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just wondering, how many programs does the average student apply for? i've heard of some in my school applying to >40 but not for medicine
number of programs applying to?
- Thread starter obiwan
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40 is way to many to apply to for IM...I'd only do that if you are ONLY applying to Mass General, UCSF, etc.
10-12 should be plenty.
Even 6 or 7 would be enough for most people. I think I only went to about 6 interviews.
Most students could get accepted at their home/own institution IM programs, so that take the worry of not matching away in most cases, unless you just wouldn't want to ever stay at your med school's program.
10-12 should be plenty.
Even 6 or 7 would be enough for most people. I think I only went to about 6 interviews.
Most students could get accepted at their home/own institution IM programs, so that take the worry of not matching away in most cases, unless you just wouldn't want to ever stay at your med school's program.
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I imagine applying to ~15 is more than average but perfectly sufficient, but depending on if you are applying to very competitive programs you may want to apply for much more and I know of one person who only applied to 1 program and got in and another who applied to a handful, so it really depends on what you want.
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If you are a good or better applicant and you're not strictly applying to "stretch" programs, the 10 you get for your ERAS fee should be enough. if you have geographic restrictions, couples match issues or any red flags on your app, apply to more. Honestly, applying is cheap, casting a wide net doesn't really cost that much. You'll have (hopefully) the option to trim things down when it comes to interviewing. And you can always apply to more places.
I had a decent Step 1, AOA, HP and Honors in everything and a PhD when I applied 3y ago. I initially applied to 20 programs and added another 8 or so later. I ended up w/ 24 interview offers and went on 18 interviews which was WAY TOO MANY. If I had to do it again, I'd probably apply to 20 or so and go on 10 interviews. Programs interview 6-10 people for every spot they have so, statistically speaking, if you interview 10 places, you should be more than fine.
Just remember that red flags (low board scores, failed courses or Steps, only Pass in your IM rotation, etc) will change these odds and require you to apply/interview more broadly.
Finally, do NOT underestimate the power of the interview. If you get an interview, you're being seriously considered and you can basically only screw things up so don't screw around.
I had a decent Step 1, AOA, HP and Honors in everything and a PhD when I applied 3y ago. I initially applied to 20 programs and added another 8 or so later. I ended up w/ 24 interview offers and went on 18 interviews which was WAY TOO MANY. If I had to do it again, I'd probably apply to 20 or so and go on 10 interviews. Programs interview 6-10 people for every spot they have so, statistically speaking, if you interview 10 places, you should be more than fine.
Just remember that red flags (low board scores, failed courses or Steps, only Pass in your IM rotation, etc) will change these odds and require you to apply/interview more broadly.
Finally, do NOT underestimate the power of the interview. If you get an interview, you're being seriously considered and you can basically only screw things up so don't screw around.
