Caroline Diez, BA, C-TAGMEProgram Coordinator, Transitional Year Residency Program

Grand Strand Medical Center

Terri Hayes, C-TAGMEProgram Coordinator, Rheumatology Fellowship Program

Medical University of South Carolina

2017 AHME Institute – Astor Crowne Plaza – New Orleans, LA

› Be familiar with the on-line databases used in recruitment

› Understand the importance of the “first impression” during the recruitment cycle

› Understand how to effectively make your program stand out among others to prospective applicants in a manner which enhances recruitment

› Learn how to facilitate a successful interview day experience for prospective program candidates

› Grasp the impact, importance, and boundaries of post-interview follow-up

› Residency Recruitment: When fourth year medical students and “others” apply and interview for your residency program

– “Others”

› International Medical Graduates

› Transfers

› Fellowship Recruitment: When graduating Residents apply and interview for your fellowship program

– “Others”

› Practicing Physicians (i.e., People who have worked for a year in Internal Medicine and return to a Fellowship)

› A graduate from a medical school outside of the United States and Canada (not accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education). IMGs may be citizens of the United States who chose to be educated elsewhere or non-citizens who are admitted to the United State by US Immigration authorities. All IMGs should undertake residency education in the United States before they can obtain a license to practice medicine in the United States even if they were fully educated, licensed, and practicing in another county.

– Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME): The LCME accredits programs of medical education learning to the MD in the United States and collaborates with the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) in Canada.

› IMGs must have an ECFMG Number to enter most, if not all, resident and fellowship programs in the United States.

– ECFMG: Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates

– ECFMG Number: The identification number assigned by the ECFMG to each international medical graduate physician who receives certification from the ECFMG.

› When accepting IMGs into your residency or fellowship program it is important to know about the challenges:

– Examples: Visa Status (J-1, H1B, F-1, etc.), Licensure Issues, Political Barriers, SAVE Systems, Cultural Barriers, and Language Barriers

› FREIDA lists program information for over 10,000 GME programs.

› The information is collected by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) annually via the National GME Census.

– The National GME Census and GME Track are the same thing!

– The data entered in the Program Survey is used to update FRIEDA

› Provides residency and fellowship applicants with a “one stop shop” for information searches (by program, by state, residency type, etc.)

› For main match programs, FREIDA generally opens mid-May with a deadline in mid-July.

› GME Track contains a second step, the Resident Survey, which opens in late July

› The San Francisco Match is similar to the NRMP match, but it occurs earlier in the year and the number of participants are much smaller.

› Today, it is used for Ophthalmology and Plastic Surgery Residencies and for more than twenty types of Fellowship Programs.

› The AOA Intern/Resident Registration Program Match is similar to the NRMP match, but it strictly for Osteopathic GME positions.

› It is sponsored by the American Osteopathic Association and administrated by National Matching Services Inc.

› About 700 GME programs with3,100 positions participate.

› The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) is a private, not-for-profit corporation established in 1952 to provide a uniform date of appointment to positions in graduate medical education in the United States.

› NRMP is the system used to a create a fair and binding system for programs to submit a rank order list.

– Rank Order List: The list of preferences submitted electronically by applicants and programs via the R3 system that is used by the NRMP matching algorithm to place applicants into residency and fellowship positions.

› Five organizations sponsor the NRMP:

– American Board of Medical Specialties

– American Medical Association

– Association of American Medical Colleges

– American Hospital Association

– Council of Medical Specialty Societies

› Yes, the NRMP now requires an “All In” Policy.

› Any program registering for the Match must attempt to fill all positions through the Match or another national plan.

› Programs planning to participate in the Match cannot offer positions outside of the Match prior to program director registration and program activation.

› Once positions have been offered outside the Match, the program no longer is eligible to enroll in the Match unless the offered position falls into one of the exception categories for the Match.

› Exceptions: Military appointees to civilian programs, Innovative Training Programs, Rural Scholars Program, etc.

› The algorithm used is “applicant-proposing;” meaning it prioritizes the applicant rank order list, not the program list, for training placement.

› No applicant could obtain a better outcome than the one produced by the algorithm.

› Fun Fact: Research on the algorithm was the basis for awarding the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economic Science.

› http://www.nrmp.org/match-a-to-z/video-tutorials/about-the-matching-algorithm-tutorial/

› There is no limit to the number of ranks submitted.

› The rank order list can be modified or re-ordered at any time, and as many times, until 9 PM EST on the Rank Order List Deadline Day.

› The Rank Order List must be certifiedto be accepted for ranking.

› Program Coordinators can view, create, and edit rank order lists. They cannot certify rank order lists.

› To find out if your program has filled, you may login to the NRMP R3 System the Monday of Match Week. Matched applicant reports are released a few days later.

› Once called the “scramble”

› The entire SOAP process occurs within four days (Monday through Thursday) during Match Week

› It is a “mini Match” for programs with unfilled positions and candidates without a spot, must participate in main Match to be eligible

› SOAP consists of three rounds (as of 2016-2017 cycle) each with opportunity to conduct interviews and submit rank lists

› Candidates have two hour deadlines to accept/reject offers at the end of each round

› Only the Program Director can contact the candidate for a phone interview, ERAS rules bar candidates from reaching out directly

› 2017 SOAP Schedule: http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Match-Week-and-SOAP-Schedule.pdf

› http://www.nrmp.org/residency/soap/

› ERAS streamlines the residency and fellowship application process for applicants, their Dean’s Office, LOR authors, and Program Directors.

› ERAS gives applicants the ability to build and deliver their application and materials individually or as a package.

› ERAS provides a centralized distribution process.

› ERAS consists of four portals:

– Dean’s Office Workstation (DWS)

– ERAS Fellowship Documents Office (EFDO)

– Program Director’s Workstation (PDWS)

– ERAS Letters of Recommendation Portal (LoRP)

› Was the candidate’s medical training interrupted?

› Does the candidate have a misdemeanor or felony conviction?

› Are there any failures on the candidate’s transcript? Are there any USMLE failures?

› Has the candidate had a medical license suspended or revoked?

› In a Letter of Recommendation…”I recommend” versus “I highly recommend”

RED FLAGS› MSPE (Dean’s Letter)

› Graduation Year

› Research Involvement

› Visa Status

› Medical School Transcript

› Geography

› USMLE Scores– 240 and above: first tier– 220 to 239: second tier– 205 to 219: third tier– 204 and below: on hold

DETERMINING CRITERIA

- SOAP Applicant- SOAP US Graduates

- Applicant From …- Particular Medical

School

- 3 LORs Received- USMLE Received

› It’s never too early to prepare for interview season!

› Select interview days early and block faculty schedules.

› Review previous candidate evaluations and solicit resident feedback for improvements.

› Reserve conference rooms, make dinner reservations, determine catering/nutritional service needs, schedule shuttles, etc.

› Establish recruitment budget and order supplies (badges, folders, jump drives, promotional products).

› Confirm hotel rates with local vendors.

› Confirm annual enrollment in NRMP, ERAS, and SOAP (if needed).

› Prepare for residency fairs/recruitment fairs, as needed.

› https://www.aamc.org/download/253804/data/program_residency_timeline_print.pdf

› “I remember calling one program coordinator to verify the time I was to be there, and she said, ‘Well, didn’t you get the email?’ I had, in fact, received the email, but I was just making sure I understood correctly.”

– Anonymous Medical Student

› Coordinators are the first point of contact candidates will have with the training progress; they can give candidates a good or bad first impression

› Update (and keep updated) any brochures/marketing materials, program website, etc.

› Be aware of social media posts about your program (Uncle Harvey, scutwork.com, studentdoctor.net, etc.).

› If using scheduling software (i.e., Thalamus or Interview Broker) conduct a practice run to avoid systemic problems.

› Create scripted emails/draft templates to ensure everyone gets the same information and you can rapidly send emails out (Interview Invitations, Confirmation of Scheduling Interview, Reminder Emails, Rejection Emails, etc.).

› “The interview day is the coordinator’s audition as well. If that person can’t manage to put the program’s best foot forward when it is absolutely mandatory, one can only imagine what life will be like to deal with this person day to day. It truly does affect one’s impression of a program.”

– Anonymous Medical Student

› Make sure all key players (Department Chair, Program Director, Associate Program Director, and Core Faculty) are available.

› Ask questions to elicit conversation, while avoiding discriminatory questions.

› Consider a blind interview, therefore interviewers are not biased (i.e., board scores or letter writers).

› Determine the interview format that works best for your program, pros/cons for each

– One on One Interviews (Pro – A greater opportunity to dig/Con – Risk of interview fatigue)

– Panel Interviews (Pro – Each candidate gets a chance to meet all interviewers/Con –Interviewers may interrupt each other)

– Group Interviews (Pro – Puts less pressure on interview candidates/Con – Some candidates may be put off by the pressure)

› Gather resident input:

– Formally, schedule them for interview

– Informally, dinner and “down time” candidate interaction

› Make sure interviewers know the evaluation metrics and understand the standard evaluation form

“There is one program I will not be ranking, because of the way they

presented themselves on interview day. The program coordinator did a good job in general, but the way the

day was set up was strange.” – Anonymous Medical Student

› Worst Interview Scenarios (Candidate Feedback)

– Room Size Too Small

– Interview Day too long/ too spread out with little to do

– No resident interaction/ disinterested residents

– No food or beverage provided

› “Extremely organized program coordinators who were informed about the program were the most helpful.”

– Anonymous Medical Student

› Be honest with candidates

› Starts with the pre-interview dinner

– Maximize resident attendance

– Have key leaders “drop by” for cocktail hour

› “Spruce up” the department

– Photos of residents

– Clean resident lounge

– Highlight faculty publications

› Think of 10 things that make your program stand out and plug into conversation

– Location

– Facilities

– Things that are unique to your campus/program

› Program Information

– Faculty CVs, Block Schedules, Milestones, Department Publications, Interview Day Presentation, Resident and Faculty information, Alumni Information, Program Policies

› Hospital Information

– Letter from CMO/DIO, GME Newsletter, Campus Maps, Annual Report, GME Policies, Resident Contract, Campus Publications, New Hire Handbook

› City Information

– School Information, Visitor’s Bureau Information, Chamber Information, Metro Economic Forecast, Video Tours, County Census, Fact Sheets, Relocation Guides, Area Maps, Things To Do

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/gsmctysurvery

› Send survey twice, once within 48 hours of the interview and again after rank list submission but before Match Day

› Response rate nearly doubles when using a web-based system (Survey Monkey, RedCap, etc.)

› Survey must remain anonymous, otherwise candidates will fear repercussion

› Use survey results to make changes to recruitment materials, interview days, etc.

“Program Coordinators are the glue that holds the entire chaotic interview season together. They are generally overworked and underappreciated. For all those that haven’t heard it enough lately…thank you!”

- Anonymous Medical Student

Terri Hayes, C-TAGMEProgram Coordinator, Rheumatology Fellowship ProgramMedical University of South Carolina

hayet@musc.edu

(843) 792-3484 [Office Phone](843) 801-2446 [Cell Phone]

Caroline Diez, BA, C-TAGMEProgram Coordinator, Transitional Year Residency ProgramGrand Strand Medical Center

caroline.diez@hcahealthcare.com

(843) 692-4403 [Office Phone](843) 478-3637 [Cell Phone]

› www.nrmp.org

› www.aamc.org/services/eras/programs/

› www.sfmatch.org

› Clyburn, B. The A to Z of Accreditation. MUSC Program Coordinator’s Retreat. Charleston, SC. March 2016.

› Goodwin, V. and Wilson, J. I’m a New Coordinator – Now What? ACGME Education Conference. Orlando, FL. February 2013.

› Nawotniak, R and Rinehart, P. Resident Recruitment: From ERAS to Match. Brentwood: HCPro, 2016. Print.