Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is required to apply to your program?

A. All applicants are required to complete an ERAS application. Please make sure you have a complete ERAS application, Dean's letter, three letters of recommendation, a personal statement, USMLE Board Scores, a medical school transcript, CV and photo.

Q. I am interested in both your categorical and advanced tracks and was wondering if I had to apply and interview for each separately.

A. You do have to select both CAT and ADV tracks on your ERAS application. If you are granted an interview, this interview will count for both tracks. We do submit the same rank list for both tracks. However, you will need to rank both tracks with the NRMP.

Q. Do you offer out of the Match positions?

A. No. The NRMP has adopted the "All In" policy where all applicants must go through the Match. We are fully compliant with this policy. The Match allows an immediate start pathway for applicants who could start in the Advanced program the summer following the Match (meaning they have already done an internship in the US that satisfies most of the requirements of the clinical base year.) We anticipate a couple spots for applicants who may want to utilize this pathway to Match to Mass General this spring and start this summer.

Q. Do you offer couples match?

A. Yes. If you are applying for a position in anesthesia at Mass General and received an invitation to interview, and your significant other also applied to our program and did not receive an interview, please contact the Residency Coordinator at mghanesresidencycoord@partners.org. The application may not have been reviewed, and the Residency Coordinator can usually get an answer regarding the interview within two days. If your significant other is applying to another program at Mass General, please let the Residency Coordinator know. The coordinator can contact the coordinator in that specialty to find out the status of his/her application so you can coordinate your interviews in the same time frame. If your significant other is applying to a program outside of Mass General, contact the program directly. Let them know you received an interview in Boston and would like to check the status of your significant other's application.

Q. Does your program accept residents with a residency under their belts with such career goals of dual board certifications and a planned fellowship in ICU?

A. Yes. We do accept applicants who already have a residency "under their belts." We ask all applicants applying for a position after starting or finishing another residency to apply through the ERAS.

If you matched to a position last year and would like to transfer to anesthesia at Mass General, we require a program director release letter. Because you matched to a position through the NRMP, you are contracted to that position for the duration of your residency unless it is agreed by both the program director and resident, which means we will need proof that your current PD agrees that it is not a good fit and gives you permission to begin looking for an alternate position.

If you are in a matched position for a prelim or transitional year and did not match last year to a residency program, you will still need to complete an ERAS application and email the Residency Coordinator at mghanesresidencycoord@partners.org.

Q. Do I need to complete an intern year with your program if I have already completed a residency in Peds?

A. Not necessarily. An internship in pediatrics does count as the internship, but you still must complete all the clinical requirements of the anesthesia clinical base year. Many requirements are already covered by the Peds internship; however, any missing components must be made up while in residency.

Q. Do you sponsor or accept any visas, H1 or J1?

A. Yes, we accept both. We will take care of all the paperwork and fees for residents only. However, if you have children, we do process the paperwork with your packet, but the fees must be covered by the resident/parent.

Q. Do you accept IMGs without any status in the US?

A. Yes, we do. We prefer you have at least 2 months of US clinical experience. We do support H1 and J1 visas. We take care of all expenses (for resident only) and paperwork.

Q. Is US clinical experience required? If yes, how long?

A. We prefer two months of US clinical experience.

Q. Do you have any USMLE score cutoffs?

A. We take your full application into consideration. However, we are a very competitive program.

Q. USMLE minimum scores: Is there an attempt limit?

A. We do not require minimum USMLE scores, but we do prefer you pass on the first attempt on all USMLE steps.

Q. To be invited for an interview, do I need to have Step 2 CS in hand?

A. No. This paperwork must be included with your ERAS application.

Q. To be invited for an interview, do you need me to have my ECMFG certificate in hand?

A. Not "in hand," but please make sure it is included in your ERAS application.

Q. Do you offer pre-match?

A. No. All applicants must submit an ERAS application and go through the NRMP to be considered for any position.

Q. Do you accept older graduates (more than 10 years)?

A. We review all applications. We do have residents in our program with over 10 years since graduation date and clinical experience.