10 Tips for a Top-Notch Residency Application

As a first-generation college student, I knew I wanted to get the most out of my optometric education by continuing my clinical training in residency. But as the first optometrist in my family, the application process was entirely foreign to me and I didn’t know where to start! I want to share my tips and tricks with other students to make the process easier and more accessible for everyone.

#1. Research programs early!

There are SO many programs and more being added every year. ASCO has a map of all the programs that is super helpful and provides information/website links for each program. You can sort programs by specialty or location, too!

I started researching programs when the list of available options was released in October, but you can register on the ORMatch website in August to get a head start.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue a specialty contact lens program or an ocular disease program, so I applied to a mixture of both and some programs that had subspecialty in contact lenses.

#2. Reach out to programs before you apply.

Speaking with residency coordinators helps you explore the program and decide if it’s worth spending time applying and interviewing.

This also helps residency coordinators know who you are before you apply. It’s also nice to talk with the person who will be your mentor for the next year to make sure that you communicate and work well together.

#3. Talk with current residents!

It’s one thing to hear about the program from the residency coordinator and another thing entirely to hear first-hand experiences from current residents.

I spoke with at least one current resident from every program I applied to in order to get a sense of the day-to-day duties. The residents were a wealth of knowledge and their feedback helped me decide what programs were a good fit for me and worth applying.

I asked questions like what kind of patient population they serve, what kinds of ocular disease they see, what equipment is available, if they get to precept or not, how much autonomy/independence in patient care they have, if they get to do triage, if they are ever on call, if there are opportunities for research, and how it is living in the area.

#4. Spend extra time on your letter of intent.

Your letter of intent is the first thing that residency coordinators will read from you, so make it count! Your letter can include an introduction about your background, your strengths as a clinician, your story as an optometry student, why you want to pursue a residency in a specific specialty, and why you like that program specifically. 

You can also include a picture of yourself to make your letter more personal and help the residency coordinators put a face to the name on your application!

#5. A strong letter of recommendation can speak louder than your CV.

Letters of recommendation are very important! These letters are the only outside feedback about your character and clinical abilities that residency coordinators will see. I’d say these are probably the most important part of your application. Scores and grades aren’t everything and it means more to show residency coordinators that you’re well rounded in classes, clinic, and extracurriculars.

Most programs require three letters of recommendation and some require them all to be from professors that have seen you in a clinical setting. Make sure to check with each program to see what they require.

I submitted 4 letters of recommendation, 3 from professors in a clinical setting and 1 from a club coordinator of which I was president. Try to select professors who you know can write recommendations that show your strengths from all angles.

#6. Make sure your CV is well-organized and thorough. 

Throughout optometry school, I constantly added to my CV to ensure it was always up to date. By the time I was applying for residency, my CV was nearly complete and I wasn’t scrambling to add information during the application process. I HIGHLY recommend keeping your CV up to date throughout school.

In my CV, I included an education section (undergrad and graduate degrees awarded), clinical education (detailing clinical assignments at NECO), professional experience (i.e. working as a technician), work experience (including work study), awards and honors, leadership experience (any student council or club positions), community service (trips with VOSH or other vision-related activities), research experience, and extracurriculars.

#7. Apply as early as possible!

The earlier you apply, the more you’ll stand out from other applicants. Applying early shows that you’re serious and extremely interested in the programs. You can even submit your application without all your letters of recommendation finalized if you want to get them in earlier.

This can also help you get your first choice for interview dates. Because once interview days are scheduled and spots are filled, programs won’t offer any more slots to interview.

I ended up submitting my applications right after Thanksgiving while waiting for my last letter of recommendation to be finalized. I started hearing back about scheduling interviews about 1-1.5 months after I submitted my applications.

#8. Go prepared with questions to ask at your interview.

Just as residency coordinators are choosing their favorite candidates, you are also choosing YOUR favorite program. This is your time to find a program that works best for you and will help you grow as a clinician.

You are interviewing these residency programs as much as they are interviewing you, so ask all the questions you need or want to in order to find the right fit for you.

I asked my interviewers questions like the biggest challenge for residents and how they support with these struggles, how performance evaluations and feedback is provided, how the program keeps up to date with current research, if there are any changes expected for the program the next year, and how they would like to improve the program. This helped me get a sense of the kind of work environment and rigor of the program.

#9. Make a pros and cons list!

I made a pros and cons list after every interview I had, while everything was still fresh in my mind and I hadn’t forgotten important details. This helped immensely as I finalized my rankings!

The most important factors to me were how well-rounded the program was, how the work/life balance was, what kind of setting/practice modality it was, if there were co-residents, what kind of equipment/technology was available, how many preceptors I got to work with, if you have to precept, and if you’re on-call. There are many aspects that can influence your ranking decisions but these were the most important to me.

#10. Go with your gut!

Deciding on my top residency programs was an extremely hard decision to make. I loved all of the programs I ended up ranking and knew that I would be happy at any of them, which made it all the more difficult to pick the other to rank them.

You don’t have to rank all the programs you apply to. Only rank the ones that you DEFINITELY could see yourself working in for the next year. Remember that if you match with a program, you will be there for the year, even if it was your last choice.

You have two weeks to submit your rankings and can change them at any point in this time period. Even if you submit and finalize them, you can change your rankings and re-submit them again before the deadline.

The first ranking order that I made is what I ended up submitting in the end. I thought about changing my rankings every day, going over the pros and cons, but ended up keeping it the same. 

My biggest piece of advice is to just go with your gut when submitting your rankings! You can think about the details all day, but in the end, it’s about where you can see yourself for the next year and where you’ll be most happy. Wherever you match, just know that your time as a resident will be worth it!