When to take the USMLE?

Make sure you've got both Step 1 and Step 2 of the USMLE completed BEFORE January of the year in which you'll be participating in the match. Don't leave yourself with a disadvantage over others competing to take your spot.

Even if you're the most eloquent, professional interviewee who blows away everyone who interviews you, you'd still be second to someone who was just an average interviewee who has all those exams out of the way. No matter what you read out there, you MUST finish both USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 to compete for what you want!

Anyone agree or disagree??

Pre-Matching

Those who are foreign grads and those American grads who will have officially graduated before the match can "Pre-Match." But should you? BEWARE! Many programs who have flaws and have difficulty matching their open spots through the traditional match process are the ones who will attempt to fill their available positions with desperate interviewees who feel the need to guarantee themselves a contract rather than risk the possibility of not matching at all.

Is it worth it to lock yourself into a contract for THREE OR MORE YEARS of training in a place that may be filled with negativities that you would just never undercover through one day of interviews when everyone is on their best behavior?

ACGME Rule: 80 hours per week?

How closely does your residency program follow those ACGME rules that were put into effect in 2003? One rule exists to supposedly ensure that we don't work more than 80 hours per week... But the fine print is that your hours are actually averaged over 4 weeks. So technically, you could work much more than 80 hours in a given week, but no one cares.

Oh, and to make it even worse, you LOG your hours but they are magically changed by administrators of your program to look "perfect." Has this happened to you?

Your brain no longer functions after working that much and the reality is that MISTAKES HAPPEN and lives are ENDANGERED.

Anyone out there with these experiences? Let our voices be heard!