and any hardcopy CV. These can often guide your interview content.

 

Have some questions about the program ready to go. They WILL ask if you have any questions.  Better to save nitty gritty questions about the call schedule and such for the program director or residents.  So, have some more broad questions for other interviewers.

 

What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?

Email is most common.  Definitely send an email to the Program Director thanking them and expressing enthusiasm for any programs you like.  It is also good practice to email your individual interviewers. 

 

How many programs do students typically rank?
It depends on the individual applicant and number of interviews.  10-15 is common for an individual who is not participating in a couple’s match.

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

Contact Emergency Medicine Advisors

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MAIN

Aaron
Harries

Marianne
Juarez

Charlotte
Page-Wills 
(Highland)

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Rachel
Chin

Eric
Isaacs

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Emergency Medicine residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT

1. What can students do in the 1st and 2nd years to explore and/or prepare for this career? 
   UCSF medical students can engage in several opportunities to explore and prepare for a career in Emergency Medicine:
   • Take the Introduction to Emergency Medicine elective
   • Take the Wilderness Medicine elective
   • Join the Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG)
   • Attend the Emergency Medicine lecture series (organized by EMIG)
   • Attend the UCSF Annual Disaster Conference (organized by EMIG)
   • Shadow an Emergency Medicine physician at UCSF or SFGH
   • Set up meetings with one or more of the Department of Emergency Medicine advisors (both faculty and residents)
2. What common variations exist in the length/content of residency programs for this career?
   Three variations exist in residency programs. There are three-year Emergency Medicine residency programs (PGY 1-3) and four-year Emergency Medicine programs (PGY 1-4 and preliminary year + PGY 2-4). The PGY 1-4 residency training programs have their four-year curriculum at one Emergency Medicine residency program. The PGY 2-4 residency training programs have their three-year curriculum at one residency program preceded by an ACGME approved preliminary internship year.
3. What common variations exist in this career after training?
   There are many! Most graduates from an Emergency Medicine (EM) residency program work as a general EM physician, though a good number undergo fellowship training for subspecialization, including EMS and disaster medicine, toxicology, pediatric EM, ultrasound, critical care, hyperbaric medicine, sports medicine, and more. The majority of graduates work in a community emergency department setting. Others enter academics and practice in an emergency department affiliated with an academic EM department, and engage in research, global health efforts, and/or administration. There are also settings where graduates practice in a community practice emergency department that has an affiliation with an EM residency training program; in this setting, one has the opportunity to engage in the clinical training of EM residents.
4. What is a typical work day for someone in this field?
   Every shift is different (and this is an understatement)! While on shift, EM physicians provide care for multiple patients, determining which patients need emergent or urgent resuscitation, interventions, procedures, or transfer. Whether it is a pediatric, surgical subspecialty, neurologic, or obstetric patients, EM physicians provide care for all that come into the emergency department. EM physicians also engage with consultants from other departments when specialty care is indicated on an urgent basis or when hospital admission is warranted. EM physicians work shifts that range from 6-12 hours, though the majority of shifts in practice are 8 hours p;us time to signout and finish clinical tasks. EM physicians work closely with a team of nurses, medical assistants, and social workers. They may work alongside other EM physicians, but do not usually care for the same patients simultaneously.
5. What is the culture of this career?
   EM physicians have a diverse range of interests and personalities. Even so, EM physicians are comfortable with a team-based approach to patient care, working closely with nurses, pre-hospital providers, and medical staff as equals. Cohesive camaraderie is an appealing part of this specialty. Dedication to patient well-being is another common theme for this specialty.
6. How compatible is this career with raising a family? How is this different for men and women?
   A career in Emergency Medicine is compatible with raising a family, for both men and women. The defined shift work makes scheduling fairly predictable in order to spend time for family life obligations. Shifts may be requested or traded between colleagues to offer further schedule flexibility. However, most EM physicians should expect to work a mix of day, evening, night, weekend, and holiday shifts. The majority of EM physicians do not carry a pager, so time at home can be dedicated to family life. The possible exception is being on-call. This means if a colleague is unable to work a shift, the on-call physician either needs to work that shift or arrange for another physician to work that shift.  At some work environments, EM physicians are able to work additional shifts to earn more income to meet financial goals for their family. 
7. What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
   Emergency Medicine physicians are a diverse group of individuals. However, there are aspects of our clinical work that attract people with certain general qualities. Each clinical shift, EM physicians work closely with team members (EM nursing, medical assistants, clerks, social workers) as well as pre-hospital personnel (EMT, firemen, policemen), consultants, and admitting physicians. Thus, EM physicians are comfortable and effective working in teams and engaging in various types of interpersonal interactions. EM physicians see all types of patients and with various severity of disease. Thus, EM physicians have a broad knowledge base and are comfortable seeing a sick child, an elderly stroke patient, a pregnant patient with abdominal pain, or a patient with acute vision loss. While EM physicians are specialists of emergency care and may have a niche, EM physicians are comfortable involving specialty consultants to advocate for a patient’s care when a presentation or disease process is beyond their level of expertise. EM physicians are also comfortable with some degree of uncertainty and decisive decision making. Patients present with symptom complaints and the disease process at hand is not established. Many times, EM physicians must act with very little information and/or time to determine if there is a limb-threatening or life-threatening condition.
8. How competitive are the residency programs in this field?
   Emergency Medicine residency programs are becoming increasingly more competitive. This field is more popular than in the past, leading to a robust number of applicants each year. There are generally very few positions to “scramble” into each year.
9. How competitive is the job market after residency? 
   The job market is dependent upon location, with desirable cities being more competitive for jobs.
10. What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?
    One of the most important aspects of an Emergency Medicine residency training program is fit. Where one trainee may thrive, another may struggle depending upon location, family obligations, curriculum, and relationships with colleagues and faculty. While this list is certainly not inclusive of all top tier programs and is in no particular order, commonly well-regarded EM training programs include UCSF, Alameda County (Highland), Stanford, USC, UCLA programs, NYU-Bellvue, Boston Medical Center, Harvard, Denver Health, Carolinas Medical, Vanderbilt, Emory, and Duke.
11. What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?
    • The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine ​​​​​​
    • Emergency Medicine Residents Association 
    • American College of Emergency Physicians​​​​​​
    • American Academy of Emergency Medicine 
    • Emergency Medicine: The Medical Student Survival Guide. Harkin KE, Cushman JT, Wei HG, eds. Emergency Medicine Residents' Association.
    • AAEM's Rules of the Road for Medical Students: The Guide for a Career in Emergency Medicine. Kazzii AA, Schofer JM, eds. American Academy of Emergency Medicine.
       
12. How important are each of the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular/ Volunteer Work		x		Extracurricular and volunteer work can be important to competitive programs, but programs may also look for significant scholarly contributions
Research/Publications		x		Scholarly work can be important to competitive programs, but programs may also look for significant leadership or service contributions
AOA		x
Subinternship	x
Externship	x			In general, applicants complete two EM clerkships
Other: Board scores		x		Failure or very low board scores will make admission more challenging to competitive programs

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

Contact Family Medicine Advisors

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MAIN

Margo
Vener

 

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Julie Brichard

Maanvi Mittal

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Family Medicine residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT 

1. What can students do in the 1st and 2nd years to explore and/or prepare for this career?
   • Participate in the Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG).
   • Apply to the Primary Care Leadership Academy (PCLA).
   • Request a selective placement in a Family Medicine clinic.
   • Identify a Family Medicine mentor in the first year.
   • Participate in DFCM electives.
   • Contact Roy Johnston for details
2. What common variations exist in the length/content of residency programs for this career?
   Family Medicine residencies are 3 years to be board eligible. Some programs have changed to 4 years, with the possibility of additional training in specific areas. There are some combined programs. Family Medicine-OB/GYN-4 years and Family Medicine-Psych-4 or 5 years.             
3. What common variations exist in this career after training?
   There are numerous possibilities and variations after training. Full scope Family Medicine includes prenatal care and deliveries, and continuity care for patients throughout the life cycle. Nationally, about one third of Family Physicians practice obstetrics. Other Family Physicians practice primary care for the entire family, by providing caring for parents, children and grandparents; however, they may collaborate with colleagues in obstetrics who will deliver babies. After the delivery, Family Physician will then care for the new baby and mother as well as the rest of the family. Some Family Physicians choose to work in hospitals and provide inpatient care, but others do not. What unites the practice of Family Medicine is that nearly all Family Physicians spend at least some of their time providing primary care in a continuity setting.
   
   Post-residency fellowships or Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) are available in: Adolescent Medicine, Sports Medicine, Geriatrics, Research, Obstetrics, Research, Public Policy, Health Advocacy, Complementary-Alternative Medicine, and Medical Education, Substance Use Disorder, Women’s Health, and Family Planning.
   
   Because of the breadth of training, Family Medicine is a highly desired specialty for global health and also for rural settings. Family Medicine is the only specialty for which Doctors without Borders will only give long-term placements abroad.
   
   It is not necessary to complete a fellowship to start clinical practice. Most FM clinicians do not complete sub-specialty fellowships.
4. What is a typical workday for someone in this field?
   This is highly variable and dependent on the career path one chooses.  Practicing FM clinicians work primarily in outpatient settings, primarily in groups or larger health care organizations (e.g. Kaiser Permanente). Some Family Physicians work as hospitalists. Others work in Women’s Health setting (family planning, gynecology or abortion services). Others work in Sports Medicine practices.
   Family Physicians also work in emergency rooms, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, and other inpatient and chronic care settings.
   Family Physicians interested in teaching can include precepting medical students and residents in their clinical practice.
   Family Physicians may combine research, education, public health, health policy and advocacy with part-time clinical practice.
   Many family physicians are engaged in promoting health equity, improving community health, and/or advocating for social justice.
5. What is the culture of this career?
   The culture of Family Medicine is patient-centered, focused on continuity of care, and congruent with the primary care medical home (PCMH). Long-term relationships with patients and families are the foundation of Family Medicine. There is a strong orientation toward preventive care and public health. Many Family Physicians are engaged in local or national health reform efforts that focus on providing effective, efficient and cost- effective care that meets the needs of the national population. Many Family Physicians also place a high value on promoting health equity, advocating for social justice, and caring for diverse and medically underserved patient populations.
6. How compatible is this career with raising a family? How is this different for men and women?
   Family Medicine is very compatible with raising a family.   In recent years, the majority of graduates entering family medicine are women.  Job sharing and less than full time work is available for both men and women. Due to the specialty’s commitment to maintaining physician and family well being, and also because of the high demand for primary care physicians, Family Physicians are in an excellent position to shape their jobs to work with family needs.
7. What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field? 
   Important qualities for Family Physicians include outstanding communication skills; comfort with broad-spectrum care; passion for relationship-building; engagement in life-long learning; strength in collaboration and flexibility; willingness to manage uncertainty; dedication to patient and family-centered care.
8. How competitive are the residency programs in this field? 
   UCSF graduates are recognized as excellent applicants for residency and are often highly recruited by residency programs throughout the country. In recent years, with the increased interest in primary care, family medicine residency programs have become more competitive.
   
   There are many types of family medicine residency programs in a variety of settings and with different missions.  There are community programs without other training programs (“unopposed” or “solo”), academic medical centers with a full range of other residency programs, rural programs and urban underserved programs. There are also residency programs at institutions with other residency programs (“opposed” or “collaborative” programs)
9. How competitive is the job market after residency?
   With the increased interest in primary care and Family Medicine as the foundation of medical care, there is a demand for more Family Physicians throughout the country. On the job market, Family Medicine is the most frequently sought specialty for job recruitment.  Salaries for Family Physicians have increased substantially in recent years and continue to rise. There are loan re-payment programs available in Family Medicine.

 2022 Career Launch and Residency Application Update

by Dr. Margo Vener, Advisor, FCM Specialty Advisor (non-confidential), Vice Chair of Education

How should students prepare to submit Career Launch (4th year) scheduling requests?

Meet with a specialty advisor. The best timing and person to meet with is: Please meet with Dr. Margo Vener to arrange a time to meet individually. Thanks.

Which courses (specifically sub-Is/acting internships) are strongly recommended or required in the summer prior to residency application? Are any specific sites recommended for these courses? Is more than 1 sub-I (or acting internship) recommended in your specialty?

Most students who are applying in FCM are recommended to take FCM 140.40, the acting internship in inpatient Family Medicine which is based at SFGH. This is a terrific rotation to see the high quality of patient care and teaching in FCM, and also to meet some great family physician role models. This rotation is scheduled through EVOS and SOM with other rotations. However, because FCM 140.40 is only inpatient, it will not be helpful for students who are trying to make a specialty decision between FCM and another field, because you will not participate in outpatient primary care on this rotation. Of note, in order to graduate, you need to take either FCM 140.40 or Med 140.40. Both are very similar rotations because they focus on care of sick adults in an inpatient setting. There is not added benefit (and often is not space) for doing both rotations. If you are on the fence, please talk with Dr. Vener. Students who are on the fence between FCM and another specialty should do a FCM rotation that is focused on outpatient care. This includes the FCM acting internship at SF Free Clinic, the FCM acting internship in Santa Rosa, or the FCM rotation in Contra Costa. All of these rotations are arranged by contacting Roy Johnston - roy.johnston@ucsf.edu. These are NOT scheduled through EVOS or SOM. To apply in FCM, you only need to do one 4-week FCM rotation. Hence if you do FCM 140.40, you do not need to do an additional outpatient FCM rotation. That said, many students opt to do an outpatient FCM rotation regardless (they are fun and interesting!). Bottom line: When it comes to career decisions, each student has a unique situation. Please contact Dr. Vener and we can figure out what is best for you.

What is the recommended timing of the medicine or family medicine acting internship (AI)? (There is limited availability in most years for the medicine AI prior to September, so all students cannot take this rotation before September).

If you are applying in FCM, you should do 1 four-week fourth-year FCM rotation by Sept of the year you apply. For many students, this will be FCM 140.40, the FCM AI at SFGH. However, some students may opt to do an ambulatory FCM AI by Sept and do FCM 140.40 after Sept. Please talk with Dr. Vener to see what makes most sense for you.

What electives are encouraged (but not required or strongly recommended) during Career Launch in your field or outside of your field?

Suggest: 1 ambulatory FCM rotation (SF Free Clinic, Contra Costa or Santa Rosa). Outside FCM, other helpful rotations include: Derm (top choice - most helpful by far!); sports med; women's health; peds urgent care; radiology; ecg.

If away rotations are recommended in your field, what advice do you tell students about selecting and procuring this experience?

Away rotations are only recommended under the following circumstances: Away rotations are optional but not required in FCM. They can be a great way to explore an area that you don't otherwise get experience in, such as rural health. Many prior students strongly recommend doing Indian Health Services (IHS) to see depth and breadth of FCM in a community setting. If you interested, you generally have to apply fairly far in advance - sometimes as much as 6-12 months, depending on the site. Another time an away rotation can be useful is if you are strongly committed to moving to an area outside the Bay Area for residency and want to explore FCM in this region. Please talk with Dr. Vener if you are considering.

What aspects of an application are the most important to be competitive in this specialty?

What aspects of an application would be particularly harmful in terms of competitiveness?

Do programs in this specialty typically use "cut-off" USMLE scores to screen applications?

No

What is the optimal timing for Step 2 CK?

Ideal to have score by time of application in Sept. If that is not possible, then should definitely have score by the time selection committees meet in late January.

How much does a high Step 2 CK score mediate the results of a lower-than-average Step 1 score or a non-passing attempt at Step 1?

FCM does holistic review of applications so exam scores are only one feature of many.

How does your specialty utilize the MSPE in applicant review? What types of "Noteworthy Characteristics" should an applicant emphasize in the MSPE?

FCM does holistic review of applications so they look at multiple application features including personal statement, MSPE, letters, evaluations, extra curricular activities, community projects, research, honors, exam scores etc.

Is research experience without publication valued in your specialty? If so, what are ways that this can be shown on their application/CV?

Applicants can describe their work in their ERAS form under "research." Selection committees will read this section (and all other sections) carefully. Programs recognize that some work may be "in progress" and also that not all valuable research experience necessarily leads to publication, especially by the time of residency application.

Is research and/or publication in another specialty of value to an applicant? (This may be particularly applicable to an applicant making a late decision to apply in your specialty)

Depends on the type of research.

Are there specialty professional organizations that you recommend students join? If so, what are the costs of doing so, or are there resources for students with limited ability to pay membership fees? Are there specific activities (such as meetings or subgroups) that are recommended in the organization?

Consider attending AAFP national conference in Kansas City. FCM may have funding to help cover some of the costs - although if you are applying only on the West Coast, this conference may not be needed. May also consider student groups in CAFP etc.

How can students in your specialty demonstrate leadership?

There is no singly pathway -- what programs most look at is that you figure out what your own interests and passions are and follow them as fully as you can. This looks different for everyone. While some students may be leaders in a student-led or community advocacy group, other students are home being parents, or helping their own parents. There is no single "right" road. What matters most is that you convey what you did well, explain why it matters to you, and talk about how this connects to your interest in FCM.

When advising about applying in your specialty, are students ever encouraged to apply in a backup specialty or dual apply in a second specialty? If so, when should students consider this? Who is the best person in my department to consult about this?

Generally this is not advise, but please talk with Dr. Vener if you are considering this.

What departmental application events (general info, strategy, celebration) are held throughout the application and match season? Who should the student contact to be invited to these events?

Primary Care Leadership Academy (PCLA) has FCM events. There are also FCM advising events. Talk with Roy Johnston for more info. In addition, students interested in FCM should attend the UCSF FCM Rodnick Colloquium in May for an overview of FCM education, research and advocacy at 10 Northern California UCSF-affiliated residency programs. Students should also attend the UCSF FCM Northern California Residency Fair in July. All events are free to students.

Any departmental or specialty specific websites or resources for residency application that you recommend?

UCSF FCM website; CAFP; AAFP; STFM

Who are essential faculty to meet with before application (Department Chair, Main Specialty Advisor, Residency Program Director, etc)? What is the optimal timing for this meeting? What material or information should the student bring to this meeting? Who should the student contact to arrange this meeting?

Before application, please contact Dr. Margo Vener, FCM specialty advisor, to arrange a meeting. If you are applying in FCM, we will meet individually at least quarterly starting as early as fall of your third year and throughout your fourth year. We also have a regular series of emails, "Residency Tips from Margo," which we send out throughout your fourth year to walk you step by step through the application process. The emails contain relevant information which help you know what you need to be doing each month of the application process. 

In addition to the standard application, does your specialty use any form of supplemental application? If so, how does a student register for the supplemental application? Is there any specific advice that could be helpful in preparing a supplemental application?

Differs by program - no need to register.

Advice on writing the personal statement? Are there important topics or themes that should be included?

These 4 areas should be included (in any order) - Something unique important about your perspective/background/experience that you want programs to know about you so they have insight about you as an individual - WHy FCM seems like a good fit for you - Reflection on one clinical experience in patient care in 3rd or 4th year (so they can know how you think about key issues) - (Optional) What you could envision yourself doing in the future after residency.

Who in the department should review the personal statement? When should a good draft of the personal statement be presented to faculty reviewers?

Please send personal statement to Margo Vener. I am happy to read drafts and send you thoughts or feedback.

What is your recommended general approach or strategy for requesting letters of recommendation (LORs), particularly timing and etiquette?

To apply in FCM, you need 3 letters from faculty who have worked with you clinically in 3rd or 4th year. At least one of your letter writers needs to be a family doctor. If you have done substantial research or a significant project during med school, you may include a 4th (optional) letter from a research or project mentor.

Regarding letter writers, what characteristics (faculty rank, years of training, on resident selection committee, etc) should be considered?

Letter writer should know you well and be able to comment on your clinical skills, communication, professionalism, etc. It is helpful if they can give specific examples - eg describe your particular role in caring for a patient when they supervised you.

Does the department write a letter of recommendation ("Chair Letter"/ "Department Letter") for an applicant? If so, who should they contact for this and when should they do so?

FCM does not require a Chair's letter.

Of the total of 3 (or 4) letters that are part of an application, what is considered the best mix of letters? (eg: 1 from sub-internship, 1 additional clinical letter, 1 research letter, 1 department letter)

See above

Does your department have a Standardized/Supplemental Letter of Evaluation (such as SLOE)? If so, how is this letter drafted (and by whom)? Is there any advice you recommend for students so that they can have an outstanding SLOE?

No

What types of variations in training programs are there in your specialty (eg, different tracks, different lengths)?

Most FCM programs are 3 years. A small number have programs are 4 year programs. There are a few FCM/OB program and FCM/Psych programs which are longer than 3 years. Finally, there are many fellowships that you can do after FCM residency including Addiction Medicine, Women's Health, Integrative Medicine, Research, Health Policy, Sports Medicine, Geriatrics, Palliative Care, Adolescent Health, etc.

Who should students review their program list with?

Dr. Margo Vener

How many programs do you recommend a student that is average in terms of competitiveness apply to?

15

Is there a "signaling" problem for your specialty, and if so, is there a strategy to use signals?

No, and there are no plans to start a signaling program.

When do interviews typically happen in your field? Is there optimal timing for scheduling interviews? During these months, what clinical or non-clinical rotations do you recommend for students?

Interviews are late Oct - early Jan. You should plan to leave at least one 4 week block for interviewing, likely in Nov or Dec.

Any advice or guidance about etiquette for cancelling interviews? Any strategy for which interviews to keep and which interviews to cancel?

Please cancel as early as possible to give other applicants and programs a chance to find their best fit. This is really essential! At a minimum, you should cancel at least 2 weeks in advance - but earlier is better.

For the 2021-22 season, are you anticipating all in-person, all virtual, or a mix of in-person and virtual interviews?

Mix of in-person and virtual.

What is the recommended approach to post-interview communication? Are thank you notes recommended? Are “you are my #1 choice” letters recommended?

Most folks send thank you notes by email or hand written. Many folks send "you are my top choice" notes in Jan as well. Talk with Margo if you are considering this.

How many interviews should students attend in order to have a good chance of matching?

10

At what point in time should students be concerned about not having enough interviews? Who should they contact if that is the case?

Mid October

During an interview, what should applicants be looking for and/or what questions should they consider asking that can help them clarify what programs will be most desirable?

We send out info about this. Look for a program where your gut reaction feels positive, and you feel like you fit well with residents and faculty and staff.

With whom should the students consult regarding creating the rank order list? What is the best timing for this?

Please talk with Margo Vener in January.

Who in the department should be notified if a student is interested in taking a gap year?

Margo Vener

Are there any particular resources available to support UIM-identified students applying in your specialty?

If you are interested, please talk with Margo, and I will help introduce you to residents and faculty who you can meet with and/or shadow in their clinical work.

 

 

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2022

Contact Interventional Radiology Advisors

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MAIN

Evan
Lehrman

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Miles
Conrad

Emily
Webb

Christopher Brunson

---

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

 

What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?

• Integrated IR residency – match straight out of med school; internship year required (total of 6 years)
• Independent IR residency – 2-year program done after internship and Diagnostic Radiology (DR) Residency (total of 7 years); this can be trimmed to 6 years total if the DR program offers an IR heavy curriculum in the final year of the DR Residency called Early Specialization in IR (ESIR)

What is a typical workday like?
The workday begins with rounding on patients that we are following or that had procedures the day before. Next, images and clinical information on patients that are scheduled to have procedures that day are reviewed. Procedures are performed in angiography suites, on the CT scanner or in an ultrasound room. Consults are fielded throughout the day. There is typically a mix of scheduled outpatient procedures and inpatient add-ons with emergent cases usually related to active bleeding.

 

In the UCSF practice, each faculty has dedicated clinic days each month where they see new patients considering a procedure and follow ups.

 

What is the culture of this specialty?
IR is similar to surgical sub-specialties with emphasis on diagnostic radiology imaging guidance. Work hours may be longer compared to diagnostic radiology colleagues.

 

What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?
Raising a family is not a problem. Several faculty members in our section have young children. One potential issue to consider is radiation exposure to women that become pregnant.

 

What are the ways in which this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity?
Holistic review of candidates for the residency programs and faculty

 

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
IRs tend to be hard working, conscientious, thoughtful and need to have a grasp on every field in medicine. Creativity and innovation are essential as it is not unusual to come across a problem not seen before.

 

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

 

What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?
IR interest group, med student symposiums, electives, shadowing

 

Planning considerations for F2?
Take the Radiology CIEx 130

 

Planning considerations for Career Launch?

 

What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?
Society of Interventional Radiology (specifically the Resident-Fellow-Student section or RFS)

 

How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
Very competitive, among the most competitive nationwide

 

When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?
As soon as they become interested in the specialty

 

How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular leadership efforts		x		Recommend getting involved with the SIR-RFS (Society of Interventional Radiology Resident Fellow Student section)
Research/publications	x			This is the main way to really distinguish yourself from other applicants
Honors in F2*	x			Surgery honors is most important followed by medicine
AOA		x
Honors in Sub-I	x
Externship		x		Doing an IR elective month where you want to match can either help or hurt you depending on how you represent yourself
USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores		x
Top Tier Medical School	x
Community Service		x

*F2 Honors grades only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before fall 2018)

 

How can students best find mentors?
By reaching out to the program director, section chief and getting to know various faculty

 

How can students evaluate their chances of matching?
Meet with the program director or confidential advisor, consult statistics from prior years

 

How competitive is the job market after residency?
The job market is cyclical, currently on the upswing

 

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

 

How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?
3-4 faculty you have worked with in medical school including IR and diagnostic radiologists

 

Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student?
No

 

Advice on writing personal statements?
Communicate your passion for IR, but do not go overboard. Often used mainly as a means of weeding out candidates with red flags.

 

How many programs do students typically apply to?
40-50 or more

 

What types of variations in training programs are there (eg, different tracks, different lengths)?
Discussed above – Integrated and Independent pathways

 

What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?
Doximity and Aunt Minnie are websites with program profiles and forums for discussing programs

 

Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service?
NRMP

 

What are important topics or themes to include in a personal statement?
Love of imaging, technical skills, taking care of sick patients
 

When are residency applications due?
Most are submitted on the day that ERAS opens

 

How can applicants best prepare for interviews?
Get comfortable listing all of the things that make you great

 

What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?
Email is a good way to reach out. Indicating that you will rank a program #1 can help, but DO NOT do this with more than 1 program. It’s a small world and you can get burned by this kind of behavior.

 

How many programs do students typically rank?
Most if not all

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

​​​​​

Contact Medicine Advisors

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MAIN

Categorical/Primary Care

Cindy Lai
(Moffitt/Long)

GURPREET DHALIWAL
(VAMC)

Binh An Phan

Preliminary/Transitional 

Lynnea
Mills

Sirisha
Narayana 
(Moffitt/Long)

CONFIDENTIAL

 

Brieze Bell

Jamie Yao

Megan McGrath

Prashant Patel

Jeannie Tran

 

 

---

Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Medicine residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT

What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?
Internal Medicine (IM) residency is typically 3 years. There may be a variety of tracks within a given IM program to apply to match (categorical, primary care, or specialized research tracks). Most residents find themselves in a categorical program- a traditional training program that is largely inpatient-based. Categorical residents may pursue careers in general internal medicine, in the inpatient or outpatient setting, or match into subspecialty fellowships (such as cardiology, gastroenterology, oncology, etc). Primary care residency programs often incorporate more clinic time into the three-year training as well as small group seminar teaching. Primary care residents may also pursue careers in general internal medicine, in the inpatient or outpatient setting, or match into subspecialty fellowships.

 

Fortunately, after residency, there are endless possibilities for careers for internal medicine trained physicians including subspecialty practice, hospitalist careers, primary care practice, clinician-scientist, clinical researcher, outcomes researcher, health policy, international health, public health, and medical education.

 

What is a typical workday like?
Varied! There is no one standard day for IM physicians. Clinically, general internists usually choose to work predominantly in the inpatient or outpatient settings. Subspecialists may frequently see patients in both settings.  Many internists combine clinical practice with leadership roles, research, health policy, or medical educational work.

 

What is the culture of this specialty?
IM physicians have diverse interests, but share a common interest in health or well-being of the whole patient. They are able to see the interconnectedness of multiple medical problems as well as how they interface with a patients’ goals of care and psychosocial needs. They are typically detail-oriented practitioners who are often seen by colleagues as experts in physiology, clinical reasoning, and team based care.

 

What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?
Careers in IM present a range of options for part time or full time work, which make it potentially very compatible with family or other personal needs. While some choose careers providing longitudinal care on a regular or modified work-week schedule, others may practice in inpatient fields which allow for more flexible, shift-based scheduling. Hours are generally limited to normal work-day hours (when compared to surgical fields), so practitioners may be better able to participate in morning or afternoon child-care needs.

 

What are the ways in which this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity?
As a field, IM strongly promotes and invests in creating an inclusive and diverse environment. As with any field, there may be variation between institutions.

 

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
IM physicians have a commitment to providing thoughtful, evidence based care to all patients. Internists are critical, detail-oriented, thinkers who are thorough and careful. They typically work well in teams and are capable of coordinating and executing multidisciplinary plans.

 

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN MEDICINE

 

What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?
Participate in the UCSF Internal Medicine Interest Group, which arranges panels, mentoring sessions, and summer hospital medicine observations. Feel free to reach out to a confidential career advisor in IM or Bridges Coach who practices IM for an informal discussion of the field.

 

Planning considerations for F2?
There are three primary inpatient sites: UCSF Health at Parnassus, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, and SF Veterans Administration Medical Center; Med 110 is also a core clerkship of the longitudinal integrated clerkships PISCES (Parnassus based), KLIC (Kaiser East Bay), and Kaiser San Francisco LIC.

 

Every clerkship (surgery, ObGyn, anesthesia, neurology, etc) can inform the practice of internal medicine, so it’s important to get as much as you can in all of your rotations, as the skills you develop will undoubtedly improve your ability to care for internal medicine patients.

 

Planning considerations for Career Launch?
You are required to complete your subinternship at a different site than your Med 110 site. This policy ensures that you will have breadth in the types of patients and systems that you can see within the field of internal medicine.

 

What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?
Join the Internal Medicine Interest Group as a member or a coordinator, which is partly supported by American College of Physicians (ACP), one of the main national organizations for internal medicine. ACP has great online resources that explains the different pathways and options within internal medicine as a field.

• American College of Physicians: https://www.acponline.org/membership/medical-students
• American Medical Association: https://www.ama-assn.org/specialty
• Society of General Internal Medicine: https://www.sgim.org/career-center/proudtobegim

How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
There are many IM residency spots in the United States (when compared with certain very limited surgical subspecialty spots, for example), so students have many options to receive excellent IM training. UCSF students traditionally match extremely well in IM and are highly sought-after by residency programs.

 

When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?
Students can contact confidential advisor anytime in F1 or F2 or Career Launch. Confidential advisors can be particularly helpful in a number of settings, such as for students considering IM and another specialty simultaneously, interested in learning more about different options within internal medicine, advice about work-life integration in the specialty, tips for success in clinical rotations, or advice about approaching faculty for letters of recommendation and forming personal narratives for applications.

 

Most students will contact their formal specialty residency advisor by spring, or latest summer, of the year they plan to apply for residency.  By the summer before submitting an application for residency, each student must also identify a formal career advisor through the Department of Medicine- the formal career advisors are the Medicine site directors at Parnassus, ZSFG, and VAMC (check the SOM website for the names of the advisors); these advisors have a broad perspective on each student’s match potential, and will provide advice about programs, letter writers, etc.

 

How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

 

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular leadership efforts		X
Research/publications		X
Honors in F2*	x			Including Summary Evaluation comments in the MSPE
AOA		X
Honors in Sub-I	x
Externship			x	No need to do away electives or subinternships; generally not recommended for UCSF students.
USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores		X
Community Service		X
Core clerkship grades/narratives in other specialties	x

*F2 Honors grades only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before fall 2018)

 

How can students best find mentors?
Attendings who have worked with students in a clinical setting can be particularly good career mentors in general because they are familiar with students’ strengths and experiences. Coaches and advisors from research or community service activities can also be excellent resources. These career mentors are different from the department’s “formal career advisors.” A student still needs to select and work with one designated, formal career advisor who will write the departmental letter and provide student-specific guidance during the residency application season.

 

How can students evaluate their chances of matching?
Speaking with your formal career advisor, who can judge the competitiveness of the applicant’s profile and current trends in internal medicine residency, is the best way to estimate chances of getting an interview or matching at a given program.

 

How competitive is the job market after residency?
There is high demand for primary care physicians, hospitalists, and subspecialists throughout the United States.

 

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN MEDICINE

 

How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?
3-4 (1 Department of Medicine letter, 2 clinical letters, 1 optional letter)

 

Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student?
Yes; this needs to be requested by the student, who should contact the site director of their medicine clerkship or subinternship for a letter.

 

Advice on writing personal statements?
Read over your personal statement for medical school. Think about how you would describe your personal or professional career arc and interests to date. Think about your experiences, interests, goals and see if there is a thread.  How will internal medicine help you fulfill your goals or resonate with your values?

 

How many programs do students typically apply to?
Around 15-20 is advised, depending on the student and situation. This should be discussed with a formal career advisor.

 

What types of variations in training programs are there (eg, different tracks, different lengths)?
Programs are 3 years in length in general, but there are multiple tracks, depending on the residency. For example, there might be tracks in primary care, molecular medicine, public health. There are a few programs in IM/ER; MED/PEDs; MED/DERM that are 4 years in length. There are also rural/urban differences; and of course, different residencies will have different populations and different strengths.

 

What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?
Students match all over the nation. We recommend students think about their priorities (e.g., geographic preferences, university-based vs community-based, etc), which help drive where they apply, interview, and ultimately match.

 

Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service?
NRMP.

 

What are important topics or themes to include in a personal statement?
Topics or themes may include- why internal medicine, how IM fits with personal qualities or talents, personal or family experiences with health care (if relevant and comfortable sharing), meaningful clinical, research, or extracurricular experiences, long term career goals (clinical or otherwise).

 

When are residency applications due?
No specific deadline; check with residency programs. In general, students get their applications in by October 1, latest.

 

How can applicants best prepare for interviews?
Interviews for medicine residency are fairly conversational. Practice with one or two peers, an advisor, or previous medicine attending/resident. Attend the internal medicine student programs’ panel in the fall for advice. Be ready and able to talk about anything on your application- you never know what might pique an interviewer’s interest. If there are any weaknesses in your application, prepare to talk about them- remember every failure can be a source of accomplishment and strength.

 

What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?
No need to contact them (though no one ever dislikes a simple thank you email, if you feel warranted).

 

How many programs do students typically rank?
While there is variation from year to year, national data in IM show that students rank at least 11 programs to match.

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

 

Contact Med-Peds Advisors

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CONFIDENTIAL

Heather
Nye

Bradley
Monash

Archna Eniasivam

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Med-Peds (Combined Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Programs) residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN MED-PEDS

1. What is a typical workday like?
   One of the exciting aspects of Med Peds is that there is no such thing as a typical workday. Opportunities to carve out your own career path are practically limitless. Med Peds physicians can be generalists or specialists, work primarily in inpatient or outpatient settings, and can work in the US or abroad.

2. What is the culture of this specialty?
   Med Peds attracts very diverse, independent, adaptable, and bright young doctors. There is a stereotypical intellectuality inherent in the world of Medicine and playfulness inherent in the world of Pediatrics – Med Peds providers tend to embrace both of these worlds. In actuality, both Medicine and Pediatrics cultures vary from institution to institution and coast-to-coast. You will find that while Med Peds possesses aspects of both categorical medicine and pediatrics cultures, there is also a very unique Med Peds flavor nationwide. This is difficult to appreciate here in the San Francisco Bay Area, where there is currently a void of Med Peds training programs. Nonetheless, a growing cadre of Med Peds fellows and attendings here at UCSF provides ample opportunity to gain insight into the field. While not required, some students may choose to do a rotation at an institution that has a Med-Peds program to explore the culture first-hand.  The interview trail itself can be enlightening as well.  If you’re considering Med Peds, but not certain, you can still “dual apply” (i.e., apply in Med Peds and another field) and interview at programs prior to finalizing your decision.

3. What common variations exist in this career after training?
   There are several. Over half of graduating residents enter primary care – in medicine/pediatrics, family practice, internal medicine, or pediatrics clinics. A large percentage of graduates (~25%) pursue subspecialized fellowship training, which can be in pediatrics, adult medicine, or both fields. A few areas particularly well-suited for the breadth and uniqueness of Med Peds training include global health, longitudinal care of patients with pediatric illnesses (e.g., adult congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatologic diseases), and work in health policy. Other possible areas for careers include academic hospital medicine (like UCSF) or community hospital medicine. As a hospitalist, you can be an invaluable resource as a dual-trained clinician prepared to care for both adult and pediatric patients. It is a common misconception that Med Peds trained physicians ultimately choose to practice one field or the other. In fact, the vast majority of Med Peds providers continue to care for both adults and children.  Even those who do not, still attribute the quality of their practice style to the rich dual training they received. It is rare to find a Med-Peds clinician that regrets their time spent in training.

4. What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?
   An important aspect to choosing any career is better understanding how it may support raising a family and maintaining a healthy balance for work-life responsibilities.  Fortunately, Med Peds training offers a broad skill set that helps people define their own unique career paths – some of which may be more demanding than others. Possibilities include hospital vs. clinic-based, primary vs. subspecialty care, academic vs. community practice. All of these options bring unique rewards and challenges – and some may indeed provide more time for being home with the family. The key is that flexibility in career choice after Med Peds training creates more opportunities to adapt to burgeoning personal needs later in a career.

5. What are the ways in which this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity? 
   Med Peds draws an incredibly diverse group of physicians with a passion toward diversity, equity and inclusion. Furthermore, the National Med Peds Residency Association offers annual Advocacy/Community Service Grants.

6. What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
   Adaptable, independent, comfortable with uncertainty. There are many times when you may feel 'out of the loop' with respect to your categorical colleagues, and need to fall back on some internal strength. It is important to realize that peers and supervisors typically hold Med Peds residents in high regard, and that all will equalize on the other end of training.

7. What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?
   All Medicine/Pediatrics programs are four years. They vary with respect to intervals at which residents switch back and forth between medicine and pediatrics rotations. Most rotate every three to four months. Because you are meeting requirements to sit for boards in both specialties, there is a limited time to do so in four years. This makes the variability amongst programs less than in categorical programs. This document contains ACGME requirements for combined Med-Peds training. The amount of elective time is truncated because of the time-crunch, but there are some institutions with a more creative approach to classifying "electives," which can allow latitude in international travel or other endeavors.

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN MEDICINE-PEDIATRICS

1. What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?
   Because of the relative paucity of Med-Peds programs in the West, it can be harder to acquaint oneself with the combined specialty and all it has to offer.  The early years of medical school are often when students first hear of the specialty—and can be a great time to explore different Med-Peds faculty experiences.  We currently have nearly 30 Med-Peds physicians at UCSF. Connect with and shadow Med-Peds physicians when possible (don't be shy!) to learn about their perspectives and to get an idea of daily life.  There is plenty of time to make a decision on your chosen field – so don’t feel pressured.  Students are commonly known to change directions more than a few times during medical school.  Engage in interest groups and attend informal gatherings to learn about culture and lifestyle in both medicine and pediatrics. Residents serve as fantastic resources to share the nitty-gritty of training.  You may encounter negative opinions on dual training by sources that incompletely understand Med-Peds. This highlights the need to be diligent in gathering a broad range of perspectives from faculty who are knowledgeable about the field and its possibilities.
    
2. Planning considerations for F2? Planning considerations for Career Launch?   
   While success in all rotations is helpful – performance on medicine and pediatrics blocks is especially important—as are sub-internships in either/both fields. While programs differ with respect to letters of recommendation requirements (see individual program websites), the majority require letters from rotations in both specialties (we often suggest requesting medicine and pediatrics department letters) —and ideally one letter from a sub-internship.
    
3. What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?
   National Med-Peds Residents Association
   ACP
   ACGME Med-Peds requirements  
   The myths and truths about med-peds physicians (Jan. 2019)
    
4. How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
   In general, students who desire a career in Med Peds successfully match in Med Peds training programs. Nonetheless, the most “coveted” programs nationally can be quite competitive, particularly in light of the small number of residents accepted to each program. Currently there are approximately 80 Med-Peds programs in the US offering around 350 first year resident positions each year.
    
5. When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?
   Students should contact the specialty residency advisors ANYTIME! Given that UCSF does not yet have a Med Peds residency program, students don’t need to seek confidential Med Peds advising. 
    
6. How important are each of the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular leadership efforts	x
Research/publications		x
Honors in F2	x			Only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before Fall 2018)
AOA		x
Honors in Subinternship	x
Externship			x
USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores		X
Top Tier Medical School		X
Community Service	X

7.  How can students best find mentors?
Students should contact the specialty residency advisors for guidance and/or find possible Med Peds mentors.

8. How can students evaluate their chances of matching?
Students have a very high probability of matching, which depends somewhat on the number of programs ranked:
 

9.  How competitive is the job market after residency?
This varies widely based on what job the graduate is seeking. The beauty of Med Peds here is that graduates have added knowledge, skills and experience that can add to their desirability as a candidate.

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN MEDICINE-PEDIATRICS
 

1. How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?
   Please refer to specific Med Peds program websites for their requirements. In general, we recommend requesting departmental letters from Medicine and Pediatrics, a sub-I letter, and from another individual who knows you well and can speak to your clinical, research or academic capacities.
    
2.  Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student? 
   Yes, one from both
    
3. Advice on writing personal statements?
   Don’t make grammatical or spelling errors!  Be honest.
    
4. How many programs do students typically apply to?  
   See above
    
5. What types of variations in training programs are there (e.g., different tracks, different lengths)? 
   See above
    
6.  What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?
    Programs are largely clustered on the East Coast and in the Mid-West. Well-known and highly thought of programs (in both categorical and Med Peds) include the two Harvard programs (MGH, BWH), Hopkins, UNC-CH, Penn, Duke, Michigan, Yale, Brown, Baylor, UCLA and UCSD. Lesser-known from a categorical perspective, but highly thought of from a Med Peds perspective include: Rochester, Baystate, Christiana Care, Case-Western, Colorado, U Chicago and U Minnesota. UCSF students have matched many Med Peds programs both in Southern California and the East coast.
    
7.  Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service? 
    Yes
    
8. What are important topics or themes to include in a personal statement? 
   Would specify why you are pursuing a Med Peds residency
    
9.  When are residency applications due?
    Varies by year, see ERAS timeline.
    
10. How can applicants best prepare for interviews?
     Meet with Med Peds advisors. 
    Read online medical student forums – they often discuss the types of questions you will be asked. 
    Take a deep breath and be yourself – when programs invite you for an interview, you’re already competitive to match there.
     
11. What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?
     It is OK to email to update program directors on new awards, research, experiences that may not have been included in your ERAS application. The concept of notifying programs of your “first choice” is somewhat controversial, although many students do this. Program directors are not supposed to use post-interview communication to determine rankings.
     
12. How many programs do students typically rank?  
     8-10, sometimes in addition to categorical programs.
    See above chart regarding probability of matching based on contiguous ranks.

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

Contact Neurological Surgery Advisors

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MAIN

Mitchel
Berger

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Manish
Aghi

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Neurological Surgery residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY

What can students do in the 1st and 2nd years to explore and/or prepare for this career?
The neurosurgery student interest group hosts a seminar series on Thursdays throughout the academic year at which neurosurgery faculty and residents speak to first- and second-year students interested in the field. Some of our faculty teach in the first-year neuroscience course – brain, mind and behavior. You can schedule a meeting with our faculty student advisor and clerkship director Dr. Aghi to speak about opportunities for research in the department and opportunities to shadow our residents on call or shadow our attendings in the clinic or operating room (OR).  Many students who are interested in neurosurgery also seek out a summer research fellowship working with one of our faculty in the lab or clinic during the summer between first and second year.

How long is neurosurgery residency?
Neurosurgery residency is seven years long. This includes one year of internship and six years of neurosurgery residency.

 

How common is fellowship after training?
Subspecialty fellowship training for one year is becoming increasingly common after neurosurgery residency and exists in functional (movement disorders), tumors (skull base or surgical neuro-oncology), cerebrovascular, pediatrics, trauma, and spine.

 

What is a typical workday for someone in this field?
This will vary widely depending on which neurosurgical subspecialty you choose, what setting you practice in (academic or private practice), and whether or not your practice is combined with an active research effort.  Neurosurgeons typically spend at least one day a week in the clinic and one day a week in the OR. Clinic days are usually close to regular work hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) so that support staff such as nurse practitioners and clinic coordinators can facilitate the flow of patients. The length of OR days depends on how busy your practice is and what types of surgeries you do. Cases that are shorter, such as peripheral nerve cases will last two hours, and multiple cases can be done in a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday while complex skull base tumor cases can be longer with one case taking anywhere from six to 12 hours.

 

What is the culture of this career?
The culture of neurosurgery emphasizes craftsmanship in the same way that other surgical fields do, but also emphasizes technology and innovation more than other surgical fields because there is so much about the brain that we are just starting to understand. Neurosurgeons tend to be motivated (rather than disillusioned) with the fact that there is a tremendous amount that we do not know about the functions of the nervous system.  Care of patients with neurosurgical illness requires a great mixture of compassion for patients with sometimes devastating illnesses or symptoms such as pain or loss of neurologic function; the intellectual thought required to fix challenging problems in the brain; and the satisfaction that comes with hands on solutions to problems.

 

How compatible is this career with raising a family? How is this different for men and women?
Although neurosurgeons on average work long hours, there are subspecialties within neurosurgery that are less time intensive. The field has become more family-friendly over time and the number of women in our applicant pool has increased considerably over time.
 

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
Manual dexterity, stamina, 100% commitment to patient care, intelligence, and a quick study with the ability to learn and assimilate information quickly by observation.
 

How competitive are the residency programs in this field?
The neurosurgery match is one of the most competitive of all subspecialties. That being said, UCSF medical students generally do well in the neurosurgery match and typically get into one of their top three choices.
 

How competitive is the job market after residency?
While there is a need for neurosurgeons in many regions of the country, getting academic jobs in desirable cities can be somewhat timing dependent, so it is helpful to be geographically flexible. Neurosurgery residents graduating from UCSF in recent years have been very successful finding prestigious academic jobs throughout the country.

 

How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular/volunteer work		X
Research/publications	X			Neurosurgery applicants typically have publications at the time they apply
Honors in third year		X		Honors in some courses are preferable but not specific ones
AOA			X
Subinternship	X			Programs tend to prefer applicants who have done a sub-internship with them.  Most programs have 15-25 sub-interns rotate during a given year and take 3 residents per year, making performance on sub-internships very important.
USMLE Step 1 Scores	X			The average step 1 score amongst those matching in neurosurgery is typically in the mid 240s.
Other	X			Strong performance on clinical rotations and strong letters of recommendation.

 Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

 

Contact Neurology Advisors

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MAIN/CONFIDENTIAL

 Megan
Richie

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Neurology residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT  CHILD-NEUROLOGY POST-MATCH REPORT

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN NEUROLOGY

 

What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?
As with most medical specialties, careers in neurology can focus on clinical practice, research, education, global health.  Some neurologists begin practicing after graduating from residency, while many others elect to pursue a fellowship for subspecialty training (e.g. in epilepsy, neuromuscular, or cognitive neurology). 

 

What is a typical workday like?
This will vary widely depending on specific career choices, but for a general neurologist the majority of one’s practice is in the outpatient setting.  Neurologists see a mixture of younger patients (with conditions like migraine headaches and multiple sclerosis) and older patients (with conditions like stroke and dementia).  There is also a mix of patients with chronic conditions who are followed for years (e.g. myasthenia gravis or epilepsy) and patients with temporary conditions who are followed for only a short period (e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome or lumbar radiculopathy).

 

What is the culture of this specialty?
The culture of neurology is, of course, defined in large part by the type of individuals who are attracted to the field. Neurologists tend to be motivated (rather than disillusioned) with the fact that there is a tremendous amount that we do not know about the functions of the nervous system.  They see the care of patients with neurological illness as a great mixture of compassion, careful observation and intellectualism, and don’t mind the fact that the work is not heavily procedure-based (although neurologists are the ones that usually decide which procedures are needed). 

 

What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?
Neurology is a family-friendly career. Many residents at UCSF – both men and women – have had children during residency.

 

What are the ways in which this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity?
Neurology has made tremendous efforts toward supporting and encouraging inclusiveness and diversity.  The UCSF Department of Neurology established a Diversity committee in January 2014 to improve department diversity, and also strongly encourages all faculty to undergo Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion training. The American Academy of Neurology recently established a leadership program to develop and promote leaders that reflect the diverse background of its members and the patients they serve. 

 

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
Intellectual curiosity, patience, some level of comfort with ambiguity, an intense interest in the patient’s story, fascination with the nervous system.
 

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN NEUROLOGY

 

What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?
The first-year neuroscience course - Brain, Movement and Behavior – offers lots of opportunities to meet neurologists and get an idea of the world of neurology.  In addition to the apprenticeships that are part of BMB (and which involve direct patient interactions), you should feel free to ask the course faculty about opportunities to go on ward and consult rounds, and shadow clinicians in the outpatient setting. (Of course, you can do this anytime, not just during BMB!). Many students who are interested in neuroscience also seek out a research fellowship during the summer between first and second year.

 

Planning considerations for F2?
Neurology aims to provide students on the core clerkship with a meaningful experience from which to evaluate the field as a potential career choice.  To supplement the largely inpatient adult neurology core clerkship experience, several Clinical Immersion Experiences also are available, including multiple experiences in both outpatient neurology and in pediatric neurology.

 

Planning considerations for Career Launch?
Students pursuing a career in neurology should complete a neurology sub-internship prior to September, in order to allow timely completion of Letters of Recommendation as well as grades in time for MSPE release.

 

What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?
Check out the activities of the UCSF Brain Interest Group (BIG) at (https://ucsf.campusgroups.com/big/). There are also useful resources at the American Academy of Neurology’s website (https://www.aan.com/conferences-community/member-engagement/join-aan/member-benefits/student/ ) and that of the American Neurological Association (https://myana.org/membership/students ).

 

How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
Not very – essentially all UCSF graduates get into one of the first-tier programs in the country. That being said, a few programs are competitive and nearly every applicant from UCSF will get into one of their top 3 choices.

 

When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?
In order to receive a spot in a Neurology sub-internship, students must receive permission from Clerkship Director Megan Richie (megan.richie@ucsf.edu), who is also one of the confidential career advisors in neurology.  She will help make sure you are scheduled for a sub-I that meets your career planning needs.  The other confidential career advisor is Daniel  Lowenstein (lowenstein@ucsf.edu). 

 

How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular leadership efforts		X
Research/publications		X
Honors in F2*		X		Honors in some courses are preferable but not specific ones
AOA			X
Honors in Sub-I	X
Externship			X
USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores		X
Top Tier Medical School		X
Community Service		X

*F2 Honors grades only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before fall 2018)

 

How can students best find mentors?
Confidential career advisors Daniel Lowenstein and Megan Richie would be happy to provide recommendations for mentors students might consider in research opportunities.  A complete list of faculty member profiles is found on the UCSF Department of Neurology website (https://neurology.ucsf.edu/faculty-z)

 

How can students evaluate their chances of matching?
Most UCSF graduates get into one of the first-tier programs in the country.  That being said, a few programs are competitive, although nearly every applicant from UCSF still gets into one of the top 3 choices on their rank list.  To ensure a successful match, students should meet with Megan Richie in order to assist in the interview and rank list preparation process. 

 

How competitive is the job market after residency?
Jobs are widely available. Although desirable urban areas with a high cost of living (e.g. Boston, San Francisco, New York) may have more competitive job markets, neurology residents graduating from UCSF and Stanford in recent years have been very successful finding jobs in the Bay Area at Kaiser and other community practices.

 

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN NEUROLOGY

 

How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?
Students submit a maximum of 4 letters of recommendation, one of which comes from the neurology sub-internship.  If a student has done significant research, one should also be a research letter.  The remaining letters should be clinical letters from attendings in any specialty; the most important factor is that the letter-writer should know the student well.

 

Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student?
No, although the letter from the neurology sub-internship often will incorporate language from multiple attendings.

 

Advice on writing personal statements?
Clerkship director Megan Richie would be happy to review personal statements if that is helpful to those students applying in neurology.

 

How many programs do students typically apply to?
Most students apply to 10 – 18 programs and interview at 8 – 10.  Talk with career advisor Megan Richie for personalized advice for how many to apply & interview with.

 

What types of variations in training programs are there (eg, different tracks, different lengths)?
Neurology residency is typically 4 years long: 1 year of internal medicine (internship) and 3 years of neurology (residency). Some programs accept students into internship and residency at the same time; others only accept students into residency and they have to find a separate internship.  Some programs have specialized tracks in research, education, global health, etc.

 

What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?
We are happy to discuss this question in person.

 

Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service?
The Match is through the NRMP.

 

What are important topics or themes to include in a personal statement?
A personal statement in neurology should be organized and well-written, as at minimum it will be used as an example of the student’s writing ability.  Ideally, the personal statement will also contain a cohesive narrative that illustrates one or more distinctive characteristics of the student’s application.

 

When are residency applications due?
Match registration opens on September 15^th. Because top programs can fill their interview spots quickly, applicants are encouraged to submit their application on September 15^th or not long thereafter, in order to optimally position them for early interview requests and allow them to coordinate their interview schedules efficiently and optimally.  The final deadline for Match registration is November 30^th.

 

How can applicants best prepare for interviews?
Read about each program ahead of time and prepare several questions in advance.  Review the interview schedule and consider looking up each interviewer briefly in case there are personalized questions to consider asking.   The UCSF OCPD office offers interview preparation resources if students are interested, though this is not an essential element to performing well on neurology interviews.

 

What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?
Sending an email to the residency coordinators after the interview is a nice gesture, and some students elect to email their individual interviewers as well.  However, this is by no means an expectation and students who do not write these emails are not tracked nor penalized.  Some students will also email their first-choice program to let them know that they are their first choice.  Finally, if students have additional questions about programs it is certainly acceptable to seek those answers after the interview.  Students should not reach out to programs regarding program rank lists.

 

How many programs do students typically rank?
Students typically rank a similar or the same number of programs at which they interviewed, usually 8 – 10 as above.
 

FINDING A MENTOR

 

What advice would you give to students interested in your field to help them establish effective mentors?
Seek Megan Richie out first and then tell her what your interests are and I can help connect you. You can also look through UCSF Neurology faculty website.

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

Contact Obstetrics & Gynecology Advisors

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MAIN

 Jeanette Lager

Naomi Stotland

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Lee-May Chen

Naghma Farooqi

Mitzi Hawkins

Jessica Kim

Gaetan Pettigrew

Stacy Young

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Obstetrics & Gynecology residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT  

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

1. What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?
All OB-GYN residencies are four years in length. The first year is six months of OB-GYN and six months of medicine (geriatrics, ER, ward, etc.) and then the last three years are all OB-GYN. Elective time varies from 0-3 months depending on the residency. The second year is all OB-GYN, the third year usually has the elective time if there is any, and the fourth year, all residents serve as chief residents and lead teams in OB-GYN. There are residency programs at academic centers as well as community hospitals.

Most residency graduates go into practice after training, either at Kaiser, community practices, or private practice. However, some graduates are hospital-based such as laborists, OB-GYNs who decide to devote the next part of their career to women having babies. Some residency graduates do international health, either full-time or part-time. Some enter academic medicine as generalists, or having done a fellowship. The opportunities are limitless.

2. What is a typical workday like?

There is no typical workday – it depends on where you practice. For instance, at Kaiser, you might have six clinic sessions per week, a day in the operating room, 1-2 nights on call a month for extra money, and a half-day per week for education. If you are in private practice, you might start by rounding on your hospital patients, go to the office to see patients, have a call once a week or once or twice a month, operate one day per week. As an academic, you usually have a mix of clinic sessions, administrative meetings (head a clerkship or a residency), research, teaching. You can work part-time or full-time.

 

3. What is the culture of this specialty?

It is fast-paced, diverse, joyful to help families bring new life into their lives, hard when an outcome doesn’t happen that was anticipated, and longitudinal; usually, you take care of your patients during a span of years and get to know them well. Also, you get to perform surgery.

 

4. What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?

Depending on what you choose for your work environment, it can be compatible with raising children and having a strong relationship with a spouse. The current work conditions vary drastically from the old days when the number of hours worked per week were 100-120. Typically, the work week for someone working full-time is 40-60 hours plus one to two nights on call per month. Many OB-GYNs work four days per week, or sometimes half-time. The opportunities abound for both men and women. Sometimes for men, a patient panel will take a little longer to fill out at the beginning of one’s career, but research shows that the compassion and caring is more important to women choosing an OB-GYN than gender.

 

5. What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?

Strong interpersonal skills to work as a team and to communicate effectively and easily with patients; enjoyment of being in the operating room or Labor and Delivery; ability to adapt to different environments quickly whether  at your office and then running to the Labor and Delivery unit to delivery one of your long-term patients; energetic and enthusiastic.

 

 

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN OB-GYN

 

1. What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?

During your first year, enroll in the one or more of the following electives: U-Teach, Surgical Assist, Reproductive Health, Introduction to OB-GYN Clinical Skills, African American Health Disparities (includes a lot of OB-GYN), Health Workshops at the San Francisco Jail, OB-GYN Global Health Issues. Also enroll in the Homeless Clinic elective and then come to the Sunday evening Women’s Clinic to work with our attendings and residents, attend the OB-GYN career dinners  twice a year (see email invites from Julie Lindow) where you get to know OB-GYNs who practice in the community,  attend the seminar about research opportunities for OB-GYN for the summer following the first year of medical school, visit with an OB-GYN career advisor even if you are not 100% sure about OB-GYN. 

Second-year students should consider becoming an elective student coordinator for one of the courses listed above.

 

2. Planning considerations for F2?
We strongly encourage you to do a two-week OB-GYN elective at UCSF during your third year or the spring/summer of your fourth year. Talk with Ida Shunk directly about scheduling one of these two-week electives: family planning, Intro to maternal fetal medicine, gyn oncology, or reproductive endocrinology. Also, there is a 2-4-week Laparoscopy away elective with Dr. Camran Nezhat.

 

3. Planning considerations for Career Launch?
 

Before submitting your fourth-year schedule requests, attend the fourth-year planning/career counseling dinner during the summer of clerkship year. We recommend that you attend even if you are uncertain about matching into OB-GYN because we can help you design a schedule that will ensure you are prepared for all possibilities. If you need some extra support to finalize your schedule, you can meet with Dr. Lager or Stotland in March. They are “semi-confidential” medical student advisors who do not participate in the UCSF OB-GYN residency selection. Their goal is to help guide you as you make appropriate career decisions for yourself.

 

Enroll in electives that will enhance your residency experience and not duplicate it. Electives such as ICU (medical or surgical), Palliative Care, Infectious Disease, OB Anesthesia, international women’s health in another country, City Clinic (STIs), radiology, and dermatology.

 

If possible, you may want to do your medicine sub-internship in the winter or the spring to have a strong clinical refresher before your residency starts. In the CODA curriculum, which happens three weeks before you graduate, there is an OB-GYN track to help you prepare for residency, e.g. a clinical skills session, etc. There is also a boot camp for you at the national ACOG meeting, each spring, so you might want to consider that for your calendar.

 

 

4. When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?

​​All UCSF students applying in OB-GYN are encouraged to meet with the director of the UCSF OB-GYN Residency Program (Dr. Meg Autry, Meg.Autry@ucsf.edu) to discuss your program list as she knows many of the residency directors across the country and their programs. Before August 1: contact Dr. Autry to make an appointment. Prior to September 15: meet with her, because when ERAS applications are due, Dr. Autry is “off-limits.”
 

 2022 Career Launch and Residency Application Update

Dr. Jeannette Lager, Semi-Confidential Advisor, Medical Education Co-Chair

How should students prepare to submit Career Launch (4th year) scheduling requests?

There is a group orientation session in our specialty prior to Career Launch. Students can find out about this by contacting Kristin Olson.

Which courses (specifically sub-Is/acting internships) are strongly recommended or required in the summer prior to residency application? Are any specific sites recommended for these courses? Is more than 1 sub-I (or acting internship) recommended in your specialty?

Before submitting your fourth-year schedule requests, attend the fourth-year planning/career counseling dinner during the Fall of clerkship year. We recommend that you attend even if you are uncertain about matching into OB-GYN because we can help you design a schedule that will ensure you are prepared for all possibilities. If you need some extra support to finalize your schedule, you can meet with Drs. Lager or Stotland in March. They are “semi-confidential” medical student advisors who do not participate in the UCSF OB-GYN residency selection. Their goal is to help guide you as you make appropriate career decisions for yourself. Please consider taking Sub-I's in OBGYN during Spring or Summer prior to Residency applications. This way, you will have the training and feedback to show your best. If possible, you may want to do your medicine sub-internship in the winter or the spring (after the application period) to have a strong clinical refresher before your residency starts. In the CODA curriculum, which happens three weeks before you graduate, there is an OB-GYN track to help you prepare for residency, e.g. a clinical skills session, etc. There is also a boot camp for you at the national ACOG meeting, each spring, so you might want to consider that for your calendar.

What electives are encouraged (but not required or strongly recommended) during Career Launch in your field or outside of your field?

Enroll in electives that will enhance your residency experience and not duplicate it. Electives such as ICU (medical or surgical), Palliative Care, Infectious Disease, OB Anesthesia, international women’s health in another country, City Clinic (STIs), radiology, and dermatology.

If away rotations are recommended in your field, what advice do you tell students about selecting and procuring this experience?

Away rotations are only recommended under the following circumstances: If at least one Sub-I has been completed at UCSF already and the away rotation is to supplement your learning.

What aspects of an application are the most important to be competitive in this specialty?

What aspects of an application would be particularly harmful in terms of competitiveness?

Do programs in this specialty typically use "cut-off" USMLE scores to screen applications?

Unknown

What is the optimal timing for Step 2 CK?

Summer of Career Launch Year (June-August).

How does your specialty utilize the MSPE in applicant review? What types of "Noteworthy Characteristics" should an applicant emphasize in the MSPE?

How to be best prepared or showing potential for a strong Intern year is a big one, patient care and empathy, also acting as an anti-racist medical professional is key. In addition to being a good future doctor, students should also understand and combat health inequity where they can.

Is research experience without publication valued in your specialty? If so, what are ways that this can be shown on their application/CV?

How research affects the common good or marginalized members of society. Many research projects in OBGYN are qualitative (interviews, case studies) so community outreach is favored.

Are there specialty professional organizations that you recommend students join? If so, what are the costs of doing so, or are there resources for students with limited ability to pay membership fees? Are there specific activities (such as meetings or subgroups) that are recommended in the organization?

Become a Junior Fellow in the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Also, look at the Associate of Professors in OB-GYN (APGO) website.

How can students in your specialty demonstrate leadership?

Second-year students should consider becoming an elective student coordinator for one of the courses offered during F1--among them: UTEACH Intro to Surgical Skills Black Health (AAHD) Health, Policing, and Incarceration Reproductive Health and the Environment High Value Care Family Planning and Reproductive Choice We are also open to students creating their own opportunities in the community or carrying on from the previous MS2's and MS3's, examples can be: Admissions Advisory Cabinet in the School of Medicine Establish a student group to interface with community Develop a course with faculty Propose a research project relating to education with Drs. Lager and Stotland Coordinate community events or events for prospective medical students.

When advising about applying in your specialty, are students ever encouraged to apply in a backup specialty or dual apply in a second specialty? If so, when should students consider this? Who is the best person in my department to consult about this?

Not really--however, discussion with Drs. Lager and Stotland would be best if choosing to gain insight to this path.

What departmental application events (general info, strategy, celebration) are held throughout the application and match season? Who should the student contact to be invited to these events?

Attend the OB-GYN career dinners twice a year (see email invites from Kristin Olson) where you get to know OB-GYNs who practice in the community and visit with an OB-GYN career advisor even if you are not 100% sure about OB-GYN. 

Any departmental or specialty specific websites or resources for residency application that you recommend?

Student Opportunities by year - Click here
Development and Mentoring: Click here
Medical Student Research Opportunity: Click here (or email OBGYN-MedEd@ucsf.edu as well)
APGO Right Resident, Right Program, Ready Day One Student Resources: Click here

Who are essential faculty to meet with before application (Department Chair, Main Specialty Advisor, Residency Program Director, etc)? What is the optimal timing for this meeting? What material or information should the student bring to this meeting? Who should the student contact to arrange this meeting?

Interested students should be in touch with Kristin Olson (Kristin.Olson@ucsf.edu) no later than March of their application year to get on the list for mentorship and prep. Students will meet with the UME Co-chairs, Drs. Lager and Stotland during the months of April and May for review of materials (CV, Chair's Checklist Document, Personal Statement and compilation of MSPE and Sub-I evaluations). Once materials are reviewed/revised, students will meet with Department Chair Dr. Amy Murtha during June and July. Letters are compiled during July and August for upload in September by the MedEd UME Team. 

In addition to the standard application, does your specialty use any form of supplemental application? If so, how does a student register for the supplemental application? Is there any specific advice that could be helpful in preparing a supplemental application?

Starting with Class of 2022 applicants, OBGYN will be using the SLOE (Standardized Letter of Evaluation) (see here https://apgo.org/page/rrrstudent). Students who are a part of the mentoring and meeting process are automatically put forth to have a SLOE written for them. The Team sends surveys to capture the most pertinent information for the SLOE in addition to materials submitted (CV, personal statement, etc.) Questions can be directed to Kristin Olson.

Advice on writing the personal statement? Are there important topics or themes that should be included?

Personal statements should work toward common thru-lines for each student--say, the interest is health advocacy, answer why this is important and back up experience that describes as such.

Who in the department should review the personal statement? When should a good draft of the personal statement be presented to faculty reviewers?

Administrator Kristin Olson will give the first once-over, then students revise. With the revision, students meet with Drs. Lager or Stotland, second revision. Then, the Department Chair reviews last, gives feedback. Typically students will also go through a few versions on their own before submitting.

What is your recommended general approach or strategy for requesting letters of recommendation (LORs), particularly timing and etiquette?

Students should not request letters "cold" rather go through the MedEd Team (starting with Kristin, then mentors and so on) and gain all the benefits of the process. This will make student's materials better, inform faculty of who is applying where and so forth.

Regarding letter writers, what characteristics (faculty rank, years of training, on resident selection committee, etc) should be considered?

NA, OBGYN will be using the SLOE checklist (Standardized Letter of Evaluation) (see here) which is derived from faculty evaluations and student insights.

Does the department write a letter of recommendation ("Chair Letter"/ "Department Letter") for an applicant? If so, who should they contact for this and when should they do so?

NA

Does your department have a Standardized/Supplemental Letter of Evaluation (such as SLOE)? If so, how is this letter drafted (and by whom)? Is there any advice you recommend for students so that they can have an outstanding SLOE?

see above

Who should students review their program list with?

Department Chair, in your Summer meeting.

How many programs do you recommend a student that is average in terms of competitiveness apply to?

30-40

Is there a "signaling" problem for your specialty, and if so, is there a strategy to use signals?

No, and there are no plans to start a signaling program.

When do interviews typically happen in your field? Is there optimal timing for scheduling interviews? During these months, what clinical or non-clinical rotations do you recommend for students?

October Picking up another Sub-I in Nov-Jan is recommended--either in OBGYN or an allied field (say, Surgery, Family Medicine).

For the 2021-22 season, are you anticipating all in-person, all virtual, or a mix of in-person and virtual interviews?

Mix of in-person and virtual

What is the recommended approach to post-interview communication? Are thank you notes recommended? Are “you are my #1 choice” letters recommended?

Thank you emails and following up is appropriate.

How many interviews should students attend in order to have a good chance of matching?

12-20

At what point in time should students be concerned about not having enough interviews? Who should they contact if that is the case?

Contact Drs. Lager and/or Stotland in November if this is the case.

With whom should the students consult regarding creating the rank order list? What is the best timing for this?

Drs. Lager and Stotland are best to contact during November/December.

Who in the department should be notified if a student is interested in taking a gap year?

Kristin Olson

 

 

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2022

Contact Ophthalmology Advisors

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MAIN

Neeti
Parikh

 

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Madeline Yung

 

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2021-2023 who were matched into Ophthalmology residency programs:

Post-Match Report

Information for UIM Students

What specialty-wide/national resources are available to support UIM-identified students applying in your specialty?

1. American Academy of Ophthalmology Minority Mentoring Program
2. Rabb-Venable Excellence in Ophthalmology Program 

General Information about Specialty

The three most compelling aspects of this specialty:

• Blend of medicine and surgery.
• Ability to be an expert and detect systemic complications/diseases through ocular manifestations.
• Continuity of care for your patients.

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What is the culture of this specialty?

Kindness, ambition, intellect, fast-paced, collaborative

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What are some common variations in career path in this specialty? What common fellowship opportunities exist in this specialty?

Career path: There are career opportunities in the academic and private sector, or a mix of both. These could also include research/and or teaching. Most people who complete their residency training go on to pursue a fellowship in one of the Ophthalmology sub-specialties including:

• Cornea/Refractive Surgery (1 year)
• Pediatric Ophthalmology (1 year)
• Glaucoma (1 year)
• Retina (2 years)
• Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery (2 years)
• Ocular oncology (1 year)
• Neuroophthalmology (1 year)
• Ophthalmic Pathology (1 year)
• global ophthalmology (1 year)

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What does a typical work week look like in this specialty? How frequently can the average doctor in this specialty expect to work weekends/holidays/overnights?

The typical work week for a private practice Ophthalmologist is 1-2 days in the O.R. and 3-4 days in the office. In an academic setting this can vary depending on time spent on research and/or teaching. For example, an academic clinician-scientist will likely spend 2- 2.5 days in the lab and 2.5 days in the clinical arena. Most ophthalmologists do not work nights or weekends (after training). Call varies greatly but is typically home call ranging from 1 week a month to 1 week a year.

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How does this specialty support or challenge having a family?

A career in Ophthalmology is compatible with raising a family to the extent that any surgical or any intensive career is compatible with this goal. In general, about 50-80% of practice is in the outpatient clinic and about 20-50% is in the OR. The surgeries are nearly always done on an out-patient basis and inpatient call and coverage is much less than for many other surgical fields. It is family friendly!

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How competitive is the residency application process in this specialty?

Getting into Ophthalmology residency is very competitive.

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How competitive is the job market in this specialty (after residency/fellowship training)?

The job market in this specialty is not very competitive but this can be location dependent. There are jobs available in urban areas, but these jobs tend to pay less than jobs in rural areas. Finding a job that fits a person's preferences may be more difficult due to high variability of job profiles and outside factors such as private equity.

Guidance for F1 Students

What are the preferred ways for an early F1 student to show interest and obtain guidance in your specialty?

• Join the official specialty interest group: Vision and Ophthalmology Interest group
• Attend a specialty elective: Introduction to Ophthalmology Lunch time lecture series (160.01)
• Shadow a faculty member in the specialty
• Get involved in a research project in the specialty

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How can students in your specialty demonstrate leadership?

Vision and Ophthalmology Interest Group Board member, Ophthalmology Free Shelter Clinic

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For students interested in your specialty, when should students become involved in research?

Within the first 6 months of medical school

Guidance for F2 Students

If a student develops an unexpected interest in your specialty during F2, what are the best next steps to take to become a competitive applicant?

Speak to the advisors as soon as you develop an interest. You will also need to get involved in research. It also may be beneficial to consider taking a Gap year to strengthen your application, but the specialty advisor will be able to guide you on this (every individual case is different)

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What F2 electives in your specialty or in another specialty are recommended for students strongly interested in your specialty?

• CIEx in Ophthalmology

 

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How can students demonstrate excellent performance in a F2 clerkship in your specialty?

• Read and have basic knowledge of eye anatomy, read and have basic knowledge of common eye disorder.
• Actively participate in clinic by learning how to perform the exam and a patient evaluation.
• Assist with patient care in any way possible.

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What guidance should students seek to prepare for Career Launch (4th year) clerkship scheduling?

• Meet with a specialty advisor. The best timing and person to meet with is:
  • Dr. Neeti Parikh - The best time to meet is prior to finalizing the fourth year schedule.
• There is a group orientation session in our specialty prior to Career Launch. Students can find out about this by contacting (please include email):
  • Dr. Neeti Parikh or Dr. Shelle Libberton

Gap Year Guidance

Who in the department should be notified if a student is interested in taking a gap year?

The person to notify prior to a gap year is Dr. Neeti Parikh.

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Who in the department should be notified if a student is returning from a gap year and plans to apply in my specialty?

The person to notify prior to a gap year is Dr. Neeti Parikh.

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Are there specific electives or clinical experiences in your specialty recommended for students to take in CL blocks prior to taking a gap year?

No

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Are there specific electives or clinical experiences in your specialty recommended for students returning from a gap year as a "warm up" prior to doing a sub-I in your specialty?

No

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For students planning their return from a gap year, are there any unique (to gap year) scheduling considerations? (For sub-Is/AIs, electives, away rotations, meetings with advisors, etc)

You should plan to take your ophthalmology Sub I the year you are applying (ie, when back from gap year. The subI is offered May, June and July so if your gap year is off cycle and your return doesn't work with these dates, please discuss with the specialty advisor before your gap year, as you may be advised to take it before. Away rotation application deadlines are approximately in March / April, which would take place during the gap year. Students should plan accordingly if they are interested in applying to an away rotation.

Guidance for Career Launch

Which courses (specifically sub-Is/acting internships) are strongly recommended or required in the summer prior to residency application? Are any specific sites recommended for these courses? Is more than 1 sub-I (or acting internship) recommended in your specialty?

Students must do an Ophthalmology Sub I. We offer one based out of our Mission Bay Campus (140.01A Advanced Ophthalmology Clerkship, Mission Bay) and one based out of the SF VA (140.06 Advanced Ophthalmology Clerkship, Veteran's Affairs). Please note, you only need to do one of these, not both. Due to early match, the ophthalmology sub-I should be completed in May, June, or July. An additional sub-I where honors is possible, such as Surgery, Medicine, or Acute Care, should be completed by August if possible so that the grade can be included in the application.

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What is the recommended timing of the medicine or family medicine acting internship (AI)?

Ideally prior to the application due date (which is September 1).

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What electives are encouraged (but not required or strongly recommended) during Career Launch in your field or outside of your field?

• Dermatology
• Radiology
• ENT
• Rheumatology

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If away rotations are recommended in your field, what advice do you tell students about selecting and procuring this experience?

Away rotations are only recommended under the following circumstances:

• Away rotations are helpful when students feel that their potential performance on the rotation is stronger than their written application.
• Geographical preference, getting to know a program and second time applicants are good reasons to do an away.
• We recommend meeting with advisors to discuss necessity of away rotations. They should be done before October.  

Guidance for Residency Applications, Interviews and Matching

What aspects of an application are the most important to be competitive in this specialty?

	Absolutely essential	Very important	Somewhat important	Not at all impportant
Extracurricular leadership efforts		X
Research/publications	X
Honors in specialty sub-internship	X
Honors in medicine or family medicine acting internship		X
Away rotations			X
USMLE Step 2 scores		X
Community work or service		X
Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) comments in my specialty	X
MSPE comments in other specialties		X
MSPE non-clinical sections (including "Noteworthy characteristics")		X
DEI and/or anti-oppressive work		X
Letters of recommendation	X
Leadership roles		X

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What aspects of an application would be particularly harmful in terms of competitiveness?

	Matching in specialty extremely unlikely	Matching in Specialty will be more challenging, but possible	No impact on competitiveness
Negative comments regarding professionalism/physicianship	X
More than 1 attempt to pass USMLE Step 1 or 2	X
Below-average-for-specialty score on Step 2		X
No Step 2 score at the time of application submission		X
Multiple clerkship or exam failures that are apparent on the MSPE or transcript	X
Notation about extra time taken to complete a clerkship in the MSPE		X
Leave of absence from medical school not accounted for by outside degree program or research time		X

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Do programs in this specialty typically use "cut-off" USMLE scores to screen applications?

Yes. My guidance (including a Step 2 score target) about this is:

This is very program dependent and given this is an early match, Step 2 is not "required" by every program (but some do require and most will like to see a score). Some programs may even place a cut off around 250 (but again, this is program dependent and not all programs will do this).

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What is the optimal timing for Step 2 CK?

Ideally so you have your score before the Sept 1 application deadline.

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Is research experience without publication valued in your specialty? If so, what are ways that this can be shown on their application/CV?

Yes this is helpful, though not as valued as publications. There is an "other research experience" section on the SF match application where this can be shown. If significant, may also be able to discuss in personal statement or short answer questions. Ideally the research mentor can write about the body of work in their letter of recommendation as well.

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Is research and/or publication in another specialty of value to an applicant? (This may be particularly applicable to an applicant making a late decision to apply in your specialty)

Yes, when accepted for publication.

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When advising about applying in your specialty, are students ever encouraged to apply in a backup specialty or dual apply in a second specialty? If so, when should students consider this? Who is the best person in my department to consult about this?

Yes, if the student is at risk for not matching and prefers not to take another research year and try again if they do not match, then dual applying is encouraged and supported. This is something that should be discussed with the specialty advisor at the beginning of the Career Launch year. Please consult Neeti Parikh to evaluate the strength of the application and to decide if dual applying is recommended.

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What departmental application events (general info, strategy, celebration) are held throughout the application and match season? Who should the student contact to be invited to these events?

Ophthalmology career launch advising session and Mock interviews. Please contact Dr. Shelle Libberton.

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Any departmental or specialty specific websites or resources for residency application that you recommend?

Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology Medical Resources

Ophthalmology Medical Student resource wiki

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Who are essential faculty to meet with before application (Department Chair, Main Specialty Advisor, Residency Program Director, etc)? What is the optimal timing for this meeting? What material or information should the student bring to this meeting? Who should the student contact to arrange this meeting?

• Main Specialty Advisor: Dr. Neeti Parikh.
• Optimal timing: Early Career Launch (March)
• Materials and information: Have an updated CV

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In addition to the standard application, does your specialty use any form of supplemental application? If so, how does a student register for the supplemental application? Is there any specific advice that could be helpful in preparing a supplemental application?

The Ophthalmology Match is through the SF Match.

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Who in the department should review the personal statement? When should a good draft of the personal statement be presented to faculty reviewers?

Any advisors or mentors you may have. You should present your first draft by early/mid July.

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What is your recommended general approach or strategy for requesting letters of recommendation (LORs), particularly timing and etiquette?

Ask faculty who know you well, who you feel can write you an excellent letter of recommendation. It is better to have a letter from a faculty who knows you well than from a faculty who is well-known, but has not worked closely with you. At least 1 of your letters should be from a faculty member who can comment on your clinical aptitude (a clinical preceptor) Start trying to identify potential letter writers early, when you start clinical rotations or those you do research with. If you feel that you have developed a close relationship with a faculty member and that they would be able to write you a strong letter, ask them for a letter at the end of the rotation (even if applications is in the distant future). Ask them in person, then send them a follow up email with the following information: Your name ; The rotation that you worked with them on; When the letter would be due, and a timeline of when you will send any reminder emails If available; Instructions on how to submit the letter, including any direct weblinks to the submission site; An attachment summarizing any specific items that the letter writer could potentially mention (Ex: during my rotation with you, we took care of a patient with malignant hypertension. I took the initiative to research this topic and give a small presentation to the team during rounds the next day Ex: while we were taking care of a patient with a difficult social situation, I stayed after hours to make sure that the patient was able to obtain transportation to get to their appointments); And your CV as an attachment. Sometimes faculty will be too overloaded or feel that they will not be able to write you a strong letter. If this happens, ask a different faculty member for a letter.

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Does the department write a letter of recommendation ("Chair Letter"/ "Department Letter") for an applicant? If so, who should they contact for this and when should they do so?

Not at this time.

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Of the total of 3 (or 4) letters that are part of an application, what is considered the best mix of letters? (eg: 1 from sub-internship, 1 additional clinical letter, 1 research letter, 1 department letter)

• 2 from ophthalmology (ideally 1 clinical and one research)
• 1 from a non ophthalmology clinical rotation

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Does your department have a Standardized/Supplemental Letter of Evaluation (such as SLOE)? If so, how is this letter drafted (and by whom)? Is there any advice you recommend for students so that they can have an outstanding SLOE?

No

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What types of variations in residency training programs are there in your specialty (eg, different tracks, different lengths)?

A few select programs will have a research track (with an extra research year)

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Who should students review their program list with?

Dr. Neeti Parikh

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How many programs do you recommend a student that is average in terms of competitiveness apply to?

50 - 60

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Is there a “signaling” program for your specialty and if so, is there a strategy to use signals?

Yes, a signaling program exists. My strategy recommendations are signaling for the Ophthalmology match will start with the next application cycle.

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When do interviews typically happen in your field? Is there optimal timing for scheduling interviews? During these months, what clinical or non-clinical rotations do you recommend for students?

Late October to December. Best to place high interest programs in the middle of the interview season. Many programs have only a few interviews or overlapping dates so it is best to have a plan for scheduling and which dates that you want to request. We recommend non clinical rotations or research electives at this time if possible to make it easier to schedule interviews.

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Any advice or guidance about etiquette for cancelling interviews? Any strategy for which interviews to keep and which interviews to cancel?

Cancel as soon as you know you want to cancel so someone else can take that spot.

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Are you anticipating all in-person, all virtual, or a mix of in-person and virtual interviews?

All virtual

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During an interview, what should applicants be looking for and/or what questions should they consider asking that can help them clarify what programs will be most desirable?

Ask what most of the graduating residents do for their careers - this will help clarify the general direction of the program towards community health / private practice vs. fellowship / academics.

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What is the recommended approach to post-interview communication? Are thank you notes recommended? Are “you are my #1 choice” letters recommended?

Thank you notes (by email) are optional (recommended unless the program specifically asks you not to) You should only send a "you are my number one choice" email if you are 100% sure you will be ranking that program number 1.

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Is there any special advice you give to students applying as a couple in the Match? If so, what is it?

No couples match in ophthalmology unfortunately.

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How many interviews should students with average (for specialty) competitiveness attend in order to have a good chance of matching?

10

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At what point in time should students be concerned about not having enough interviews? Who should they contact if that is the case?

Interview invites typically go out in early/mid October. If you don't start getting invites by that first week (less than 5 by week 2) please contact the specialty advisor (Neeti Parikh) and/or any other mentors you may have in the department.

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With whom should the students consult regarding creating the rank order list? What is the best timing for this?

You can consult Dr. Neeti Parikh or Dr. Madeline Yung

 

Updated February 2024 by Dr Neeti Parikh and Dr Madeline Yung.

 

Contact Orthopaedic Surgery

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MAIN

Nikki
Schroeder

Lauren Santiesteban

Lan Chen

Kevin Hwang

 

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Dan
Thuillier

 

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Orthopaedic residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT

What can students do in the 1st and 2nd years to explore and/or prepare for this career? 

Students have various opportunities to explore a career in orthopaedics:

160.01 Introduction to Clinical Orthopaedics, winter quarter

Students get hands on experience and will learn to recognize the presentation of musculoskeletal conditions; understand how to evaluate a patient with a musculoskeletal condition, including directed physical examination, and manage the patient with a musculoskeletal condition at a level appropriate for their skill set. A Musculoskeletal examination practicum is given at the end of the six sessions.

160.04 Orthopaedic Surgical Skills and OR Assist

Medical students will have the opportunity to learn about orthopaedic surgical skills and techniques — suturing, plating a long bone fracture, using a bone saw, etc. — and assist ortho faculty in the operating room and clinic. Students will attend one surgical skills labs where they will learn how to use orthopaedic surgical instruments and repair a long-bone fracture. Students will also be able to develop mentoring relationships with orthopaedic faculty through the OR Assist Mentor Match.

Other opportunities for 1st and 2nd year students:

• Shadow a resident at ZSFG Hospital and trauma center when they are on call overnight and see how fractures and other orthopaedic injuries are acutely managed. Sign up for the Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group to get on the newsletter.
• Noon lectures by faculty in the fall and spring
• Partner with our orthopaedic faculty on research projects in the summer between 1st and 2nd years 
• Attend the annual medical student meeting with the Dr. Vail (chairman) and Faculty Advisors
• Attend an information session by ortho residents who were prior UC medical students
• Resident mentors available for students interested in orthopaedics
• Volunteer for Playsafe Cardiac Physicals  
• Attend weekly morning conference and grand rounds, beginning at 6:30am most days.   

     For more information, contact Daniel Peterson. 

2. What common variations exist in the length/content of residency programs for this career? 

Most orthopædic programs are five years in length: intern year (6 months general surgery, 6 months ortho), 4 years rotating between the 8 principal (trauma, arthroplasty, sports, pediatrics, hand, foot and ankle, spine, and oncology) divisions of orthopædic surgery. Some programs add a 6th research year that is often completed between the 3rd and 4th year of residency. Most fellowships programs are 1 year in length. 

3. What common variations exist in this career after training? 

• Private practice and academic medicine. This is a busy surgical field.
• Part time is possible though rare. Most groups require full time call. 

4. What is a typical work-day for someone in this field?

• At work before 7:00 am, though may vary depending on practice.
• Home by 7:00 pm, though varies.
• The days of the week are divided equally between clinic and operating room. 
• Number of call days for an attending surgeon vary according to institution, but can be as frequently as 10 days per month or as infrequently as 2 weeks per year.
• Residents work the full 80 hours per week and take call 1-3 days per week. 

5. What is the culture of this career? 

• Extrovert, energetic, caring, up-tempo, innovative, and optimistic.
• Traditionally a male-dominated field: < 7% of all practicing orthopædic surgeons are female, however this is changing.  This is an opportunity for impact for women. At UCSF, approximately 30% of the residency program and 28% of the faculty are comprised of women. Trauma care is integral to the culture: immediacy, unpredictability.  This is a less controlled field like some other surgical subspecialities such as ophthalmology. 

6. How compatible is this career with raising a family? How is this different for men and women?

Both male and female surgeons have families. In general, a surgical career requires a more organized and planned approach to managing family.  This can include in-home care (i.e. Live-in nannies) or family support with child-rearing. Women in surgery are more likely to postpone starting a family until residency is finished although there have been women who opt to start a family during their training. This may mean a shorter maternity leave, using vacation time, and/or additional training time to complete all the ACGME requirements to graduate.           

7. What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field? 

Hard work and being a team player are the two most consistently valued traits in orthopaedics. Other important traits and qualities include: sensitivity towards patients and others, (flexibility, sense of calmness (operating room can be very fast paced and stressful), humility and dedication.

8. How competitive are the residency programs in this field? 

This is one of the most competitive fields, in the same group as neurosurgery, dermatology and plastic surgery. 

9. How competitive is the job market after residency?

It is very competitive because the quality of student who enters the field is high. Also, the job market varies amongst specialties. Hand Surgery and Sports Medicine are most competitive now. Because of the aging population, orthopaedic surgeons will have job security for the next couple of decades.
The population is aging, and technology is driving expansion of the field. 

10. What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?

Doing away rotations are critical to the application, but can be a double-edged sword. While they usually increase the chance of matching at that program because they may be regarded as a month-long interview, they occasionally harm the student if they do not perform well. It is expected that students complete at least two away rotations in addition to your home rotation.

UCSF students are popular at Columbia, Harvard, UC Davis, University of Washington, Duke, Stanford, and Hospital for Special Surgery. Other sites prior UCSF students have rotated at include Northwestern, UCSD, NYU, and UCLA
Several factors influence decision to rotate at an away program: When you rotate at a program, you also need to ask yourself: “Would you be happy ending up at that program/location/etc?”

• Location.  Will you enjoy living there?  Note that surgeons settle a mean of ~ 60 miles from where they train, showing that strong connections are formed during residency and fellowship.
• Large or small program?  The former may offer a more diverse experience, while the latter may be more intimate.
• Private or academic?  As general rules with exceptions, private programs tend to be more gentile, more primarily operative (e.g. less fellows), less intellectually rigorous.
• Do you have an early interest?  E.g. a broad county public trauma experience or a highly specialized more private training?
• How is the resident culture?  Are the residents cohesive and happy?
• How is the faculty culture?  Is there turnover?  Is the Chair position stable?
• How is the operative experience?  E.g. do fellows constitute a barrier?
• How is the formal education curriculum?  E.g. conference schedule, funding for academic travel.
• What are there research opportunities?  E.g. research rotation, publications with attending faculty, extra year or other time for research training.
• Where do graduates take fellowships?

 
11. What resources (eg, websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field? 

• Start at https://www.aamc.org/cim/
• Check the Orthopædic Surgery Interest Group (OSIG) at UCSF
• Contact the department for available resources (faculty and residents)
• Check the Orthobullets website as you begin to shadow more

12. How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

 

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular/ volunteer work		x
Research/publications	x			Does not have to be in orthopædics: excellence is most important.  However, in orthopædics is more understandable to potential interviewers and offers an opportunity to discuss and impress.
Honors in third year	x			These are the best correlates with success in residency and therefore important. Honors in surgery and medicine is strongly recommended.
AOA		x
Subinternship	x			Essential for recommendation. Hard work and dedication are key. Read for every case. Demonstrate initiative.
Externship	x			Specific to externship. For example, letter of recommendation from an externship may not be important beyond that program.
Other: USMLE Step 1	x			Many programs screen out applicants < 225.
Other: Longitudinal Clinical Experience		x		A source of second orthopædic letter of recommendation from a varied setting. An opportunity to learn more about the field.

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

 

Contact Otolaryngology Advisors

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MAIN

Andy
Murr

Steven
Pletcher

Kristina
Rosbe

CONFIDENTIAL

Chase
Heaton

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Otolaryngology residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN OTOLARYNGOLOGY – HEAD AND NECK SURGERY

1. What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?

• Following a five year otolaryngology residency, residents have the option of pursuing a sub-specialty fellowship (see below), becoming an academic otolaryngologist, or joining a private practice otolaryngology group. Historically at UCSF, at least half of our graduating residents pursue a fellowship. 
• Offered Fellowships and time commitment
  • Facial Plastic Surgery (1 year)
  •  Pediatric Otolaryngology (1 year or 2 years)
  • Otology/Neurotology (2 years)
  • Head and Neck Oncologic and Reconstructive Surgery (1 or 2 years)
  • Rhinology/Sinus Surgery (1 year)
  • Laryngology (1 year)
  • Sleep Medicine (1 year)
  •  Allergy (1 year)
  • Skull Base Surgery (1 year)

2. What is a typical workday like?
A typical week for an otolaryngologist involves seeing patients in the clinic and the operating room. Academic otolaryngologists on average spend 2-3 days in clinic, 2-3 days in the operating room, and 1 day pursuing academic and clinical endeavors. Private practice otolaryngologist typically spend more time in clinic (~4 days per week), and have fewer operating days.

3. What is the culture of this specialty?
Otolaryngologists pride themselves on being skilled surgeons and adept clinicians, appreciating both the procedural and medical aspects of the field. They are friendly, supportive, approachable, and well-adjusted. They are typically at the forefront of innovation and specialty advancement through clinical, translational, and basic science research. Otolaryngologists understand the importance of the balance between work and life outside the hospital. 

4. What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?
A career in otolaryngology is very compatible with raising a family. There are inherent challenges in balancing family and professional life in all of medicine. We view our specialty as being more family-friendly and focused on achieving an appropriate work-life balance compared to other surgical fields. 

5. What are the ways in which this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity? 

• Offering of scholarships (through both the UCSF Department and National Specialty Organizations) to underrepresented visiting medical students during their clerkships. Each underrepresented student is provided a mentor who also is underrepresented. 
• Establishment of a Diversity Committee focused on educating residency interviewers about unconscious bias. 
• We have incorporated diversity education in the weekly residency education curriculum.

6. What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?

• Team-player
• Collegial
• Empathetic
• Detail oriented
• Well rounded
• Positive attitude

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN OTOLARYNGOLOGY – HEAD AND NECK SURGERY

1. What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?

• Speak with the Otolaryngology Confidential Career Advisor
• Visit the career advising website
• Explore shadowing opportunities to gain exposure to the field
• Develop relationships with residents and faculty
•  Assist in smaller clinical research projects, seek out a research mentor in the department 

2. Planning considerations for F2?
Apply for an Otolaryngology CIEx (3 offered, availability at all hospital sites)

3. Planning considerations for Career Launch?

• Sub-internship scheduling
• Discuss application with confidential career advisor and mentor(s)

4. What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?
Primary Care Otolaryngology Handbook 

5.  How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
Otolaryngology has historically been a sought after surgical specialty with a competitive application process. Our program at UCSF receives about 300 applications for 5 positions. However, ~90% of US seniors who complete the match process will be placed.

6. When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?
Early in medical school to inquire what are their strengths and weaknesses of their application, and what proactive steps they can make to ensure a residency match.

7.  How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular/ leadership efforts		x
Research/publications	x
Honors in F2*	x
AOA		x
Honors in Sub-I	x
Externship		x
USMLE Step 1 and 2	x
Top Tier Medical School		x
Community Service		x

*F2 Honors grades only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before fall 2018)

 

8. How can students best find mentors?
Specialty residency advisors and confidential career advisors are more than happy to assist in scheduling shadowing opportunities and introduce you to other members of the department to set up a mentorship. 

9. How can students evaluate their chances of matching?

• Discuss with mentor and/or confidential career advisor
• Visit the “residency application and matching resources” page on the student resource webpage. 

10. How competitive is the job market after residency?

• Academic positions are highly competitive. More often than not advanced training in an otolaryngology sub-specialty will increase your chances of being hired at an academic institution.
• As with other specialties, there are more private practice options, with less geographic constraints. 
• Overall, the job market in this field is excellent. About 280 new otolaryngologists are produced each year and the attrition from retirement is approximately the same. There are about 14000 otolaryngologists in the U.S.

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN OTOLARYNGOLOGY – HEAD AND NECK SURGERY

1. How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?
Most students will submit 3-4 letters of recommendation (LoR), often from members of the otolaryngology community. These may be faculty from sub-internships (home school and externships), non-clinical faculty mentors, or research mentors. LoRs from non-otolaryngology faculty or research mentors are not required. 

2. Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student?
Yes, a letter co-authored by the Residency Program Director(s) and Chairman is offered to all UCSF students.

3. Advice on writing personal statements?

• Be yourself
• Highlight your accomplishments in medical school
• Discuss your research experience in otolaryngology
• Explain why you want to be an otolaryngologist
• Tell the reader something that is not on your CV

4. How many programs do students typically apply to?

30-60

5. What types of variations in training programs are there (e.g., different tracks, different lengths)?
Most residency programs, UCSF included, are 5 years including an Otolaryngology PGY-1 year with 6 months on services outside of Otolaryngology. Several programs offer research tracks with 1-2 additional years of training, usually through a T32 program. 

6. What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?

• Due to the relatively small nature of Otolaryngology and the competitive nature of the field, applicants are strongly advised to apply to geographically diverse institutions.  There are no “bad” Otolaryngology programs, but there are differences in size (ranging from 1-7 residents/year, most programs at 3-4-5 residents/year) research focus, clinical training settings, and Department culture.  Applicants should consider their personal priorities and discuss with resident or faculty mentors to identify programs which meet their goals.  
• Applicants may want to complete at least one away rotation to increase exposure to the specialty and establish mentors and connections outside of UCSF.  

7. Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service?
NRMP

8. What are important topics or themes to include in a personal statement?
See #3 above

9. When are residency applications due?
Rolling admission, opens mid-September.  Students are encouraged to submit their application at the opening of the admission cycle.  Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery programs do not send invitations to interview until the end of October.

10. How can applicants best prepare for interviews?
Mock interviews with classmates/mentors
Make sure to have a thorough understanding of your research for discussion
Read up on the programs and develop insightful questions about the potential opportunity 

11.What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?
No contact required

12. How many programs do students typically rank?
10-15

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

Contact Pathology + Laboratory Medicine Advisors

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MAIN

Raga
Ramachandran

Ronald
Balassanian

CONFIDENTIAL

Dana Balitzer

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Pathology residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN PATHOLOGY + LABORATORY MEDICINE

 

What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?
Careers involve Anatomic Pathology (AP), Clinical Pathology (CP or Laboratory Medicine), or a combination.  Pathology career environments include academic practice, private/community practice, medicolegal (forensic) practice, and industry.  In all settings, the opportunities for teaching and research exist to various degrees. Most pathology departments have combined AP and CP services. Select institutions, such as UCSF, have separate departments for AP and CP.

 

What is a typical workday like?
The day varies depending on the career environment, and can range from pure clinical practice to a combination of clinical practice, research, and teaching.  As far as clinical practice, our field focuses on diagnostic interpretation and is entirely consultation-based, meaning that other providers refer patients for testing or procedures that generate material for pathologists to examine and interpret.  In AP, that material ranges from biopsies (cytology and surgical pathology) to larger surgical specimens (surgical pathology) to the entire body (autopsy).  Regardless of the type of material, the product of clinical work by anatomic pathologists is an interpretive report that becomes part of the permanent electronic medical record for ongoing patient care or family counseling.

 

What is the culture of this specialty?
In general, this is a collegial specialty, as we interact throughout the day with other health care providers ranging from seasoned attendings to residents and fellows in training to novice students. Cytopathologists also interact with patients during the process of performing biopsy procedures. Patient interaction with pathologists to review interpretive reports is an emerging and exciting field. Resident well-being is important to our specialty as well.

 

What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?
While this is a very individual and complex decision, careers in Pathology do allow for some flexibility as far as spending time with family.  Hospitals are staffed 24/7 by pathologists on call, but we take call from home.  The flip side of the comforts of home call is that our post-call schedule is unmodified and may include a full day on clinical service.  The culture is overall family-friendly, and several of our residents and fellows have children during training.  Many successful role models are present at UCSF and nationally who balance professional commitments with family commitments and other serious pursuits. 

 

What are the ways in which this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity? 
This is an emerging and very important topic nationally for pathologists.  Some institutions offer specific electives for URM or first-generation students to explore careers in Pathology.  Here at UCSF, we have a Diversity Committee in AP and Lab Medicine to look at topics like recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce.  Topics like equitable access to care have not been part of our field’s literature in the past, but are potential opportunities for creative and impactful work by pathologists.

 

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
We aim to deliver accurate and timely diagnostic interpretation to facilitate ongoing patient care.  Curiosity, a problem-solving approach, strong written and verbal communication skills, and skilled clinical reasoning are assets.  Self-motivation and patience are important.  Respect for all team members is critical to achieving optimal care, as most of our teamwork involves other providers rather than a patient in the room.  Creativity is important.  For example, digital pathology is a new and rapidly growing area that is certain to change the landscape of diagnostic pathology.  Students with an interest in computational methods and programming can make a big impact as digital pathology evolves.

 

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN PATHOLOGY

 

What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?
Attend an info session during ARCH, join the Pathology Student Interest Group, set up shadowing in our department, and meet a UCSF pathologist to learn about careers in our field.

 

Planning considerations for F2?
Take the Demystifying Pathology CIEx (2 weeks), volunteer to go to our department to check on preliminary results for your patients, ask your surgical team if you can scrub out to follow a frozen section, set up advising meetings within the department.

 

Planning considerations for Career Launch?
Take the Pathology 150.03 elective (4 weeks) to explore Anatomic Pathology and look into analogous electives in Lab Medicine.  Attend seminars in the department and continue with regular advising meetings.  Consider an away elective at another institution to broaden your clinical experience.  Consider electives in other related fields (oncology, medical or surgical subspecialties) to explore how pathology impacts patient care.

 

What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?

• https://pathologytraining.org/ (Intersociety Council for Pathology Information)

• https://www.aamc.org/cim/specialty/exploreoptions/list/us/336858/pathology-anatomic_and_clinical.html (requires a AAMC account)
• https://pathology.ucsf.edu/ (our department site)
• https://www.cap.org/member-resources/residents/cap-for-medical-students (College of American Pathologists)

 

How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
The top programs are competing for the same applicants, who tend to have outstanding academic records, a history of extracurricular achievement, and prior research experience, though that research need not be in diagnostic pathology.  That said, nationally the number of residency spots is greater than the number of applicants from US programs, so a UCSF graduate applying in this specialty is almost certain to get a desirable result.  Residency programs tend to look at applicants in a holistic manner, rather than relying on a single metric such as USMLE scores to trim down the applicant pool.   

 

When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?
You are welcome to contact the specialty residency advisor early, as exploring this field takes some initiative and careful scheduling during F2 and Career Launch.  Definitely make contact early in F2, if not earlier.  Once you have reasonably firm interest in the field, involving the confidential advisor is a good idea if you have specific questions or concerns.

 

How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?
In addition to activities listed in this table, a huge component to pathology is just demonstrating an interest, as advanced coursework typically is not a requirement in medical school.  

 

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular leadership efforts	X
Research/publications	X
Honors in F2*		X
AOA		X
Honors in Sub-I	X			Not all programs offer the Honors grade, and admissions committees are aware of this.
Externship	X
USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores		X
Top Tier Medical School			X
Community Service			X

*F2 Honors grades only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before fall 2018)

 

How can students best find mentors?
Any trusted member of the UCSF Pathology community can serve as a mentor or co-mentor.  This could include the pathologists you interact with in F1 and F2 or in the JMP, your small group facilitator, or official departmental advisors (see the Career Advising website). 

 

How can students evaluate their chances of matching?
Chances of matching are high.  Chances of matching into the most competitive programs may not be as high.  Consider having a trusted mentor look over your residency application materials (CV, personal statement) prior to submitting them in ERAS.  Strategize with your mentor about suitable letter writers.

 

How competitive is the job market after residency?
This partly depends on the desired environment, such as academia versus private practice.  This also depends on how much geographic flexibility an applicant has.  Nationally, there are rural and underserved urban areas in dire need of pathologists, and new medical schools recruiting heavily for motivated new faculty.  Certain geographic areas, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, have ebbs and flows as far as job openings.  

 

 

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN PATHOLOGY + LABORATORY MEDICINE

 

How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?
Three to five letters are expected, including a letter from at least one pathologist. A clinician in another field who can comment on your general clinical reasoning and teamwork skills and/or a research advisor would also be good sources for letters.  If you complete an away elective early enough, you can consider asking for a letter from that elective as well.

 

Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student?
Students should request a letter from an individual attending.  The typical scenario is that our applicants take Pathology 150.03, our 4-week elective, and request a letter from the elective director or another attending who supervised them closely.

 

Advice on writing personal statements?
Make the statement personalized!  Avoid generic language that lacks references to specific places and experiences.  After reading the statement, the attendings on the admissions committee should understand your motivation for applying in this field and your prior relevant experiences. 

 

How many programs do students typically apply to?
See post-match survey for recent data, as this is individual-dependent. 

 

What types of variations in training programs are there (eg, different tracks, different lengths)?
Residents can sit for boards in AP, CP, or combined AP/CP.  Some fellowships also have required fellowship exams.  For details, see the American Board of Pathology website at https://www.abpath.org/index.php.  Board eligibility in the AP-only or CP-only tracks requires 24 months of core rotations plus another 12 months of advanced clinical.  Board eligibility for the combined AP/CP exam involves 48 months of core rotations.  At least one fellowship is expected in order to be reasonably competitive for jobs.  This could be one year of advanced training in surgical pathology or cytology.  Many academically-oriented candidates will complete an additional year of fellowship (GI/Liver, GYN, etc.).  Fellowships at some institutions are 2 years for certain subspecialties (such as UCSF Neuropathology and UCSF Dermatopathology). The bottom line: training varies from 3 to 6 years for most graduates.

 

What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?
Recent graduates have matched at UCSF, Stanford, and the Harvard hospitals.  The goals are very individual, and our academic community at UCSF can provide personalized advising in making this important decision.

 

Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service?
Through the NRMP on the regular timeline (no early match).

 

What are important topics or themes to include in a personal statement?
Consider addressing how you became interested in medicine in general, or provide some other insight into your personal story.  Definitely address how you became interested in Pathology, as this is certain to come up in interviews.  Explain what you have done at your home institution and/or elsewhere to explore your career choice.  Consider mentioning areas where you feel you can make a unique contribution to the field.

 

When are residency applications due?
Review of applications begins through ERAS on September 15 when they are released to our Residency Selection Committee. Applications are accepted until December 15. However, invitations to interview are often full by that time.

 

How can applicants best prepare for interviews?

• Schedule a mock interview through the SOM.
• This website has helpful resources: https://career.ucsf.edu/professional/medicine/interviewing#Interviewing-Resources-Tailored-for-Medical-Students
• Ask current residents about their interview experience.

 

What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?
The NRMP has match rules and codes of conduct, including best practices for post-interview communication. Our program follows these rules. Essentially, a program or an applicant may communicate their interest. However, they are not allowed to ask how they will be ranked. Each program has their own policy on how much they engage with applicants post interview. Generally, it is entirely appropriate and allowed for a student to indicate true interest in a program.

 

How many programs do students typically rank?
See the post-match survey for recent data.

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

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Contact Pediatrics Advisors

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MAIN

Sara
Buckelew

MICHELE LONG

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Chelsea Garnett

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Pediatrics residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN PEDIATRICS

 

What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?
There are so many variations within pediatrics. Some are generalists and others are subspecialists. Some pediatricians are clinical (outpatient or inpatient), some are research-oriented, and others do a variety of things including advocacy, medical education, quality improvement and systems science, hospital leadership etc. The sky really is the limit – whatever inspires you!

 

What is a typical workday like?

Completely depends on your career path.

 

What is the culture of this specialty?

Kindness! Passion for helping children and families!

 

What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?

Since pediatricians work with families every day, the career is usually very supportive of physicians having a family, and in general the field supports having appropriate work/life balance.

 

What are the ways in which this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity?

There are lots of initiatives within the department of pediatrics to support DEI. One clear example is the Peds Diversity Committee, which is a resident-lead group that is committed to increasing diversity in the department. They do a lot of applicant outreach and try to recruit students who are underrepresented in medicine.

 

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
You must love working with children and families!

 

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN PEDIATRICS

 

What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?

• Come to the Peds SIG (Special Interest Group) elective “Exploring Pediatrics” where you can hear about a variety of topics, including perspectives from UCSF pediatric speakers (specialists, generalists, interprofessionals.). It is held in the fall of the F1 year, August through December.
• The Peds career advisors will hold sessions during early ARCH weeks 1 and/or 2.
• There is also a Peds Mixer that happens in May of every year, with students, residents, fellows and faculty in pediatrics, to allow you to meet other folks in pediatrics and hear about their experiences. It’s a casual evening that will allow you to talk about pediatrics in a relaxed setting.
• You can also meet with advisors in pediatrics at any time for an individual meeting.

Planning considerations for F2?

• The Peds career advisors will hold sessions during ARCH week 6.
• There is also a Peds Mixer that happens in May of every year, with students, residents, fellows and faculty in pediatrics, to allow you to meet other folks in pediatrics and hear about their experience. It’s a casual evening that will allow you to talk about pediatrics in a relaxed setting.
• You can also meet with advisors in pediatrics at any time for an individual meeting.

Planning considerations for Career Launch?

• We will have a deep-dive planning session usually in March.
• In April, during ARCH week 7, we will have office hours where you can meet with an advisor one-on-one.
• There is also a Peds Mixer that happens in May of every year, with students, residents, fellows and faculty in pediatrics, to allow you to meet other folks in pediatrics and hear about their experience. It’s a casual evening that will allow you to talk about pediatrics in a relaxed setting.
• During the summer, we are available to review your CV, personal statement, and talk through where you are applying.
• The career advisors will be writing your Peds Departmental Letter.
• We will also hold an evening for interview preparing in October.
• You can also meet with advisors in pediatrics at any time for an individual meeting.

 

What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Pediatrics in Review – great for quick overviews of important topics in pediatrics
• Reach out to career advisors to discuss your specific needs, identify opportunities that may be right for you.

 

How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?

As with many specialties, there are some residencies that are top-tier that are very competitive, and others that are considered in the “safety” school categories. In general UCSF students do very well matching into pediatrics.

 

When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?

The specialty residency advisors are Sabrina Fernandez (Sabrina.fernandez@ucsf.edu) and Michele Long (Michele.long@ucsf.edu) and the confidential advisor is Sara Buckelew (sara.buckelew@ucsf.edu)

 

How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular leadership efforts	x	X		Depends on depth of involvement
Research/publications			x	Some value, depends on program
Honors in F2*	X
AOA		X
Honors in Sub-I	X
Externship			X
USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores	X
Top Tier Medical School		X
Community Service	x	x

*F2 Honors grades only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before fall 2018)

 

I would add that probably the most important things are:

• Interview interactions
• Interpersonal skills
• Professionalism and ethics
• Leadership skills
• Perceived commitment to pediatrics
• See Ryan MS Acad Peds, 2015, using NRMP PD Data, 2013

How can students best find mentors?

• Ask around, starting with their career advisors!
• Ask around to identify a near-peer/senior student/new resident in pediatrics for specific questions.
• Engage with peers from the Pediatric SIG to help navigate process of applications from the student/applicant perspective.

 

How can students evaluate their chances of matching?

The match really is about taking the entire application together. Many students are weak in one area and super-stars in others. Your career launch advisor (Michele or Sabrina) will help you put together a rank list that is appropriate for your application.

 

How competitive is the job market after residency?

UCSF graduates tend to do very well.

 

 

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN PEDIATRICS

 

How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?

4 letters, including one pediatric departmental letter

 

Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student?

Yes

 

Advice on writing personal statements?

Keep it simple and personal. It’s okay to get emotional. We will send many more personal statement tips for you in the summer/fall of your career launch year.

 

How many programs do students typically apply to?

Between 8-15 typically, but more if couples matching or dual applying.

 

What types of variations in training programs are there (eg, different tracks, different lengths)?

Some residencies have “fast track” programs for students who are bound for subspecialty. For example, UCSF Peds Residency has many students who complete 2 years in pediatrics training and then move onto fellowship in Pediatric HemeOnc or Child Neurology or other specialties. Some students apply in MedPeds programs if they are also interested in adult medicine. Some students pursuing pediatric anesthesia and/or pain and/or palliative care may do so through varying residencies: pediatric residency, anesthesia, other (depends on career goals).

 

What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?

Geography is often a key driver for residency program consideration. Many residency programs are in larger urban/suburban areas, as Children’s Hospitals are often affiliated with larger Universities. Many students are interested in west coast programs because they are used to living on this side of the country. But there is a big variety.

 

Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service?

Yes, through NRMP

 

What are important topics or themes to include in a personal statement?

You must state somewhere in your personal statement that you love working with kids!

Highlight experiences/events that shaped your understanding of pediatrics/career plan, experiences that reflect leadership/engagement

 

When are residency applications due?

Mid-September.

 

How can applicants best prepare for interviews?

Come to our interview prep night in October. We will go over a typical interview day and give you tips on how to prepare. You will also hear from a panel of peds interns who were just in your shoes the year before.

 

What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?
It’s appropriate to send a thank you note to any interviewer who you were especially drawn to.

 

How many programs do students typically rank?

8-15 depending on their application.

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

 

Contact Pediatric Neurology Advisors

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MAIN

Audrey
Foster
Barber

 

CONFIDENTIAL

Sharon Wietstock

 

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2020-2022 who were matched into Pediatric Neurology residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

Contact Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Advisors

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CONFIDENTIAL

Mitul
Kapadia(On leave 8/1/23 - 7/31/24)

Karina Del Rosario

 

Lisa Pascual

 

 

 

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Statistics on UCSF students in 2018-2019 who were matched into Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency programs:

POST-MATCH REPORT 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION

 

What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?
Many residents pursue fellowship training after completion of residencies.  Many fellowships are ACGME accredited.  Fellowship opportunities include, but are not limited to:  Pediatric Rehabilitation, Brain Injury Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, Neuromuscular Medicine, Sports Medicine, Pain Medicine and Sports/Spine Medicine.

 

Many residents proceed straight into clinical practice following residency. Whether an individual goes into practice after residency or completes a fellowship, there are a variety of clinical settings where PM&R can be practiced.  The scope of PM&R training affords individuals with a high degree of flexibility when choosing a practice setting.  A physiatrist may practice in a purely inpatient (e.g. inpatient rehabilitation center) or purely outpatient setting or a combination of both.  Other individuals may pursue careers in academic settings. Further, physiatrists may choose to specialize in the treatment of specific type of patients, e.g. patients with sports and spine disorders or patients who have sustained trauma.  Given the trends in health care, many psychiatrists join group practices (as opposed to a solo practitioner setting). Often, these groups are multi-specialty practices, consisting of orthopaedic and/or neurosurgical specialists.

 

What is a typical workday like?
The typical work day of a psychiatrist varies widely, depending on the type of practice setting (see number 3).  Outpatient practices may consist of seeing scheduled patients throughout the day.  Those who practice interventional spine and joint injections may have days (or part of days) designated solely to procedures.  Inpatient physiatrist schedules are less predictable.  However, team conferences are a unique aspect of inpatient rehabilitation care and include a comprehensive team including the physiatrist, rehab nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, psychologists, social workers, and case manager. They are a staple for inpatient physiatrists as these times are designated to coordinate care for, often, complex patients. 

 

What is the culture of this specialty?
The practice of PM&R is truly a team sport.  Physiatrists have been “brought up” in a culture of learning to lead and work effectively in interdisciplinary teams with focus on patient centered care, long before this model of care was universally adopted.  As such, the specialty attracts individuals who work and communicate well with their peers, colleagues, patients and caregiver/families.  Physiatrists develop a unique bond with patients and their families often helping them through some of their most difficult days and often following them long-term. In addition to the medical aspects of care, physiatrists are focused on function and developing an individualized plan for patients to return to their regular lives.

 

What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?
PM&R as a career is very compatible with raising a family.  Call schedules vary, depending on the practice setting.  In general, as there are few “rehabilitation emergencies,” being on call may not be as demanding as other specialties.  There is no significant difference for men and women in terms of raising a family.

 

What are the ways in which this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity?
Physiatry lends itself to working with a diverse array of patients of all different backgrounds. The field is built on an inclusive model to embrace a diverse array of backgrounds and perspective on those with whom we work and serve. The AAPMR has a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force (https://www.aapmr.org/about-aapm-r/who-we-are-our-focus/advancing-diversity-and-inclusion) focused on this mission.

 

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
As noted above, physiatrists need to be able to work well with their colleagues and to demonstrate excellent communication skills.  Physiatrists need to be able to both attend to the details of a patient’s care and look comprehensively about a patient’s functional status as it relates not only to self-care, but also to overall functioning within the community.  Physiatrists must be able to motivate patients to take an active role in their health care.  In addition, physiatrists need to be excellent educators, not only for the patient and their caregivers, but also for the medical team caring for the patient.  As with any other specialty, physiatrists must possess the drive for continual learning and honing of their skills to continue to evolve into a better clinician

 

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION

 

What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?
The most important thing students can do is learn more about the field. In addition to attending information sessions on physiatry, students can reach out to faculty in either the Department of Orthopedics or Pediatrics to learn more about careers in PM&R.  Additionally, having a strong anatomy background and interest is important. There are opportunities for summer externships as well in PM&R that provide a mixture of research and clinical experiences through the AAPMR site.

 

Planning considerations for F2?
In addition to students contacting faculty, they can also look at potential opportunities for research in physiatry or overlapping disciplines such as orthopedics, neurology, neurosurgery, sports medicine. Attending the medical student program of the AAPMR annual assembly is another great option to learn more about the field.

 

Planning considerations for Career Launch?
In addition to the above recommendations, doing rotations in PM&R can provide you a better sense of wide breadth of options and career paths the field provides. If students are very interested in the field, they may rotate as 3^rd or 4^th year students on the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinical Clerkship 140.08.

 

What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?
Additional information can be found on the American Academy of PM&R website specifically for medical students:  http://www.aapmr.org/career/students/Pages/default.aspx.  In recent years, the Academy has offered a Medical Student Program during their annual assembly designed to provide information about pursuing a career in PM&R.  These courses have been free of charge.

 

How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
As there are so few residency positions available, matching in the top programs can be competitive.  Recently, there has been an increase in the number of PGY1 positions available in the match.  In general, on average, nearly 100% of the positions offered in the match are filled.

 

When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?
Students should feel free to contact the specialty residency advisors anytime to learn more about the field or process for application.

 

How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular leadership efforts	X
Research/publications		X		Certainly helpful
Honors in F2*	X
AOA		X
Honors in Sub-I	X
Externship	X			Particularly for competitive PM&R programs
USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores		X
Top Tier Medical School	X
Community Service	X

*F2 Honors grades only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before fall 2018)

 

How can students evaluate their chances of matching?
While there is some information on this on the AAPMR website, matching varies significantly based on *tier of programs and geography. Advisors can help you better understand these chances.

 

How competitive is the job market after residency?
As with many other specialties, the job market can be competitive for those seeking to live in certain areas of the country that are thought to be desirable.  However, there are excellent job opportunities throughout the country for both inpatient and outpatient (and a combination of both!) physiatrists. As noted in #3, one of the unique aspects of this field is the wide spectrum of practice opportunities – inpatient / outpatient, academic / non-academic, solo / group.

 

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION

 

How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?
Most programs require 3 letters of recommendation for residency. A letter from a physiatrist is not a requirement at all residency programs but it is HIGHLY advised. Most PM&R programs require a preliminary year (intern year), most commonly in Internal Medicine or Surgery. It is strongly advised that you get a letter of recommendation from either Internal Medicine or Surgery, if you are applying to these respective fields for preliminary year. Please note that some Internal Medicine preliminary year programs may require up to 4 letters of recommendation (this usually includes the Internal Medicine departmental letter, which is a general letter your medical school’s Internal Medicine department should be writing for every medical student applying for an Internal Medicine prelim year).

 

Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student?
No

 

Advice on writing personal statements?
Writing a good personal statement does take a lot of time and self-reflection. Especially in a field such as physiatry, your personal statement gives you an opportunity to introduce your connection to the field and set you apart from other applications. Have others proofread your personal statement and allow them enough time to do so. The opening sentence is the most important line in the personal statement. It should invite the reader to keep reading.  Finish with a strong closing paragraph. Have multiple people (faculty, friends, family, etc.) provide you feedback and criticism on your personal statement. A good piece of writing always benefits from multiple drafts.

 

How many programs do students typically apply to?

 

What types of variations in training programs are there (eg, different tracks, different lengths)?

 

What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?
There are many excellent PM&R residency programs.  Information for most programs can be found on their respective websites.  Recently, the American Academy of PM&R has been offering a Residency Fare during its Annual Assembly.  Many residency programs are represented at the Fare by their residency directors and residents.  Additional information can be found at the Academy’s website:  http://www.aapmr.org/members/residents/Pages/default.aspx.

 

UCSF students have traditionally sought programs on the west coast.  Of note, there are only 5 PM&R programs in the state of California – UC-Davis, Stanford, UCLA, UC-Irvine, and Loma Linda. Recent program matches have included:  Stanford, UCLA and the University of Washington.  East coast matches have been to the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital associated with Harvard University.  UCSF faculty members can help put students in touch with attendings or residents of a variety of programs to help with program choices. It is highly recommended that students rotate to the program of their choice for a sub-internship, especially if the program is highly competitive.

 

Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service?
NRMP

 

What are important topics or themes to include in a personal statement?
Draw on personal and/or patient experiences to help relay why you want to go into PM&R. Include why you think that you would be a good physiatrist. If you have done related research or volunteer work, discuss its connection to your interest in physiatry.

 

How can applicants best prepare for interviews?
Like in other fields, attending a mock interview or practicing with your family and friends can be the best preparation. Be well prepared to discuss your resume and personal statement especially your interest in physiatry.

 

What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?
There is no formal “etiquette” for contacting residency programs after interviews. Certainly, you can email any follow-up questions to the program director or program coordinator. Thank-you letters are very important, as they are a form of personalized communication that can project your personality and your interest in a certain program. These can be in the form of e-mails or mailed greeting cards. You should send these to anyone who interviewed you, as well as to important program staff members. Try to reference something personal discussed during the conversations you had with these individuals. Whether you spoke about your research interests or your love of crossword puzzles, mention something in your communication that will allow the physician or program staff to remember you more clearly. This personal touch will also come in handy during the program’s ranking process. Hopefully, decision-makers will remember items like these when discussing the many applicants they interviewed.

 

How many programs do students typically rank?
The number of programs students rank vary based on personal preference. We recommend applying to a programs in different tiers including some “safety” programs. As there are few programs in California that can get quite competitive, we recommend applying to programs outside the state as well. In the past students have ranked anywhere from 7-8 programs to 20+ programs based on preference.
 

FINDING A MENTOR

What advice would you give to students interested in your field to help them establish effective mentors?
Reach out directly to one of our career advisors (Mitul Kapadia or Lisa Pascual) and we can try to help identify a mentor.

Who can students talk with when they want to find mentors? 
Reach out directly to one of our career advisors (Mitul Kapadia or Lisa Pascual) and we can try to help identify a mentor.

Are there specific faculty or staff in your department who have an interest in supporting students underrepresented in medicine (URM)? 
Mitul Kapadia or Lisa Pascual

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2019

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Contact Preventive Medicine Advisors

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MAIN

Rosalyn Plotzker

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT A CAREER IN GENERAL PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

 

What are some common variations in career path in this specialty?
The majority of practitioners work in public health agencies at all levels of government (county, state, national, international). Others work as medical directors, quality improvement officers, population health managers, etc. for health care organizations. A few work in industry, largely focused on pharmaceutical trials, and others in academia.

 

What is a typical workday like?
Largely office-based without much direct patient contact. There is a heavy focus on epidemiology and biostatistics to understand the burden and determinants of disease.

 

What is the culture of this specialty?
The culture is team-based and collaborative, as practitioners are rarely in the position to dictate much directly.

 

What are the ways in which this career path may support or challenge having a family?
With the exception of overseas deployment when working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these jobs follow typical office hours with not much in the way of night or weekend call.

 

What are the ways in which this specialty encourages and supports inclusiveness and diversity? 
The practice of public health is largely governmental, and there is a premium placed on practitioners reflecting the diversity of the populations they serve.

 

What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?
Being able to see the big picture. Here the population is your patient, and it resides in an environment that is defined by ecology, law, sociodemographics, housing, etc.

 

HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST EXPLORE AND PREPARE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN GENERAL PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

 

What can students do during F1 to explore and/or prepare for this career?
There are required lectures and small groups in public health and global health and the epidemiology curriculum that weaves through Year 1.

 

Planning considerations for F2?
Consider an MPH between the third and fourth years. In the fourth year, there are electives available both locally and at CDC in preventive medicine and public health (EPI 140.07, EPI 140.09)

 

Planning considerations for Career Launch?
We strongly encourage students interested in general preventive medicine and public health to plan to complete clinical residencies before undertaking training. There are a few combined residencies (we offer one with Kaiser Permanente Medical Center here in San Francisco) in internal medicine-preventive medicine and family medicine-preventive medicine.

 

What resources (e.g., websites, books, professional groups) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?
The American College of Preventive Medicine has materials on its web site (www.acpm.org). Another fun source is to subscribe (for free) to CDC’s weekly publication, MMWR (see www.cdc.gov/mmwr)

 

How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
Some are more competitive than others, but these residences are relatively undersubscribed.

 

When should students contact the specialty residency advisor? The confidential advisor?
Contact George Rutherford, M.D., in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (george.rutherford@ucsf.edu)

 

How important is each the following for admission to a competitive program?

 

Area	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important	Comments
Extracurricular leadership efforts		X
Research/publications	X			Students with better records are typically ranked higher
Honors in F2*		X
AOA		X
Honors in Sub-I		X
Externship	X			CDC externship is a large factor
USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores		X
Top Tier Medical School		X
Community Service		X

*F2 Honors grades only relevant to Class of 2020 (or students who did F2 before fall 2018)

 

How can students best find mentors?
Discuss with Dr. Rutherford

 

How can students evaluate their chances of matching?
Discuss with Dr. Rutherford

 

How competitive is the job market after residency?
It depends on what you’re looking for. All our recent graduates found jobs quite easily.

 

 

RESIDENCY APPLICATION IN GENERAL PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

 

In general, as a program we discourage graduates from applying for PGY-1 positions in general preventive medicine and public health unless it is through a combined residency program with internal medicine or family medicine.

 

How many letters of recommendation are required and from which types of specialties?
Typically, 2-3 letters are required although this is non-standard.

 

Does the department write a letter of recommendation for the student?
No. Students can discuss letters of recommendation with Dr. Rutherford.

 

Advice on writing personal statements?
Emphasize prior experience with population health (international experiences, public health rotations, public health agency job experience, MPH)

 

How many programs do students typically apply to?
There is a match, although not all programs participate. Typically, fewer than 5.

 

What types of variations in training programs are there (e.g., different tracks, different lengths)?
Some programs offer a PGY-1 year (see above), and some offer an additional research year.

 

What programs have been popular among UCSF applicants, or how should applicants go about considering programs?

Several students have matched in our combined Kaiser-UCSF internal medicine-preventive medicine program. The other places to strongly consider if students are interested in careers at CDC are Emory and Johns Hopkins.

 

Is this Match through the NRMP or another matching service?
Through NRMP

 

What are important topics or themes to include in a personal statement?
Commitment to population health

 

When are residency applications due?
Typically by the end of December although it’s variable.

 

How can applicants best prepare for interviews?
Think about population health and how you envision a career in improving the health of populations. Speak with Dr. Rutherford or other program faculty members.

 

What is the etiquette for contact with residency programs after interviews have been completed?
Some allow it and some don’t.

 

How many programs do students typically rank?
Variable (see above)
 

FINDING A MENTOR
 

What advice would you give to students interested in your field to help them establish effective mentors?
Reach out early. Consider getting an MPH between third and fourth years and do the CDC rotation in the fourth year.

Who can students talk with when they want to find mentors? 
Should just email me. Web materials are also available at https://www.acpm.org/

Are there specific faculty or staff in your department who have an interest in supporting students underrepresented in medicine (URM)? 
Meghan Morris

 

Specialty content reviewed and updated in 2020

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