Medical Residency – Finding the Right Fit

The path towards becoming a licensed physician in the U.S. requires perseverance, passion and a large amount of hard work. After maintaining great credentials in undergraduate studies and graduating from an esteemed med school, what comes next? The last major hurdle to overcome before becoming a fully licensed physician lies in completing the residency program. Resident training is required to for individuals to practice and to become board-certified. Some students use a med school loan or a residency and relocation private loan to fund this endeavor.



The Basics



By definition, residency is a stage of graduate medical training where the resident is able to practice medicine under the watchful eye of fully-licensed physicians. It is important to make the distinction between the instruction a physician receives in med school and the training within a residency program. In med school, students receive education over a broad range of medical knowledge, clinical skills and competency; emphasis is placed on theory during the early years. On the other hand, a residency program enables focused training in a specific subspecialty, such as internal medicine, neurology, pediatrics and radiology.



The Application Process



After the fourth year of med school, soon-to-be physicians become matched with a residency program of their choosing in a specific medical field. The matching process contains many elements, and reflects the performance of the medical student during the past four years. Students select their top programs throughout the United States and rank the programs numerically. To select the best candidates, residency programs break down each candidate based on their academic performance, letters of recommendation, clinical experiences, personal statement and the interview. After the selection process is over, each student ranks their top choices of programs, while each program also ranks their best applications. Ultimately, the results are compiled using all the rankings and optimal matches are given out to accommodate both the students and programs. The acceptances are all given out on the same day, termed "Match Day."



Residency Specifics



Residency programs should be selected based on the strengths of the program. Potential applicants should pursue programs that specialize in their interests. Most residencies last for about three years; surgical specialties may last up to five years. Medical residents are typically paid about $40,000 a year as compensation. There are two types of programs for residency, university-affiliated and community-based. Each type reflects different career aspirations. Many renowned urban medical centers prefer physicians who completed university-affiliated residency programs. Ultimately, finding the right residency program reflects an individual's interests, career aspirations and training specialties.



Author is a freelance copywriter who writes frequently about available options for student loans for those planning to enter college. If you are interested in a med school loan, be sure to visit https://www.salliemae.com/.