Do some programs tell you if they are ranking you?

[serimeri]

I was perusing some old threads and I noticed that some programs would notify applicants via e-mail that they have been ranked. I was wondering if this is still common practice? This match system is so difficult because you get sweet feedback in the form of a response thank you card, etc. but then you are wondering what will happen if they don't rank you.

I have also heard some programs only rank 75% of the best applicants they have.

I know the advice is to just rank them in order of preference but with the math getting more competitive and my wallet running thin, I just want some comfort in knowing when I can stop travelling for all these interviews.

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[zxg]

Short answer: I don't know. I doubt it. But there are a lot of programs out there, and I've heard of stranger things.
Less Short Answer: It doesn't matter. For you to feel comfortable stopping travel, they would have to tell you they were ranking you (and you would have to believe it). Any other outcome boils down to they don't tell people they are ranking them, or they do and they haven't told you anything...

 

[TexasPhysician]

Very few will tell you anything. The only ones that informed me did it in a personal call in an attempt to persuade me to rank them #1. If done, it's a sales tactic.

 

[Shikima]

Isn't it against the ACGME rules for programs to tell you where you rank?

 

[OldPsychDoc]

First off, it's the AAMC, not the ACGME that adminsters the Match.
It is perfectly legit for an applicant or a program to tell the other where they are being ranked, though it really shouldnt make any difference. It is not required. It is a violation if you ask the other for that information, or make an offer to rank someone in a particular position in exchange for being ranked.
http://www.nrmp.org/code-of-conduct

Please, once more--memorize this and recite daily:

As a program we are going to follow the same advice we give you: Rank 'em in the order you want them.
And if you'd rather scramble than match them, leave them off your list.

 

[Mass Effect]

Very few will tell you anything. The only ones that informed me did it in a personal call in an attempt to persuade me to rank them #1. If done, it's a sales tactic.

You must have matched before the rules change because they are no longer allowed to persuade you to rank them.

I matched last year. Programs usually don't tell you your exact rank (although it's not against the rules if they do), but they WILL tell you if they like you or if they ranked you. I got several emails from programs telling me that I was ranked highly, I was ranked to match, that they would be thrilled to have me as part of their program, etc. Take them for what they're worth. Some programs are truthful and some are not.

Also, after the match, you're likely to get emails from programs where you didn't match asking why in a survey form. I took that to mean that at those programs, they filled with applicants further down their rank list than you, which is why they're asking why you didn't choose them. You're not obligated to respond, but I responded to all of them. In some cases, it was just a matter of liking another program more, but in a few cases, it was a red flag situation with that program and I let them know.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

I matched last year. Programs usually don't tell you your exact rank (although it's not against the rules if they do), but they WILL tell you if they like you or if they ranked you. I got several emails from programs telling me that I was ranked highly, I was ranked to match, that they would be thrilled to have me as part of their program, etc. Take them for what they're worth. Some programs are truthful and some are not.

Equally true for some applicants.

Also, after the match, you're likely to get emails from programs where you didn't match asking why in a survey form. I took that to mean that at those programs, they filled with applicants further down their rank list than you, which is why they're asking why you didn't choose them. You're not obligated to respond, but I responded to all of them. In some cases, it was just a matter of liking another program more, but in a few cases, it was a red flag situation with that program and I let them know.

Thank you. You know, most programs are really trying to improve and want to be desirable places to train. We honestly want to know what you think. We're not trying to seduce naive medical students into some sort of medical gulag...

 

[notdeadyet]

I have also heard some programs only rank 75% of the best applicants they have.

Programs will ask themselves "would I prefer this applicant to not matching anyone and ha I g to go through the scramble/SOAP?"

In a big majority of the time, they would prefer the known entity. If they don't particularly like you a lot, you will be placed low on their rank list, maybe so low it is an area of the rank list they rarely reach.

Keep in mind that interviewing is expensive and time-consuming for residency programs. Most programs try very hard to screen out people that they will likely not rank. if you are invited for an interview, the residency program would likely like to rank you, unless something new comes up in the interview that they find fairly distasteful (you make racist comments at the dinner, you're so painfully shy you can't make eye contact, etc). The exception to this is maybe malignant programs that will try to offer an interview to just about anybody, but these are the same programs that I have a hunch would likely rank just about anybody, since they have a hard time recruiting.


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[TexasPhysician]

You must have matched before the rules change because they are no longer allowed to persuade you to rank them.

I matched last year. Programs usually don't tell you your exact rank (although it's not against the rules if they do), but they WILL tell you if they like you or if they ranked you. I got several emails from programs telling me that I was ranked highly, I was ranked to match, that they would be thrilled to have me as part of their program, etc. Take them for what they're worth. Some programs are truthful and some are not.

Also, after the match, you're likely to get emails from programs where you didn't match asking why in a survey form. I took that to mean that at those programs, they filled with applicants further down their rank list than you, which is why they're asking why you didn't choose them. You're not obligated to respond, but I responded to all of them. In some cases, it was just a matter of liking another program more, but in a few cases, it was a red flag situation with that program and I let them know.

The rules were in place, but some places will toe the line. One program informed me of my rank, asked if I had questions, asked what could be done to entice me, etc. they didn't straight ask me my rank of them but it was close.

 

[serimeri]

Thanx for the inputs guys. I'm so tired of travelling but I'll keep moving forward.