Case Study: Residency Applicant Chris Pecoraro
After adding a professional headshot with a strong expression to his application, Chris received double the interview requests of a typical residency applicant with his credentials, and he eventually landed his dream residency!
Background
Chris Pecoraro was a medical student living in New Jersey, and had begun his application process to medical residency programs.
His goal was to present himself as the perfect candidate for his specialty and he saw a headshot as the final part of the application process. He wanted everything to be super crisp, from his entire application to his letters of recommendation, all the way down to his headshot.
His school was doing yearbook-style photos for everyone, but he wanted something a bit more professional. He found our website on Google and, after reading some reviews online and checking out our portfolio, decided to book a shoot.
His goal was to present himself as the perfect candidate for his specialty and he saw a headshot as the final part of the application process. He wanted everything to be super crisp, from his entire application to his letters of recommendation, all the way down to his headshot.
His school was doing yearbook-style photos for everyone, but he wanted something a bit more professional. He found our website on Google and, after reading some reviews online and checking out our portfolio, decided to book a shoot.
"I wanted to make sure everything looked super crisp. I worked so hard for my grades, letters of recommendation, C.V., and personal statement, and if all those looked good, all that was left was the kind of first impression I'd make. I knew the first thing they'd see would be my headshot since it gets stapled to the front of our files."
"I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of my life studying, so why would I send out an application with an unprofessional picture?"
"Did I want to risk creating a bad first impression just because of a few hundred dollars more? That was literally my thought process and that's why I wanted a high-quality headshot."
The Challenge
Chris was facing a few key challenges:
Chris had never done a professional photoshoot before and was not only nervous about the shoot itself, but about the entire medical residency process because it was very grueling. There are a limited number of positions, and the potential of not matching at all is always there.
- He was a bit concerned with the way he looked on camera and that his expressions might be flat or he might not like his posture - he wanted us to help him with those things since he had no idea what to do on-camera.
- He was worried about some blemishes and discolorations on his face, and wasn't sure whether they'd be able to be retouched or not, so he opted to add the makeup artist to his shoot. He had never worn makeup before and was concerned about whether it would be worth it.
- His perception was that with a strong application and weak headshot, he wouldn't stand out. But with a strong application and strong headshot, he would be able to make a great first impression, which would make him more memorable.
- Some schools receive hundreds or thousands of applications for only a few available spots, and they do not have time to go into detail through each application, so they typically look at the headshot first and assume those with great headshots will be worth looking at since they go above and beyond other applicants. Therefore, he needed an extremely professional and polished photo to attach to his medical residency application - one that looked sleek and modern.
Chris had never done a professional photoshoot before and was not only nervous about the shoot itself, but about the entire medical residency process because it was very grueling. There are a limited number of positions, and the potential of not matching at all is always there.
"I was surprised at how often my picture showed up. I interviewed with as little as two people to as many as 12 people in one day, and They’re all given a file of each applicant. On that file was always a big blown up print of my headshot!"
"One place in particular printed out all the applicant’s headshots on one page and handed them to everyone in the room."
"At another interview, everyone's headshots were shown on a huge projector - it was so awkward for the people who didn't have professional photos; You could just sense how they were probably feeling about that mistake."
The Solution
Chris booked a Two-Look Shoot with Makeup and we helped him with a number of specific things:
We captured a series of different images on two different backgrounds, and then we sent all the high-res photos to him later that day. After he decided on his favorite shots, we did natural-retouching to fix some minor blemishes and distracting elements (although he commented that the photos looked nearly perfect without any retouching being needed). Within two business days we sent the final, color-graded images back to him. The whole process took took just a few days from initial booking to shooting and receiving the final, retouched files.
- We helped him calm down before the shoot because he was somewhat nervous. We asked him what kind of music he wanted us to play and we allowed him to bring his girlfriend to help him relax. Within just a few minutes, he was feeling more confident. By using positive reinforcement, we were able to start capturing some great shots.
- The makeup artist worked very closely with him to ensure he was happy with the way he looked. She explained each step of the process so they were on the same page, and he was very happy with the results - he even mentioned how surprised he was that the makeup was not visible, and yet he looked so much better in the photos! He said, "Sometimes I see certain features on my face that I don't like when I take pictures with my iPhone, but I feel the makeup captured the shadowing perfectly and fixed all those things I normally dislike."
- As the shoot progressed, he gave us feedback on anything he was unhappy about with the photos, such as the way certain angles looked for him. We were able to make specific adjustments and recommendations to fix those things, such as having him turn more towards the camera to fix his posture and look more confident. We were able to get a good variety of expressions within each angle that Chris liked.
We captured a series of different images on two different backgrounds, and then we sent all the high-res photos to him later that day. After he decided on his favorite shots, we did natural-retouching to fix some minor blemishes and distracting elements (although he commented that the photos looked nearly perfect without any retouching being needed). Within two business days we sent the final, color-graded images back to him. The whole process took took just a few days from initial booking to shooting and receiving the final, retouched files.
Results
The final photos helped Chris feel much more confident sending his application out for residencies, and after all his time and work, it's paid off! Here are just a few of the results he's had since his shoot:
- He received a headshot that stands out amongst the dated yearbook style photos or unprofessional snapshots used by some other students who apply for medical residency programs.
- He received 11 interview offers, whereas the average number of interview offers most students receive in his specialty is less than 5.
- After everything, he wound up landing his top-choice residency!
- He was able to use his headshots on his LinkedIn profile and for other uses, including his elective rotations.
- He gained an increased sense of confidence in himself and a better understanding of what to do on-camera for future photoshoots.
The Final Verdict?
Headshots pay off, and we'd like to congratulate Chris on his success!
Before his headshots, he had a high-quality medical residency application he felt would serve him well in his application process, but he had no way to truly stand out from the pack. By using professional headshots in the application process, he received almost DOUBLE the number of interview requests of anyone else who had his same credentials and grades, and he eventually landed his dream residency!
Before his headshots, he had a high-quality medical residency application he felt would serve him well in his application process, but he had no way to truly stand out from the pack. By using professional headshots in the application process, he received almost DOUBLE the number of interview requests of anyone else who had his same credentials and grades, and he eventually landed his dream residency!
A Quote from Chris:
"Medical residency positions are becoming increasingly competitive. An integral piece to the application process is an elegant headshot that stands out above the rest. I knew I wanted to invest in high quality photos that I could be proud of.
"Fortunately, I found City Headshots was impressed by their portfolio and detailed knowledge of the residency application process. The appointment was easy to set up and the studio was conveniently located. The shoot itself was an absolute blast. The photographer was fun to work with, very knowledgeable, and adaptable to the particular style I was looking for.
"The final pictures were amazing and far exceeded my expectations. Incredible service overall, I would highly recommend them to any medical student or resident looking for high quality headshots!"
Thanks for working with us, Chris!
