Abstract

Objectives: The residency application process has become increasingly complex, with factors like holistic review, specialty signaling, and multiple application services posing new challenges for medical schools seeking to offer personalized support to students. In addition, fourth-year students often quickly dive into demanding externships, which make it challenging to access residency support services from their home institution and dedicate adequate time to the application process. To address these challenges, the Offices of Student Affairs and Medical Education at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine launched the mandatory Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD) course, which aimed to standardize residency application support and reduce student stress while increasing preparedness.

Methods: The 2-week CAPD course, piloted during the 2024–2025 academic year, occurred immediately after students’ dedicated Step 2 study period. Students with scheduling conflicts participated in a longitudinal, asynchronous version of the course with specified due dates for each assignment. Both course formats used a mixture of lectures, small-group activities, and written assignments to cover topics such as crafting a curriculum vitae, writing personal statements, completing residency applications, developing a match strategy, and preparing for interviews. To assess student satisfaction with the course, students were e-mailed three anonymous, optional surveys: one before the course, one just after it, and one after submitting their residency applications. Surveys consisted of a mixture of Likert-type and short-answer questions. Likert-type responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics; thematic review was employed for short-answer questions.

Results: Of the 69 students who participated in the in-person course, 51 (74%) completed the precourse survey, and 48 (70%) completed the postcourse survey. Before the course, 27% of respondents felt confident about their application preparation; after the course, 92% felt confident. After the course, all students reported having completed drafts of key documents like the curriculum vitae, personal statement, and residency application. Free-text responses describing student emotions regarding the application process shifted from anxiety to excitement. In the longitudinal asynchronous version of the course, similar trends existed, but to a lesser extent when compared with the in-person course. In a subsequent survey sent after applications were submitted, 86 (61%) students from both course formats responded. Results showed that 95% felt the course, regardless of format, helped them prepare for the Match, and 90% considered it a valuable use of their time. In addition, 83% agreed that the course should be a curricular requirement.

Conclusions: The CAPD course successfully offered a framework for personalized support in the rapidly evolving residency application process. As a mandatory part of the curriculum, it allowed faculty to ensure that all students were engaged in the support services offered by our institution, which ultimately increased student confidence and decreased anxiety about the application process. Successful implementation requires significant logistical support (course coordinators, faculty, and career specialists) and the identification and participation of key stakeholders (academic advisors, department chairs, and content experts) to guide students through critical application components.