Residency Alert
An experiment in using simple automation to reduce the uncertainty around residency interview communication.
The problem
Residency interviews involve an enormous amount of communication.
Emails, invitations, scheduling requests, confirmations, reminders, and updates can arrive from different programs at different times. For applicants already navigating an incredibly stressful process, keeping track of all of it adds another layer of uncertainty.
The problem isn’t necessarily that the information doesn’t exist.
It’s that it is fragmented.
Why I started it
I was interested in whether a relatively simple automation could take some of that burden away.
Instead of requiring someone to constantly monitor another inbox and remember what requires attention, what if important residency communication could simply reach them where they already are?
That led to the idea behind Residency Alert.
The idea
Residency Alert is an experiment in turning residency communication into something more actionable.
The initial concept is intentionally simple: monitor for important communication and alert the applicant through text or phone rather than expecting them to constantly check multiple places.
The goal isn’t to replace the applicant’s existing communication tools.
It’s to reduce the chance that something important gets missed.
Why this is interesting
The interesting part of the project isn’t the underlying technology.
The pieces required to build it are relatively straightforward.
The interesting question is whether removing a small amount of friction from a high-stakes process can meaningfully reduce anxiety.
That is the hypothesis I’m exploring.
What’s next
The first version is deliberately narrow.
Rather than trying to solve every problem associated with residency applications, I’m interested in seeing whether a simple communication layer can solve one particularly painful part of the process.
If it works, the idea can grow from there.