Decoding Match Day: Navigating Your Journey to the Ideal Residency with Dr. Jasmine Weiss

Imagine that heart-racing moment when the future of your medical career hangs in the balance; it's Match Day, and the envelope in your hand holds the key to your residency dreams. Dr. Jasmine Weiss, your guide through the maze of medical milestones, shares her personal journey and the strategies that kept her grounded during the rank list submissions on the latest episode of the Black Med Connect podcast. She reminisces on the importance of knowing what truly matters, whether it's proximity to family or the pursuit of research opportunities, and how these priorities can help steer your decisions toward a program that aligns with your aspirations.

Step into the shoes of your future self and walk through a 'day in the life' of your top residency programs; Dr. Weiss encourages you to visualize everything from your morning routines to your support networks outside the hospital walls. She also stresses the value of seeking wisdom from those who've tread the path before you. Whether it's family, mentors, or a spiritual guide, their insights are invaluable as you chart the course for this transformative stage of your medical career. Join us for an episode that's not just about making a list but about crafting the blueprint for a fulfilling residency and beyond.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

So match day is right around the corner and I remember how stressed I was during this time and in this episode I'm gonna give you three key strategies to make sure you're at ease when you submit your rank list. Let's jump right into the episode, but first let's address the red elephant in the room. Yes, I got injured, but that's okay. You gotta keep moving and that's what we're gonna do today. Music. Welcome back to the BlackMed Connect podcast. I'm your host, Dr Jasmine Weiss, and now we're gonna talk about this precious time as you're submitting your rank list. I remember all too well how stressed I was as I was trying to figure out which program I was gonna put where on my rank list. So I wanna make sure we help you not feel that same level of stress. Here are three strategies I used as I prepared for submitting my rank list and ultimately prepared for match day. So the first strategy I wanna share is make sure you know your priorities. Everybody is different. For me, I wanted to make sure I was close enough to family, because I knew it would be a tough time in training, and I wanted to make sure I was close enough to the people that I cared about the most to help support me along the journey. For you, it may not be that you necessarily wanna be close to family, maybe you wanna be far from family and that's okay too. But whatever is important to you, make sure you prioritize that. If it's making sure you're at a program where they have lots of research opportunities, or if they have community-based experiences that help you really engage in the community that you want to learn to engage with, then make sure you rank those programs highly. For some they think about reputation the most, but for you, don't let that stop you if reputation of the program doesn't actually correlate to where you truly wanna be. Make sure it's a strong program for your goals in the end, but prioritize what's important to you.

Speaker 1: 2:16

So the second strategy I use that I really, really loved is called the day in the life strategy. I had a mentor tell me instead of worrying about all 13 programs, you're trying to figure out where to put in what order. Take it one day at a time. So I want you to close your eyes and think about a day in the life at your number one choice when do you wanna live in the city that you're gonna be in? Who's around you that you can connect with in the hospital and out of the hospital, because you have to remember, the people who are gonna be your co-interns will be at work sometimes when you're off, so you'll need to have a support network when you're not in the hospital with your co-resident. Where are you gonna stay? Is it too hot or too cold? Are you gonna be able to get to and from work because of the snow? These are all huge considerations that make a huge difference as to what your life will be like on a day to day basis as you navigate through residency. I remember really wanting to go to a cold place. I really love this particular program. However, I had never lived anywhere with snow, so, no matter how much I tried to think about it, when I would do a day in the life and add shoveling snow to my mornings, it just didn't fit. So be sure to think about what a real day will be like in a particular city in a particular program as you consider making your rank list.

Speaker 1: 3:44

My third strategy is to seek wise counsel. For me, that included prayer and making sure I talked to my family, who was really, really important to me, about what the next three to four years we're gonna look like. For you, that might mean checking in with a mentor who really knows individuals at a particular program. They may have some insight based on the goals you've shared with them during your medical school time to help you make sure you're picking a program that aligns with your ultimate career goals. So make sure you seek wise counsel, whether that be from friends, significant others, mentors, family or anybody around you in your network that you trust, as you make such an important decision.

Speaker 1: 4:28

Residency is such an exciting time in your life you wanna make sure that you not only are thinking about where you ultimately want to end up in your career, but you're also thinking about what's gonna make the time and the experience as wonderful as it possibly can be. We all know you're gonna be working extremely hard. You are gonna be working so many hours a week, but what you can control is if you enjoy the city or at least you think you're gonna enjoy the city and if you're gonna have that network around you. So, once again, the three strategies I want you to consider are making sure you choose to rank highly the programs that you prioritize right Whether you prioritize if it's a strong program for this surgical outcome if it's a strong program for this research opportunity or if you prioritize that your significant other lives close by. Whatever the case is, make sure you set the priorities and then you figure out which programs you want to go to. The second strategy is to break it down one day at a time, a day in the life, at each particular program, thinking about how you'll actually be able to live and navigate in the city you're going to be in and, last but not least, making sure you seek wise counsel as you figure out what order you're going to put each program in. So you have two choices you can either do all this on your own and figure out how to organize your rank list, or you can use the free BMAT residency tracker to help you think about which programs you want to put where on your rank list. So if you want this free resource, tap on the link below and we'll be sure to send it directly to you.

Speaker 1: 6:09

This is one of the most exciting times of your medical education journey. Match Day is amazing. I remember what it was like to be with my friends, getting our names called and ultimately opening the envelope to figure out that I was going to be going to Atlanta, Georgia. So I hope the experience is just as great for you as it was for me. I'll leave you with this.

Speaker 1: 6:32

We know that everybody doesn't always match into their first choice or their second choice, and some even have to do the SOAP program. Do not get discouraged. If that's the case, I want you to think about the fact that you are on your way to becoming a specialist to help care for those who need you the most. So, once again, when you are ready to submit that rank list, I want you to submit those programs. Sit back, think about all that you've accomplished and wait for the result. I can't wait to see where you end up and I want you to have a great day on Match Day. As always, BMAT is here to help. So be sure to like, comment and subscribe to BlackMed, Connect on all platforms and share this with a friend who's also making their rank list. Until next time, always remember to dream without limits.