Selection Process
Separate selection committees evaluate candidates for each of the two tracks. Both committees include rising chief residents, as well as junior and senior faculty who are clinicians and researchers from a broad range of specialties. The selection process is entirely subjective. No formulas of boards scores, grades, or other criteria are used, either for selecting applicants for interviews or in preparing the rank order list. Similarly, no attention is paid to the likelihood that a candidate will or will not rank the BCRP favorably.
The committees are looking for candidates who are perceived to have a strong likelihood of success in an academic career involving advocacy, community service or public policy (Leadership in Equity and Advocacy Track) or success in an academic career focusing on clinical care and/or research in traditional subspecialty pediatrics, including academic general pediatrics, or in a primary care career in the community (Categorical Track).
There is considerable overlap in these two missions. Most applicants are suitable for both tracks and many candidates are highly ranked on both rank order lists. For this reason, and because the tracks are very similar from a resident’s point of view, most applicants should apply to both tracks. An exception is candidates who are only applying to one of the combined programs. Those who are only applying in Combined Pediatrics-Medical Genetics, Combined Pediatrics-Anesthesiology, the Triple Board Program, or Child Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital are only eligible to match in the Categorical track. And those who are only applying to Child Neurology at Boston Medical Center are only eligible to match in the LEAD track.