Residency & Professional Advising

Department of Residency and Professional Advising

Match-Ready, from Day One

Our Department of Residency and Professional Advising team lives and breathes the residency process, guiding you step-by-step. Expect personalized coaching, honest feedback, and a clear plan that turns your unique journey into a competitive edge.

Who we are

When UMHS launched, we put together a team of experts in professional development, teaching, and communication, with an expansive understanding of the particular concerns specific to those hoping to prosper by studying in the Caribbean.

The Department of Residency and Professional Advising is comprised of professional advisors with over fifty years of combined experience working specifically with Caribbean medical students at both large and small universities. The team is led by the Associate Dean & Director of Residency and Professional Advising, Patrick McCormick, who brings over a quarter-century of experience in Caribbean residency and match preparation.

Our professional staff are experts in writing, academic advising, and communication, with careers dedicated to supporting Caribbean medical students through every stage of their journey.

Our mission

The Department of Residency and Professional Advising is committed to developing students professionally by helping them identify qualities and accomplishments that can expand their appeal to eventual employers (medical residencies). At the same time, our main mission is to reduce students’ anxiety by helping them navigate the complicated landscape of applying to first-year residency programs with timely and detailed information, and advice from the most tenured professional development team in the Caribbean. 

Through personalized attention, the Department of Residency and Professional Advising helps students recognize how their unique journey can be one of their best assets when designing their futures, often in ways they have never considered. Helping students link interests to background, we aim to unearth aspects of their stories that often become the identifying factors leading to a successful match. 

Our philosophy

We believe specific and timely guidance, and a clear understanding of the path forward, are key to successfully navigating the complex landscape of applying to residency. We also know that with the support of a dedicated team, students begin to see their lives and achievements as strengths, and a process that once felt daunting becomes a journey where they can feel truly proud of what they offer as individuals and professionals.

How we support students

While many medical schools offer limited or no support for students in terms of Match preparation and application guidance, UMHS does not believe in leaving students on their own when it comes to something as important as presenting who they are and what they have achieved to prospective employers. Instead, we invest where others don’t. 

Our department provides honest feedback, best practices, unique characteristics of the Caribbean journey, and can identify strengths and weaknesses in each student’s profile thought to be important and appealing at the next level, and given those attributes, how to move forward. Initiatives include constructing personalized and curated application materials, application and interview guidance, such as mock interviews, and information to guide each student on their unique road to success.

The Non-Traditional Route

While it is true that attending medical school at any university is not a guarantee of success in acquiring a residency, the tenured professionals at UMHS know those fears can be heightened when taking on a non-traditional route beginning in the Caribbean.

For decades, UMHS has understood these concerns and invested in resources designed specifically to address them. We are committed to being transparent when performance could threaten a desired outcome, while also helping students recognize how their academic accomplishments and unique path can work in their favor when pursuing residency.

Through the resources and staff in the Department of Residency and Professional Advising, students learn and take pride in the fact that what makes them different and unique are often the same qualities that make them great physicians.