{"id":19126,"date":"2019-08-24T16:48:29","date_gmt":"2019-08-24T21:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=19126"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:41:17","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:41:17","slug":"the-most-important-part-of-your-residency-application","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/usmle\/the-most-important-part-of-your-residency-application\/","title":{"rendered":"The Most Important Part of Your Residency Application"},"content":{"rendered":"

The question Kaplan Medical Advisors get asked the most is, \u201cWhat is the most important part of your residency application?\u201d There really are two aspects to consider: how do medical residency programs choose who to interview, and how do they decide how to rank candidates?
\nRealizing that every aspect of your residency application can make all the difference, here are the factors most commonly looked at:
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Residency application criteria #1: USMLE score<\/h3>
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\nEach residency program has their own way of deciding who to invite, but nearly all of them have filters that preclude certain applicants. Your USMLE Step 1 score is often the first filter.
\nIn a recent\u00a0NRMP\u00ae Program Director Survey<\/a>, USMLE Step 1 scores were ranked at the top by 94% of residency program directors as the most important \u201cfactor in selecting applicants\u201d to interview.
\nIf you haven\u2019t taken the exam yet, try our\u00a0free diagnostic exam<\/a>. Then make sure your Step 1 study plan is designed to get you a stellar USMLE Step 1 score, not just a passing one.
\nKeep in mind, you can be a competitive applicant with an average score. Even though your Step 1 score is important, it is one of several factors residency program directors look at.
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Residency application criteria #2: letters of recommendation<\/h3>
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\nOnce your high scores have gotten you through the Step 1 filter, your program director will likely turn to your letters of recommendation and overall academic record. While there isn\u2019t much you can do about the latter, there is still time to improve the letters.
\nMany program directors want letters of recommendation<\/a> that are written by U.S.-based physicians who have seen you in action with actual patients.
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Residency application criteria #3: personal statement<\/h3>
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\nWhile your USMLE scores and letters of recommendation might have gotten you this far, your personal statement might end up being the deciding factor for admission into a program.
\nMany residency programs view the\u00a0personal statement<\/a>\u00a0as a kind of tie-breaker between similar applicant profiles. Use your personal statement to express who you are as a person and how you are a perfect fit for the program to which you\u2019re applying. This is key as an applicant\u2019s \u201cperceived commitment to specialty\u201d is another highly ranked aspect of an application.
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