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A New and Interesting Trend:
Residents are in High Demand
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by Jay
Lieberman, DPM
Editor and Curriculum Developer
PRESENT
We have come from a time when there were an insufficient
number of residencies for all of the podiatry school graduates. When I
graduated from podiatry school 2 decades ago, there were only half as many
residency slots as there were graduating seniors. Prospective
candidates would call on a daily basis just to get the chance to spend a few
hours at your program. This pattern changed when we finally had just the right
number of residency programs for all the graduating seniors. These days, it
appears that the pendulum has swung a bit too far and residency programs and
directors are aggressively pursuing the best candidates from a dwindling pool of
graduates. It's a graduate's market!!
Look out! The day may come when Residency Directors will have
to travel to meet with each of their prospective residents personally or fly
them into town, with a stay at a four star hotel. Will talent agents and scouts
need to become involved? Forget it guys, clean lab coats will no longer be
enough incentive to attract a top tier resident to your program. We're talking
company cars and hotel suites. Start thinking "A Rod" type contracts!!!
At this point it is imperative to promote your program,
because the applicant pool is small this year. The Council of Teaching Hospitals
Administrative Board suggests that podiatric residency programs provide a sample
contract during the interview process so the students are aware of the
conditions and benefits of employment at your program. This concept has actually
been instituted as a policy for allopathic residency programs. Prior to the
ranking deadlines, each allopathic program is required to disclose the contents
of the contract that residents will be signing once they have been matched to
the program.
Now, more than ever before, it is important that Residency
Programs participating in CASPR abide by the standards and practices for
resident selection. This information is available through the Council of
Teaching Hospitals web site
http://www.cothweb.org
Some of the more important points to remember are:
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Don't meet with any applicants prior to the regular interview
dates (no pre-interviews). |
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Don't announce appointments until the matching has been
officially announced. |
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Don't ask any applicant how they will rank you.
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Don't require that students visit your program to be
considered. |
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Do not accept a resident who was matched with another
institution and subsequently not released. |
The rumor mill has it, that some unscrupulous residency
programs have tried to sign some "high profile" prospective candidates directly
out of high school. There have also been some reports of rich endorsements from
large hospital corporations.
PRESENT COURSEWARE FROWNS UPON THIS ACTIVITY
It is our feeling that candidates should at least be in their first year of
podiatry school.
Seriously now: Be careful who you sign with.
Be sure that the program has the
right tools... PRESENT
Courseware. Excellent candidates have been known to make
the wrong decision, see the movie "The Firm."
