Qualifications

• In 2007, I founded Residency Support to meet the needs of applicants who were being underrepresented, ignored, and forgotten by many program directors. It's been an honor to help hundreds of clients since I started!
• I focus on supporting international medical graduates, such as Americans and Canadians who went to medical school in the Caribbean or Mexico, as well as international citizens who went to medical school abroad, but now hope to train in the United States. 
• I also have the privilege of supporting osteopaths, graduates of American medical schools who failed the USMLE, fellowship applicants, and anyone else who has struggled to match.
• For more than twenty years, helping people achieve their residency dreams has been my field of expertise, my passion, and my calling. Let me help you succeed! 

• Before founding Residency Support, I worked from 2001-2007 at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, which is ranked among the top ten medical schools in the United States.
• I prepared a personalized Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE, also known as a "dean's letter") for 150+ students each year.
• I also ran the advising sessions to teach students how to use ERAS and write personal statements, helped each student transform the details from their CV into the specialized format used in ERAS, and coordinated the solicitation and processing of letters of recommendation and transcripts.
• While getting to know our students and helping them tell their stories through their ERAS application, personal statement, and MSPE, I also met regularly with UCSF program directors to immerse myself in the residency process from their perspective.

• In 2007, I was the sole recipient of the second annual Outstanding Staff Service Award, given by the graduating class of the UCSF School of Medicine. This honor, open to all non-faculty employees of the entire institution, was awarded for exemplary dedication to the class. Two quotes from graduating students were read into my record at the induction ceremony:

"I want to nominate Dave Backman for...writing MSPE letters every year for graduating seniors, and doing it with a smile. I have never seen Dave in a non-cheerful mood. He so genuinely cares for the success of all of the medical students, strives to build personal relationships with them and is so dedicated to writing meaningful and professional dean's letters for every single student. His resourcefulness and enthusiasm are very admirable and much appreciated."

"Dave was a very calming presence with regards to residency matching. Every time I had the littlest concern, I would stop by and ask him a few questions and he was always reassuring and well as realistic. He never sugar coated anything (which I really appreciated) but was also encouraging and supportive. He was a cheerful presence throughout the process and gave really good pointers with regards to where to go for help, how to approach letter writers, and how to think about the process from both a professional (i.e. what is best for my career) and personal (i.e. what is best for my family) perspective. He takes so much pride in what he does and makes you feel so supported and well looked after through a stressful application process."