Healthcare

Medical Students Struggling To Be Placed In Residency Programs In The United States, But Residents Medical Providing Assistance

Editor

According to the National Resident Matching Program, over a thousand medical graduates didn’t match in 2018. For those students, receiving the bad news felt like the worst day of their lives.

Many medical graduates look forward to Match Week. It signifies the next step in their career. It is the culmination of four years of hard work. Therefore, failing to match is a big disappointment.

Joining medical school is not easy. You need to sacrifice and study hard to pass the entrance examinations. Staying in medical school is also a challenge. Many students usually drop out along the way.

Graduating as a doctor is a great achievement. It is assumed that from there, a graduate will be able to enter a residency program from where they will further their clinical medical career. However, that is not always the case for thousands of medical graduates every year.

Fewer Residency Positions

The number of graduates normally exceeds the residency positions available. Over the years, medical schools have expanded admissions. However, residency positions have not been increased.

To increase residency positions will require an initiative from congress. That is because residencies are funded by Medicare. Congress set the allocation at $10 billion in 1997. Since then, this amount has remained unchanged.

Lawmakers have introduced bills to address this problem but so far no bill has passed in the House of Representatives.

Competitive Residencies

Some students fail to match because they apply to competitive residencies. The most competitive residencies include thoracic surgery, integrated plastic surgery, physical medicine, emergency medicine, and dermatology. To qualify for any of these residencies, you need to have high scores.

Most graduates prefer to work in urban centers. However, residencies in large cities are usually very competitive. By applying to a residency in a rural area, a graduate will increase their chances of qualifying. That will also help to address the shortage of physicians in rural areas.

Immigrants

Securing a residency position as an immigrant is difficult. Even if an immigrant studied in the US, they will have a hard time finding a match. Some immigrants who are protected under the DACA program are choosing not to apply for residencies because they fear being deported back to their country of origin.

People of Color

People of color face many challenges in their daily lives. They are also disenfranchised when it comes to the residency selection process. Most medical schools have done a lot to address the issue of diversity. However, it seems some residency programs don’t prioritize diversity.

Mentorship

Lack of mentorship might be one of the reasons why some graduates don’t match. It is important to be mentored by someone who understands the matching process. Qualifying for residency takes more than academic qualification. You also need soft skills.

How Residents Medical Will Help

Residents Medical has helped hundreds of graduates to be matched. Their pioneering approach educates, prepares, and strengthens prospects, making it easy for them to qualify for U.S. Medical Residency.

The team at Residents Medical will guide a student by hand until they qualify for residency. A person will be helped with CV preparation. Mentorship is also offered.

The approach of Residents Medical involves strengthening certain core competencies including:

  • Soft Skills

Graduates with soft skills have a better chance of being matched. Important soft skills include flexibility, time management, conflict resolution, problem-solving, creative thinking, and communication skills.

  • Emotional stability

Developing impulse control will make it easy to handle the day-to-day issues involved in clinical medicine.

  • Physical & Mental Stamina

Possessing endurance is necessary for a medical workplace. Doctors need to maintain a positive outlook when carrying out their duties.

For more information on how Residents Medical can help, visit https://residentsmedical.com/.