Worth it to attend residency student interest group meetings for residency app?

[docren004]

My adviser recently told me that optimize my residency application, I should attend meetings of the student interest group related to the residency I'm interested in. I think he kind of implied that the main reason to do this was to network with physicians in charge of that residency program at my med school. What's your take on how useful attending these interest group meetings is for residency applications? Is there any benefit to putting it on ERAS that you attended a few residency interest group meetings? Or is the real and only benefit the opportunity to try to network with and impress the residency program directors who speak at these events?

My partner, who's an FMG and who hopes to partner match with me, would also attend if allowed. We're both interested in IM.

As a follow up, do you have any advice on how to network with programs directors speaking at these events in a way that's likely to be beneficial, pleasant for everyone involved, and not obnoxious or detrimental?

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[GoSpursGo]

As implied, simply attending the meeting probably gets you nothing. The useful piece is that it puts you in proximity to potential mentors in your field of interest who can guide you on research projects and/or other kinds of professional development as you prepare your application. It's not like you're going to randomly bump into these potential mentors in the hallway if you're not actively seeking them out.

My best advice with these meetings is to be attentive, and to be patient. If you go and are just on your phone the whole time, that is not going to benefit you at all. But if you listen and hear something presented by a faculty member that interests you, go up and introduce yourself and ask a question afterwards. Finally, be willing to accept advice and opportunities. If someone offers you a research project that isn't really exactly what you thought you would be interested in, it may be worth taking the opportunity anyways just to see where it leads you.

 

[cj_cregg]

Some specialties also very highly value the applicant's interest in their specialty (I'm thinking of FM in particular), so longitudinal involvement in for example a family medicine interest group or attending FM conferences would help to show this vs. someone who's just applying to FM as a backup. I'm not sure how important that is to IM specifically, but just as an example.

 

[Saddleshoes]

These days, it seems to be one of the many boxes that should be checked off on an application.
(Personally, it means nothing to me!!!)

 

[guytakingboards]

My adviser recently told me that optimize my residency application, I should attend meetings of the student interest group related to the residency I'm interested in. I think he kind of implied that the main reason to do this was to network with physicians in charge of that residency program at my med school. What's your take on how useful attending these interest group meetings is for residency applications? Is there any benefit to putting it on ERAS that you attended a few residency interest group meetings? Or is the real and only benefit the opportunity to try to network with and impress the residency program directors who speak at these events?

My partner, who's an FMG and who hopes to partner match with me, would also attend if allowed. We're both interested in IM.

As a follow up, do you have any advice on how to network with programs directors speaking at these events in a way that's likely to be beneficial, pleasant for everyone involved, and not obnoxious or detrimental?

I think you need to set your expectations of the meetings/interactions.

Student interest groups are typically student-led with some faculty showing up to give their perspective. That might not be the program director. It might not be someone with any direct sway over the residency program's recruitment. You're also not going impress anyone by going to said meeting and chatting with people a few times.

Networking means creating relationships. The way you take advantage of those new relationships is asking if there's any research opportunities available or if the person would be willing to give you advice/mentor you. If done right, even if the faculty you build a relationship with isn't the PD they will hopefully be willing to put in a good word for you with the PD and/or write a LOR.