Applicants

The University of Tennessee System’s mission is to serve all Tennesseans and beyond through education, discovery and outreach that enables strong economic, social and environmental well-being.

Applicant Eligibility

Medical Education Requirements

Only the following individuals will be considered as applicants in residency programs in the University of Tennessee Graduate Medical Education Program:

• Graduates of Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-approved U.S. Medical Schools.
• Graduates of American Osteopathic Association (AOA) accredited Osteopathic Medical Schools.
• International Medical Graduates who have valid Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificates or who have completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school.

The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiner’s policy on the determination of standards for international medical schools and graduates of unapproved foreign medical schools provides a list of accrediting bodies used to determine medical school compliance. UT GME residency and fellowship programs may not accept graduates from schools that do not comply with this policy, which can be accessed online.

For applicant and program leadership references, see the Medical Board of California list of approved medical schools.

USMLE Requirements

All residents/fellows entering any graduate medical education program sponsored by the University of Tennessee College of Medicine on or after July 1, 2009, must have passed USMLE Steps 1 and 2 CK or COMLEX-USA Level 1 and 2-CE. Any Agreement of Appointment or offer letter will be contingent upon passing USMLE Steps 1 and 2 or COMLEX-USA Level 1 and 2-CE. Each resident/fellow is responsible for providing official transcripts of passage of USMLE Steps 1 and 2 CK or COMLEXUSA Level 1 and 2-CE to the Program Director and GME Office and will not be allowed to start training until this documentation is submitted.

All new residents/fellows entering GME programs at the PGY3 or higher level must have passed USMLE Step 3 or COMLEX-USA Level 3 before beginning training at UT. The resident/fellow is responsible for providing evidence of passage of USMLE Step 3 or COMLEX-USA Level 3, via official transcript (an original transcript must be mailed directly from USMLE or COMLEX) to the Program Director and GME Office.

Any Agreement of Appointment or offer letter to begin training at the PGY3 or higher level will be contingent upon passing USMLE Step 3 or COMLEX-USA Level 3. Accepted or matched residents and fellows who have not passed the required U.S. Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE) or National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) exam prior to their scheduled start date do not meet eligibility requirements and will be released from their appointment. Any program that releases a resident or fellow who matched through the NRMP will be required to obtain a waiver from NRMP. The waiver must be granted before offering the position to another applicant.

For the Pathology (AP/CP) residency program, all required score reports (i.e., passing scores for USMLE Step 1/COMLEX Level 1 and USMLE Step 2/COMLEX Level 2 must be received by January 1 of the year that the rank list will be prepared in order for a candidate to be placed on the program’s rank order list.

Visa Status

Note, status for International Medical Graduates must fall within these categories:

• J-1 visa
• Citizen, permanent resident or Alien status (i.e., "Green Card")
• Sponsorship for H-1B visa requires Chair approval (this is not offered in the Pathology residency program).

Application Process and Interviews

• All applications will be processed through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS).
• Opportunities for competitive interviews may be extended to applicants based on an applicant’s competencies, academic achievements, knowledge, skills and abilities, and characteristics required to succeed in residency or fellowship training.
  • Initial Application Screening: This process includes use of automated filters and prescreening conducted by designated staff to ensure all required documents are submitted.
  • Detailed Application Review: Applicants are assessed comprehensively, considering experience, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and any unique characteristics that align with the program’s values and mission.
  • Consideration is made of the candidate’s motivation to train and practice in the state of Tennessee.
  • Selection for Interviews: The selection committee extend interview invitations to applicants identified through the holistic review process.
  • Communication and Scheduling: Invitations will be extended via Thalamus and/or direct email communication, where applicants will have the opportunity to select and schedule their preferred interview day. Currently, our program conducts interviews virtually, utilizing the Zoom platform.
  • Conducting Interviews: On the day of interview, applicants will be interviewed by at least two faculty members, which may include the program director, as well as at least one current resident. These sessions will be conducted in 20-minute increments.
  • Post-Interview Review: Our Program Manager collects feedback from all interviewers and compiles it into a comprehensive assessment for each applicant. A final ranking of the applicant based on interview performance and overall application assessment is forwarded to the selection committee.
  • Decision Making: A selection committee meeting is conducted where the applicants are placed onto the program’s rank order list.
  • Notification and Follow-Up: Post-Match Day applicants will receive an official notification from the program detailing departmental expectations and the GME Office detailing onboarding and hospital orientation instructions.

Resident/Fellow Recruitment

All applicants invited to interview for a resident/fellow position must be informed, in writing or by electronic means, of the terms, conditions, and benefits of appointment to the ACGME-accredited program, either in effect at the time of the interview or that will be in effect at the time of the resident’s or fellow’s eventual appointment.

Information (either electronically or paper copy) that is provided to applicants invited to interview must include the following GME policies:

• GME Policy #110 – Resident Selection Guidelines
• GME Policy #111 – Medical Licensing Exam Requirements
• GME Policy #115 – Agreement of Appointment
• GME Policy #130 – Background Check Policy
• GME Policy #140 – Visas
• GME Policy #210 – Resident Salary
• GME Policy #220 – Leave Policies
• GME Policy #240 – Malpractice
• GME Policy #660 – Pre-Employment Drug Testing

Matching Programs and Rank Order Process:

Our program participates in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP).

All interviewed applicants will be considered for ranking based on the following criteria: an applicant’s specialty qualifications and an applicant’s program qualifications using some or all the following criteria: knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, work/learning style preferences, goals, as well as the residency/fellowship program’s mission, values, culture and learning approaches/resources. Our program utilizes these measures to assess qualifications for our program:

• Residency interview
• Recommendations of interviewing faculty
• Recommendations of residents/fellows
• Away/visiting institution departmental letters of recommendation
• Home institution Program Director and/or departmental letters of recommendation
• Overall clinical clerkship and basic science grades
• Medical student performance evaluation (MSPE)/Dean’s letter
• Passing score on USMLE Step 1
• USMLE Step 2 score
• USMLE Step 3 score (when available)
• Expressed interest in contributing to healthcare for Tennesseans
• Extracurricular/volunteer work
• Personal statement
• Research/publications

Characteristics such as gender, age, religion, color, national origin, pregnancy, disability or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status will not be used in the selection procedure. (The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer.)

Appointments

• Appointments will be issued to all matched applicants who meet eligibility requirements.
• Following release of the Match results, attempts will be made to fill any vacant positions in accordance with the terms of the UT Program Agreement with the NRMP. If an applicant is unable to fulfill the Match commitment, the Program will not recruit another candidate until NRMP has granted a deferment or waiver. Note, all applicants taken outside of a Match must adhere to GME Policy #112 - Outside Match Appointments.
• Unless otherwise stated in specialty-specific requirements, the Program Director may not appoint more residents than approved by their Review Committee or more residents than for which your program has funding.
• Agreements of Appointment for all positions will be issued annually through the Graduate Medical Education Office.