Road to Residency Guide
Overview
Becoming a medical resident is an essential step in your career that affords you valuable hands-on experience, additional training, and mentorship by skilled physicians.
Learning Objectives
As you prepare for residency, the AMA Road to Residency Guide will help you learn about the process of researching, applying to and matching with a residency program. This guide will help you:
- Identify key milestones in the process of selecting and applying to a residency program.
- Understand key terms related to the medical residency selection and application process.
Prior to
—June
Preparing for your journey:
Understanding accreditation
Before you apply to programs, it's helpful to be familiar with the governing body that accredits graduate medical education programs.
June
—August
Planning a route:
Research and preparation
Choosing which residency programs to apply to can be stressful. Once you've picked your specialty, consider what's important to YOU: Where do you want to live? Where is your support system? In addition to your personal preferences, you'll also need to consider your letters of recommendation and test scores.
September
—February
Hitting the road:
Applications and interviews
You've chosen which programs you're interested in and are ready to apply. Learn more about the application process and systems used by applicants and residency programs.
February
—March
Nearing your destination:
The Match
After months of research, applications, signaling, interviews, and ranking, applicants are matched into residency programs according to the preferences of both the applicants and the programs.
Learning Objectives
As you prepare for residency, the AMA Road to Residency Guide will help you learn about the process of researching, applying to and matching with a residency program. This guide will help you:
- Identify key milestones in the process of selecting and applying to a residency program.
- Understand key terms related to the medical residency selection and application process.
SUMMARY & RESOURCES:
Timeline Summary
Review key milestones by month leading up to Match Week for ERAS® and NRMP® and download the FREIDA™ residency application checklist and timeline.
Resources
Additional resources to help you in your residency journey.
