The AMA Road to Residency Guide

Supporting you today. Protecting your future.

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For medical students, the Match process can be filled with twists and turns, and it’s natural to feel a little daunted, even overwhelmed. With that in mind, the American Medical Association offers resources to successfully navigate the process of researching, selecting and applying to residency programs. 

What are the steps of the residency application timeline? 

1. How to get started on residency search

   1. To find the right residency match that will set you on your course to thrive in residency training, you need to get ready. Find resources to help guide you through the process. 

2. How to make your residency application exceptional

   1. Which residency programs to apply to, how many to apply to and what should be in your Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) packet are all key questions, and the AMA is here with timely and compelling advice.

3. How to excel at interviewing with residency programs

   1. Residency program interviews offer you the chance to distinguish yourself and detail your unique skills and experiences in ways that an application packet alone cannot. Find out more.

4. How to rank order your residency programs

   1. The Match rank-order list, due a few weeks ahead of the Match Day in March, is a critical step on the road to residency. Learn how to rank-order your target residency programs.

5. How to navigate Match Day & Match Week

   1. All of your hard work in medical school and through the residency-application process leads up to these pivotal days that will shape your next few years as a resident, as well as the course of your physician career. Here's what to expect.

6. How to prepare for what's next

   1. If you matched, take a deep breath then look at the post-Match road ahead.