Importance of LOI in Psych?

[mm2021]

Do psych programs (especially top places) tend to take letters of intent (stating, you are my #1) into account when ranking candidates? I'm still very torn about my number 1 and I'm afraid by the time I decide the programs will have already ranked me (but tbh, probably do not have a strong chance of matching at either of the places I am debating between as they were reach programs).
Also, is there any benefit to sending an email to a program I am also very interested in, have a better chance of matching at but probably won't be ranking #1 just to restate my interest (NOT to lie about how I will rank them)?

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[reticulum]

My n=2 for residency and fellowship, but I was really surprised by how much post-interview contact was discussed while ranking applicants. And yes, the strength of the language used is noticed and obvious when it doesn't include #1.

 

[Psychresy]

Agreed, post interview contact is mentioned at my program. Hard to speak for every program out there, but I highly doubt it will hurt you to send a letter, so just send it.

 

[FiveTwoFifty]

My n=2 for residency and fellowship, but I was really surprised by how much post-interview contact was discussed while ranking applicants. And yes, the strength of the language used is noticed and obvious when it doesn't include #1.

Agreed. Having gone through it on both sides, I would say IF you are going to send a letter, I would only say it if you are confidently indicating a program is your #1. I did so and think it had an impact. It sounds like you aren't sure so I wouldn't fib or try and squeeze a letter in just to have sent a letter. I think letters that say "you are one of my top programs" are basically useless.

 

[mm2021]

Apparently one of the programs I was considering for #1 sent out "love letters" to some applicants. I did not get one Does this mean they already made their match list and a LOI won't help at this point? Is it worth ranking the other program #1 if all else is equal?

 

[soundnin]

Apparently one of the programs I was considering for #1 sent out "love letters" to some applicants. I did not get one Does this mean they already made their match list and a LOI won't help at this point? Is it worth ranking the other program #1 if all else is equal?

rank based on your preference only. you lose nothing by doing so. it's amazing so many people do not understand this.

 

[adiradirim]

rank based on your preference only. you lose nothing by doing so. it's amazing so many people do not understand this.

I think people don't want to feel bad going down too far on their list so they want to rank programs "within reach" instead of preference.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Do psych programs (especially top places) tend to take letters of intent (stating, you are my #1) into account when ranking candidates? I'm still very torn about my number 1 and I'm afraid by the time I decide the programs will have already ranked me (but tbh, probably do not have a strong chance of matching at either of the places I am debating between as they were reach programs).
Also, is there any benefit to sending an email to a program I am also very interested in, have a better chance of matching at but probably won't be ranking #1 just to restate my interest (NOT to lie about how I will rank them)?

No, and No.
Rank in the order of your preference, and we will do so as well.
May the odds be in your favor.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

To quote Bernie Sanders: "enough with the emails already". We rank them in the order we are interested in you and you rank them in the order you are interested in us. Your interest in us doesn't change our interest in you and our interest in you shouldn't change your interest in us. Besides, the frequency of these love emails from one side is inversely proportional the the other side's interest in most cases, and this is true in both directions.

 

[whopper]

Unless there's something quite unique I don't think a LOI is going to do much, and if it did I'd think there's something wrong with the PD.

Something unique? A nobel prize winner just happens to want to go into psychiatry and they write a LOI. Oh yeah I'm going to read that letter and it's going to stick in my mind. But what if you're not a nobel prize winner or the 99.99999% that doesn't have anything impressive like that to remember you by? Forget about it.

Or how about a guy who's inventing something that can be critical in psychiatry but he wants psychiatry training? Oh yeah his LOI will make a difference. "Dr. Whopper, it is absolutely critical that I enter your program. I am in a critical phase of my research and there's only a small handful of physicians that can work with me on this project, one of whom is a professor in your program."

Again this type of thing is so unlikely for all intents and purposes for any of you...just forget about it.

Something wrong with the PD? I won't name names but I've seen a PD or two who seems quite taken with a specific applicant and even tries to develop a friendship with that person. This is quite a boundary violation. And PD willing to play favorites among the applicants other than seeing them as good candidates for objective reasons suggests to me something is wrong with that PD and I've seen it happen. In one of those cases it turned out the applicant the PD was smitten-with lied to her because the applicant alleged to have put the program as #1, and they made her #1 and the applicant went elsewhere and told people she got into her #1. The PD was inflamed. Saw it with my own eyes and my reaction without telling her was "were you stupid enough to be played by an applicant 15 years younger than you? Holy crap this isn't high school best friendsies but you treated it like it was."

I was a chief resident at the time and was thinking to myself "holy $hit, I can't wait to get out of here instead of being led by Dr. High school prom queen."

If someone pulls a "pretty pretty please letter" (of course more adult sounding such as "I truly liked your program") it wouldn't likely change my mind at all and if anything might turn me off a bit.

My best piece of advice is during interviews say why this program might be good for you....specifically good for you vs other programs on a very personal level. E.g. if your family lives in that town, you don't want to be split from your spouse who's also applying, you grew up in that area and want to practice there, you are a cosplayer at Pennsick and this residency is right by Pennsick, there's a specific area of research that interests you and you want to work with a researcher that's in the program....
And only if the above is honest. If it's not and I found out I'd not only recommend the person be kicked out you the program I'd be in (I'm private practice now) but inform others it may concern you lied to us. Seriously. Applicants lying during the process can be a warning sign this person shouldn't be a physician in the first place.

 

[Dr. Wednesday]

Do psych programs (especially top places) tend to take letters of intent (stating, you are my #1) into account when ranking candidates? I'm still very torn about my number 1 and I'm afraid by the time I decide the programs will have already ranked me (but tbh, probably do not have a strong chance of matching at either of the places I am debating between as they were reach programs).
Also, is there any benefit to sending an email to a program I am also very interested in, have a better chance of matching at but probably won't be ranking #1 just to restate my interest (NOT to lie about how I will rank them)?

Fellow applicant here...I did an LOI for my number 1 specifying that I was ranking them first. I also wrote emails to the 2 other programs in my top 3 saying why I thought it would be an excellent fit without mentioning rank at all. While the PDs of the 2 other programs responded nicely, in hindsight after reading the responses here I probably shouldn’t have done that. Hopefully it wouldn’t cause a PD to rank someone lower? But if I could do it over I probably would just stick to number 1.

 

[Psychresy]

Fellow applicant here...I did an LOI for my number 1 specifying that I was ranking them first. I also wrote emails to the 2 other programs in my top 3 saying why I thought it would be an excellent fit without mentioning rank at all. While the PDs of the 2 other programs responded nicely, in hindsight after reading the responses here I probably shouldn’t have done that. Hopefully it wouldn’t cause a PD to rank someone lower? But if I could do it over I probably would just stick to number 1.

It would be silly for a program to rank an applicant lower because they weren't their number one. If a program really liked you I doubt they would move you down the list because you said I would be an excellent fit for your program (but didn't tell them they were your number 1).

 

[Dr. Wednesday]

Apparently one of the programs I was considering for #1 sent out "love letters" to some applicants. I did not get one Does this mean they already made their match list and a LOI won't help at this point? Is it worth ranking the other program #1 if all else is equal?

Also, I had this happen with my number 2. It stings a little, but it isn’t changing my list. My speculation is they might have a preliminary rank list, and then reach out to their top people. Regardless, it likely doesn’t matter because you could still realistically be in a spot to match even if you aren’t in their top 13 or whatever (Ex: Maybe you’re 14 in this example). It’s possible an LOI could help but definitely don’t change your rank list based on not getting the love letter...you don’t want to spend your life wondering “What if?” Reach for the stars on your list regardless of how much you think the program likes you!