Apply to programs before October 21st deadline

Residency programs will be reviewing applicant materials immediately after it is available October 21st. Applicants should have all their materials completed before October 20th so their is no problem uploading information at the last minute. It is very important to apply to the programs you are interested in before the first day that residency programs can begin reviewing material.

If you have below average board scores or have failures or a low GPA, apply to community programs, rural programs and urban programs which did not fill in the past. Also look at programs that participate in pre-match or programs which don’t participate in match at all. It is better to be in a position to have a job to consider rather than have no job offer at all. This is especially true for US and non-US IMG students and prior year graduates.

Do not procrastinate or assume it will be OK. This is a mistake. You must plan and prepare. This is the time to start mock interviews. You need to have your communication skills prepped and ready. If you need motivational tools consider a poster or pillow or sticky note to yourself. Remember you are running a marathon, and you need to keep up with all the details.

When I see homeless people asking for change, I am challenged as a person to resolve the humanity of their situations. No one grows up thinking that they will be on the streets begging for money. Many people who are homeless have mental illnesses, addiction issues, are victims of abuse or other problems. These conditions are not reserved for the homeless, they occur throughout all socioeconomic statuses.

People who are not effected by mental illness, may be unaware of the physical pain that can be associated disorders. The brain is the most complicated part of our bodies and when it is dis-functional, it can cause real physical and chronic pain- just like a broken bone causes pain. Mental illnesses like anxiety, depression or phobias, can cause a person to self medicate with tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs. This self medication may seem to work initially or temporarily, but it inevitably leads to addiction and further damage to the system. No one wants to grow up to become an alcoholic or drug addict.

Society needs to destigmatize mental illness so that people can get help without the shame associated with addiction or mental illness. For some people, the damage to their bodies, their minds, are more than they can manage. Suicide seems like their only solution to ending the pain and suffering that they endure. Often the saddest thing about the situation is that the people around them who love them, are unaware of their despair and unexperienced in how to help them.

I encourage you to consider how you can support people with mental illness to get medical help for their problems. Please support organizations who work with people with addiction to help to rebuild their lives. Support suicide awareness programs and support families who have experienced loss. Most of all, treat yourself, your family, friends, coworkers with love and compassion and accept people for who they are with all their flaws. Most people are living the best life they know how each day.

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