Match Stats for the entering class of 2012

[Gfunk6]

You guys know the drill, right?

Each year we request users anonymously post their match statistics (whether or not they successfully matched) in the format below. Since the impressions account is gone feel free to PM your match stats anonymously or email to gfunk6266(at)yahoo(dot)com

Cheers,

G

--Board Scores:
--AOA and class rank: if known
--GPA:
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc)
--Research: (none, some radonc with no publications, radonc publications, other pubs)
--Honors in clerkships: (especially surgery, medicine and radonc)
--# and where you did away rotations:
--# of programs you applied to:
--Where invited for interviews:
--Where matched:
--Matched at what number on rank list:
--Anything that helped your app: (ie: a phone call to a program, big-wig letter of recs, MD/PhD, other degree, SDN Forum, etc)
--Plans if not matched:
--Prelim year:
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list:
--Other:

---

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[radanon]

--Board Scores: 240/98 and 261/99 (step 2 taken very early, scores pre-interview)
--AOA and class rank: around 50th percentile, but bottom 50%
--GPA: all Ps in pre-clinicals (H/P grading)
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc): top 10
--Research: basic science/translational PhD in physics, some cancer related, many publications including one high profile pub
--Honors in clerkships: OB/GYN, Surgery, Emergency Med, Rad Onc, Med Onc, Radiology
--# and where you did away rotations: 2 aways, one mountain program, one west coast program
--# of programs you applied to: 45
--Where invited for interviews: Jefferson, Moffitt, Vandy, Michigan, WashU, UChicago, UTSW, MDACC, UWash, Stanford, UCSD (also invited to UPenn and CWRU but couldn't schedule due to conflicts)
--Where matched: Sorry won't say X_X
--Matched at what number on rank list: Number 4
--Anything that helped your app: Extensive research experience, very strong PhD.
--Plans if not matched: Apply next year
--Prelim year: cush midwest TY, blah location
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: Number 3
--Other: Home program was very nice to call one program I wanted to interview at and my first choice program. Neither of these things actually helped. I was trying hard to get away from my home region, and I received no mountain interviews, one east coast interview, and ended up not matching at the west coast places that invited me. I'm still wondering what happened. I feel like my PhD in cancer related physics research didn't help a great deal except to get me noticed at big name midwest academic programs. I wonder if I didn't interview well (don't think so???) or think maybe I should have worked harder in med school to get more honors instead of focusing so hard on research.
Don't discount how competitive TYs are. Probably apply to about double the number you plan to interview at (and I'd recommend at least 6 to be safe). The ones that are cush and in desirable locations have insane competition. I didn't get interviews at any of those. Then there's better locations and less cush or more cush and less desirable location. I chose for more cush.

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: 226/92 and 215/92 (step 2 taken very late, scores not available)
--AOA and class rank: No AOA at my school
--GPA: All HP's in pre-clinicals
--Reputation of medical school: top 10
--Research: PhD in onc related project with 7 first author pubs plus 2 rad onc projects with 2 oral presentations and 2 first author pubs
--Honors in clerkships: Both rad onc rotations, Med Sub-I, Family Medicine)
--# and where you did away rotations: 1 away rotation at MD Anderson
--# of programs you applied to: 64
--Where invited for interviews: Mayo, UTSW, OSU, WashU, NYU, Vandy, MCW, URochester, MD Anderson, Duke, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan, UChicago
--Where matched: Somewhere very nice.
--Matched at what number on rank list: #2
--Anything that helped your app: MD/PhD with strong research, strong letters of recommendation, strength of home rad onc program
--Plans if not matched: Prelim medicine somewhere
--Prelim year: Didn't match and had to scramble
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: Still scrambling
--Other: I think the strong PhD and successful rad onc projects really helped. My home program is a powerhouse for rad onc which helped as well. I think I am a good example of someone with not-so-good board scores who matched because of very strong research and a great home program.

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: 231/96 on step 1, 253/99 on step 2 (took it early)
--AOA and class rank: not AOA but close
--GPA: don't know
--Reputation of medical school: Top 50, no home rad onc dept
--Research: had a few prior posters in an unrelated field, ASTRO poster, no pubs but were in the works at the time of interview
--Honors in clerkships: almost across the board, including aways with one exception (got high pass instead of H)
--# and where you did away rotations: 3- at a nearby program (home school didn't have a program) and two that were somewhat of a reach but still reasonable for me to get into
--# of programs you applied to: 65
--Where invited for interviews: all middle and upper mid-tier programs
--Where matched: a place i am very very excited about
--Matched at what number on rank list: #1
--Anything that helped your app: Two letters from well-known chairs, being at least involved with research
--Plans if not matched: Prelim and re-apply/get into a pgy-2 spot
--Prelim year: a cush prelim in a big city
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #1 also!
--Other: If you want to go to a top-tier program, having pubs, strong academics and a good personality is a must. I walked into this knowing where I fall in the applicant pool and aimed for strong mid-tier programs that are on the up. Knowing where you stand is very important- be honest with yourself. After that, it all comes down to being an enjoyable and hard-working person that people want to be around for 4 years. Work hard on aways, be nice to everyone (because you never know when it can help), and get involved in projects that show your interest.

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: Step I: 244, Step II: 269 (took early)
--AOA and class rank: AOA
--Reputation of medical school: decent school but not a top 25/50 school
--Research: PhD in basic science. NO rad onc research
--# and where you did away rotations: 2 at well respected programs
--# of programs you applied to: 40
--Where invited for interviews: MD Anderson, WashU, William Beaumont, UCLA, Kaiser, City of Hope, CPMC
--Where matched:
--Matched at what number on rank list: 3
--Anything that helped your app: MD/PhD, good letter from away
--Plans if not matched: scramble, do internship, hope for PGY2 opening, reapply
--Other: Based on my n=1 experience do at least one radiation oncology project. I was told I didn't need to worry about doing more research and should focus on clinical work and I didn't realize that you could do research aways. I was a bit disappointed in the number of invites I got (I did not get interviews at either of the places I rotated despite a strong LoR from one of the aways) and some interviewers questioned my lack of radiation oncology research.
I was still happy with my outcome but I think I might have had less stress and more choices if I had at least one radiation oncology project under my belt.

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: Step I 246, Step II 259 (took it very early before applications were in)
--AOA and class rank: AOA, top 10%
--GPA: NA
--Reputation of medical school: Maybe barely/borderline top 50 state school with no home program
--Research: second author astro abstract, first author abstract non-astro rad onc abstract, first author med onc review paper, third author basic science in unrelated field from undergrad. First author abstract to ASTRO this year (with a paper in the works) which was nebulous at time of app. All rad-onc research accumulated from April-September (it's ok to decide on Rad Onc late in the game!)
--Honors in clerkships: All of them
--# and where you did away rotations:3 (no home program)
--# of programs you applied to: 35
--Where invited for interviews: 22. Offhand MSK, Uchi, Case, Stanford, MCW, Utah, Colorado, Wisconsin, Penn, Northwestern, Georgetown, tufts, WashU, Cleveland Clinic, Emory, Suny Downstate, Mayo, Loyola... went on 15.
--Where matched: somewhere I'm extremely happy about.
--Matched at what number on rank list: #2
--Anything that helped your app: Two strong rad onc letters. They were mentioned everywhere I went, and I'm very thankful. Personal statement was mentioned a few times as well. Great mentoring from Rad Onc residents.
--Plans if not matched: Charlie Sheen #Tigerblood internship. Failing that, research, which was definitely the weak point in my application.
--Prelim year: TY of my dreams
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #1
--Other: Work hard, be polite, be yourself.

 

[Gfunk6]

--Plans if not matched: Charlie Sheen #Tigerblood internship.

Pure awesomeness . . .

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: Step 1>250 Step 2 >270 (took early, just because)
--AOA and class rank: AOA, top 5
--GPA: N/A
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc) Non existent, No home program
--Research: (none, some radonc with no publications, radonc publications, other pubs) Involved in a radonc project at time of interviews, some non- radonc research
--Honors in clerkships: (especially surgery, medicine and radonc) Honored everything in 3rd year with except Psych, 2 radonc Honors.
--# and where you did away rotations: One southern program, one east coast
--# of programs you applied to: 50+
--Where invited for interviews: A good mix of top-middle tier programs on east coast (Hopkins, yale, UMD, VCU etc), west coast (OHSU), South (Wake, Methodist) Midwest (Minnesota, Oklahoma, Case) 16 total. Couldn't attend 3 a few due to conflicts and I cancelled very promptly.
--Where matched: Sweet spot!
--Matched at what number on rank list: 3
--Anything that helped your app: 2 known name letters at the places I interviewed, scores no doubt, its pretty obvious what my strength is.
--Plans if not matched: Research program or complete intern year and wait for open spots
--Prelim year: Cush TY in a grimey east coast city.
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #1
--Other: What can I say, I feel incredibly lucky to have matched in light of my very very weak research profile! To be frank, I had a lot of help from my letter writers who were just incredible mentors and advocates. If you do aways, be realistic about where you're doing them. You have an opportunity to work hard, make it count-as in they will likely interview you-be honest with yourself. Be normal, I met a few "sketchy/doubtful" personalities on the trail. Not having a home program is not the end of the world, make it happen!

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: Step 1 205, Step 2 unknown (taken late)
--AOA and class rank: No, bottom 1/3
--GPA: 3.20
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc) top 50
--Research: Some physics, Lots of internal medicine research with lots of publications (including a few 1st author), some radonc with a couple of publications.
--Honors in clerkships: Psych
--# and where you did away rotations: 2, top 15 program and top 25 program
--# of programs you applied to: 40
--Where invited for interviews: 3 programs in South (2 top 25, 1 top 50)
--Where matched: Top 25
--Matched at what number on rank list: 1
--Anything that helped your app: MD/PhD, Physics degree, good fit personality-wise
--Plans if not matched: Research postdoc
--Prelim year: TY in Midwest
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: Scrambled
--Other: I wanted to post since I don't have 250+ board scores or AOA. Obviously, I didn't get many interviews, so I was nervous about matching and I lined up a fallback before the match. But it turns out that I didn't need it! I am proof that a great research background and a good personality fit are all you need. Especially since it just takes 1!!!

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: Step 1 - 236, Step 2 - 238
--AOA and class rank: yes, AOA, top 10%
--GPA:NA
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc) Middle of the road state school without a home program
--Research: first author on 2 ASTRO posters and 1 poster discussion at time of application, plus 1 first author abstract submitted to ASTRO toward the end of interviews, 1st author red journal manuscript, 1st author on review article in practical radiation oncology ( all of these were clinical projects)
--Honors in clerkships: honors in all clerkships
--# and where you did away rotations: 2 aways at middle tier programs but with a couple of big name people
--# of programs you applied to: ~50
--Where invited for interviews: 25 invites, went on 16...invited to : Wash Univ St. Louis, UNC, Louisville, Loma Linda, Jefferson, UMDNJ, Vanderbilt, Henry Ford, Beaumont, SUNY Downstate, Minnesota, Loyola, UTMB, Fox Chase, Univ Florida, UC Davis, Kentucky, Baylor, Rochester, Jefferson, MSKCC, Columbia, Maryland, Ohio State, Cincinnati
--Where matched: one of the places I rotated
--Matched at what number on rank list: #1 (very fortunate)
--Anything that helped your app: I had two letters from very big names in the field that were mentioned on almost every interview I went on...rad onc specific research is a must if your are not an MD/PhD...I am also a former Division I athlete, and I feel like this aspect of my application helped distinguish me from other applicants as it also came up on almost every interview day
--Plans if not matched: Become Charlie Sheen's next goddess and reapply
--Prelim year: TY
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #1 with 5 months of electives...sweet.
--Other:I could not agree more with Post #4 above. You have to be very honest with yourself in terms of your competitiveness. Don't do an away rotation at MGH with an average CV and zero pubs. Having very strong letters comes from working very hard and getting along well with other people on your away rotations. I cannot stress enough the importance of being nice and getting along with everyone from the ancillary staff to the chairperson. Even if they think your resume is awesome, your future employers want to actually like you before they hire you. Also, I was a little worried going into this whole process because my board scores are not terrible but they do not exactly jump out at you either. But it just goes to show you that rad onc specific research was the biggest determinant in getting interviews and carried a tremendous amount of weight. Clinical projects are fairly easy to do with a little bit of hard work and initiative, but more importantly, they show that you are really committed to the field of rad onc, so I would advise any one even remotely interested in rad onc to get started early. If you don't get started early, take a year off and get as many projects done as you can. I was lucky enough to get interviews at a wide spectrum of places from top tier to bottom tier which made me feel a little more comfortable with my ability to match.

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: 244/99 Step 1 and 233/99 Step 2 (Took late; did not report)
--AOA and class rank: Not AOA, Top 1/4 of class
--Reputation of medical school: Top 50-ish
--Research: PhD in basic science not related to cancer; 2 first author and 3 second author pubs plus numerous abstracts. Also did a small Rad Onc outcomes chart review that was not submitted.
--Honors in clerkships: Surgery, OB/Gyn, Family Med, Rad Onc aways
--# and where you did away rotations: 3 aways: 1 private practice, 1 research-oriented program in midwest, 1 mid-tier in northeast
--# of programs you applied to: 45
--Where invited for interviews: Invited for 10 interviews at a mix of research heavy and research light programs
--Matched at what number on rank list: #2
--Anything that helped your app: PhD and having some 1st author publications. Many of my interviewers also seemed interested in my research and wondered about applications to Rad Onc. Other than that I think having a strong LoR from someone well known definitely helped.
--Plans if not matched: Scramble for a medicine prelim at a school with a strong Rad Onc program
--Prelim year: Very nice TY program
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #1
--Other: I was happy just to match, and I would have been ecstatic if I'd matched at any of my top 5-6 programs. Also, it's easy to doubt your own application once you meet other applicants... try not to let that happen!

 

[radanon]

Board Scores: Step 1- 208, Step 2-235

--Reputation of medical school: Top 25
--Research: PhD- basic science, onc related, 1 first author, no rad/onc research
--Honors in clerkships: Medicine, OB/Gyn
--# and where you did away rotations:2 well known programs (outside midwest)
--# of programs you applied to:~60
--Where invited for interviews:11: Mostly midwest
--Where matched: Midwest
--Matched at what number on rank list:2
--Anything that helped your app: PhD
--Plans if not matchedrelim/TY, reapply or any positions that open up
--Prelim year: Prelim med
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list:2

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: Step I - 263, Step II - 265 (taken early)
--AOA and class rank: AOA, top 15%
--Reputation of medical school: none to speak of
--Research: Abstract/presentation in nonradonc field, 2nd author ASTRO poster, and involvement in 2nd small radonc project (both clinical)
--Honors in clerkships: Honors in all clerkships, including rad onc aways
--# and where you did away rotations: One safe bet, one reach
--# of programs you applied to: ALL
--Where invited for interviews: City of Hope, OHSU, Baylor, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio St, Cincinnati, Cleveland Clinic, Wayne St, VCU, Maryland, Sinai, SUNY Downstate, SUNY Upstate, Rochester, Buffalo, Louisville, Drexel. Went to 14 of 19.
--Where matched: 2nd choice.
--Anything that helped your app: Obviously my scores, grades, and AOA were as good as they could be. My research was not extensive, but even with my other stats i NEEDED it coming from a lowly medical school.
--Plans if not matched: Not sure, IM residency then RadOnc?
--Prelim year: TY program close to home.
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #2
--Other: Having at least some research was crucial. My stats go to show that it is really NOT ENOUGH to get you to the big places, all the talk about research, letters on this forum is pretty spot on. Good luck to those in the future : )

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: Step I - 251, Step II - 242 (taken late)
--AOA and class rank: not AOA, dunno my rank
--Reputation of medical school: none to speak of
--Research: 1st author ASTRO poster, and involvement in 2nd small radonc project (both clinical)
--Honors in clerkships: pass in all clerkships, honors in rad onc aways
--# and where you did away rotations: 3 mid tier
--# of programs you applied to: ALL
--Where invited for interviews: Kansas, Oklahoma, Roswell Park, Loyola, Louisville, Baylor, Drexel, MCW, and UMDNJ. Went to 8 of 9.
--Where matched: 5th choice.
--Anything that helped your app: My research was not extensive, but I NEEDED it coming from a lowly medical school. I had two letters from very big names in the field that were mentioned on almost every interview I went on. Support from my mentors.
--Plans if not matched: TY and hope for something to open up.
--Prelim year: TY program at home program.
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #1
--Other: Research and LORs have a greater impact than most other stats. Start early. Analyze your weaknesses realistically and start working on them. I perceived mine to be a lack of 'pedigree' and research so I sacrificed Honors/AOA to spend time fixing it........thankfully it worked out for me.

 

[radanon]

--Board Scores: Step 1 - 248 Step II - I need to get on that
--AOA and class rank: Not AOA, no rankings at my school
--GPA: Unknown
--Reputation of medical school: top 40-50
--Research: No pubs. One rad onc first author manuscript submitted to a good journal during interview season. One other rad onc first author manuscript under review for submission. Two other rad onc projects that didn't amount to anything at the time of interviews. I had absolutely nothing January of third year, so it can be done even if you get into it late.
--Honors in clerkships: Don't have honors at my school.
--# and where you did away rotations: 2 aways at solid but not elite programs
--# of programs you applied to: 43
--Where invited for interviews: Miami, Mayo Jacksonville, Emory, MUSC, Wake Forest, Virginia, Fox Chase, Wisconsin, Cleveland Clinic, Cincinnati, Kentucky
--Where matched: Place I'm extremely excited about
--Matched at what number on rank list: 3
--Anything that helped your app: Without having much of a research background, I worked hard over the past year and was really fortunate to be able to work on a few projects in a short period of time. Even though nothing was published at the time of interviews, it gave me a lot to talk about and was received favorably on the trail. I went a slightly different route than most wrt letters. I actually denied against submitting a "big name" letter or two because I felt like they really didn't get to know me well at all and the letter would have been cookie cutter. I instead went with attendings with whom I'd worked with extensively both clinically and with my research. I felt like they would write me a much stronger letter, and my letters were complimented at several stops on the trail. I still don't know if it was in my best interests, but it certainly worked out for me.

Also, I feel like it's a good idea to go on externships at places you feel are realistic fits for you. I knew going into the season that I had 3 interviews in the bank, which is a really great start.
--Plans if not matched: Intern year and hope

 

[ArtOMed]

--Board Scores: Step 1: 256 Step 2:
--AOA and class rank: AOA, top 10%
--GPA: none
--Reputation of medical school: Top 50
--Research: radon research with 2 publications, one surg onc paper, one med onc abstract
--Honors in clerkships: medicine, surgery
--# and where you did away rotations: none
--# of programs you applied to: 30
--Where invited for interviews: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Emory, Penn, U Miami, Thomas Jefferson, MCW, Baylor
--Where matched: Very Excited
--Matched at what number on rank list: Number 2
--Anything that helped your app: home program name is well known, strong academics
--Plans if not matched: medicine and reaply
--Prelim year: new york medicine
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: scramble
--Other:work hard and you will match, no magic to it, show interest and get good letters

 

[scudder]

--Board Scores: 258/263
--AOA and class rank: AOA, 12/230
--GPA: N/A
--Reputation of medical school: top 25
--Research: started rad onc research project during interview season. otherwise no medical research.
--Honors in clerkships: A few
--# and where you did away rotations: 2, one reach, one safety
--# of programs you applied to: 60
--Where invited for interviews: MUSC, UTSW, Mayo, U of Chicago, UPenn, City of Hope, Beaumont, Michigan, Kansas, Louisville, U of Kentucky, UTMB, Baylor, Hopkins, UC Davis, Moffitt
--Where matched: Good program
--Matched at what number on rank list: 1
--Anything that helped your app: big name letter of recs
--Plans if not matched: Intern year and think about it
--Prelim year: TY
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #1
--Other: My hunch is that my letters of rec helped a lot. If you can find a big name person that seems to like you, it'll probably help a lot.

 

[Gfunk6]

PM from anonymous user. Thanks!

--Board Scores: Step 1, 254, Step 2, 246 (taken late)
--AOA and class rank: AOA, rank unknown
--GPA: N/A
--Reputation of medical school: Top 30~50 depending on the year
--Research: 2 ASTRO poster presentations, 1 rad onc first author paper (submitted @ time of application, accepted by interview time, had to update programs), 1 more rad onc first author paper submitted at time of interviews, 1 non-radonc oncology oral presentation, 1 non-radonc oncology first author paper
--Honors in clerkships: Surgery, Fam med, Peds, Psych, Ob/Gyn, Radiology, 2/3 rad onc away rotations
--# and where you did away rotations: 3 aways, 2 east coast (one top, one mid-tier), 1 west coast (top tier)
--# of programs you applied to: ~70
--Where invited for interviews: 14, In random order, UCSD, UMiami, Cornell, Columbia, Mt Sinai, SUNY Downstate, Utah, Nebraska, Northwestern, Mayo Jacksonville, Jefferson, Upenn, Indiana, Baylor (could not go due to date conflict)
--Matched at what number on rank list: 9th (quality and people-wise probably 6 or 7th, but moved down a bit lower due to location)
--Anything that helped your app: phone calls and emails to programs helped me get more interviews. Step 1 score probably helped. Research would probably have helped more if all publications were accepted at time of applying...
--Plans if not matched: Year off for research, reapply
--Prelim year: A very popular TY program near my school, good mix of medicine and surgery with OR time
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: 1st
--Other: Anything helps and there is no magic formula, just work hard, be yourself (and nice), and hope for the best. Try to do research early and have a few posters and publications before application is sent. I think it's OK to wait a few extra weeks after ERAS is available if you think some changes will be made on your CV or letters since most programs don't even look at the apps until the Dean's Letter is in. Be VERY sharp on away rotations as one small mistake can cost you big time, especially at top-tier academic programs. Try to have an extra letter if you can in case one of them do not get sent or is poor quality. When in doubt, choose the letter from a program that you honored and really liked you rather than a big name program that you didn't honor or didn't feel like things went as well. If anything didn't feel right, select to review the letter yourself before submitting rather than risking sending a bad letter blindly.

 

[Gfunk6]

Another PM.

--Board Scores: 265 - step 1 255 - step 2 (took in Jan, way past it
mattering- was never asked )
--AOA and class rank: AOA, top 15ish
--GPA: 3.8ish
--Reputation of medical school: let's say Top 50ish, state school, no
home program
--Research: Summer NIH program w/ 3rd author basic sci immunology
paper and conference presentation. I started lateish so not much in
the way of completed rad onc in time for ERAS. Two projects with first
author abstracts submitted to SGO and ASTRO during interview season.
--Honors in clerkships: All clinical honors including two rad onc aways
--# and where you did away rotations: 2, going by the ranking thread
one outstanding and one excellent/borderline outstanding
--# of programs you applied to: 60
--Where invited for interviews:14, *half "excellents" half "goods"
--Where matched: Emory
--Matched at what number on rank list: topish, couldn't be happier
--Anything that helped your app: *Standard stuff worked hard on aways
blah blah etc. *Onc related international medical work. Strong big
name letter helped and was >> heart felt non big namers, at least in
making interview conversation. If you don't have a home program
definitely make sure to get involved in a project during aways.
Attendings did seem very receptive with some perseverance. Having at
least some rad onc research was huge, taught me a lot about the field
and made for good conversation. I had been kicking myself for not
starting much earlier. That plus school name really seemed to be the
differentiating factor between getting interviews at the highest tier
and not. The non rad onc research was not a complete wash and was
mentioned favorably in some interviews. However, my feeling is a
similar project with an onc bent would have made a big difference.
Whether or not an assisted chart biopsy is a marker for a better
future resident is very debatable but it does show commitment to the
field. Plus a residency program gains stature by productivity not the
step one scores of their residents. (side bar:some fellow applicants
really had accomplished some impressive things research wise above and
beyond chart Bxs)
--Plans if not matched: "academic" TY or prelim and reapply
--Prelim year: prelim built in at emory
--Other: Didn't get an interview at one of my aways despite honors and
great feedback (with form letter rejection..classy). Probably didn't
have the goods research wise. Maybe I have an odor. Who knows. Might
have helped to do aways at a more realistic program with big names on
faculty. I think the pure educational difference for med students at
the different tiered programs is negligible. I might have actually
learned the most at my home program w/ no associated residency.

 

[cooliomedy]

Any more match stats??

 

[Carotenoid]

Guys and gals, thanks so much! Gfunk, thank you as well! This is incredibly helpful

 

[doingsomting]

Sorry so late - I've been meaning to post this but I started intern year and got really busy...

--Board Scores: 218/ 247
--AOA and class rank: if known: top of the 3rd quartile
--GPA: ~3.2
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc): none. I was told by program directors that this specifically hurt my application.
--Research: (none, some radonc with no publications, radonc publications, other pubs): first author retrospective chart review with a very well known rad onc that I worked on before med school that was published during med school. 1 published case report that was semi-onc related. Worked on 4-5 other case reports that have not yet been published.
--Honors in clerkships: (especially surgery, medicine and radonc): rad onc, surgery, OB/GYN, pediatrics, family medicine
--# and where you did away rotations: 1
--# of programs you applied to: about 60
--Where invited for interviews: Arizona, Stanford, Kansas, Mississippi, City of Hope
--Where matched: Initially I didn't. I was hopeful that I would, but realistically I knew there was a good chance I wouldn't. This makes match week absolutely miserable. Would I do it again? For sure. I stopped worrying about it and was fortunate to get a spot.
--Matched at what number on rank list: #6 - my top prelim choice
--Anything that helped your app: (ie: a phone call to a program, big-wig letter of recs, MD/PhD, other degree, SDN Forum, etc): 2 LORs from very big names
--Plans if not matched: Scramble. Then try to find an opening outside of the match. I would have reapplied through ERAS. Finally if that didn't work I was going to finish intern year and then take a year off for research.
--Prelim year: Preliminary IM at an academic center with a strong rad onc residency program
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: 1
--Other: I started med school thinking I wanted to do rad onc. At the end of 3rd year my school advisers told me to apply to a less competitive specialty and I almost listened to them. I thought the worst thing would be to not match. When ERAS opened I initially applied to rad onc and another back-up specialty my advisers thought was a better fit. I got tons of interviews for that other specialty but I cancelled all of them. I realized the worst thing I could do would be to match into a specialty that I didn't absolutely love. I really wanted to post this to prove that if you have a passion for the field it really goes a long way. I'm not the typical rad onc applicant - I was average on step 1 (and not the 240+ average seen on this forum), I'm not from a top 10 med school, my grades are pretty average, and I don't have a PhD. Best of luck to those applying this year!

 

[Gfunk6]

Thanks to a anonymous poster!

--Board Scores: Step 1 = 264, Step 2 = 252 (taken after ROL's were submitted
--AOA and class rank: no, top quartile
--GPA: n/a
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc) little known state school with no home program
--Research: (none, some radonc with no publications, radonc publications, other pubs) co-authored pubs/abstracts in PET imaging, 1 small retrospective rad-onc project that wasn't submitted before ROL's were due
--Honors in clerkships: (especially surgery, medicine and radonc) A few H's, but pretty much all HP's in the core clerkships
--# and where you did away rotations: 2 in NYC area
--# of programs you applied to: All
--Where invited for interviews: 15; Minnesota, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio State, Louisville, Arizona, SUNY Upstate, SUNY Downstate, UVA, Roswell Park, Rochester, Wisconsin, UCSD, Mt Sinai, Jefferson
--Where matched: NY program
--Matched at what number on rank list: Dropped
--Anything that helped your app: (ie: a phone call to a program, big-wig letter of recs, MD/PhD, other degree, SDN Forum, etc) strong step 1 score, 1 big-wig LOR
--Plans if not matched: consider scramble or reapply during prelim year
--Prelim year: cush TY
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #3

 

[Gfunk6]

Another anonymous contributor, thanks!

For the average applicants out there, some hope
--Board Scores: Step 1 = 230, Step 2 = 252 (taken early prior to apps submitted)
--AOA and class rank: no, no class rank at my school
--GPA: n/a
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc) top 25
--Research: (none, some radonc with no publications, radonc publications, other pubs) 2nd name on a ASTRO presentation prior to apps sent out, 1 rad-onc project that wasn't submitted
--Honors in clerkships: (especially surgery, medicine and radonc) about half honors, half high pass/pass
--# of away rotations: 2(got interviews at both)
--# of programs you applied to: All
--Where invited for interviews: 10; Baylor, Miss, UVA, Nebraska, UNC, Oklahoma, UAB, Oklahoma, City of Hope, Wake Forest, UPMC
--Where matched: low on my list, but I matched! I was honestly ready to go anywhere and I think applying broadly was very important.
--Anything that helped your app: (ie: a phone call to a program, big-wig letter of recs, MD/PhD, other degree, SDN Forum, etc) letter from a big name from an away, aways at places that were within reach (not TOP tier)...taking step 2 early and doing well helped considering my step 1 was not that strong for rad onc.
--Plans if not matched: consider scramble or reapply during prelim year
--Prelim year: cush TY
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #1

 

[Gfunk6]

More anon goodness . . .

--Board Scores: Step 1 = 253, step 2 not taken
--AOA and class rank: AOA
--GPA: n/a
--Reputation of medical school: top 25
--Research:1st author on 2 papers and 3 ASTRO abstracts. Multiple other authorships (not 1st) on papers, abstracts and one book chapter. Mix of basic and clinical projects
--Honors in clerkships: Honors in all 3rd year clerkships
--# of away rotations: 1
--# of programs you applied to: approximately 40
--Where invited for interviews: RWJ, UPenn, Thomas Jefferson, Tufts, U of Virginia, Hopkins, Duke, Case Western, Ohio, U of Florida, Henry Ford, William Beaumont, U of Chicago, Northwestern, U of Wisconsin, U of Minnesota, Mayo-Rochester, U of Iowa
--Where matched: #1
--Anything that helped your app: Rounded application (grades, scores, research). No big wig letters, which IMO may have hurt me at top 5 places.
--Plans if not matched: Scramble
--Prelim year: TY
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: #2

 

[Gfunk6]

Anon strikes again!

--Board Scores: Step 1: 241, Step 2: 256 (taken after rank list submitted)
--AOA and class rank: Not AOA (close), rankings not kept at my school
--GPA: NA
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc) top 50 state school
--Research: (none, some radonc with no publications, radonc publications, other pubs): fairly extensive master's research in novel biological cancer therapeutics with some translational component that I continued during 1st/2nd year lead to 7 publications (4 first author), a couple posters. None of this research was in Rad Onc and I applied with no rad onc specific research.
--Honors in clerkships: (especially surgery, medicine and radonc): medicine, surgery, rad onc x3, a few other random ones
--# and where you did away rotations: 2, both were places I wanted to match and on what I felt was the high end of my qualifications. I got interviews at both.
--# of programs you applied to: 40
--Where invited for interviews: 12 places (went on 11): Ohio State, North Carolina, Moffitt, Roswell Park, Iowa, Mayo Rochester, Minnesota, Medical College of Wisconsin, Stanford, University of Rochester, William Beaumont, And Vanderbilt
--Where matched: #1 on my list and a place I rotated
--Matched at what number on rank list: See above
--Anything that helped your app: (ie: a phone call to a program, big-wig letter of recs, MD/PhD, other degree, SDN Forum, etc): My research was solid and although not I rad onc it was translational enough to easily discuss. Also had one big wig letter that I ensure helped me get a couple of interviews
--Plans if not matched:Scramble or get into a PGY2 spot during intern year
--Prelim year: Awesome under the radar TY
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list:
--Other: This forum is a nice resource and helped prepare me for the process. However, it is by no means definitive and filled with a lot of opinion. Work hard on away rotations and don't be a prick. When I interviewed at the places I rotated it was nice to see familiar faces and comforting to have them be glad to see me again. Also, don't sweat the rankings you see here. My rank list was quite different from what I have read on this site. To each their own,but I the end you need to be happy with your choices. Last of all, enjoy the trail. It's hectic and expensive, but is great to meet all the candidates and see all the programs. These people will be your colleagues for life.

 

[Gfunk6]

Thanks to this anonymous user!

--Board Scores: Step 1: 244, Step 2: not taken
--AOA and class rank: AOA
--GPA: ~3.8
--Reputation of medical school: state school with bottom tier home Rad-Onc program
--Research: Doris Duke research fellowship between 2nd and 3rd year of medical school at top tier school with top tier Rad Onc program. First author publication in submission at time of application and accepted in January during interview season. You better be damn sure that an email was sent to programs, letting them know of the acceptance. Poster presentations at ASTRO (with travel grant!) and ASCO. One Interventional Radiology review as a 1st year med student.
--Honors in clerkships: All
--# and where you did away rotations: 2 aways. One reach (the school I did my Doris Duke year) and one mid-tier school on the Best Coast.
--# of programs you applied to: ~45
--Where invited for interviews: UPenn, Loyola, UCSF, NYU, Case Western, Moffitt, Vanderbilt, UVA, Wake Forest, Iowa, Oklahoma, Utah, Kaiser-LA, OHSU, Tufts, Wisconsin
--Where matched: On the best coast, where I did one of my aways
--Matched at what number on rank list: 3
--Anything that helped your app: Obviously my productive Doris Duke year at an awesome Rad Onc program. A wonderful mentor.
--Plans if not matched: Samurai sword to the epigastrium
--Prelim year: Internal Med at home school
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: 1
--Other: If you take the extra step (i.e. dedicated, productive research time) you WILL be noticed even if you're coming from a "fly-over" school. No matter what number on your list you match at, you'll be happy (this field is awesome). Also, like everyone else is saying, take the rank lists on SDN with a grain of salt. You're rank list is an extremely personal decision, and you'd be surprised how different it is from the "consensus." Good luck to everybody!