Year 4 Medical Students

Welcome to your final year of medical school! This year is a time to decide upon a specialty, choose to take elective courses in the medicine you are interested in exploring, travel to other medical schools or out of the country for learning experiences, interview for residency, learn where you'll be for the rest of your training and finally, graduate. The 4th Year Class page has links to many of the resources you will need in preparation for residency and graduation.

Competitive Specialties

Be in close communication with your advisor to set up your Year 4 schedule.

Plan a home school sub-internship in your specialty choice early in Year 4.

Timing of USMLE Step 2:

• Most students should plan to take Step 2 early in Year 4. You are most prepared for the content at the end of Year 3.
• Step 2 scores are highly important for residency applications. All students should plan to take Step 2 by the first week in September. This will allow you to receive a score prior to the opening of residency applications.
• Talk with your advisor and Student Affairs for more information and advising based upon your academic record.

Away electives are required for competitive specialties. Plan two away electives, possibly three, depending upon your competitiveness for your chosen specialty. Prioritize programs for your away applications.

• Strength of program
• Faculty/alumni connections
• Academic versus community based
• Geographic considerations:  Students applying to competitive specialties will need to apply nationally. Geographic bias can impact students. Plan at least one away elective outside of the Western region to show programs you are serious about relocation.
• Make sure you'll have exposure to chief resident or program director at your away
• Call or email program to make sure you meet with elective screening criteria - usually USMLE Step 1 scores.
• Be confident in your preparation from UNR Med. Most UNR Med students "shine" and perform very well while on away electives, which is why our Match looks so good each year!

Remain in constant contact with Career Advising regarding your application strategy, interview preparation, rank order lists and parallel planning. When applying to a competitive specialty, it is imperative that you are aware of your match risk and are open to discussions regarding a parallel plan.

Strategies for Success

• Metrics aligned with specialty
• Interview preparation
• Proactive communication with the Career Advising team
• High level of professionalism
• Leadership
• Open to feedback
• Seeks out feedback
• Seeks information and diverse viewpoints

Presentations and Resources

Applying to Residency Workshop. Please Contact Samantha Myers for recording. 

• Scheduling Your Fourth Year: please review the Office of Curricular Affairs for information on electives, Year 4 structure and rural rotation information.
• Applying to Residency: you should have already reviewed the timeline for scheduling Year 4 and applying for residencies in Year 3
  • ERAS - Electronic Residency Application Service
  • NRMP - National Residency Matching Program
  • Early Match (San Francisco Match)
  • Military Match
  • American Urological Association - Urology Match (early)
  • Residency CAS - Obstetrics and Gynecology Application Service
  • Plastic Surgery Common Application
  • Outcomes of the Match - Characteristics of Matched Applicants as tracked by the NRMP
  • Students can attend workshops, receive career advising, and other services from the Office of Student Affairs, Reno, as they begin their final year of medical school.
• Interviewing for Residency
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Personal Statements
• Letters of Recommendation
• Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPE)

Financial Exit Interviews - debt management workshops are required for all senior medical students who took out federal loans during medical school. These workshops are held each March or April of senior year.

Advising and Planning Calendar

December – February (Year 3)

• Attend Specialty Advising Sessions

May – July (End of Year 3)

• Schedule MSPE meeting, must be completed by September 15
• Work on your personal statement and CV
• Complete Mock Interview
• Upload Noteworthy Characteristics
• Request meeting with LoRs writers
• Complete assessments for MSPE meeting
• Personal Statement Workshop June
• Finalize Year 4 Away Elective Decisions
• Finalize Step 2 CK exam dates
•  SF Match Opens July

July – October (Year 4)

• Monthly Mock Interview Prep

August - September (Year 4) 

• Schedule second meeting with Career Advisor to review program selection, application strategy, and personal statement prior to MSPE meeting
• Work on application, finalize program selection
• Check-in with LoR writers
• Order transcripts from UNR and USMLE
• Register for NRMP
• Begin applying to programs in ERAS September First
• SF Match deadline September First

September Mid-end (Year 4)

• Review MSPE Prior to release the last Wednesday in September

October - January (Year 4)

• Respond to Residency Interview Emails from Advising Coordinator

January - February (Year 4)

• Schedule third meeting with Career Advisor to discuss Rank List
• Late January SF - Match Rank List Submission
• Early February – SF Match Results Released
• Early February - AUA Match Results Released
• Rank List Workshop - TBD

March (Year 4)

• Match Day third Friday in March