This website will become your best friend, worst enemy, and source of many long hours logged at the beginning of your 4th year.

This is where you enter all data to provide a "common application" to all residency programs you will apply to.

It is relatively easy to navigate, and sure beats sending each program a separate packet (click picture).

You should start thinking seriously about applications as you near the end of your third year.

April/May 3rd year- SubI Application/Scheduling
Around April or May, start thinking about what SubI's you want to do. (see here for more information about picking SubIs). Most programs start accepting applications around this time.

April to September - Letter Acquisition
Spend the beginning of your 4th year (April - September) doing surgical rotations with people you want to get letters from (including Dr. DeMeester on foregut). See the section below about letter writers. Your goal should be to have all your letters in by the middle of September (but if one letter isn't in until early October, that's ok too).

July to September - ERAS Application
You want to sign up for ERAS as soon as it becomes available in early July/August. Log onto the system and start inputting all your personal data (CV, Personal Statement, etc). The earlier you get it done, the better. You want to have everything submitted by the time programs can start downloading your application (in early September). You can get help picking the right progrmas here with our student-created database of programs.

September and October - Additonal SubIs
Spend these months doing any last subI's you want to. In general, the closer to interview season you do your rotation there, the more likely they are to remember you when it comes to rank time, so save your more highly desirable programs for this time.

December and January - Interviews
You will start getting interview requests as early as September and continue getting them as late as December. Most programs have 2-5 interview dates in December and January. Schedule interviews as they come in - you can always cancel those at less-desirable programs as you get better ones (just be sure you have a stratified list at the end - e.g. don't cancel all your safety programs!). Scheduling can be a difficult task - especially if you are trying to travel to distant locations only once. Be nice to the secretaries, and they may be able to accomodate your requests. You should schedule easier rotations during this time, or do research. You can find more information in interviews here.

February - Certify Rank List
Starting in mid-January, you can begin entering your programs to the NRRP website (make sure you signed up and paid your fees when you signed up for ERAS to avoid late fees!). You must certify your rank list near the end of February (you can certify multiple times). It costs a basic amount to rank 15 programs, with a small fee for ranking more. If you change your order, it does not cost money to re-certify.

March - Surgical Skills Elective
Be sure to sign up for this elective! It is a chance to perfect some of your sugery skills before starting internship, and allows you to be with others during this stressful pre-match time.

March - Match Week!
On this week at the end of March (around St. Patrick's Day), you will go through a varitey of emotions. The schedule is as follows:
Monday - get an e-mail or log onto NRMP website to see IF you matched (but it won't tell you where just yet).
Tuesday - scramble day (if you didn't match). See here for more info.
Wednesday - an extra day to let you sweat it out, and worry about whether you matched at your first choice or last choice program.
Thursday - match day! Everyone gathers in the quad to get "the envelope" which tells you where you will go. Emotions run high on this day and range from exctasy of getting your first choice, to disappointment about getting something a little further down your list. You should know that in the end, most people are pretty happy with their program. The place you match at may be even better for you than what you thought was your first choice. Don't worry - there is plenty of alcohol available for your consumption on this morning. And after this, there is a lot less stress.

Who do you get them from? A chairman? A non-surgeon? Your mom?

Picking letters of rec is a very important task that makes a huge impact on how a residency program will rank you. Your letters or rec are as important as your board score and grades, so pay attention!

How do I ask for a letter? If you are unsure if someone will write you a good letter, ask them. Phrase it: "Dr. X, do you feel you know me well enough to write me a great letter of recommendation for my general surgery application?" If they don't feel they can do this, they'll let you know.

Often times, they may even offer to write one for you after working closely with you. If they do, take them up on this, as it is usually a great letter. Be sure to ask for a copy to be sent to you (in addition to the school) to assure that it is, in fact, good (see below).

There are a few mistakes people commonly make. We'll point them out here for you, so you don't make them!

-asking the wrong person for a letter (see above, be sure to consult with your advisor AND/or Dr. Towfigh)
-not getting a chairman's letter
-not applying to enough programs
-not applying to enough safety programs (see here)
-not researching a program before going
-not "selling youself" on an interview (be exciting, and be yourself)
-not asking interesting and pertinent questions on an interview
-not ranking enough programs (rank 15-20)
-not doing a SubI (or several) at places you are interested in going