Blueprint Med School Blog (formerly Cram Fighter & Med School Tutors)

The blog for Blueprint Medical, supporting your MedEd journey with our exam study planner, tutoring, residency consulting, and advanced boards.

Quiz: Should You Consider Residency Counseling?

As you prepare the necessary materials to apply for residency programs, you may find yourself feeling a bit overwhelmed. After all, this is a critical juncture in your professional journey and there are many moving parts to consider. From collecting ERAS letters of recommendation to training yourself for residency interviews, this can be a complicated

Jan 05, 2023

How to Maximize Your Chances of Matching With Your Dream Residency

You’ve found your dream residency program. Now, you just need to get accepted! The following post is a realistic guide to improve your chances of residency matching, set a reference point if you are still figuring out which specialty to pursue, and explain where to focus your limited time and effort. You’ll find these tips

Nov 01, 2022

How to Choose a Residency Program: Top Factors to Consider for Your Rank List

Choosing a residency program is an important step along your medical journey. This decision can ultimately guide your career trajectory based on the population you serve, your specific training, and your available opportunities. Not every residency program is created equal, and each one of them will have unique strengths and weaknesses. Just like applicants, residency

Oct 27, 2022

What is the Difference Between Internal Medicine and Family Medicine?

Careers in internal medicine (IM) and family medicine (FM) can be very alike, but despite many similarities, important differences exist. If you’re considering a future in either of these fields, this article will explain the difference between them. We’ll walk you through how the training, scope of practice, and professional opportunities vary between the two

Oct 24, 2022

Do Residency Programs Rank Everyone They Interview?

If you’re a medical student or graduate applying to residency this year, you might be wondering what the significance is of being granted an interview. In addition to the flood of excitement when you receive your first long-awaited residency interview invite, there may also be a little bit of dread, or self-doubt that starts to

Oct 20, 2022

How to Choose a Medical Specialty: The Ultimate Guide

Some future physicians enter medical school intent on a certain specialty, but most are uncertain or change their minds altogether. The decision is a difficult and important one. After all, this choice made in your 20s or 30s will be one that shapes your day-to-day life for the next three decades. Given that impact, it

Oct 18, 2022

The Most Common Medical Residency Interview Questions

Your first few residency interviews are often a stressful experience. The pressure to put your best foot forward in a brief, formal meeting is understandably significant, especially now that programs are hosting virtual interviews. However, you interviewed for and made it into medical school. You can do it again! A reliable approach for interviewing well

Oct 04, 2022

Day in the Life of a Transitional Year Resident

This post is from the perspective of my colleague, Elle S., MD, who completed a transitional year in 2021 and is now in her final year of PM&R residency. There comes a time in nearly all medical students’ careers when they open ERAS and try to figure out what they’re going to do for the

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