Residency Alert
Get a text the moment you receive a residency interview invitation.
The problem
Residency interview invitations are high-stakes, time-sensitive emails.
For applicants, the process can mean constantly checking an inbox and wondering whether the next message is the one that matters. An invitation can arrive at any hour, from any program, and missing it can mean missing an opportunity to schedule quickly.
The idea
Residency Alert is a simple communication layer between your inbox and your phone.
Create a rule in your own email account to forward selected residency emails to Residency Alert. We monitor those forwarded messages for signs of a residency interview, then alert you by text when one arrives.
The goal isn’t to replace email. It’s to make sure an important email doesn’t get buried in it.
How it works
- Choose what to forward — Create a rule/filter in your own email account that forwards selected residency emails to your private Residency Alert address.
- We watch for interviews — The system looks for signals that an email is about an interview invitation or scheduling.
- Get the text — When a potential interview email arrives, you get an alert so you can act quickly.
The MVP philosophy
The first version intentionally favors catching potential interview emails over being perfectly selective.
I’d rather send you an extra alert that turns out not to be important than filter out the one interview invitation you’ve been waiting for.
You can decide whether an alert is worth acting on. Residency Alert’s job is simply to make sure you see it.
What’s next
The MVP is deliberately narrow: if an email looks interview-related, trigger an alert.
If that proves useful, the system can eventually become smarter—identifying programs, extracting interview dates and scheduling links, and helping applicants keep track of the entire interview season.
For now, I’m testing one simple question:
Can a tiny bit of automation make the residency application process a little less stressful?
Disclaimer
Residency Alert is an independent project by 25th Hour Ideas. It is not affiliated with ERAS, NRMP, Thalamus, or any residency program.