When you’re in residency, it’s easy to feel like you’ve arrived. You’re finally a doctor, and that can be rewarding, but it also comes with some serious responsibilities.
Before you accept an offer of residency, it’s important to make sure that the program will provide you with all of the necessary tools for success—and not just in terms of patient care.
Here are nine questions that every resident should ask before accepting a residency offer:
How long is the program, and how are rotations organized?
The length and organization of a residency program varies depending on the specialty. For example, internal medicine residents train for 3 years, while surgical subspecialties are 4 years long.
The number of rotations (when you work in different departments) is also variable: some programs have one rotation per week, while others have two or three. This means that each rotation may last between 3 to 6 months.
What happens at the end of the program?
As a resident, you will be on track to become board certified in your specialty.
At the end of residency, you’ll need to pass a test called the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) before you can get licensed to practice medicine in most states.
What does it cost?
Once you’ve gotten an idea of the area and what it’s like to live there, it’s time to talk costs. The cost of living in a particular area can vary widely depending on your needs and lifestyle.
It’s important to consider how much money you’ll need each month in order for your life there to be comfortable—and remember this number doesn’t include medical school debt or college tuition.
When talking about residency with potential programs during interviews, ask about their salary structure as well as other benefits (like housing stipends and travel allowances).
Check out Medscape’s infographic on resident salary and bonus trends to get an idea of what to expect.
Can I have a say in where I go for my rotations?
You’ll find that the program director has a lot of say in where you go for your rotations. If he or she sends you somewhere, there’s a chance it wasn’t your first choice.
However, if you’re really interested in going to a particular location for a rotation it’s always worth asking.
How can I ensure this residency is a good fit for my family and me?
When considering a residency, there are some important questions to ask yourself.
- Are you able to live in the city, or are you more of a suburban type?
- Is this residency program known for placing their graduates in your dream job?
- Do they believe in teaching students how to be independent and practice medicine on their own, or do they prefer students who need more hand-holding?
- Will your residency schedule accommodate family life?
- Who will be training you at this hospital?
- Are they well liked by staff members and residents alike?
What’s the ratio between patients and residents?
It’s important to ask about the ratio between patients and residents to ensure that you have enough time with each patient for them to progress adequately toward their treatment goal or diagnosis.
You want to make sure there are enough patients for everyone so everyone gets adequate experience and training during their residency program.
You’re about to spend three or four years of your life working with other people. When you’re on the job, you need to know how many residents are in your program and what their workload is like.
Are there any policies regarding meetings with patients?
Meetings with patients are an important part of the daily life of many doctors. It’s important to know how to set up a meeting, and what you should do if you don’t know the answer to a patient’s question.
If there are policies about these types of things, it would be good to know them so that you can make sure that you’re following them correctly.
Conclusion
In the end, the most important thing is to be prepared. You may not get all the answers you want during your interview, but that’s okay.
It’s a good idea to ask these questions regardless because they can help you prepare for what might lie ahead as a doctor.
Remember: don’t let residency interview questions intimidate or overwhelm you.
They are just there so that both parties have an opportunity to learn more about each other before moving forward with any commitment or offer of employment.
Before you sign any papers, however, it’s important that you have someone look it over to ensure that the terms are in your favor. Learn more about that here.
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