Application
to Residency Programs
Personal Statement
Yes, just when you thought that you had written your last personal statement! It's really hard for most people to write, so you're not alone. Start early! This is often the rate-limiting step in the application process, and it doesn't get any easier as the weeks go by! The statement should outline the formative experiences that make you interested in pediatrics. Tell the reader why you like pediatrics and where you see yourself going (e.g. private/group practice, academic medicine, public health, etc). It's OK to change your mind later!! Should be innovative but not too weird. Statement should be concise and articulate. Recommended length is approximately one page. If it's too short, you may not be saying enough. If it's too long, you may lose your audience. Have at least one person that knows you well read it critically. This is a good job for your college faculty mentor. The more readers, the better! Many residents at Seattle Children's have read personal statements written by former applicants and are often times more than happy to take a look at your personal statement. Should be ready by no later than mid-September.
Letters of Recommendation
All University of Washington students will receive an MSPE. This letter summarizes your academic performance while in medical school. You will have an opportunity to read a draft of this letter in August/September of your 4th year, and you can raise any questions or comments at that time. A final draft of this letter will be submitted to each of the schools that you are applying on November 1 of your 4th year. In addition to the MSPE, most programs require a minimum of 3 letters of recommendation and ERAS allows for a maximum of 4 letters to be submitted. Ideally, you will collect these letters as you complete your clerkships. The letter should be from someone with whom you've had a fair amount of contact in a clinical setting. A letter from Dr. Stapleton is recommended by some programs and also provides a great opportunity to meet with the Chairman. Don't be afraid to ask the question "do you feel that you could write a strong letter for me?" Dr. MacLaren recommends checking the "confidential" box on the ERAS form for letters of recommendation. Programs NOTICE if you don’t check the box. If you do so, it is highly probable that you will not see your letters. It is, therefore, very important that you are confident that the letters that you do receive are as strong as possible.
Debated issues:
Should All Of The Letters Be Within The Field Of Pediatrics?
At least one or two letters should be from someone in pediatrics. Beyond that, it depends on your individual clinical experiences. Talk with your advisor.
Should I Get A Letter From Someone Who Came From The Institution To Which I'm Applying?
This question needs to be answered on an individual basis and depends on the institution as well as your relationship with the potential letter writer. Again, talk with your advisor. DO NOT get letters from residents, relatives, patients - it has happened!
How To Choose Programs for Interviews:
As one of the program directors stated "you're all great students, and we're a great program. Now we need to see if we want to work together!" Choosing the residency program that will be best for you is a very individual decision. The items listed below are some important things to consider as you decide where to apply:
- Location
- Size
- Curriculum structure: categorical and/or primary care tracts
- Research opportunities
- Presence/absence of a children's hospital
- International rotations
- Level of resident responsibility
- Patient population
- Volume/complexity of patients
- Stability of the program
- Reputation/name recognition
Detailed information on each of the pediatric programs can be found by visiting Freida at
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2997.html
This site will provide some basic information about each program, and will list individual web pages for each site. Most programs now have their brochures printed on the web, so it's easy to print a hard copy.
Advisors
The Current Department of Pediatrics faculty members who serve as advisors for aspiring pediatricians:
Pediatrics:
Dr. Curt Bennett - Email: fbennett@u.washington.edu
Dr. Ted Carter - Email: edward.carter@seattlechildrens.org
Dr. Susan Marshall - Email: smarsh@u.washington.edu
Dr. Sherilyn Smith - Email: ssmit1@u.washington.edu
Dr. Jordan Symons - Email: Jordan.symons@seattlechildrens.org
Dr. Glen Tamura - Email: glen.tamura@seattlechildrens.org
Dr. Michelle Terry - Email: mterry@uwpn.org
Dr. Kyle Yasuda - Email: kyasuda@u.washington.edu
Med/Peds:
Dr. Michelle Gurvitz - Email: michelle.gurvitz@seattlechildrens.org
Dr. Frank Stackhouse - Email: fstackho@u.washington.edu
These advisors are excellent resources and are happy to meet with you at various points throughout the long application process. In looking at the timeline, you can see that there are several important decision points at which time it is very helpful to get feedback from someone with experience with this process. With your initiative, your advisor will become acquainted with you and your record, and will be able to provide you with individual feedback to help you with these important decisions. The Academic Affairs Office will offer to assign you to an advisor during winter quarter of your 3rd year, or you can contact one of the faculty members at the email addresses listed above.
