getting worried about interviews!

[turkdlit]

Hi ya'll,

Admittedly, I got my app in kinda late (Oct. 4). But I've applied to 25 programs and have only heard back from one to date!

I'm a decent applicant - 220s step I, 240s step II, year of research with multiple pubs b/t second and third year, mostly honors on rotations. I am from a DO school, and applied to mostly NE academic programs with some community spots as well.

Can someone, like aPD comment on what the blimey hell might be going on?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Frugal Traveler]

Many reasons:

1. Your application meet the deadlines but was later than someone that submitted on September 1. Many middle tier programs apparently are doing rolling invites based on the data from our thread with some holding out until the MSPE is released (like OHSU).
Furthermore, it depends on if your application is considered complete by programs (all the LORs in, school has your transcript uploaded, etc).

2. The Northeast is usually the last portion of the country to awake in the IM Match. Even Boston University did not download applications until the last of September.

3. There is a lull in interview invites until the MSPE comes out for MD students on November 1.

4. If you applied to programs that typically only accept allopathic students, then this may be an issue.

Best thing to do = consult an adviser familiar with the match at your school. Review your program list and state your concerns.

Still early in the match... November 1 should be the turning point for many programs.

Best wishes

 

[theunderdog]

I heard the Dean's letter is the most important LOR.

What exactly or what portion of the Dean's letter so important?

Your rank? The comments? All the grades on my dean's letter are already on my transcript. Plus, my transcript includes grades from my electives and non-core rotations -- that don't show up on the MSPE.

 

[Frugal Traveler]

Many schools give a histogram of quartile in class as well as grade distributions for basic science classes and clinical rotations. For instance, if you school only gives out honors for medicine to 15 % of people... then getting a P is not so bad if your grading is H/P for clerkships (although at most schools it is H/HP/P/F or just P/F).

Overall --> gross marker of your performance compared to your classmates... it's like the micro-USMLE score report for your school.

The comments on the letter are also fairly generic... so not much of a differentiation factor there.

Also important is any academic difficulty and time off from school... if you tried to avoid putting it on ERAS... it shows up for sure on the Dean's letter.

 

[theunderdog]

Many schools give a histogram of quartile in class as well as grade distributions for basic science classes and clinical rotations. For instance, if you school only gives out honors for medicine to 15 % of people... then getting a P is not so bad if your grading is H/P for clerkships (although at most schools it is H/HP/P/F or just P/F).

Overall --> gross marker of your performance compared to your classmates... it's like the micro-USMLE score report for your school.

The comments on the letter are also fairly generic... so not much of a differentiation factor there.

Also important is any academic difficulty and time off from school... if you tried to avoid putting it on ERAS... it shows up for sure on the Dean's letter.

Thanks for the reply. Wow, didn't know about the histogram stuff. That is actually pretty important.

I guess we'll see on Nov 1..

 

[Frugal Traveler]

Thanks for the reply. Wow, didn't know about the histogram stuff. That is actually pretty important.

I guess we'll see on Nov 1..

Ask your Dean's office to review it if you already have not. Most schools let you review it to check for errors and such like mispeled worlds... they are easy to miss!