Fellowship Match Platinum Package

In our Strategy for Success Session, Dr. Samir Desai will put forth tremendous effort to present you with a strong plan for success in the fellowship match. You will first present your credentials, including any available documents, for review by email along with your desired professional goals (specialty and/or program of your choice). You will also answer a series of questions developed to help Dr. Desai understand the factors that could prevent you from reaching your professional goals. Following a comprehensive review of this material and information, Dr. Desai will offer you detailed and specific recommendations to help you overcome these challenges during an in-depth one-on-one session. Dr. Desai is known for this attention to detail and highly individualized approach. You will end the session with a well-thought-out plan for success, including clear, actionable steps to take to maximize your chances of securing a position in your chosen specialty.

Networking is a means to open doors, increasing the chances that an interested candidate will be recognized as such by the fellowship program. Networking is a complex process full of pitfalls. However, if it’s done well and in an organized and strategic manner, it can lead to increased numbers of interviews. Through your networking meetings with Dr. Samir Desai, you will create and implement a strong networking plan to greatly improve your chances of securing interviews.

We have tremendous experience writing powerful letters of recommendation. Year after year, our applicants are told on the interview trail that letters written by us are among the best letters the programs have received. Attending physicians who are willing to write letters of recommendation often ask students to provide them with a letter draft. For students, this is a golden opportunity to help the attending include key content that will resonate with programs and result in fellowship interviews. Unfortunately, few students have experience in writing these letters. Therefore, many letter drafts that are written are suboptimal, preventing applicants from securing the interviews that they deserve. In fact, in many cases, letters written by students can be spotted as such by program directors.

No matter which specialty you have chosen, we can ensure that your letter draft highlights the type of information that program directors in your field seek. Of note, we do not use templates or examples from the Internet. We write each letter from scratch, utilizing the information you provide to us in a very detailed questionnaire. To obtain a sufficient level of detail, we may ask you to provide additional information, sometimes again and again until we have what we need. We do that with your best interests in mind because we want to help you draft the type of letter that you deserve—one that enhances your chances of securing an interview. Please note that there is no limit to the number of revisions for our letter of recommendation editing service.

The Fellowship Platinum Package includes drafting of two letters of recommendation.

We have considerable experience reviewing ERAS Applications and can make sure that your application is polished, professional, and powerful. We are not a service that will make minor, cosmetic changes to the application. We have an intensive process that leads to a complete transformation of the descriptions used to describe an experience or activity. The content that we include is carefully chosen to create an impression in a program director’s mind of everything you have to offer as a future fellow.

In our experience, errors are surprisingly common in the ERAS Application. Although spelling and grammatical errors are frequently seen, equally common—and particularly dangerous—are other types of errors. Chief among these errors is the use of language or words that makes an applicant's experiences and accomplishments seem unimpressive or generic. The words that you use in your description need to make a powerful impact and leave an impression on application reviewers.

Please note that there is no limit on the number of revisions made to your ERAS Application. We will work with you until you are completely satisfied with the final result.

Applicants are able to designate three of their ERAS experiences as being the "most meaningful". For each experience, you will have the opportunity to describe why it was so meaningful and how it has shaped you into the person and professional you are today. In a recent survey of program directors, 70% felt that this section allowed them to get a better picture of the applicant. We will help you determine which experiences to identify as most meaningful and edit the descriptions for maximum impact.

In this section of the fellowship application, applicants can identify up to three geographic divisions as their preferences for training. Since some programs give greater interview consideration to applicants who have identified their division as a preference, the choices you make here can have a significant impact on your chances of securing interviews. Through a discussion with Dr. Desai, you will have the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision regarding your geographic division preferences. Once you have made your decision, you will then have the opportunity to describe your reasoning. We will ensure that your description is written in an appealing way.

Through program signaling, you will be able to express interest in individual fellowship programs. Although the number of available signals varies from specialty to specialty, using your signals wisely can significantly increase the number of interviews you receive. You will determine the best strategy for signaling through a discussion with Dr. Desai. Dr. Desai's recommendations will take into account his deep knowledge of your individual situation, strengths, and goals as well as consideration of program-specific factors, including the alignment of your goals and mission with the programs you are considering signaling.

In a recent NRMP Program Director Survey, 84% of program directors cited the personal statement as a factor in selecting applicants to interview. A powerful and compelling statement can significantly strengthen your application. Our experience has shown that, unfortunately, many statements are bland and lacking impact. Submitting a generic or lackluster personal statement represents a lost opportunity to impress. Our goal is to partner with you to create a powerful and compelling statement that makes program directors say, "I really want to meet this applicant."

Utilizing the insight and perspective of Dr. Samir Desai, an expert in the residency and fellowship match process, and the expertise of our expert writing team, we will help you create the high impact statement that you deserve.

The Fellowship Platinum Package includes statement editing for a single specialty with no limits on the number of revisions. 

Following submission of the application, applicants will send letters of interest to fellowship programs. The goal is to express interest in and show fit with the program so that the program will be more inclined to offer the applicant an interview invitation. Although this is a common practice, many applicants send suboptimal letters of interest, preventing them from making a strong impression on the program. We will help you draft a powerful letter of interest for a single program that you can use and adapt as needed for other programs.

Through access to our Residency Interview 101 Course, you'll learn how to craft powerful and unique answers to the most important interview questions. Our step-by-step approach will have you prepared to deliver answers that will not only resonate with your interviewers but will help you stand out from the typical answers that residency applicants provide.

A successful interview is one that moves you higher on the program's rank list to a favorable match position. Successful interviewing requires a considerable amount of preparation. During your two-hour mock interview session, you'll gain the insight and information you need to shine during your residency or fellowship interview. You will work directly with Dr. Samir Desai, author of The Successful Match, who has written and lectured extensively about interviewing successfully. He has interviewed hundreds of applicants and is an expert on developing stand-out answers to interview questions based on an applicant's unique background and experiences.

The last step in the fellowship application process is the creation and certification of your rank order list,  (also known as the rank list, or ROL). On the official rank list, you list the programs you are willing to attend, in order of preference.

Match results may not be favorable for a whole host of reasons. However, we’ve seen some students who do everything else right, only to make critical errors when it comes time to create and submit their rank order list. Errors at this final step in the process can undo all of your previous efforts, and lead to one of two unfortunate outcomes: not matching at all, or matching with a less desirable program on your list. 

Your rank order list meeting with Dr. Samir Desai will ensure that you do not make these all-too-common errors.