Importance of Research for Medical Students It is no secret that research is an unspoken component of the medical school experience. Regardless if you see it as a time consuming burden or an exciting opportunity, it is a critical way to expand your own knowledge about an interesting topic area within medicine while simultaneously bolstering […]
Blog Post #11: Research 101 for Medical Students Read More »
What Are Signal Tokens? Signal tokens are a relatively new component of the residency application process, first introduced in 2022 for some specialties and adopted to more specialties in the years since. Think of the signal token as a “super-like”- it is a finite number of signals that you can send to the programs you
Blog Post #10: Signal Tokens for Match 2025 Explained Read More »
We’ve worked with hundreds of medical students, many of whom come from DO schools, and we’ve learned of the many different ways in-house advising leads students down the wrong path away from reaching their maximum potential. Here are the red flag pieces of advice to watch out for from your medical school: 1. “USMLE is
Blog Post 009: Where DO Schools Get It Wrong Read More »
The USMLE exam is a right of passage for all medical students, including MD, DO, and IMGs seeking residency placement in the United States. Recently, the USMLE posted the following message, alluding to a brewing cheating scandal that had been unveiled after months of investigation involving a test center in Nepal, where hundreds of test-takers
Blog Post 008: The USMLE Cheating Scandal Read More »
Away rotations are one the most exciting times of a medical students career. It is an opportunity to explore your dream specialty/subspecialty in a new environment and see how it is practiced in different settings. It also allows you to demonstrate your candidacy to a program that you may find highly desirable to match into
Blog Post 007: Considerations When Applying for Away Rotations Read More »
Navigating the Medical Maze: A Guide to Choosing Your Specialty One of the pivotal decisions you’ll face as a medical student is choosing a specialty that aligns with your passion, skills, and desired lifestyle. This blog post aims to provide a comprehensive guide, complete with an algorithm, to help you navigate the labyrinth of medical
Blog Post 006: Choosing A Specialty Read More »
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, the debate over the equality of education and training between Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) and Doctors of Medicine (MDs) has gained prominence. This blog post aims to shed light on the importance of recognizing the equality in education for DO physicians and MDs, while acknowledging the challenges that
Blog Post 005: Why Are We Still Debating DO vs MD in 2023? Read More »
Welcome to the latest Matchpal blog post, dedicated to helping you navigate the challenging yet rewarding journey of clinical rotations as a third year medical students. Whether you’re just starting or are well into your rotations, we’ve got tips to ensure success in the hospital, excel in shelf exams, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Blog Post 004: Mastering Clinical Rotations: Your Ultimate Guide to Success and Balance Read More »
It’s always nice to know who you are working with in any setting, and residency advising is no different. This post is to share a little bit about us with you so you can better understand the origin story of Matchpal and why we do what we do. Matchpal was started because we recognized that
Blog Post 003: Our Story Read More »
Crushing Dedicated for USMLE/COMLEX We know it’s December, but students typically start getting nervous and anxious for board exams right around now. Whether you are taking Step1 or Step2CK this spring/summer, we wanted to give you a breakdown of our tips for making the most of your dedicated period so you can crush these high
Blog Post 002: Crushing Dedicated for the USMLE/COMLEX Read More »
