Typically, fourth-year medical students crisscross the country for interviews with residency programs. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic radically transformed that process.
A shift toward virtual interviews is the safe and practical step, but IU students will miss out on chances to see programs, faculty, and communities up close. IU School of Medicine is asking members of its alumni network to serve as ambassadors for their community, helping future physicians vet and explore their opinions.
What Role Do I Play?
As fourth-year students take part in residency interviews, which take place between October and January, alumni can be a crucial source of information about a specific program, hospital systems in a particular community, and professional networks. If you enjoy that experience, you can help out again a few months later.
Following Match Day, soon-to-be graduates begin preparing for the next phase of their training. It's a transition that comes with a degree of uncertainty. Alumni can offer useful insights about places to live and—when life returns to normal—restaurants and cultural activities in your community.