As residency interview season comes to an end, you’ve identified your top choice program and you want to write a residency letter of intent. Even though programs are not allowed to ask for letters of intent, more and more are asking applicants to communicate interest. Therefore, at MedEdits, we consider letters of intent a very important part of the residency match process and encourage all applicants to send one.
These are some concerns applicants have about letters of intent:
“I have no idea what to write.”
“I want to stand out.”
“I want to be different.”
This is what you want to convey through your letter of intent:
Program directors want to rank applicants who are likely to match into their program. This is why a residency letter of intent matters!
And, don’t forget to explain why you’ll be a good fit.
Be sure to read:
I interviewed at your program on January 6th, and did a second look on January 31st. I am writing this letter to express my strong interest in your program and to inform you that I am ranking Excellent Program as my #1 choice for residency .
Excellent Program offers several unique strengths that make it the right program for me. I am particularly interested in the clinical and research opportunities that Excellent offers, including great subspecialty surgical electives, international mission trips with faculty and diverse training sites. The chance to take a year off to pursue my research interests is something else in which I am interested. I also enjoyed meeting with Drs. Great and Awesome during my second look and learning about resident involvement with community and departmental initiatives. I plan to pursue leadership positions during and after residency, and Excellent would help me achieve these goals.
I am also extremely impressed with your program’s structured didactics. I learned from Dr. Accomplished’s presentation and handouts on interview day that residents are consistently tested on the material they are learning in conferences and during rotations. In addition, I highly value the extensive simulation training that is an ongoing part of the curriculum. I was also impressed by the camaraderie and teamwork that your residents exhibited. I think I would fit in very well with the group.
During my second look visit last week, I also explored the city of Urban Oasis and became aware of its incredible diversity. Even though I will have limited free time during residency, the city’s cultural and culinary venues will offer valuable diversions. I would be really excited to live in a new part of the country and learn how medicine is practiced there.
For all of these reasons, Excellent is my top choice for residency. I would be honored to match there. As a resident, I hope to learn from my attendings and offer the best care for my patients. I also hope to make meaningful contributions to the program. My desire to become an excellent surgeon, along with my current interests and future goals, make me an enthusiastic, motivated, focused, and excellent fit for Excellent.
Sincerely,
Your Top Choice Too
Learn more about MedEdits’ residency letter of intent editing services , or contact us to create a residency admissions plan.