Dr. Kemple Reviews Essential Skills Needed to Obtain, and then Excel in a Residency

RUSM: What attracted you to RUSM?
Kemple: A friend from my undergraduate institution was a student at Ross [University School of Medicine] and recommended it. The most important reasons I chose to attend were the school’s reputation, 50-state approval, and the provision of federal loans. These factors are so important when looking at Caribbean [medical] schools. 

RUSM: How did you prepare for the NRMP® Match?
Kemple: I participated in mock interviews held by my clinical training site. I also consulted Ross [University School of Medicine] faculty for guidance with regard to filling out my ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) application. 

RUSM: What are the top two or three ways RUSM helped prepare you for your residency position? 
Kemple: First, I gained the knowledge and skills necessary to transition from undergraduate student to medical student and then to physician. Second, it was clear from the first day that Ross [University School of Medicine] took all academic matters seriously and instituted a sense of responsibility for your patients and actions. This is essential for any successful physician and residency programs want residents who exemplify these qualities.

RUSM: What are the key factors that led to you achieving a chief resident position?
Kemple: Every program is slightly different in the way it selects chief residents. The University of Toledo looks at academic performance on training exams, clinical performance, evaluations, and a vote by all faculty and residents. Ultimately, however, the selection is up to the Program Director. I believe what made me stand out was excelling in all of these areas and finding ways to contribute to the big picture by looking beyond my residency program – looking at my specialty of emergency medicine and the hospital as a whole. For example, I recently served as Chairman for the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA) Awards Committee and I currently serve on the hospital’s laboratory utilization review committee.

RUSM: What additional responsibilities have you assumed since becoming a chief resident?
Kemple: In addition to serving as a member of the laboratory utilization review committee, I am responsible for scheduling two facilities, attending faculty meetings, helping assimilate new interns into the program, and performing additional resident-related tasks.

RUSM: What’s next for you? 
Kemple: After graduation, I will work for a local democratic emergency medicine group in the Toledo area for two years while my fiancé (also a RUSM grad) finishes her residency.