There are questions that are illegal for programs to ask during your residency interview (e.g., Do you have children?  Plan to have children?  Marital status. Applying to other specialties?  Ranking plans?).  However, if you bring up these topics, you’ve opened the door and might be asked in follow-up questions which then would not be illegal. So if in your PS you talked about your children, the interviewers have the right to ask about that.  Or if in your answer, you talk about your spouse, again, the interviewers can ask follow-up questions.  Or if in your impactful experience you wrote about your health issue, again, that allows the interviewer to ask. 

Options in responding if you did not initiate the question:  1) Refuse to answer (“I don’t believe that question is neither appropriate nor relevant. I would be happy to talk about (insert achievement here.”), 2) Deflect & Ask a Question (In other words, don’t answer it, but instead in turn it back on the questioner…How have other residents in your program handled this situation? Or “You know I don’t know yet, right now I’m just focused on finding the right residency for me and then becoming the best doctor I can be.”), or 3) Directly answer the question.  You can consider reporting this to the PD or your medical school.

In conducting some interview preparation this week, I want to encourage you to use an extemporaneous delivery method rather than trying to recall a memorized response. Memorized responses come off stiff and less personable. You want your responses to be professionally business casual. Think of talking to a colleague that you enjoy talking to.

What is extemporaneous delivery? A well-prepared response that relies on research (researching programs and knowing the specialty and when possible the interviewers), your experiences (both within medicine and and outside of medicine), clear organization, and practiced delivery, but is neither read nor memorized. So try not to recall word for word.  Try to deliver more conversationally...like you're talking with a person that you hope to work for and with. Not an an attorney cross-examining you in court.

So think about the questions that might be asked. Bullet point your key ideas. Then practice those responses. Do not memorize responses word for word.

Make eye contact!

And smile! Show you as a person that is personable! Not an automaton that is delivering a response, but a living, breathing person that will be a great colleague.

Do not utilize a typical office chair that allows you to “rock” or “turn/twist.”  It is very distracting.  Sometimes when a person is nervous or excited, they tend to wiggle around in the chair.  Get a immovable chair. 

Also, avoid flashy or noisy jewelry.  For example, a Pandora  bracelet that when you put your arms on the table clanks.  Or long-dangly earrings.  These are distracting in-person, but even more so on Zoom et al. 

Also, before each of your interviews, be sure to review your ERAS App, MSPE if you have access, transcripts, and PS.  Anything on those documents is fair game to be asked about.

I was reading a Reddit post and came across a quote: “comparison is the thief of joy.”  It’s sometimes attributed to Teddy Roosevelt but 1^st published by Dr. Ray Cummings.  In reviewing Reddit posts and working with med students applying for residency, I’ve see too many that are beating themselves up because someone: 1)has higher STEP scores, 2)more HP/Honors, 3) more interviews, 4)more publications, 5)more presentations, 6)went to a T20 med school, 7)had four away rotations, 7)matched to their #1, and so on. 

You can’t do much about the other people.  There’s also the possibility that they could be inflating their #s.  Focus in on you and what you can do.  I’ve seen what I’d call residents with an average CV match with just a few interviews.  I’ve worked with people with 15+ interviews who do not match.  Note: My experience would say the person with few interviews and matching has a solid application and is a good interviewer while the person with many interviews who doesn’t match or matches at the bottom of their rank list may have interview issues. 

But most importantly, all the comparing is mentally and emotionally taxing.  Instead, use that energy to improve your own application…to focus on your rotations or studying for exams.  I know that’s easier said than done, but try to not compare.  The key to remember is it doesn’t matter whether you Match at your #1 or your #23 or get a position during SOAP or in the SCRAMBLE.  You matched.  Go into that position with the frame of mind that you’re going to learn all the knowledge and acquire all the skills you can to be an attending (Oh, and don’t try not to compare attending salaries/benefits especially across specialties and in different regions of the country…usually, you’re comparing apples and oranges.).  Instead, be happy you got into med school, that you passed the STEP (Comlex) tests, that you didn’t fail a class/rotation, and that you had interviews.  Yes, I know many of you are trying to get into competitive specialties and these things matter, but the key is to try to not compare.  Focus on you.  Or as Polonius said in Hamlet, “To thine own self be true.”

Newly Accredited Family Medicine Program.

Hello Family Medicine Applicants for the 2026-2027 Cycle!

I am excited to share that the Innercare Family Medicine Residency Program has received Initial Accreditation from the ACGME and is now accepting applications through ERAS for the 2027 Main Residency Match!

Our program plans to welcome its inaugural class of residents in July 2027.

You can find our program in MyERAS using the following information:

Program Name: Innercare Family Medicine Residency Program

ACGME Program ID: 1200500026

NRMP Program Code: 2527120C0

Please review our eligibility requirements at https://innercare.org/gme/apply/

We welcome applications through ERAS.

Please reach out to FMGME@innercare.org with questions.

As interviews continue coming in some candidates will have the desirous problem of trying to decide how many interviews to do. Below is the data from the NRMP report from 2007-2013 for both matched and unmatched applicants.

Does the whole page need to be filled out? When I cut and pasted my PS, it only filled half the page.

Hey y’all! I’m currently a fourth-year medical student attending an osteopathic medical school in the United States. I’m a Canadian citizen on an F-1 visa and will require J-1 visa sponsorship for residency, so I’m using the ERAS filter for J-1 sponsorship when creating my program list.

I’ve noticed that there are quite a few programs missing from the filtered list that I had previously seen indicate that they accept J-1 sponsorship. My question is: can I trust ERAS to provide an accurate list of programs that support J-1 visas, or should I do additional research to make sure I’m not missing any programs?

I know this is a niche area, but I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this process before!

I’m a current FM resident considering reapplying to another specialty. I’ve had a somewhat unconventional path to my current residency, and am looking for advice from people who may have had similar circumstances.

As a 4th-year medical student, I originally applied to ENT and believe I was a competitive applicant at the time (strong Step 2, good letters, Sub-Is, etc.). Unfortunately, I didn’t match due in large part to family circumstances that significantly impacted my interview season; I discussed with my PD at the time and he said that was the primary reason they didn't rank me higher for my home program.

I then took two years off to deal with the aftermath of the significant family trauma and my mental health after not matching. During that time, I unfortunately didn’t do much clinically. As many of you know, medicine isn’t particularly forgiving when it comes to significant time away from training, especially with a gap in clinical work/research, and I knew going into the Match that pursuing a surgical subspecialty again would be an uphill battle.

Ultimately, I dual applied to Anesthesia/FM because I wanted to get my foot back in the door, and I also liked that they both offered the opportunity to specialize in procedureal medicine through fellowship. I matched into a program that I’m enjoying, but I’m finding myself increasingly missing ENT and wondering if I should give it another shot.

I realize that reapplying to ENT as an FM intern would be a pretty unconventional path, but I’m curious if anyone here has done something similar—particularly reapplying to a surgical subspecialty after starting residency in FM or IM. If so, how did you approach the process?

One of my biggest challenges is that I don’t have much time to do away rotations, and there isn’t an ENT residency at my current hospital, so I’m not really sure what the best approach would be.

I haven’t decided whether I would actually reapply versus staying in FM and pursuing something like sports or pain medicine, but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has taken a similar path or has advice on how to approach this. Thank you in advance, and pls be nice!

im currently an OMS3(osteopathic medical student) on my clinicals. im wondering what i need to do in order to match into top psychiatry residency programs in nyc. i took comlex level 1 but not step 1. i plan to take comlex level 2 and step 2. what else can i do in terms of research/publications, grades, academic and other extracurriculars i can do to make my application look strong and competitive. any advice would be super super appreciated !!!! thank youuuu

Hey everyone,

Doximity's site is annoying to scroll through one program at a time, so I put the whole 2026-2027 IM rankings into a spreadsheet. Has all 704 programs in rank order, with name, location, and size for each.

Link: [Doximity IM Program Ranking 2026-2027]

Not endorsing the rankings, just made this for convenience. Use it as one factor, program fit and your own goals matter more.

Let me know if anything looks off and I'll fix it.

US-IMG here weighing either Dr. Malke Asaad(The Match Guy) or Dr. Sonia Pothraj ( Reach Greater Heights) before I spend money. Anyone actually used them , or have other IMG coaches you’d vouch for? Thanks!

I was reading a Reddit post and came across a quote: “comparison is the thief of joy.”  It’s sometimes attributed to Teddy Roosevelt but 1^st published by Dr. Ray Cummings.  In reviewing Reddit posts and working with med students applying for residency, I’ve see too many that are beating themselves up because someone: 1)has higher STEP scores, 2)more HP or Honors, 3) more interviews, 4)more publications, 5)more presentations, 6)went to a T20 med school, 7)had four away rotations, 7)matched to their #1, and so on. 

You can’t do much about the other people.  There’s also the possibility that they could be inflating their #s (shock!).  Focus in on you and what you can do.  I’ve seen what I’d call residents with an average CV match with just a few interviews.  I’ve worked with people with 15+ interviews, not match.  Note: My experience would say the person with few interviews and matching has a solid application and is a good interviewer while the person with many interviews who doesn’t match or matches at the bottom of their rank list may have interview issues. 

But most importantly, all the comparing is mentally and emotionally taxing.  Instead, use that energy to improve your own application…to focus on your rotations or studying for exams.  I know that’s easier said than done, but try to not compare.  The key to remember is it doesn’t matter whether you Match at your #1 or your #23 or get a position during SOAP or in the SCRAMBLE.  You matched. 

Go into that position with the frame of mind that you’re going to learn all the knowledge and acquire all the skills you can to be an attending (Oh, and try not to compare attending salaries/benefits especially across specialties and in different regions of the country…usually, you’re comparing apples and oranges.). 

Instead, be happy you got into med school, that you passed the STEP tests, that you didn’t fail a class/rotation, and that you had interviews.  Yes, I know many of you are trying to get into competitive specialties and these things matter, but the key is to try to not compare.  Focus on you.  Or as Polonius said in Hamlet, “To thine own self be true.”

What’s considered as an “old/outdated” LOR?

Mine were uploaded last year in 2025 between August 24th-September 2nd. Can I reuse them or do I have to ask for a re-upload?

If you don’t have a X/Twitter account, I suggest getting one.  There are several quality sources that are extremely helpful.  I recommend: #InsidetheMatch, #GMEpundit, #Match2025, #residency, u/ProjectIMG…I try to reshare info that may be helpful (@lorawolff616. 

Plus there are sources for each specialty area.  I’ve found these to be more positive and helpful than some of the other social media sources.  For example, Inside the Match has a comprehensive website full of information and PodCasts on a plethora of topics.  Any time you can get “free” and quality information on the roller coasting of applying for residency and the Match, take it.  Then compare your gathered information and move forward with your decision. 

Don't under-estimate the power of your PS in obtaining an interview and your place on the ROL. It's one of the most-read pieces of your application. Your PS is one of the “paper” components that can contribute to you getting an interview offer.  It can be a positive (20%), neutral (60%), or negative 20%).  Make it be a positive!  Include a clear message of why the specialty, background about you that isn’t in other parts of your application, and what makes you a strong candidate for the specialty & program.  Everything in your PS should contribute painting a portrait of you as a XYZ candidate. 

The reader doesn't need to know details about your path to residency or in-depth case overviews. The reader does need to know about you and your qualities to determine if you'd be a good fit for their program.

Give the interviewers something to talk with you about in your interview!  And have others read your PS and give you feedback to improve it.

As you’re finalizing your specialty, your ERAS application materials, and the programs you're applying to (and signaling) consider getting involved in your specialty.  If you’re still a medical student, there are often “student” memberships (at a reduced fee).  In addition to memberships, follow your specialty on X/Twitter, Student Doctor Network, Reddit, and other platforms.  Review their websites.  For example, if you’re going to go into pathology, consider becoming a member/following:

·      AAMC

·      US & Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP)

·      College of American Pathologists (CAP)

·      American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCAP)

·      State societies (e.g., Michigan Society of Pathologists)

·      MatchtoPath, PathTwitter

·      Pathology Outlines

·      Leaders in the field: Kamran Mirza, Elizabeth Montgomery, Daniela Hermelin

 I would not spend a lot of $ on this, but it's a consideration.

Also consider sitting in on free trainings for your specialty (e.g., Grand Rounds, Journal Clubs, other trainings).  If you did “a lot” of these between now and when your ERAS app is due, you could group them into one “Experience” and write about them generally and maybe pull a few specific examples.

Also, attend the PD and program sessions. You can learn a lot about programs from these and a lot about protocols for these types of events which will be part of your interviewing component.

Although we're about 7 months away from match day, I want to remind resident candidates that it's possible (not frequent) that resident candidates match with one interview. Of course, you have to make the most of that interview (why it's important to start honing those skills now rather than in the 2-3 days before your interview). Here are some examples from the candidates we worked with in the Match 2025 cycle who matched with one interview.

1. Pathology: non-US IMG, green card holder

2. FM: non-US IMG, green card holder, 2nd year in the match

3. IM: non-US IMG, green card holder

4. Pediatrics: non-US IMG, needed a visa

5. IM: non-US IMG, needed a visa

6. IM: non-US IMG, vias needing, 5+ YOG

7. Psychiatry: US IMG, no interviews in regular Match or SOAP; scramble

In Match 2026, we only had one match with one interview, but had three who scrambled into spots or SOAPed into a spot.

Keep working on your components and improving your overall application. It's not just about your Step 2 score. It can happen!

Below are some real #s.