Interview frustration

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Blujay84

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Hey everyone:

Hoping someone can provide some insights. So interview invitations for ENT have been going on for awhile and I must say I am less than pleased with how it is going. Although I am at a state school that is not a NIH top 40 school I feel like I am a pretty solid applicant. Step 1 256/99, Step 2 259/99, AOA, top 10% of my class, and some basic and clinical science research with one publication. However as of now I'm only sitting on 5 interviews with a few waitlists and rejections. Am I delusional in thinking I am fairly competitive for ENT? Are any other applicants out there with similar numbers also getting the shaft? Any thoughts?
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Blujay84 said:
Hey everyone:

Hoping someone can provide some insights. So interview invitations for ENT have been going on for awhile and I must say I am less than pleased with how it is going. Although I am at a state school that is not a NIH top 40 school I feel like I am a pretty solid applicant. Step 1 256/99, Step 2 259/99, AOA, top 10% of my class, and some basic and clinical science research with one publication. However as of now I'm only sitting on 5 interviews with a few waitlists and rejections. Am I delusional in thinking I am fairly competitive for ENT? Are any other applicants out there with similar numbers also getting the shaft? Any thoughts?
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Any insight into how good your LORs are? How many people read your PS? How many programs did you apply to? It's interesting, I have a "less competitive application" numbers-wise and have had 13 offers, but I also applied to nearly 50 programs and applied broadly. Don't really see where the hole in your application is. You got the scores, the grades, AOA, the research.
 
I suppose my LORs could be an area of weakness. I have 3 ENT letters and 1 from an I'M attending (I know not the best but he writes strong letters). 1 of the letters is from the PD at a school where I did an away, 1 is from a local ENT affiliated withmy school, and the other is from the outgoing president of the academy. They all seemed more than willing to write the letters so I assume they had good things to say. I have to say that this is becoming very frustrating because I felt going into this that I was pretty solid.
 
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What's your application/invite ratio? Also, do you have a fairly broad mix of programs (some research heavy, some less competitive, etc)?

FYI, I am a less than average numbers wise applicant as well and you crushed me on step 1, and I am not AOA, but I have received 17 invites. My ratio is about 5/1, so you can see I applied broadly to say the least.

Don't freak out yet...once these next two weeks are over people will start canceling and there should be some movement.
 
Blujay84 said:
Hey everyone:

Hoping someone can provide some insights. So interview invitations for ENT have been going on for awhile and I must say I am less than pleased with how it is going. Although I am at a state school that is not a NIH top 40 school I feel like I am a pretty solid applicant. Step 1 256/99, Step 2 259/99, AOA, top 10% of my class, and some basic and clinical science research with one publication. However as of now I'm only sitting on 5 interviews with a few waitlists and rejections. Am I delusional in thinking I am fairly competitive for ENT? Are any other applicants out there with similar numbers also getting the shaft? Any thoughts?
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This can happen if you do not apply to a broad range of programs. The top 20-30 programs pretty much interview the same candidates and they all are stellar on paper. Compared to the average ENT candidate you look like a superstar. Compared to the elite candidates applying and interviewing at the top programs you look average. It's a tough ballgame. Don't get discouraged and bitter. Be proactive and do everything you can to get more interviews. I would pick a handful of programs that you really want see and contact them in some way to express your sincere interest in the program, briefly list your accomplishments (much like you did above) and your willingness to accept an invitation on very short notice. I had success doing this when I applied. You might also ask your well-known letter writer to call 2-3 programs that you really want to interview at.
 
Thanks for the responses everyone. I knew ENT was competitive but I've been a bit surprised by all of this. I've added another interview in the interim but also a few more waitlists and rejections. In all I think I applied to 48 programs and thought I was applying to a broad mix. Looking back I wouldve applied to another 10-15 places but I thought I was more competitive than it has turned out (never thought that >250 step + AOA people would be struggling for interviews). I guess I'll contact all the programs I've yet to hear from and hope for the best.
 
Blujay84 said:
Hey everyone:

Hoping someone can provide some insights. So interview invitations for ENT have been going on for awhile and I must say I am less than pleased with how it is going. Although I am at a state school that is not a NIH top 40 school I feel like I am a pretty solid applicant. Step 1 256/99, Step 2 259/99, AOA, top 10% of my class, and some basic and clinical science research with one publication. However as of now I'm only sitting on 5 interviews with a few waitlists and rejections. Am I delusional in thinking I am fairly competitive for ENT? Are any other applicants out there with similar numbers also getting the shaft? Any thoughts?
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I don't think you are delusional at all. They'll start coming. Based on just your numbers, I would say that you are in the top 1/3 of people applying to our program. So, you're well above the mark. But, as others have said, your LORs and other application facets may bump you up or down on the priority list. Also, I'm sure a number of programs haven't finished going through the applications yet. I just finished my pile a few days ago.
 
It's still pretty early. I am a 4th year resident now so Im not that far removed. I had 11 interviews and at this time of the year I probably had 2-3. They really started to pour in for me in December, so just be patient. I am sure that you will get plenty of interviews with your stats
 
1217MD said:
It's still pretty early. I am a 4th year resident now so Im not that far removed. I had 11 interviews and at this time of the year I probably had 2-3. They really started to pour in for me in December, so just be patient. I am sure that you will get plenty of interviews with your stats
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Thanks for the encouragement. I have added 2 interviews since my original post bringing my grand total to 7. My goal is at least 10. Getting closer I suppose.
 
Blujay84 said:
Thanks for the encouragement. I have added 2 interviews since my original post bringing my grand total to 7. My goal is at least 10. Getting closer I suppose.
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Atta boy/girl.
 
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