Application Process
Application Criteria
The following are the minimum criteria for application to the University of North Dakota General Surgery Residency Program. Due to the large volume of questions and emails that are received during the application period it is difficult for our staff to answer these individually. Please make every attempt to answer any questions you may have from the following information. After reviewing this material, if there are questions please direct them to Lori Anderson, Program Coordinator. Direct questions about application criteria to the Program Director will not be answered.
The University of North Dakota is an equal opportunity employer. Applications to the surgical residency program will be accepted without regard to race, gender, country of origin, religion, age or prior medical experience. Applications will be considered from international medical graduates, applicants currently in residency training and all other qualified applicants provided they meet the minimum application criteria as described below.
Applications will only be accepted electronically through ERAS from September 1 through October 31 each year. All applicants should have completed both steps 1 and 2 of the USMLE or COMLEX with a minimum score of 80 (preferrably on first attempt) prior to the application deadline (October 31). In addition, the following are required to be present by the application deadline for each application to be considered complete:
- Medical school transcript
- Medical school Dean’s letter or equivalent
- Curriculum vitae
- Copy of medical school diploma (if graduated)
- Date of graduation--no requirement but prefer within the past 10 years and must be accompanied by documentation of all activities since date of graduation
- Three letters of recommendation
- Copies of USMLE/COMLEX scores
- Personal statement
International medical graduates (IMGs) should forward a copy of their ECFMG certificate, copy of their visa or green card and verification of at least 3 months clinical experience in a US medical facility in addition to the above criteria. All IMG applicants are expected to be proficient and conversant in English. Our program accepts only ECFMG sponsored J1 visas.
Applicants currently in residency training should include a letter from their current program director and an explanation of why they are seeking an alternative residency training program.
All applications are received and processed as per the timeline below. Applications are initially evaluated and graded based on several criteria including medical school performance, USMLE/COMLEX scores, recommendation letters, deans’ letters, and personal statement. Appropriate applicants are then invited for interviews (see timeline and interview sections below).
2008-2009 Timeline
September 1, 2008: ERAS applications accepted
September 30 – October 13, 2008: Applications received from Sept. 1 – Sept. 30 processed and scored
October 16-19, 2008: Invitations for interviews e-mailed to applicants from Sept. 1 – Sept. 30 time period
October 31, 2008: Last day applications accepted -- this deadline is FIRM
October 31- November 16, 2008: Applications received from Oct. 1 – Oct. 31 processed and scored
November 19-21, 2008: Invitations for interview e-mailed to applicants from Oct. 1 – Oct. 31 time period
November 20-21, 2008: First interview session
December 4-5, 2008: Second interview session
December 18-19, 2008: Third and final interview session
January 2 – February 20, 2009: Interviewed applicants ranked and match list prepared and submitted to NRMP
February 25, 2009: Program and Applicant Match lists due to NRMP
March 17, 2009: SCRAMBLE DAY
March 19, 2009: MATCH DAY
Interviews
Invitations for interviews are based on thorough review of all applications by the Residency Selection Committee. Appropriate applicants are identified by a scoring system that incorporates all aspects of each applicant’s criteria including medical school performance (class rank, honors grades in courses, surgery rotation grade and other honors), NBME/COMLEX scores, recommendations, Deans letter, personal statement and pertinent extracurricular activities. Appropriate candidates are then invited for an interview by email notification as per the timeline above.
The interview process for the 2009 – 2010 entering class will be scheduled as follows. Interviews will be conducted over an approximate 30 hour period. Each interview group (total of 12 applicants per interview date) will be split into two groups with one group interviewing on each campus Thursday and concluding their interview process on the remaining campus Friday. The Program Director and Program Coordinator will meet with all applicants via video conferencing beginning at 1:30 PM on Thursday to review the principle components and administrative issues of the program. Each applicant will then have one-on-one interviews with three faculty members. There will be a dinner on each respective campus Thursday evening with the group of applicants and surgical residents located on that campus. Faculty interviews will resume at 7:30 AM Friday on the alternate campus. Tours of clinical facilities at both campuses will be incorporated into the interview schedule. Transportation between campuses will be provided. At 12 Noon on Friday all applicants will attend Surgery Grand Rounds via videoconferencing at both campuses. The interview process will conclude with a question and answer period between applicants, the Program Director and Program Coordinator from 1:30 – 2:30 PM via video conferencing.
Applicants accepting interviews should plan on arriving by 11:00 AM on the Thursday of their scheduled interview. Travel plans to leave can be made after 3:30 PM on Friday. The UND Surgical Residency Program will cover the expenses for lodging, as well as dinner Thursday evening and lunch on Friday. The program is not able to cover expenses for travel. All sessions of the interview process are considered to be important in assessing and evaluating applicants as well as giving each applicant the appropriate exposure to the UND Surgical Residency Program. Therefore applicants that cannot attend all portions of the interview process will not be considered for NRMP ranking.
Match
After all interviews are conducted, appropriate candidates completing the interview process are ranked by the Residency Selection Committee. This rank list is then submitted to the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) per the NRMP timeline (see timeline section above). The UND Surgical Residency Program complies fully with all guidelines of the NRMP for both categorical and preliminary positions. No positions will be offered before or outside of the Match.
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