2606, 2021

Virtual Residency Interviews: Do applicants really win?

Steven Tsoraides MD/ June 26, 2021/ Doctors, Medical Students

Now that the dust is settling on the pandemic in America, many residency programs are asking themselves how they will conduct interviews moving forward. Traditional thought left us assuming that it would be impossible to select a qualified candidate for physician training without ever meeting them in person. The success of virtual platforms for seeing and speaking with someone really challenge traditional thought. In considering this dilemma, the benefits and disadvantages for applicants and programs need to be considered. It’s clear that the stress and expenses of the interview season have become too significant and were due for fixing anyhow. Virtual interviews allow an applicant to save thousands of dollars at a point in time where they have no money to spend and have accumulated significant debt already. With virtual interviews students are able to schedule a greater number of interviews and

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2410, 2019

Residency Match: How to Succeed (P4)

Steven Tsoraides MD/ October 24, 2019/ Medical Students

Part 4: Nail the Interview So now you know what you want and you’ve done your homework. You spent countless hours envisioning your future and the perfect program. You can see yourself walking down the halls of the perfect setting for training. Only one thing stands in your way: The Interview. As you’ve heard time and time again, the application gets you an interview. The interview is often what makes the difference. Yes, many programs may have pre-determined metrics that put you at an advantage or disadvantage before they’ve even met you. This does not mean you can’t improve your fate. I know for sure the interview CAN HARM YOU if you are not well prepared or if you convey any of the following: Too arrogant Poor social skills Poor language skills Dispassionate Disingenuous Untruthful Unintelligent Condesending Lazy Sloppy On the other

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1510, 2019

Residency Match: How to Succeed (P3)

Steven Tsoraides MD/ October 15, 2019/ Medical Students

Part 3: Do Your Homework Just because you completed your CV in ERAS don’t think that your work is done. Thought you could tune out for a while? Wrong. Remember all those goals you worked on defining? You need to have a very clear understanding of which programs are best suited to help you accomplish your goals. Picking the wrong programs to look at may mean a very different course in life. Now that you know what you want, find out where to get it. Too many applicants are using a “shot gun” approach to choosing programs: Apply to as many programs as you can and see what happens. Well this is a rather insecure and immature approach to something you have been working on your whole life. Not many other professionals apply to 60 jobs and hope for the best. This

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0209, 2019

How Do I Choose the Right Field?

Steven Tsoraides MD/ September 2, 2019/ Medical Students

Medical Students often struggle finding their path. Life in a clinic or life in an operating room? Pay off debt quickly fixing bones or slowly treating runny noses? Once you choose, you choose for life. It’s not uncommon to come across a personal statement where an applicant confesses, ” . . . I remember seeing the light behind the doctor as I exited the womb, and I knew from that moment, I wanted to be an obstetrician.” Well, maybe not exactly like that, but many young physicians know from early on that their path is one towards a particular field. We can draw a number of stereotypes of the ones that go into orthopedic surgery vs. the ones that are drawn to psychology, but in the end, you are the one who must choose your path. You’ll likely often see me refer

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