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The field of urology has long been a desirable
specialty, attracting some of the most
competitive medical students. The urology
match typically takes place in January,
in contrast to the National Residency Matching
Program (NRMP) match, which usually occurs
in March. Due to this timing, the urology
match is commonly referred to as an "early"
match. The early match allows students
who do not match with a urology training
program to enter the NRMP match for alternatives
without having to wait a full year until
the next match takes place.
In 2003 urology residency programs began
participating in the matching program administered
through the American Association of Medical
College's centralized Electronic Residency
Application Service (ERAS) matching system.
Previously, resident applicants were required
to submit separate applications to each
prospective program in formats that varied
from institution to institution. Match
information is available on line at http://www.auanet.org/residents/resmatch.cfm.
Register on line with a credit card at
https://www.auanet.org/eforms/resmatch/.
A $75 non-refundable payment is required
to acquire a registration number. Match
registration is accepted through December
28, 2004.
Two to four weeks after registration, you
will receive your I.D. number. This number
will be the link between you and each program
to which you apply. A list of urology training
programs can be found at http://www.auanet.org/residents/programs.cfm.
The programs have the option of not participating
in ERAS. Each individual program designates
their participation in ERAS. For those
programs not participating in ERAS you
may obtain additional information on each
program by accessing their individual web
site. Note program application deadlines
will differ for programs that do not participate
in ERAS and these dates can change.
If you are offered an interview by a program,
respond immediately, as interview slots
can fill quickly.
All applicants and programs submit preference
lists showing their highest preference
first and remaining choices in descending
order. Individuals participating in the
urology match are encouraged to rank several
programs to increase their chances of obtaining
a training position. Previous years' matches
have demonstrated the need for applicants
to include on their preference lists all
of the programs they would be willing to
attend. Some applicants who were not matched
at all received offers from programs they
did not list. If the applicants had listed
all programs preferable to not training
in urology, some of these "misses"
might have been avoided. The preference
lists must be received by Friday, January
7, 2005. Allow 7-10 days for delivery or
use an overnight delivery service.
Results are faxed (for receipt by Monday
morning, January 24, 2005) and mailed to
all programs and medical schools. Applicants
will be mailed a first class letter which
should be received by January 28, 2005.
Applicants currently in medical school
may make arrangements to contact their
medical schools Monday, January 24, 2005.
Previous graduates may contact the AUA
the afternoon of January 24, 2005. This
should provide applicants with the information
necessary to participate or not in the
National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
The program you match with generally provides
pre-urology training. Some programs require
that you also go through the National Resident
Match Program (NRMP) as a formality for
the surgery year(s)—check with each
individual program for their requirements.
For individuals who have already completed
a portion of residency training in urology
or other fields and are seeking vacancies
in urology residency programs, see a current
list at http://www.auanet.org/residents/vacancies.cfm.
For additional information regarding the
urology match:
AUA Residency Matching Program
1000 Corporate Boulevard
Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: 1-866-RING AUA (1-866-746-4282),
ext. 3913
Fax: 410-689-3939
E-mail: resmatch@auanet.org
http://www.auanet.org/residents/resmatch.cfm
You may enjoy joining an on-line discussion
group with other students interested in
urology at http://pub4.ezboard.com/burologymatch.
First- and second-year medical students
considering urology as a specialty should
identify members of the urology faculties
at their medical schools who are willing
to review their curriculum vitas and offer
specific advice regarding enhancing their
applications. Generally, if the student's
schedule allows, participation in a research
project will improve the chances of matching
with a program high on her list. The more
in-depth the research, the more the application
is enhanced. Research does not necessarily
have to be in the field of urology to boost
one's application. If the student is unsure
of having adequate time to complete a project,
however, she should not obligate herself.
Failing to follow through on the research
commitment will reflect more poorly on
the applicant than the lack of any research
experience.
Classroom performance is important, as
many top programs use class rank or other
honors as criteria for an invitation for
an interview. Similarly, a student's performance
on Parts 1 and 2 of the National Board
of Medical Examiners licensing examination
is also considered during the review of
applications by urology residency programs.
Medical students interested in urology
should participate in a urology rotation
at their home institutions late in their
junior year or early in their senior year.
Students should strive to perform their
best during this rotation. Once becoming
familiar with the faculty, prospective
urology residents should solicit letters
of recommendation from the urology leaderships
at their medical schools. Participating
in a urology rotation at an institution
other than the student's home institution
may be beneficial if it is a program at
which the student is particularly interested
in completing residency training. A visiting
student rotation can also give students
the chance to impress the urology faculties
at other institutions if their clinical
skills outweigh their academic records
or who attend medical schools of lesser
reputation.
Other elective clinical rotations to consider
during medical school include general surgery,
renal transplantation, pediatric surgery,
nephrology, neurology, gynecology, radiology,
pathology, and anesthesia.
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