Advice for ERAS

[gaskid91]

241 Step, all HP/P in cores, H in anesthesia electives, top 20 med school in the southeast, lots of research and great extracurriculars, good LOR's.

I understand I need to apply to programs I am very competitive for, some reach schools, and some "safety" schools. My only question is, which programs am I competitive for? Would UPenn, Stanford, UCSF, Columbia, BWH, MGH be reaches for me, or should I get interviews there? How about the next tier of BID, NYU, Icahn, Cornell, UW, UCLA, Chicago? Thank you!

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[Dr.Acula99]

As someone who just went through and matched, my experience was that places like Stanford, MGH, BWH, Cornell, Columbia are more competitive than I had realized, especially since I didn't think anesthesia was all that competitive. Everyone will apply to these places, regardless of whether they are actually considering moving across the country for residency, so getting interviews at many of these places can be tough. They are research heavy, so it sounds like you probably have a good chance of getting interviews though. Your step score is probably average to below average for these top programs. I would apply broadly. Audition electives would be very helpful at the places you really want to match. I think you'll get interviews at many of these places.

 

[gaskid91]

As someone who just went through and matched, my experience was that places like Stanford, MGH, BWH, Cornell, Columbia are more competitive than I had realized, especially since I didn't think anesthesia was all that competitive. Everyone will apply to these places, regardless of whether they are actually considering moving across the country for residency, so getting interviews at many of these places can be tough. They are research heavy, so it sounds like you probably have a good chance of getting interviews though. Your step score is probably average to below average for these top programs. I would apply broadly. Audition electives would be very helpful at the places you really want to match. I think you'll get interviews at many of these places.

Thanks for your response! With regard to "apply broadly", forgive me for my naivety, what exactly does that mean? Apply to 50 programs vs. apply to community programs vs. apply to every top 25 program regardless of location?

 

[pjl]

Apply places you actually want to go.
If you have a spouse, have them cross out places they don't want to live first.
10 interviews should be far more than enough, so send enough applications to get that many.
You are competitive enough to get a spot at top places as long as you are being accurate and have no unknown negatives. You aren't a sure thing at any one, but you should be a sure thing for one of them overall.


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[gaskid91]

Apply places you actually want to go.
If you have a spouse, have them cross out places they don't want to live first.
10 interviews should be far more than enough, so send enough applications to get that many.
You are competitive enough to get a spot at top places as long as you are being accurate and have no unknown negatives. You aren't a sure thing at any one, but you should be a sure thing for one of them overall.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

I figured my HP/P in all cores might be a negative and lack of AOA.

 

[Psai]

So vandy? lolol

Two things: getting interviews was very regional for me nowhere else and it's very competitive at the top. I have a similar app to yours and interviewed at half of the places on your lists. The people I met on the interview trail blew me away and I was pretty surprised that I was interviewing with them tbh. For your app I'd send maybe 15-20 as you sound like a pretty good applicant. But don't believe all the hype about tiers. Some of the name brand programs may not be the best fit while some of those next tier programs are pretty awesome.

 

[gaskid91]

So vandy? lolol

Two things: getting interviews was very regional for me nowhere else and it's very competitive at the top. I have a similar app to yours and interviewed at half of the places on your lists. The people I met on the interview trail blew me away and I was pretty surprised that I was interviewing with them tbh. For your app I'd send maybe 15-20 as you sound like a pretty good applicant. But don't believe all the hype about tiers. Some of the name brand programs may not be the best fit while some of those next tier programs are pretty awesome.

Is there any way to combat the regional bias without doing an away, possibly messaging programs with interest? None of the schools I listed are regionally linked to my school. I would be really happy with getting interviews at half of those programs.

 

[bromazepam]

Is there any way to combat the regional bias without doing an away, possibly messaging programs with interest? None of the schools I listed are regionally linked to my school. I would be really happy with getting interviews at half of those programs.

Couple things you can do: either sending a message to them maybe explaining why you are applying to their region, or find a way to get to the ASA conference this year, and mingle with the program directors during the meet and greet hour. They love hearing from applicants, and they can put a face to your app and might give you some kind of priority.

 

[bromazepam]

241 Step, all HP/P in cores, H in anesthesia electives, top 20 med school in the southeast, lots of research and great extracurriculars, good LOR's.

I understand I need to apply to programs I am very competitive for, some reach schools, and some "safety" schools. My only question is, which programs am I competitive for? Would UPenn, Stanford, UCSF, Columbia, BWH, MGH be reaches for me, or should I get interviews there? How about the next tier of BID, NYU, Icahn, Cornell, UW, UCLA, Chicago? Thank you!

The truth is, it's hard to say which ones you'll be competitive for. That's why you gotta cast a wide net and hope some of the big fish bite. You'll likely get interviews at some places you didn't think would give you one, and won't get interviews at places you thought were a safety. I will say that the grades don't matter THAT much, except maybe at the top. Step 1 score is very competitive imo (if you can take step 2 and show like a 10 point improvement prior to apps, that would help you even more), but if not then it's not a huge deal. The top 20 med school will also really help (I went to a good school, and I think the rep helped me out). Research/ECs/LORs are also really important, so that's good you've got that covered.

 

[Robotic Wis-Hipple]

Apply to however many you get for "X" dollars on ERAS. That's what everyone else does, and you can always cancel interviews. Pick 10 elite programs in areas you'd actually move to, and 10 programs in areas you'd love to live in. You will be shocked in regards to the awesome programs you'll find in areas you like that aren't necessarily "top tier" and dismayed by how disappointed you'll be in some of the "top" programs.

Going to MGH or UCSF or Duke because blowhards say they're the best but hating your life once there only helps you if you can get thru it mentally intact and need some blue ribbon on your CV for the job you want one day. While going to a place like Vandy, UW, Pitt, Wake, or whatever other program is considered good, gets you a well balanced strong experience, and all in a location and environment that meshes well with YOU will likely be better. Just my 0.02.

 

[pjl]

I figured my HP/P in all cores might be a negative and lack of AOA.

At the place where I was on the admission committee for a little bit, these didnt have much importance. Cant say it is the same for everywhere though.


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[gaskid91]

Thanks everyone! So I guess I can't count on any one program offering an interview, but I will probably receive invites from ~50% of them. Which is fine with me, I would be happy getting 2/4 NY programs, 1/3 Boston programs, 1/2 Chicago programs, etc.

 

[Dr.Acula99]

Up to 20 programs is plenty, unless all the programs you apply are top programs. I think hoping for a yield of 50% interviews from your list is a little optimistic. I can't see any way of letting programs know you really want to go there. Again, everybody in the country with similar or better stats than yours will apply across the country to the "best" programs. And if these people don't hear anything they too will likely send letters or emails explaining how bad they want to go to so and so hospital. If your serious about a program across the country, an audition would greatly improve your chances of getting an interview.

 

[gaskid91]

Up to 20 programs is plenty, unless all the programs you apply are top programs. I think hoping for a yield of 50% interviews from your list is a little optimistic. I can't see any way of letting programs know you really want to go there. Again, everybody in the country with similar or better stats than yours will apply across the country to the "best" programs. And if these people don't hear anything they too will likely send letters or emails explaining how bad they want to go to so and so hospital. If your serious about a program across the country, an audition would greatly improve your chances of getting an interview.

I think you're underestimating the prestige of my medical school and home anesthesia department though. I have heard that carries a ton of weight since residency programs like a good pedigree in their residents. The chair of my department wrote me a LOR and he did residency at MGH. I think these connections will be put me above people with similar stats from a mid-low tier school.