Residency GuideBooklet 12-11-13

Surgery Residency
Application Guidebook
Surgery Residency
Application Guidebook
Acknowledgements
Managing Editors:
Jennifer Chung, Jay Lee, Dr. Michael Englesbe
Contributors:
Megan Beems, Jennifer Chung, Anna Eliassen, Stephanie Kingman, Scott Kizy, Jay Lee,
Linda Ma, Arin Madenci, Sarah Ponto, David Ranney
2013, Edition 1
Introduction
At the end of a four year medical school career, it comes down to this doing everything in your power to find the best training programs for you
and to maximize your chances of matching at one of those programs. At
the end of the day, this is an imperfect science and each of us have only
gone through this process once (thankfully). This book is a compilation
of advice regarding the match process, and represents our best
efforts to provide you with a reliable source of information specific to
students interested in matching in general surgery (and general surgery
subspecialty integrated programs). We fully acknowledge that there are
many ways to go about this process and we have not attempted to cover
every possible scenario, but rather to provide some guiding principles
and suggested approaches. We wish you the best of luck as you embark
on the Interview Trail and much success when all is said and done!
Table of Contents
Introduction

Critical Dates in the Application Process.............................................1
Pre-Interview Period:
Finding Mentors .......................................................................................2
ERAS Components....................................................................................5

Choosing Letter Writers ..........................................................................7
Choosing General Surgery Residency Programs ...............................8
Scheduling Interviews ............................................................................9

What To Do If Youre Not Getting Interview Offers...........................12
On the Interview Trail:

Getting to Your Interviews - Planning Logistics.................................14
Preparing for Interviews ......................................................................16
Interview Day Strategy .........................................................................20
Evaluating Programs .............................................................................22

Thank You Notes ....................................................................................24
Post-Interview Period:

Making your Rank Order List ...............................................................26
Closing the Deal .....................................................................................28

Applying to Integrated Programs ........................................................34
Appendices

Sample Application Materials..............................................................37
Sample ERAS-format CVs.....................................................................38
Sample Personal Statements...............................................................69
Sample Couples Match Interview Tracking Spreadsheet..............75
PRE-INTERVIEW PERIOD
Critical Dates in the Application Cycle

July 1: ERAS opens first day you can access the system and
begin filling out your application
September 15: ERAS submission begins first day you
can submit applications; first day programs can download
applications from ERAS
September 15 30: A handful of programs begin inviting
applicants for interviews
October 1: Deans letter (MSPE) is sent to programs. Majority
of programs begin sending interview invites AFTER they have
received the Deans letter.
October 15: Application deadline for a small number of programs
October 24 31: A small number of programs hold their first
interviews during the last week of October
November 1: Application deadline for the vast majority of
programs
November January: Vast majority of programs hold their
interviews during these 3 months
First Three Weeks of February: Faculty meet to rank applicants
3rd Week of February: Rank list due for applicants and programs
2nd Week of March: Match status (matched/unmatched)
released to applicants. Unmatched applicants participate
in SOAP (scramble) to secure open positions or preliminary
positions. Specific placement (which program) revealed five
days later on Match Day.
Mid-June: Intern orientation starts for most programs
Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

1
Finding Mentors
How to Find Mentors
The process of applying, interviewing, and finally choosing a residency program
is one with many nuances and high stakes. Luckily, you are surrounded by
people who have gone through the process before you and who have helped
generations of students through it all. Good mentors are a powerful resource
that you should utilize to set you up for success. Ideally you should aim to seek
out and maintain relationships with
mentors in many different professional
Main Points:
stages (resident, full professor,
Have multiple mentors at people in different administrative and
different points in their leadership roles, etc.) and who can
speak to different aspects of who you
career path
are and eventually hope to become. As
Understand each mentors the mentee, you play a crucial role in
role and background directing and managing the relationship
and use their knowledge with your mentor. In order to best utilize
each mentors strengths, you should
and advice accordingly
have a general idea of what each
Consult your mentors mentor has to offer and have some
frequently; they are your understanding of their background
and biases. Do your homework and be
best resource!
familiar with where your mentor has
trained, worked, what kind of research
they do, with what other non-clinical activities they are involved, etc. Below are
examples of people you can and should reach out to for advice and the kind of
advice that each might be able to offer:
Surgery Clerkship directors: Be in communication with them often and
early on in the process. They have lots of experience and advice to offer
and it will be to your advantage to establish familiarity and a good working
relationship. They can offer realistic advice about choosing programs to
apply to considering your credentials, making your rank list, finding other
mentors, etc.

2
Surgery Residents: Great first-line of advice for the nuts and bolts of
the interview season. You can ask about their experiences with specific
programs interview days, how they evaluated the programs they saw,
their decision-making process, how to prepare for interviews, etc. Keep in
mind that they have a limited sample size from which to draw some of their
impressions
Junior Faculty: Often they will have a good sense of the current status of
residency programs, recent changes in training paradigms (work hours and
the shift toward early specialization), and have contacts with faculty and
program directors at other programs
Letter Writers: Ideally your letter writers are faculty who know you well
and have worked closely with you. However, they often will also be more
senior faculty and you should be prepared to present a fairly polished front
when meeting with them. This means having an updated CV about which
you should be able to provide more information when asked, a personal
statement that has gone through at least a few iterations and is not in a firstdraft form, and at least a vague idea of what your future interests clinically
and academically might be. Your letter writers will often not be people to
whom you will send emails about minor questions, but from whom you can
elicit opinions re: your list of programs, your rank list, and who may be willing
to make calls or reach out to people at programs that you are especially
interested in when interviews are all done
Residents at other Programs: Any residents at other programs to whom you
have personal connections or who are U of M alumni should be considered
as good sources of inside information. Emailing before or after an interview
to solicit advice or honest opinions about things you feel you might not have
gotten an accurate picture of during the interview is reasonable. However,
remember that their allegiance may be at least partially to their program
so you should be reserved and tactful in sharing your opinions of different
programs with them
Alumni: Use your U of M connections! Faculty and fellows who are alumni
of programs where you are interviewing are usually happy to share their
perspectives. Recent medical school grads and residents who are now at
different institutions are also great resources.

3
Senior faculty: Senior faculty have a great historical perspective on

programs and can assess a programs stability over the years. They will also
often be familiar with the program directors, chairperson and other senior
faculty at other institutions. However, it is important to note that residency
programs can change rather quickly, and reputation and rumor often lags
behind the real-time changes that a program might be going through. Thus,
the importance of getting multiple points of view and double checking your
facts
Surgery Chairperson: At some medical school all students applying in
general surgery will meet with the chairperson at least once and will get
a letter of recommendation. It is important to be prepared at this meeting
because it is your chance to make an impression and to communicate the
things that you think make you a unique and outstanding candidate and that
you hope will be highlighted in the letter. Think about your future goals, your
motivations for pursuing a career in surgery, and be able to verbalize a few
key characteristics that you want all the programs to know about you
Approaching Mentors: Be prepared to provide an updated copy of your CV,
personal statement, and to provide any additional information that you think is
pertinent to the advice you hope to elicit. For each mentor that your approach,
your familiarity with their background will help you to direct questions that will
make them draw upon their experiences and share their insight on particular
topics of interest

4
ERAS Components
Whats in the ERAS?:

3-4 letters of recommendation (includes Chairmans letter but not the
Deans letter)
CV - activities/awards/publications/etc. - will be entered into an online
format
Personal statement
List of programs to which you are applying
With each of the ERAS components (personal statement, CV, letters), it really,
really helps to start early. Having your draft CV and PS (even if in a rough, but
presentable draft form) ready for your Deans letter writer and other letter writers will synergistically help make each item more compelling.
Personal Statement
For most people, this is the most difficult part of your application. In general,
you want to fly under the radar by writing something compelling but relatively
bland. The goal is to have a personal statement that is solid. Many of your interviewers may merely skim it for red flags or interesting things to talk to you about
(remember: anything you put in your CV/PS is fair game for your interviewer to
bring up). Cater to the skimmers and write something simple. In order to accomplish this, the single best thing you can do is just sit down for a couple hours
and write something anything and do it early. Doing so will allow you to get
feedback from your letter writers, who probably are or have been interviewers
themselves and know what makes for a solid personal statement.
Letters
Give each of your letter writers as much notice as you can to get their letters
in for you (> 2 weeks, if possible), but also give a hard deadline that is several
weeks before you want to submit your ERAS. Many surgeons are procrastinators. Remember to always be extremely cordial with your reminders. At this
point, there may not be much choice in choosing your letter writers, but as everyone will tell you choose surgeons who have worked with you clinically and
ask each if he or she would be able write you an excellent or very strong
letter. When you email each letter writer, it is often best to set up a physical
meeting to discuss writing your letter and to provide a copy of your CV and PS.
Again, giving each writer your CV and PS forces you to get several rounds of
feedback on each item. Additionally, they have more information to highlight in
their letter.

5
CV
There are two forms of your CV that you need. First, a CV that you can give to
letter writers to facilitate their writing awesome letters. Second, your CV in
ERAS form. For the latter, just like on the medical school application, you have
a couple lines (~1000 characters) to explain each activity. As you would expect,
be yourself, tell a cohesive story, etc. If available in your Surgery Education
Office, it is extremely helpful to look at examples of previous applications (a few
examples are included in the Appendix). Dont plagiarize, but use this to find the
appropriate tone, key things to mention, etc. Also, seeing the experiences of the
classes before you will likely jog your memory and remind you of experiences/
awards you received but may have forgotten about. Like your personal statement, start now and sit down and write a CV, then revise, revise, revise after
having your advisors look it over.

6
C hoosing Letter W riters
Surgery Faculty from ThirdYear
Other Faculty from ThirdYear
Ideally, you have stayed in touch with one or two

surgery faculty whom you met during your 3rd year
rotations. C lerkship facilitators are often a good
source, because you have met with them outside of
regular clinical duties and medical student
education is important to them. Try to meet as early
as possible with these surgeons so that your third
year is fresh in their minds.
I would not recommend including letters from

faculty in other disciplines besides surgery. The only
exception would be if you have done extensive
research with that physician. Many residency
interviewers appreciate letters from their friends
and other names they recognize. Plus, a surgeon
knows the attributes someone needs to excel in the
field and can best highlight those in a letter.
Very important, especially at academic residency

programs. Instead of just focusing on your clinical
acumen, these letters emphasize a different skill set
that will be important in the future. Moreover, you
will probably have spent more time with these
faculty, so they truly know you better and can write
more anecdotally.
The majority of letters will often be from this group.

Sub-Is in May, June, and July are ideal. It is best to
request a letter right after working with someone,
so they can best remember your performance. You
have learned a lot during your 3rd year and can really
shine during these rotations, giving faculty a lot of
good things to write about.
Research M entors
C hairmans Letter
Some medical schools will include a letter from
the C hairman of Surgery for all students
applying in general surgery and will set up a
meeting for each student. Be prepared for this
meeting as it may be your first and only chance
to make an impression and communicate things
youd like highlighted in that letter.
ERAS Requirements
A. You can store as many letters as you want in

ERAS, but you cannot send more than 4 to any
one program.
B. Finalize each potential letter writer in ERAS
and print a cover sheet before asking for a letter.
Finalizing just creates a slot for the LOR to be
uploaded and does not mean you have to send
out that letter to programs.
C . ERAS allows you to send different letters to
different programs, which is ideal if youre
applying to both General Surgery and
subspecialty programs.
D. Although it is possible for letters to be uploaded
after submission of your ERAS application, try
to avoid this. Ask early!
Surgery Faculty from 4thYear
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
How to Pick Specific Faculty
Pick faculty whom you have spent the most

time with and who know you best.
Letters from full professors as opposed to
associate or assistant professors may carry
slightly more weight. Letters from faculty who
are well known nationally in their field may also
carry more weight.
Pick faculty who can highlight your different
strengths: research vs. technical skills vs.
patient management, etc.
Ask for letters with the phrase: C an you write a
strong letter of recommendation for me?
Try to ask for letters in person with a copy of
your C V, personal statement, and list of
programs. You can also solicit advice about
programs and your personal statement at the
that time
Send faculty thank-you notes after they submit
your letters to ERAS
Faculty write letters every year, so they know to
expect requests. Try to give as much lead time
as possible and follow up with polite reminder
emails as necessary

7
C hoosing G eneral Surgery Residency Programs

Academic or C ommunity Hospitals
Large academic centers are usually best-suited for those with a robust interest in research and/or other
academic interests outside of a clinical career in surgery. Many academic programs require at least 2 years of
research time during residency while other programs offer optional time for academic development; these
programs vary from 5-7 years in length. Programs require a certain number of graduating residents each year,
so there is the possibility that you may not be able to complete research or may have to complete research
depending on other residents plans if the research time is optional, as the number of residents doing research
will vary from year to year. C ommunity programs are usually more clinically focused, may have higher case
volumes, and are usually 5 years of clinical training.
Geographic Restrictions
Do you want to live in a big city, near family, or only on the East C oast? Where is the nearest airport and
how expensive are tickets? You have to live there for 5-7 years, so truly try to imagine your everyday life
there. Many of the top programs have similar clinical and research opportunities, so location really
separates them.
Faculty/M entor Suggestions
Faculty can offer good insight into programs reputations. Junior faculty mentors are an ideal
starting point as they are far enough along in their careers to understand some of the pros and cons
of different training paradigms and close enough to the residency process to know about more
recent changes in program characteristics and reputations. Senior faculty have a great deal of
experience to draw from, but their knowledge of programs may be dated, depending on how
closely they follow current events. U sually the C hairman, Program Director and other faculty with
medical education backgrounds are some of the best sources of information because they stay
abreast of new developments and resident education at institutions. The key is to solicit
suggestions from multiple sources and to find where the consensus lies.
Resident Suggestions
Residents are great sources of information because they have interviewed recently at many of
the programs to which you will apply and may have friends at other institutions. If you hear a
program recommended over and over again, its probably worth applying to.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Specific Program C haracteristics to C onsider
Research faculty/projects or multidisciplinary research centers that correlate with

your interests/expertise
Quality of fellowship programs that residents match into
Prominence of particular department of interest
Reputation for collegiality vs. hierarchical environment
Main Points:
1. Apply to 20-25 programs

2. Include both dream and back-up programs
3. Talk to many people to solicit advice and suggestions

8
Scheduling Interviews
GENERAL RULES:
1. Initiate communication early Whatever the reason, its in your best
interest to initiate communication with programs ASAP. When scheduling or
rescheduling interviews, spots fill up very quickly, so prompt communication
will maximize your chances of getting the dates you want. When cancelling
interviews, an early response will ensure the program has enough time to
offer your spot to another applicant.
2. Be courteous A programs surgery education office is responsible for
scheduling and rescheduling interviews. They are the gatekeepers. If you
come off as even slightly rude, they can make your life very difficult. Be
courteous, even if the person youre talking to isnt, and youll be much more
likely to get your way.
Before Interview Invitations are Sent:

Make a calendar of all potential interview dates of programs you are
applying. These are often found the programs website, although some will
not have them posted.
Once you get an invitation, you can quickly browse through the potential
dates of other programs to minimize clashing and to try to schedule
programs in the same city together
Invitations are sent by email, and spots fill up very quickly. Check your
email frequently, or you may miss out. Smart phones with push
notifications for email are very helpful. Push means your phone goes off
whenever you get a new email (you dont have to manually check it.
Shameless plug for Apple: If you have an iPhone, you can add noreply@
eraspod.aamc.org to your VIP email list and set it so that you get
whatever alert you want when you get an email from them (eg. text, loud
obnoxious alarm etc.)

9
Accepting Invitations:
Respond ASAP spots fill up very quickly
Email is the best medium unless directed otherwise
Read the invitation carefully before responding. It often asks for specific
information in your reply
Example: Accepting Invitation by Email

Hello ___________,
Thank you very much for the invitation. I was hoping to interview
on December 4-5 if that session is still available.
[invitation specifically requested the following information:]
My specific areas of interest are Vascular, Transplant, and
General Surgery. Please let me know if you need any further
information from me.
Thanks again for the invitation. I very much look forward to
interviewing at [program name].
Best,
____________

10
Cancelling/Rescheduling/Declining Interviews:
Dont worry programs expect some applicants will cancel/reschedule, so
they are usually forgiving
Being courteous and professional is of particular importance. Lack of
gratitude when cancelling interviews will burn bridges.
Whenever possible, notify the program AT LEAST 2 WEEKS in advance so
they can reschedule you or offer your spot to another applicant
If you cancel/reschedule on short notice (< 2 weeks), you need to have a
convincing reason (death in family, severe illness)
If you cancel/reschedule ahead of time (> 2 weeks), you do not need to give
a specific reason
Example: Cancelling Interview by Email > 2 weeks ahead of time
Hi _____________,
My name is ________ and I am currently scheduled to interview
at [program name] on January 12th. Unfortunately, I will have
to cancel my visit. I am very sorry that I will not be able to
make it. Please convey my sincerest apologies to Dr. [program
director].
Thank you again for the invitation. I sincerely regret having
to cancel my visit.
Best,
________________
Example: Rescheduling Interview by Email > 2 weeks ahead of time

Hi _____________,
Thank you very much for the confirmation. I was wondering if it
would be possible to reschedule my interview for December 15th.
December 8th would also work for me.
I understand that a limited number of candidates are
interviewed on each date, and would be happy to keep my
previously scheduled date (Jan 5th) if this is not possible.
Thanks so much. I very much look forward to interviewing at
[program name].
Best,
________________

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What to Do If Youre Not Getting Interview Offers

Key Points
Its OK to freak out: After that, take a deep breath, talk to your faculty
mentors, and take action
When to Start Worrying: After the Deans letter is released on October 1st.
If youve only received a handful of interview offers in the first 2 weeks of
October, you may need to submit additional applications to less competitive
programs.
Critical Timing: Application deadlines for most programs are October 15 or
November 1st. If youre starting to worry and want to apply to more
programs, you need to do it before this.
Remember: Programs offer interviews in several cycles, and applicants
can match to outstanding programs even when they are among the last to
be offered an interview
The Setup
Youve submitted ERAS and all your letters are in. Youre waiting for interview
offers to arrive and.nothing. Alternatively, youve received some invitations,
but havent heard back from more competitive programs. Additionally, you
may know other applicants have already received invitations from these
programs.
Timing
Programs can begin downloading ERAS applications on September 15.
Most will wait until after the Deans letter is released on October 1 before
sending out invitations for interview. A few programs do issue interviews in
late September, but the majority of programs, especially the larger academic
institutions, send interview invites after the Deans letter is released
throughout the month of October.
Another important date to keep in mind is October 15 and November 1. These
are the most common application deadlines for the majority of programs.
If you havent received many offers in the first two weeks of October, it
is important to evaluate the need to take some extra steps. This includes
working with programs you have already applied to or applying to additional
programs.

12
What You Should Do

1. Talk to your mentors. Bring a copy of your CV (board scores, clinical
grades, research) and your current list of programs. If there are particular
programs you are interested in, ask if they have connections at those
programs or could connect you with faculty who do. Some faculty will
directly offer to make phone calls on your behalf for interviews. Ask them if
you need to apply to a few less competitive programs.
2. For programs you have already applied to: Call/email the residency
coordinator, indicate who you are, express your strong interest in their
program and your hope for the opportunity to interview there. If you are
emailing, add a brief sentence with something specific about the program
you are interested in that also pertains to your own strengths/future
interests (e.g. if program is affiliated with large county hospital with lots of
trauma, mention youve had experience in trauma research).
3. For programs you are considering applying to: Call ahead to see if they are
still offering interviews. Once you have submitted your application, email
the residency coordinator to inform him/her that youve just submitted your
application and express a specific interest in the program.

13
ON THE INTERVIEW TRAIL
Getting to Your Interviews - Planning Logistics

Once youve scheduled your interviews there is a good amount of planning
that is needed to help make the interview trail run smoothly, minimize stress
and help you get where you need to be on time.
The major logistic details that should be addressed before each interview:
1. Getting to the city where the interview is being held
a. Check the schedule for the interview day(s) and social event when
purchasing your tickets. Most programs will have a social event
(dinner or reception) the evening before the interviews and then a
day of interviews following, but there are many variations on this
theme. It is always a good idea to ask when the interview day of
ficially ends, before booking travel
2. Getting from the airport to your next stop, which is usually your hotel or
the social event.
a. There will be times when you will arrive without enough time to
stop by your hotel to drop off bags and change. Plan ahead and
have your outfit easily available so you can change at the airport
and head straight to the venue.
b. Map out how long it takes to get from the airport to your lodging so
you know your time constraints. If you rent a car, you can inquire
ahead of time about the parking situation both for the social event
and on interview day.
3.

Getting from the social event to your lodging. You should have a plan for
how to get home after the event so youre not stranded or stuck staying
later than you want at the event when you have an early day ahead on
interview day.
4. Interview Day: Getting from lodging to interview site. You will usually
get information about meeting time and location for interview day at
the social event the night before, if not in advance via email. Make sure
you know how to get to the meeting place and know how long it will take
you to get there. If taking a cab, call the evening before and schedule a
pick-up. If walking, allot extra time if walking in heels. Aim to show up
10-15 minutes early.

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5.

Interview site to next stop, either back to lodging or to the airport. Again,
plan ahead to determine if you have enough time to go back to your hotel,
pick up your bags and head to the airport. If not, you should
bring your bags with you to the interview day and make sure in advance
that there is a place to leave your belongings, and that the interview day
coordinator is expecting you to come with bags. You should leave yourself
extra time on interview day morning for this.
6.

Finally, interviews done and its off to the airport and then home or to
another interview. There may be times along the interview trail when you
will have back-to-back interviews and will be on the road for days to
weeks at a time without a stop back home. Plan and pack accordingly.
Remember to take into account changing time zones when planning
travel. If you check your bag, always carry on your suit in case your bag
gets lost.
Timing: It can be difficult to plan all these details because interview invitations
will roll in over a few weeks and you may find yourself with schedule conflicts.
Before you find yourself in this situation, you should have a rough idea of which
programs you would prioritize before others, so you feel comfortable cancelling/rescheduling according to the interviews you want most. Some programs
will announce their interview dates and you can create a calendar of possible
interviews to see where potential scheduling conflicts will arise. When scheduling logistics, hotel reservations are a safe first step, granted that there are
no fees associated with cancelling or changing a reservation. Because most
airlines do charge a fee for changing tickets, you can wait to purchase tickets
until you are sure you will not run into any scheduling conflicts for a particular
date. Because most interviews do not take place during peak travel season, it
will usually not be difficult to find the flights needed, even when booked only 2-3
weeks in advance.
TIPS:
Southwest Airlines: no fee for changing itineraries, free checked baggage
Some schools may have an alumni network of people willing to host
interviewing students visiting their city
Find a consistent way to keep all your interviews and travel schedule
organized, and make sure to update it as you switch/cancel interview
dates

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Preparing for Interviews

The Highlights:
However you practice, make sure you practice and have answers to
commonly asked questions
Go through your CV and make sure you can succinctly discuss each
aspect of it
Approach the answer to every question as an opportunity to highlight a
unique aspect of yourself and of your application - be thoughtful,
demonstrate insight

Get feedback from faculty
The Full Story:

Congratulations, you have received your interview invitations, set the dates,
bought the plane tickets, and set up the lodging. It is now time to prepare for
your interviews. Fortunately, to have gotten to this point you have already
bypassed the first cut-off. Over 1000 students apply to each program and most
programs will interview less than 100. You have already made it to the programs
short list. With that being said, the interview is a very important aspect of your
application and can make the difference between matching at your first choice
and falling lower down your list. Being properly prepared for your interview will
allow you an opportunity to display your accomplishments and your personality.
Practicing for your Interviews
The first step to prepare for your interviews is practicing. Students prefer
different methods to simulate interview situations. Mock interviews provide
a secure environment to practice interview techniques, body posture, eye
contact, as well as common interview questions. You can seek out mock
interview sessions with the school counselors/career advisors or practice with
a colleague. Practicing with friends offers a relaxed environment to rehearse
different answers to common questions but lacks the professional opinion on
substance and style that other methods provide. Likely, the best option for a
mock interview is a faculty mentor. Schedule these mock interviews early and
be prepared to take constructive feedback to improve your interview skills.

16
Along with mock interviews, being prepared for common questions can help
ease some of the tension involved with surgical interviews. Most students
found that outlining the answers to specific questions is beneficial. While
the outline provides the student a chance to think about a question, it also
maintains an answers sincerity in real interviews. Writing answers down
allows a student to work through the proper wording and grammar, but can also
come off as scripted in the interview.
Some Common questions include:
Why did you choose to pursue general surgery?
Who are your role models and why?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
What do you look for in a program?
Why our program?
Are you hoping to specialize?
Tell us about your research?
What are your hobbies outside of school?
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Why should we choose you?
What traits do you feel are important to succeed in surgery?
It is also important to think of answers to questions specific to your application.
For instance, if there is a specific deficiency in your application, you should be
ready to answer questions regarding that deficiency. Also be ready to describe
any and all aspects of your application. If you included a research project from
prior to medical school, you should be able to describe the project in detail in
your interview. Some interviews have ethical questions so it is important to
develop your own method to answer these types of questions. Think of ethical
scenarios you witnessed during med school and be prepared to discuss the
reason you or your team acted in that manner.
Going into your interviews you should also know the assets of the programs at
which you are visiting. Most general surgery programs have good websites
which can provide you with the programs mission statement, the basic
structure of the program, recent accomplishments of the faculty, research
opportunities, and recent graduate placement. Mentors can also help you by
pointing out a programs strengths and weaknesses. Having this information
can aid you in developing well thought-out questions for your interviews.
Gathering this information will also help later down the road when making your
rank list.

17
Looking the Part

It is important to keep your clothing professional and conservative. This is not
the time to try out new fashion trends or hairstyles. Men should wear a black,
navy, or grey suit. The shirt should be a solid color, and should be matched to an
appropriate tie. Shoes should be black or brown. Hair should be clean-cut and
combed, and facial hair should be well trimmed. Women should wear dark pant
or skirt suits (with pantyhose!). Non-collared shirts are perfectly acceptable to
wear under your suit jacket. AgainNo low cut shirts or short skirts. In general,
hair longer than shoulder length should be tied. Remember, these interview
days are long and there usually is a tour of the facilities involved, so shoes
should be comfortable. Proper attire at the night-before resident meet-andgreet events is also important, and ranges from casual to business casual. You
can email the residency coordinator prior to your interview to find out the dress
code. For men, it is usually appropriate to wear black or khaki pants with a
button-down dress shirt and for women a blouse/cardigan with a skirt or slacks
is pretty standard.
Not only do the meet -and-greet events provide a great opportunity for the
residents of the program to get to know you, it also provides the interviewee
an important opportunity to discover the personality of a program. While these
events are normally not absolutely essential, it is always recommended that
you attend. These events are usually only for residents and interviewees,
however, as mentioned above, faculty may attend at some programs. These
events are usually billed as a relaxed environment to get to know the programs
residents, but it is important to remember that most programs will seek
feedback from residents following the event. With this in mind remember to
remain professional. Alcoholic beverages are supplied at most of these events,
and while the residents may drink more heavily, keep yourself to a maximum of
1-2 drinks. Every year there are embarrassing stories of applicants drinking too
much at these events, and these stories can easily spread to other programs.
Finally, here are some tips to remember when going into your interview. It is
important to be on time. This can be difficult as you may not know your way
around this new city. If you have time, try to find the hospital the day prior to
the interview. Make sure to leave with plenty of time in the morning and to ask
your hotel the easiest way to the hospital. At your interview, remember to be
nice to everyone you meet. Shake hands, say please and thank you, and smile.
You never know who is watching and who will offer an opinion regarding your
application.

18
Once again, congratulations on obtaining your interviews. Preparing for

interviews will help you stand out as a lead contender for the residency
positions. Utilize mock interviews, rehearse your answers to common
questions, and do your homework with regards to the programs at which you
are interviewing. Dress professionally and conservatively. Enjoy your time at
the night-before event, be on time, and, finally, remain cordial and friendly
throughout your interview. Although this can be stressful, remember that this is
an exciting time where you get to meet surgical leaders throughout the country
and visit new cities across America. Have fun!

19
Interview Day Strategies

What to bring to every interview:
Copies of your ERAS application, CV, research abstracts
o Interviewers will ask you specifics about your research experiences,
personal statement, or prior activities it is always good to refresh
your memory!
Consider drafting responses to questions you are totally expecting and bring
this with you
o Ex. Why surgery? What was your most memorable case?
Can just be bullet points, helpful to review while waiting for flights
Things to prepare for each program:
List of people you are interested in meeting during your visit
o Recent Grads always good to get the inside story
o Faculty members with your research interests, specialty choice
o Chairs, Program Directors, etc. Make a list of names and
specialties
List of the reasons you were interested in the program in the first place
o You will frequently be asked why you wanted to apply or join the program
Include specific research interests, strong clinical experiences,
global health, etc.
o If you went to the night before, comment on what impressed you about
their residents
List of questions to ask the program For both residents and faculty
interviewers
o You will be asked do you have any questions for me? more times than
you can imagine
Pre-interview social event:
Expect to see primarily residents. This is your opportunity to see what kind
of people the program likes to recruit.
Make it goal-oriented. Establish specific goals and questions before
arriving. This will give you purpose and help direct you in case conversation
runs dry. Without this, you can easily end up wandering aimlessly and
appearing disinterested. Examples are below:
o Goals: Meet 1 intern (who youll be next year), 1 mid-level resident (whats
transition like?), 1 research resident, 1 PGY-4 (who your chiefs will be),
and 1 PGY-5 (whats the finished product look like)
o Questions: where are you in your training, what specialty are you
interested in, where do you live, whats the culture of the program like,
any advice for interviews tomorrow (this one can be surprisingly
valuable)
20
Interviews:
Pace yourself, interviews are nerve-wracking so take a breath to organize
your thoughts before answering questions
Be confident in your responses, always answer questions honestly and
succinctly
Dont be afraid to ask about things you are concerned about research
funding, specific lab experiences, strength of individual departments
Illegal questions happen, but an interview is a bad time to take a stand or
make a point!
Give them whatever info you are comfortable with, but do not get upset
during the interview
You can address any concerns after you finish your interview with the
PD or coordinator
After Each Interview:
Write notes about what you discussed with each interviewer, it is really
easy to fall out of this habit but it makes thank you notes so much easier/
faster
You can easily plug a specific sentence about what you discussed, then
they know you remembered the conversation
Also write down any additional questions you thought of after your time
ended and mention them in your note
Before leaving, ask the residency coordinator for emails/addresses if you
plan to send thank you notes
Send the residency coordinator a thank you note!

21
Evaluating Programs
Short version:
Pick criteria, apply them to all programs, expect them to evolve with time
Keep a journal or spreadsheet and write down your impressions right
after each interview
Use both a qualitative (gut feeling) and a quantitative system (point
system) of evaluating programs
There is no consensus on rankings of the best surgical programs because
everyones criteria differ. In truth there are a large number of excellent
programs that will train you well as a surgeon. In evaluating programs you
should take into account all of the factors below, knowing that not all are
equally important to you in making your final decision. Take into account things
outside of just your clinical training - i.e. family, academic interests, health
policy, etc. Remember that although the interview is a time for you to sell
yourself to programs, it is also the time when you should be critically evaluating
the programs to make sure they are right for you.

22
FACTOR
Location
Social event
Residents
Physician extenders
Program Director,
Chairman
Didactic curricula
Academic/Professional
Development Time
Sites
Strength of specific depts.,

researchers
Stability of program
Culture
Work hours compliance
Benefits, vacation
schedule, salary
Fit
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Close to family, friends? Cost of living? Will you enjoy living in this place for 5-7 years?
Was there good resident turn out? Did the residents seem to genuinely like each other
and get along well?
Were the residents fun, interesting, people you could see yourself working with? Are the
residents happy? Can they name specific things about the program that they like?
Is there good support from PAs, NPs, etc. to help you with floor work so you can get to
the OR even as an intern and PGY-2?
Is the Program Director approachable, do the residents consider him/her to be a good
advocate for residents? Is the Chairman someone who prioritizes resident education and
training and who will keep the program on solid footing?
What is the curriculum for ABSITE and general didactics? Is there a structured
curriculum for lap skills, surgical knowledge, or is it a do-it-yourself program?
Many academic centers will have the option or the requirement for residents to engage in
some sort of academic development period. Most often this will be for a 2 year period
after the PGY2 or 3 year. What are the resources available (salary/grant support), what
types of experiences are approved (additional degree programs, research, international
experiences, etc.) does the program have mentors that you would want to work with?
What other sites will you cover as a resident in addition to the main hospital? Is there a
VA or a city/county/community/private practice hospital experience? Often times you will
have much greater autonomy and higher case loads at training centers like a VA or
county hospital
If you have a specific interest in a sub-specialty or academic topic, inquire as to the
resources and strength of those departments
Have there been recent changes in leadership or impending changes that would disrupt
your training? Recent ACGME violations, probation status?
What is the overall culture of the program? Soft and cuddly, malignant, work hard, play
hard, etc. Beware that many programs will have reputations that prove to be false. Make
your own determination after you see the program
What measures have been put into place to achieve compliance - hiring of physician
extenders, night float, etc.? Are residents routinely working more than 80 hours and
pressured to underreport?
Not the most important things to base your decision on, but important to note and may say
something about the programs philosophy
An overall impression of whether or not the programs structure, resources, people and
culture create an environment in which you think you can thrive

23
Thank You Notes

When: ASAP Same day or next day if possible. You want their impression of
you to be fresh when they read the note.
Who:
For All Programs: Program director + all people who interviewed you (if the
chair interviews any applicants, then he/she should get a thank you note
under the assumption that he/she is fairly involved in the rank process)
If Particularly Impressed: Chair and interview coordinator
How:
1. Be sincere, succinct, honest
2. Include specifics about your conversation with the person
3. Avoid being formulaic. Thank you notes are included in your file and can be
read by all faculty
4. Avoid specifics on where youll rank them (even late in the interview season)
5. Double-check everything (names, spelling/grammar). Errors will reflect
very poorly on you.
Why: Most programs expect to get one not sending one demonstrates clear
lack of interest.
Point: Even the most eloquent thank you note is unlikely to elevate their
opinion of you
Counterpoint: A poorly-written, late, or non-existent thank you note CAN
worsen their opinion of you (ex: well-qualified candidate comes off as
arrogant)
Bottom Line: Write your notes carefully and promptly, but dont slave away
over them
Handwritten vs. Email: Frequently debated point, but largely a matter of
personal preference. Doesnt matter much in the end as long you as send a
well-written note promptly.
PROS
Handwritten
CONS
Demonstrates thought and attentionto-detail
Time-consuming to write and deliver
Demonstrates thought and attentionto-detail
Faculty rarely respond

Must write neatly
Email
Faculty who were impressed will often

reply and say this to you
Faster to write, instant delivery
May be frowned upon by oldschool faculty or programs
Good if you have bad handwriting

24
POST-INTERVIEW PERIOD
Example: Thank You Note to Faculty/Resident Interviewer

Dear Dr. _________,
Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with me during my
visit. I very much enjoyed hearing your perspective on how the
training for vascular surgery continues to evolve.
Throughout my visit, I was greatly impressed by the programs
commitment to excellence in patient care and clinical training.
I was also particularly impressed by the residents and faculty.
Their camaraderie and dedication to fostering an outstanding
training experience truly set this program apart from others.
They are exactly the kind of people I hope to work with during
residency.
Thank you again for your time and consideration. I was greatly
impressed by the program, and hope to receive strong consideration for a residency position.
Sincerely,
_____________
Example: Thank You Note to Program Director

Dear Dr. __________,
I wanted to thank you again for inviting me to interview at [program name]. I very much appreciated having the opportunity to
spend time with the residents currently rotating on the vascular
service.
During my visit, I was greatly impressed by the faculty and residents. Their collegiality and dedication to fostering an outstanding training experience truly set [program name] apart from
other programs. They are exactly the kind of people I hope to
work with during residency, and I would consider myself very fortunate to have the opportunity to train at such an outstanding
program.
Thank you again for your time and consideration. I was greatly
impressed by [program name], and hope to receive strong consideration for a residency position.
Sincerely,
_____________

25
Making Your Rank Order List

Everyone is going to have different criteria and reasons rank one place over
another, but beyond that single program or location that you may be banking on,
it can be challenging to feel completely confident about your ROL. Below is the
method I used to figure this all out. It is just one way, but it worked.
Before interviews: After all interview offers and cancellations have been made,
you will have a final list of programs. Go ahead and make a preliminary rank list
and tuck it away for later. For me this was based largely on reputation of the
programs.
During interviews: After you complete each interview and evaluate the program, feel free to tweak your list. Some programs might drop quickly in your
list while others rise to the surface. But treat it like a living document as you
complete interviews and evaluate programs.
After interviews: Congrats! Now it is time to really work on your list. At this
point I had done quite a bit of soul searching and had boiled down my method
for evaluating programs into a few critical elements that would guide my ranking. For me, these were quality of program and reputation, opportunities in the
specialty I am pursuing, and quality of living (based on the lifestyle that matches
my personality).
Step 1: Immediately scratch off any program you do NOT want to train at.
So ask yourself, Worst case, would I rather match here for 5-7 years or
scramble/do a preliminary year? - this is something that should be discussed with a mentor. The one caveat is please attempt to rank at least 10
programs on your final ROL. Stats show that every unit less than 10 further
reduces applicant chances of matching.
Step 2: Break your list into groups. My top group was first tier programs I
would love to go to. The middle group was first tier programs that I kind of
liked or second tier programs that I really liked. And the bottom group was
second tier programs that I kind of liked or third tier programs that I really
liked. (Third tier programs that I did not like got scratched off the list in the
last step!). I ended up with 3, 4, and 3 programs in each group, respectively. From here on, I only moved programs up and down within the same
group. Making progress!

26
Step 3: Hash out the details. This was the hardest part for mezooming
in and figuring out my true preferences. For each group, it might help to
make a separate ROL for each criterion you value. For example, make a list
based purely on location. Then one for quality of program. And so on. You
might start to see some patterns or at least be able to solidify a few spots
on your list. Refer back to the criteria in the Evaluating Programs chapter
for other factors that may be important to consider.
Step 4: Allow plenty of time! As soon as you can enter your rank list, DO
IT and CERTIFY IT. Let it sink in for a few days and see how it feels. Then
make adjustments as your frame of mind evolves throughout the month
prior to the deadline. I also recommend getting early input from your student colleagues, mentors, letter writers, family, and advocates. Eventually
my list settled in and I became confident in my choices.
Step 5: Make sure your ROL is certified. It should say Certified ROL. Youll
get a confirmation email and that is it. If you make any changes just hit the
certify button again. But please try to avoid making changes right before
the deadline. Stats show a high rate of regret among applicants who do
this. So give yourself the necessary time. After that, good luck!

27
Closing the Deal

The Short Version:
3-4 weeks before your rank list is due:
o Settle on a preliminary rank list
o Find faculty who will advocate for you at your #1 choice
o Send an email to program directors at your top 3-5 programs
General rules to follow when communicating with programs:
o Never mislead a program about your rank list
o For your #1 program: tell them in no uncertain terms youre ranking
them #1
o For everyone else: convey sincere interest, but no specifics on
where theyre ranked
When responding to messages from programs:
o Take everything with a grain of salt
o Be prompt, positive, and truthful
Caveats:
o Not all programs send out emails, even to applicants they will be
ranking highly. Dont get nervous if you dont hear anything from
your top-ranked programs
o Some programs may send out emails that overstate how highly
you will be ranked; never base a rank decision based on these
communications
Examples:
Example 1: Emails Sent to Top 3-5 Programs
Example 2: Responding to Email from Program Director

THE LONG VERSION
THE SETUP: Youve made a preliminary rank list and identified your top choices
YOUR GOAL: Convince your top programs to rank you as highly as possible
THE PROGRAMS GOAL: Convince their top applicants to rank them as highly as
possible
TIMING: Most programs make their rank list 1-3 weeks before its due. Make
your move before this.
28
The rules:
Rule #1: Follow the rules set by NRMP
Programs cant ask you specifically about your rank list
You cant ask programs where theyre ranking you
Both parties ARE allowed to volunteer this information to each other
Rule #2: Never mislead a program about your rank list.
The most common example is telling multiple programs you ranked them #1. You
will not be able to hide from the truth once the match results are released. If a
program thinks you lied to them, you can forget about any future opportunities
there (fellowship, faculty positions, etc).
Important Tangent: This rule also prohibits ambiguous statements such as at
the top of my list. It is too easy to misinterpret this as ranking that program #1.
In addition, program directors werent born yesterday. Most will interpret at
the top of my list as NOT #1. If a program is not your #1 choice, sincerely state
your strong interest in the program, but avoid any specifics about where you
ranked them.
Rule #3: Programs like applicants who like them
The reality: For most applicants, once interviews are finished, your position
on a programs rank list probably will not change no matter what you do. That
being said, tactfully executed strategies can move you up on a programs list,
and certainly will not hurt your chances.
What you can do: These steps need to be done 3-4 weeks before the rank list is
due
Ask faculty at your institution to advocate for you. General Surgery is a small
community, so a trusted colleague advocating for an applicant has the most
potential to help. Reserve this for your #1 choice. When deciding whom to ask,
the ideal faculty advocate should:
Know you well and think highly of you
Have a personal connection to the program director, chair, or institution
Be well-respected as a surgeon
Admittedly, it is difficult to find an advocate who meets all three criteria. That
being said, remember that any advocate who knows you well and thinks highly
of you has the potential to help.
29
Send an email to the program director: Directly communicating your interest in

the program is a crucial step (see Rule #3), although it is admittedly lower yield
than having faculty advocate for you. Think of it as a box to check for your top
3-5 programs. Emails need to be succinct and sincere (see Example 1). Specific
instructions are outlined below:
For your #1 program: State in no uncertain terms that you are ranking
them #1
For programs ranked #2-5: Sincerely state your strong interest in the
program, but avoid specifics about where that program is on your list. For
example, do not tell your #2 program they are at the top of your list (see
Rule #2).
Responding to messages from programs: Programs will sometimes throw you a
bone. Typically, this happens after they have made their rank list. The program
director will contact you and tell you anything ranging from we were very
impressed with you to youre ranked to match. Here are some pointers on
how to react to this:

Take everything with a grain of salt. If a program is reaching out to you,

you know they like you. The question is: how much? Applicants tend to
rank programs more highly if they think they were well liked there.
Programs know this, and often tell many applicants (not just their top 10)
that they were very impressed with them.
Respond promptly (within 24 hours). Delays in responding make you

appear uninterested and leaves programs feeling slighted (see Rule #3).
If contacted by email, respond immediately. If contacted by phone, let it
go to voicemail first. Then, listen to the message, think about how youd
like to respond, and then call them back.
Be positive in your response. Even if that program isnt in your top 3-5,
you need to convey sincere interest in the program. If they ranked you
highly, you want to keep it that way in case you dont match in your top
3-5 (see Rule #3).
Remember Rule #2. You should definitely tell your #1 program that youre
ranking them #1. For everyone else, tell them youre sincerely interested,
but avoid any specifics about where you are ranking them.

30
Example 1: Emails Sent to Top 3-5 Programs:

Dear Dr. _________ (program director),
I hope this email finds you well. < I wanted to let you know that
I will be ranking ________ #1 on my rank list. > OR < Having
finished interviewing, I continue to be greatly impressed by
__________. > The strength of clinical training and research
opportunities clearly set the program apart from others. It
would be an honor to have the opportunity to train at such an
outstanding program, and I hope to receive strong consideration
for a residency position.
Thank you again for your time and consideration. I hope I will
have the opportunity to work with you in the near future.
Sincerely,
___________
Example 2: Responding to Email from Program Director

Email Sent From Program Director to 30+ Applicants (why you
should take everything with a grain of salt):
Dear ____________,
Thank you very much for taking the time and effort to visit us
in __________ and learn about our program. All the faculty and
residents were greatly impressed by you and your accomplishments.
We all thought you would be a great fit for our program and could
do very well here. I hope you will seriously consider us for
your future surgical training. Feel free to contact me if you
have any questions about our program.
I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving,
______________ (program director)

31
Email Sent from Program Director with Reply (if program not ranked #1):
Dear ___________,
I wanted to thank you once again for your interest in our
program. All of us who met with you were thoroughly impressed
by you, and we would all be thrilled to have you become a part
of our program. I hope that we were able to convey to you our
eagerness and commitment to train and mentor you to become an
accomplished clinical surgeon and surgical scholar and to achieve
whatever goals you set for yourself.
We plan to rank you as one of our top ___ applicants, assuring
that you will match here if you choose to do so. If you should
match elsewhere, we hope that you will consider us for future
fellowship training or faculty positions. We also hope that you
will keep us apprised of your progress, and that you will feel
free to contact us at anytime if we can be of assistance to you
in any way.
We wish you much success.
Sincerely yours,
____________ (program director)
Dear Dr. ______________ (program director),

Thank you very much for your message. I was greatly impressed by
your program during my visit. The strength of clinical training,
supportive culture, and breadth of research opportunities clearly
set ___________ apart from other programs. It would be an honor
to have the opportunity to train at such an outstanding program.
Sincerely,
___________

32

33
Applying to Integrated Programs

There is a growing trend toward integrating general surgery residency and subspecialty training. Currently there are integrated training programs in plastic,
vascular and cardiothoracic surgery. As many of these integrated programs
are relatively new, few in number, and highly competitive, applicants to these
programs should take into account many specific considerations that differ
from applicants applying solely to general surgery programs. The decision to
apply to integrated programs and the approach to doing so is nuanced and
should be discussed with faculty mentors, but the brief guide below covers
some of the highlights.
Getting your application ready:
TALK TO YOUR PROGRAM DIRECTOR to determine whether you will apply
only to integrated programs or whether you will apply to both integrated
and general surgery programs
It is completely ok, and very common, to apply to general surgery
programs in addition to integrated programs; however, in this case you
should:
o Have two completely separate applications- one for your general
surgery and one for your integrated
This means SEPARATE personal statements
If possible, have different sets of letters of recommendation
o For example, having 4 letters of recommendation all from
vascular surgeons looks suspicious to general surgery
programs
o It is helpful for your integrated LORs to have one from
the program director- but try not to include this one in your
general surgery application
o On the other hand, having some general surgeon letters
in your integrated application will not hurt you (but it is
helpful to have some letters from faculty within your
integrated field)
You should never apply to both the integrated program AND the
general surgery program within the same institution because
programs may see this and you will lose out in both
For your general surgery application, you will still need the Chair of
Surgery letter
o Err on the side of full disclosure and be completely honest during
your meeting with your Chair, letting him/her know you will be
applying to integrated programs.
34
How to choose which and how many programs to apply to:

Again, review your resume with the program director of the integrated
program at your institution (if you have one) and the Chair so they can
gauge your competitiveness and give you advice tailored to you
Always overapply and cast a wide net- interviews are very difficult to
schedule, and especially with integrated programs they may only offer
one or two dates, so if you apply to 20 integrated and 20 general surgery
programs, you may only be able to schedule 16 integrated and 3 general
surgery
Difficult scenarios during interview season:
Most integrated programs know youre also applying to general surgery
programs, and many of them would say you would be crazy not to, so do
not worry if they ask you about this, just BE HONEST
If your general surgery application is suspicious for you having applied
to an integrated program (heavy vascular or CT research projects,
multiple letters of recommendation from vascular or CT attendings,
personal statement, etc), you WILL get asked about whether you also
applied to integrated programs
o If this happens, DO NOT LIE. Tell them the truth but follow with why
you decided to apply to general surgery programs too and use this as
an opportunity to mention why you applied to their program specifically
The advice you will get about whether to disclose your application to
integrated programs up front during your general surgery interview
is mixed- however, in my experience, whenever I mentioned this to
general surgery programs, I felt disregarded for the rest of the interview
Be ready to answer the question: So, is general surgery your backup?
o (The answer is NO, even if in your case it is)

35
On the interview trail:

You will be interviewing with the same 20-40 people at most places
o Making acquaintances/friends quickly will relieve the financial burden
of interviewing- share hotel rooms, cabs, etc.
o Make a google doc so that everyone can put their name, phone number,
and where/when they are interviewing at specific places so that you
can contact them/make plans together
NEVER say anything negative about any person or program, as this will
come back to you because the circle is so small (although you should
never do this anyway)
HAVE FUN! Interviewing is awesome because you are networking with
great faculty across the country. Make a good impression regardless of
your interest in the program because it really is a small world

36
Appendices
Sample Application Materials

The appended documents are samples of real application materials from
successfully-matched senior medical students and current residents. They
are a limited sample, but are meant to illustrate the spectrum of interests
and strengths that make a successful candidate. You will notice that some
applicants were especially strong in research, some in academics, and
others in leadership and extracurricular activities. There is no one prototype
for a general surgery applicant just as there is no one way to best train a
general surgery resident - every applicant and every program has its unique
characteristics, strengths and weaknesses; the point of the interview process
is to help you find the program that best fits you, and the goal of this guide is to
help you have the best chance of matching at that program.

37

38

39

40

41

42

43
General Surgery Programs interviewed:

Michigan
UNC
Duke - MATCHED
Johns Hopkins
UT Southwestern
Pittsburgh
Brigham and Women's
Northwestern
Mayo Clinic
Wash U / Barnes Jewish

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68
My first encounter with surgery occurred when I was in sixth grade. One
afternoon in February, I developed back pain that rapidly worsened over
the next several hours. My parents took me to the emergency room, where
a pediatric surgeon was consulted and brought up the possibility of
necrotizing fasciitis. Exploratory surgery confirmed the diagnosis.
Postoperatively, I developed septic shock and went back to the
operating room twice for further debridement and wound closure.
Although I was only eleven at the time, the experience sparked my
interest in surgery. Later in college, as I considered pursuing a
career in medicine, I often thought of the doctor who had performed the
surgeries and managed my care. These efforts allowed me to make a
complete recovery. My family and I were able to return to our normal
lives. I wanted to have this kind of impact on the lives of others, and
that was my motivation for pursuing a career in medicine.
Once I entered medical school and began considering different
specialties, surgery seemed like a natural place to start. Not
surprisingly, I was initially drawn to how surgeons treated the most
critically ill patients, and the potential impact they could make on
the lives of these patients and their families. During my clinical
rotations, I was also impressed by how surgeons took ownership of
patient care, from preoperative evaluation to performing surgery and
managing postoperative care. Having trained as an engineer during my
undergraduate studies, I was also drawn to the methodical, data-driven,
and results-oriented approach of surgery. The strongest impression,
however, was made after I reflected on the diversity of surgeries I had
scrubbed during my clinical rotations: laparoscopic appendectomies,
below-the-knee amputations, liver transplants, Whipple procedures.
General surgery was the only residency program that would provide me
with such a broad base of clinical training while allowing me to
visualize pathology with my own eyes and correct it with my own hands.
At this point, I already knew I wanted to work with critically ill
patients now I knew this was the way I wanted to do it.
Throughout my clinical rotations and research, I found that my
undergraduate training in chemical engineering has been one of my
greatest strengths. It provided me with a strong foundation in
leveraging scientific fundamentals and statistics to objectively inform
decision-making. As with surgery, engineering was also team-based and
results-oriented with a focus on effective communication. From a
research perspective, I was able to utilize this foundation throughout
the research process, whether it was coordinating and training a team
of my peers to collect data, drafting manuscripts and responding to
reviewer feedback, or presenting findings at surgical conferences. I
look forward to continuing to build on this foundation at the next
level of training.
Looking towards the future, my goal is to become a specialized surgeonscientist at an academic center with an active role in clinical
practice, research, and teaching. Ultimately, I hope to make the most
of my career in surgery, whether its providing care to patients,
improving clinical practice through research, or training the next
generation of physicians.

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Department of Surgery
2110 Taubman Center
1500 E. Medical Center Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Residency GuideBooklet 12-11-13

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Surgery Residency

Critical Dates in the Application Process.............................................1

Choosing Letter Writers ..........................................................................7

Choosing General Surgery Residency Programs ...............................8

Scheduling Interviews ............................................................................9

What To Do If Youre Not Getting Interview Offers...........................12

On the Interview Trail:

Getting to Your Interviews - Planning Logistics.................................14

Preparing for Interviews ......................................................................16

Interview Day Strategy .........................................................................20

Evaluating Programs .............................................................................22

Thank You Notes ....................................................................................24

Making your Rank Order List ...............................................................26

Closing the Deal .....................................................................................28

Sample Application Materials..............................................................37

Sample ERAS-format CVs.....................................................................38

Sample Personal Statements...............................................................69

Sample Couples Match Interview Tracking Spreadsheet..............75

Critical Dates in the Application Cycle

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

Senior faculty: Senior faculty have a great historical perspective on

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

Whats in the ERAS?:

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

C hoosing Letter W riters

Surgery Faculty from ThirdYear

Other Faculty from ThirdYear

Ideally, you have stayed in touch with one or two

I would not recommend including letters from

Very important, especially at academic residency

The majority of letters will often be from this group.

A. You can store as many letters as you want in

Surgery Faculty from 4thYear

How to Pick Specific Faculty

Pick faculty whom you have spent the most

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

C hoosing G eneral Surgery Residency Programs

Faculty/M entor Suggestions

Specific Program C haracteristics to C onsider

Research faculty/projects or multidisciplinary research centers that correlate with

1. Apply to 20-25 programs

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

Before Interview Invitations are Sent:

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

Example: Accepting Invitation by Email

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

Example: Rescheduling Interview by Email > 2 weeks ahead of time

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

What to Do If Youre Not Getting Interview Offers

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

What You Should Do

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

ON THE INTERVIEW TRAIL

Getting to Your Interviews - Planning Logistics

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook

Preparing for Interviews

Get feedback from faculty

The Full Story:

Michigan Surgery Residency Application Guidebook