Residency Applicants Boost Chances with Research-to-Residency Programs

Residents Medical helps medical students and graduates take the next step in their careers by offering consultation, education, preparation, and placement. One of the ways Residents Medical positions its clients for success is through its research-to-residency services, which help medical students obtain research fellowships in the United States.

Residency program directors take interest and involvement in research seriously when it comes to vetting applicants. Medical students or graduates with research experience on their applications are often thought more likely to have excellent time-management and analytical skills. Additionally, research experience can make the difference between two otherwise equally qualified applicants.

However, not all research opportunities are equal. When medical students and graduates apply for a residency in a competitive medical specialty, such as Ophthalmology, Radiology, or Orthopedics, having research experience in those fields is best. Clinical research experience, as opposed to basic science research experience, can also be helpful because it shows that a candidate has worked with patients.

Residents Medical Helps Med Grads Fill U.S. Doctor Shortages

Since it was established in 1993, Residents Medical has labored on behalf of medical graduates seeking postgraduate medical residency training programs from around the world. As more and more medical graduates apply for residencies each year, securing a residency has become increasingly difficult, yet the U.S. is facing a shortage of licensed doctors and is in-need of qualified professionals. Though the U.S. has historically filled its much-needed physician roles with doctors from countries around the world, foreign medical graduates currently often face difficulties finding placement in a medical residency.

In 2018, Residents Medical helped address these issues by assisting medical graduates from outside of the U.S. find medical residencies. Through its partnership with The Everest Foundation, the firm helps hopeful medical graduates increase their odds of being placed in a medical residency by setting up initiatives in vulnerable population areas who need doctors. Often, these residency positions defy traditional residency placement season, offering hope to applicants who have not received a placement by March. Through creative solutions like this, Residents Medical addresses both the needs of its clients and the shortage of doctors in the U.S.

The Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program

 

Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program
Image: kaptest.com

Residents Medical was founded with the purpose of addressing the related issues of residency bottlenecks and shortages. Today, Residents Medical connects medical graduates to externships and fellowships with top universities, high quality USMLE preparation, and placement opportunities with ACGME-accredited training programs.

The Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, or SOAP, matches applicants who have yet to secure a residency slot among open positions. The SOAP process begins on Monday, the first day of Match Week, shortly after applicants are notified of their placements. In the afternoon, eligible unmatched applicants can apply for a chance for placement with an unfilled program through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

Applicants will begin to receive residency placement offers the following Wednesday and Thursday, which they can accept or reject. Each round of SOAP offers lasts two hours, giving candidates time to consult with their advisor and weigh their options if presented with multiple opportunities. Advisors can track offers accepted by their students by accessing the SOAP School Report. The SOAP process is extremely competitive and Residents Medical helps its candidates navigate that process so they have the competitive edge to achieve a successful SOAP offer for residency.

Understanding USMLE

USMLE
Image: USMLE.org

For over two decades, Residents Medical has been helping US and international medical graduate candidates negotiate the often-complex process of securing a residency. With intense competition among doctors, an important factor in attaining a residency is having high scores on Board examinations, also known as the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Residents Medical provides individual USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK/cs and Step 3 tutoring and takes pride in having among the highest caliber USMLE teaching instructors in the country.

Sponsored by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Federation of State Medical Boards, USMLE is a three-step examination to attain medical licensure in the US. The three steps are complementary with no single step able to fully assess medical licensure readiness. USMLE is designed to test the knowledge and skills a physician requires to ultimately provide effective and safe patient care.

The United States and its territories have individual medical licensing authorities (state medical boards) that provide the license so a physician can practice medicine within their jurisdiction. While each medical licensing authority has its own set of requirements, the USMLE was created to provide a common evaluation system acceptable to all states for allopathic physicians regardless of which school or country these physicians received training in.