Advice from a Resident: Virtual Interviewing and Transitioning to Residency

Interviewing and beginning your career in medicine comes with challenges! Dr. Sarah Bunting, MD is a PGY-1 emergency medicine resident at Maine Medical Center. Listen in to hear her advice on transitioning from medical school to residency, virtual interviewing, and what to look for in a residency!

TAKE HOME POINTS:

1.     COVID has impacted all medical training. Residents may have seen a higher volume of respiratory illness and developed a broader understanding of our limitations within our current health care system.

2.     There have been many other changes, though, such as a decrease in the number of away rotations available for 4th-year medical students (i.e. only one was available for the 2022-2023 cycle).

3.     Don’t fret too much about the caliber of questions you’re asking or if you’re asking the right things (i.e. procedure numbers, trauma shifts). Instead, ask the question that you truly want the answer to!

4.     Residency is temporary, but at the same time, it is a significant and important portion of your life. Find what matters to you. Is it a location? Is it a county vs academic program? Is it a 3-year vs 4-year program?

5.     The “jump in responsibility” from fourth-year medical student to resident is substantial! Make sure to work on building your sustainability.

6.    For several years, residency will be your life. Make sure to be yourself, question and understand your goals, then find a program that will help you meet those goals.

7.     Virtual interviews may continue, but they will likely continue to improve. They also potentially help to level the playing field and allow you to try somewhere completely new!

Peer Reviewed by Lauren Wendell, MD and Dr. Jeffrey A. Holmes