Getting Into a Residency

I want to make a book recommendation --> Kenneth Iserson’s “Getting Into a Residency”.
All in all, his perspective is a bit too intense & his rules/regulations somewhat overboard - verging on neo-Nazi; however, much of the content & tactics he conveys are extremely helpful. He directs to think about things that, most likely, you had not even realized you needed to consider. And, he & I both think this is critical (so it must be the gospel?), that you begin preparing to land a residency slot from your first day of orientation in medical school!!!
Yes, that early. No, neither of us imply that you should have already made your specialty choice, but there is a load of things you can & should do that will make you a stronger candidate, no matter your specialty choice ends up being.
So, all of you that are in - I would recommend that: 1 - do NOT study for your MS-1 classes over the summer & 2 - that you pick up a copy & at least give it a cursory read through BEFORE classes start.

I have already bought this and read through it twice. I am planning on using it throughout my med school years to help me make sure I am ready to apply to residency. Great suggestion OldMan Dave

I was wondering about the other book you suggested by Dr. Jeremy Weiss. Where can I buy that one? I have checked amazon, barnes and noble and done a google search which surprising sent me to your diary entry here on OPM.

Thanks OMD…just made the order.

Actually, I obtained my copy from Amazon.com. but, at the time, they were only doing occasional runs of the book when enough orders had come through. Ironically, the bookstore at KCOM used to keep a supply of them too. Try www.matthewsbooks.com

I admit I don’t have this book but I’m sure I will pick up a copy at some point in my medical career. I’m concentrating on getting in first!
One thing I’ve always wondered, and I’m not sure if Dr. Iserson’s book addresses this, is how you go from residency to your first medical job. The whole process of becoming a doctor is so structured and formal that I wonder what happens when you complete your residency. Does the hospital or clinic you work at offer you a full-time job after you finish? Do you put out resumes, do job fairs, etc. just as you would do for any other job? How do negotiate salary and compensation when essentially you have no job experience? Do you just take what you’re offered for your first post-residency job? I’ve always had these questions in the back of my mind.
Love,
Stacy

Quote:

I admit I don’t have this book but I’m sure I will pick up a copy at some point in my medical career. I’m concentrating on getting in first!
One thing I’ve always wondered, and I’m not sure if Dr. Iserson’s book addresses this, is how you go from residency to your first medical job. The whole process of becoming a doctor is so structured and formal that I wonder what happens when you complete your residency. Does the hospital or clinic you work at offer you a full-time job after you finish? Do you put out resumes, do job fairs, etc. just as you would do for any other job? How do negotiate salary and compensation when essentially you have no job experience? Do you just take what you’re offered for your first post-residency job? I’ve always had these questions in the back of my mind.
Love,
Stacy


Hi there,
If you have done a residency at a good location, you will get plenty of job offers. If you are in a super-specialty like Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, you have to do some leg work. There are just not that many jobs. Many folks will try to line something up during fellowship but this is not always the case.
Sometimes you will be offered a position where you did residency but this is not usually the case. You have to do your own job search. Some specialists are in huge demand now like Minimally Invasive Surgeons who have 50-60 job offers when they are done with fellowship at a university program. Some places looke for university trained physicians as opposed to community-hospital trained physicians. Again, this depends on the specialty.
There are no automatics in any branch of medicine and it is difficult to predict where the jobs will be. You have to be willing to do what you love and do it well. If you are good at what you do, the job offers will be out there for you.

Natalie

Hey Dave,
Thanks for the tip. I read this book a couple of years ago when I was applying, but don’t own it and I don’t remember it that well. Do you think it’s important to have the most recent version, or will the 2000 edition do?
When I searched on Amazon (through the OPM link, of course), it came up with “101 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make: And How to Avoid Them” also. Got any input on this book?
Pam

Hey, I bought this book in December. It is great. I like all the suggestions it tells you. It goes through what you do and who you tell things to first, ie: intern, resident and attendings. It has great suggestions and I would highly recommend it. I have a friend who is a MSIV and she said it would have been great to have had this last year when she started her rotations.