Rocking the match II: More lessons on applying and getting into residency

Everyone can think of someone who was just plain smart and who did really well in school without even studying. On the other hand, we all know that most good students work at it, even if they are very bright. In the same vein, there are some students who don't have to prepare for the application process. They may be good applicants for residency training based solely on their academic record, the support they will receive from faculty, and on interpersonal skills that will allow them to shine during an interview. However, there aren't a lot of people like that. The major message to medical students reading this article is that becoming a good applicant for residency training, and indeed for other things in life, is a learnable skill. The responses of the medical students to the 10 trigger questions in this article demonstrate that. We all hope that the tips we provide here will help many students achieve the level of success they deserve.