AMA guide to the post-Match period

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If you matched, take a deep breath then look at the road ahead. Now is the time to regather and consider the steps you need to make sure the remainder of your fourth-year of medical school is productive and you are as prepared as you can be to thrive in residency, and the AMA has the compelling advice you need to do so.

How to prepare for the next stage

1. How to make the most of your post-Match time in medical school

   1. Many medical schools are offering transition-to-residency programs and boot camps. If your medical school does offer a boot camp or specialty-specific preparation courses, you should take advantage of those opportunities. In addition to that, you should think about the things you will be expected to do without supervision early on in residency and hone those skills.

2. The 5 skills residency program directors expect on day one

   1. Grades and test scores do not guarantee that a medical student will be totally ready to practice the art of medicine when they first transition to residency. What should you enter knowing how to do really well? Survey research shows that nearly all internal medicine residency program directors say their PGY-1s must know how to gather a history and perform a physical examination. Find out what else is on the must-have list so you can be ready.

3. 10 keys to help 4th-year medical students thrive in residency

   1. As medical students prepare to transition to life as interns, one question may recur frequently: What does it take to succeed in residency? Citing a mix of evidence, opinion and experienced observation, the AMA’s top physician expert on graduate medical education offered hard-won tips for making the most of residency.

4. You made it—will your wallet? How to budget in physician residency

   1. In transitioning to residency, interns are given considerably more responsibility in the clinical setting than they had in medical school. In life, too, resident physicians are confronting new terrain. That includes managing more complicated finances. Follow this essential financial advice for residents so that you can focus more of your mental energy on thriving in residency.

5. Moving post-Match? Tips for relocating, renting on a resident’s budget

   1. The transition to residency can be costly, particularly for those moving long distances. According to Angi.com, the average cost of moving out of state typically ranges from $2,000-$7,000. Knowing the local rental landscape and taking measures to save costs on the process can pay dividends for soon-to-be residents.

6. How far will your money go as a PGY-1? It depends on where you train

   1. Research shows that residents training in the Midwest—according to regions defined by the U.S. Census Bureau—had the highest average surplus income of more than $27,000. Residents training in the West had the lowest average surplus income, around $20,000. Get up to speed on the relevant data point as you adjust your lifestyle to live on a resident physician’s salary.

7. Starting residency as an IMG? How to ease your transition

   1. Starting physician residency as an international medical graduate comes with cultural, clinical and personal hurdles. Find out six ways to ease the transition and build a strong foundation for success in GME.

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