Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many positions are there to fill each year? There are three openings for the 2009-2010 academic year through the National Resident Matching Program www.nrmp.org.
2. How do I apply?
Applications are accepted only through ERAS, the Electronic Residency Application Service www.aamc.org/audienceeras.htm. Deadline is November 1st.
3. What else do I need to include with my ERAS application?
A curriculum vitae, copies of your medical school transcripts, USMLE board scores, ECFMG certificate [if applicable], personal statement and four letters of recommendation.
4. Who should my recommendation letters be from?
Any physician with whom you have worked and/or any physician that knows you well.
5. What happens after I submit my application?
The Western Pennsylvania Hospital Diagnostic Radiology Residency Selection Committee will review all applications and invite individuals for an interview. Only those selected will be contacted.
6. When are the interview dates?
- December 2007, No Interview Days
- Tuesday, January 8
- Thursday, January 10
- Wednesday, January 16
- Thursday, January 24
- Wednesday, January 30
- Friday, February 1
7. Does our program encourage International Medical Graduates [IMGs]?
Yes.
8. Does your program have IMGs?
We do not have any this academic year.
9. What type of visas do you offer?
J1 visas only.
10. When does my ECFMG certificate need to be in?
It must be submitted to ERAS before Match Day or you will not be eligible to be matched .
11. What are the minimum USMLE scores required?
There are no minimum scores.
12. Is USMLE Step 3 score required in order to match?
No, it is not needed for Match Day. You will have an opportunity to obtain it during your PGY1 or PGY2 years. You can not begin the PGY3 year without passing USMLE Step 3.
13. Do you have advanced radiology positions only?
Yes. The PGY-1 clinical year must consist of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), or equivalent accredited training in internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery or surgical specialties, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology, family practice, emergency medicine, or any combination of these, or an ACGME or equivalent accredited transitional year.
14. Can I apply for both the transitional year and the advanced position at the same time?
Yes.
15. I have permanent resident status; I have a valid work authorization permit; I am a U.S. citizen; I have a J1 visa—does citizenship make any difference in the evaluation of my application?
No, all eligible applicants are selected on the basis of aptitude, academic credentials, personal characteristics, and ability to communicate. All these factors are considered in the selection process. Residents are selected without regard to sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or citizenship status.
16. How much emphasis is placed on research done before joining your program?
Research is just one of several determining factors considered during our application/interview process. Other factors include your USMLE exam scores, medical school grades, personal statement, your level of interest in radiology and The Western Pennsylvania Hospital, and personal qualities such as self-confidence, motivation and maturity.
17. Do you offer pre-match positions?
No, that would be a violation of the NRMP’s terms and conditions of the Match Participation Agreement.
18. What are the qualifications for appointment to your residency program?
Applicants must meet one of the following to be eligible for appointment to this ACGME-accredited program:
- Graduates of medical schools in the United States and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
-
Graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
- Graduates of medical schools outside the United States and Canada who meet one of the following qualifications:
- Have received a currently valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates prior to appointment or
- Have a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a US licensing jurisdiction in which they are in training.
- Graduates of medical schools outside the United States who have completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school. [*A Fifth Pathway program is an academic year of supervised clinical education provided by an LCME-accredited medial school to students who meet the following conditions:
- Have completed, in an accredited college or university in the United States, undergraduate premedical education of the quality acceptable for matriculation in an accredited United States medical school;
- Have studied at a medical school outside the United States and Canada but listed in the World Health Organization Directory of Medical Schools;
- Have completed all of the formal requirements of the foreign medical school except internship and/or social service;
- Have attained a score satisfactory to the sponsoring medical school on a screening examination; and
- Have passed either the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences, Parts I and II of the examination of the National Board of Medical Examiners, or Steps 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).]
|
