[2016-2017] Emergency Medicine Application Thread

Started by doggydog
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SarahBellum1 said:
Multiple EM residents have relayed to me that many people only have a few or don't get any interviews until the end of Oct/beginning of Nov, so I wouldn't get worked up yet. Plus, even though many schools have sent out their first group of invites, they will send out more waves as they review more applications and other applicants turn down invites. But, that being said, maybe you/everyone else in the same boat should re-evaluate your application and the places you've applied, ie: do you have impressive ECs or none? Did you apply only to the best/most desirable programs without any safeties? I know a few applicants from last year who had really great number stats but average or less than average ECs and had to add a lot more programs after the fact to get invites. My Step 1 is 215, Step 2 is 240, sucky M1-M2 grades, HP/H MS3, pretty awesome ECs, with 9 invites so far, obviously applied very broadly due to my stats. I think it's all in where you apply.
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I applied to a very broad mix. No west coast, but a total mix of geography and competitiveness otherwise.
EC's were good and varied but honestly I never heard someone mention that as a factor.
As for step 2, it seems possible but odd considering that its not required and many applicants with high step 1 scores are explicitly told by advisors not to take step 2 until after submitting eras.
Anyone without step 2 having any luck so far?
 
knrob said:
New to this community and posting somewhat out of frustration.
255+ step 1
No step 2 yet
Mix of H and HP during M3, 2 quartile of class
HP/HP on home/away
Top 30 med school
Was told by PD I have no red flags and that none of my letters are bad.
Applied to ~70 programs, broad mix.
So far only have 2 interviews. 1 from home (interviews sent to all students). Haven't gotten interview from away.
Not sure what is going on.
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Jeez, that's brutal. Seems like you definitely deserve more interviews at this point. Was your app/letters submitted on time? Hopefully, with those stats, you'll get some love during the second and third rounds of invites. (And I guess there are still a handful of schools that still haven't sent out a first round yet?)
 
jessk2015 said:
Jeez, that's brutal. Seems like you definitely deserve more interviews at this point. Was your app/letters submitted on time? Hopefully, with those stats, you'll get some love during the second and third rounds of invites. (And I guess there are still a handful of schools that still haven't sent out a first round yet?)
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Yeah everything was in before 9/15.
Seems like some places are already full.
+3 rejections so far.
 
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knrob said:
I applied to a very broad mix. No west coast, but a total mix of geography and competitiveness otherwise.
EC's were good and varied but honestly I never heard someone mention that as a factor.
As for step 2, it seems possible but odd considering that its not required and many applicants with high step 1 scores are explicitly told by advisors not to take step 2 until after submitting eras.
Anyone without step 2 having any luck so far?
Click to expand...

Of course great scores are one of the most important factors, but I think EM is one of the few specialties that actually cares if you're an interesting person. (maybe this is just wishful thinking since my numbers are less than exciting? lol) After listening to a handful of PDs, though, EM programs appear to take the whole application into consideration and may give a chance to applicants with less than stellar grades if they have excellent ECs, like impressive leadership or volunteer experiences.

It seems like you've done everything right and have a good app. I wouldn't worry until the end of October.

Good luck!
 
Hey everyone, first time poster...also posting mostly out of frustration.
Step 1 240, Step 2 240 (would've been nice to improve from Step 1 but not complaining). Got my score for step 2 recently, submitted it into programs 10/12
HP/Hs during MS3, H home EM and HP audition EM
solid extracurriculars mostly focused on leadership (class president/LCME stuff/etc), though only a couple research and work experiences.
no red flags that I'm aware of
From the west, med school in the east, applied broadly (38 programs total) with probably a few more reach schools than needed but plenty of reachables.
Thus far, 3 interviews including home, one rejection, and crickets from everywhere else. Also combed through my application to make sure I didn't make mistakes and doesn't seem like I did, and no reason to believe my SLOEs were detrimental. I'm considering adding more programs to the list but seems like it's too late at this point.
Definitely comforting to hear others on this thread that are in the same boat, but still incredibly frustrating.
 
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knrob said:
I applied to a very broad mix. No west coast, but a total mix of geography and competitiveness otherwise.
EC's were good and varied but honestly I never heard someone mention that as a factor.
As for step 2, it seems possible but odd considering that its not required and many applicants with high step 1 scores are explicitly told by advisors not to take step 2 until after submitting eras.
Anyone without step 2 having any luck so far?
Click to expand...

Created a throwaway to post.

I don't think Step 2 is a must for the application. I applied without Step 2 (Step 1 240's, mostly HP 3rd year, H/H EM home/away). Lot of research and volunteer activities.

Applied to 60+ programs, mix of east coast and other. Mix of competitive and not, mix of community and academic. Received 25+ interview invites to date. Not sure what makes my application stand out versus others (maybe my SLOEs??) but so far I've been doing well with interviews.

Hopefully the next wave will come out to everyone soon!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
knrob said:
I applied to a very broad mix. No west coast, but a total mix of geography and competitiveness otherwise.
EC's were good and varied but honestly I never heard someone mention that as a factor.
As for step 2, it seems possible but odd considering that its not required and many applicants with high step 1 scores are explicitly told by advisors not to take step 2 until after submitting eras.
Anyone without step 2 having any luck so far?
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, why did you apply to +70 programs with those stats?
No step 2, lower step 1, similar stats otherwise. I applied to about 40 programs and have several II from a wide range of programs. I agree with others here and don't think having step 2 is a big factor.
 
knrob said:
Yeah everything was in before 9/15.
Seems like some places are already full.
+3 rejections so far.
Click to expand...
Odd question but are you a Canadian citizen who went to a U.S M.D school? I keep hearing this may play a role... I really have no idea your stats sound great
 
toby813 said:
Out of curiosity, why did you apply to +70 programs with those stats?
No step 2, lower step 1, similar stats otherwise. I applied to about 40 programs and have several II from a wide range of programs. I agree with others here and don't think having step 2 is a big factor.
Click to expand...
Ironically I was just being cautious. My advisor told me to apply to 30.
And I am a permanent resident. So should have the same treatment as citizens. I know people in my class with lower stats applying as internationals with much more success so I'm honestly at a loss.
Yesterday PD told me to wait it out but asked if I wanted to apply to some prelim spots to reduce anxiety and my heart sank.
 
Hey guys, I went to the EMRA Residency Fair yesterday in Las Vegas. Multiple PDs told me that they were still working through mounds of applications and that they haven't sent a lot of invites out. At one of the earlier sessions, someone asked a question to a PD about what do if you only have a few invites. He laughed and said not to worry at this point and that the next few weeks a lot more invites would be coming out. Just some food for thought.
 
DO2017_EM said:
Hey guys, I went to the EMRA Residency Fair yesterday in Las Vegas. Multiple PDs told me that they were still working through mounds of applications and that they haven't sent a lot of invites out. At one of the earlier sessions, someone asked a question to a PD about what do if you only have a few invites. He laughed and said not to worry at this point and that the next few weeks a lot more invites would be coming out. Just some food for thought.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing, that's good to hear!
 
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It's the interview thread that seems to be adding to everyone's anxiety... pretty much every program that I've applied to has apparently sent out interview invites. I'm just sitting here refreshing my email. What bothers me more is the availability of interview days.
How many interviews are people planning on going too?
 
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zyx189 said:
How many interviews are people planning on going too?
Click to expand...
15 give or take a couple. More than needed, but I'm couples matching and my GF won't even be getting her interviews until I'm half done. I'm trying to weave a web within reasonable distance of anything east of the Mississippi (and obviously we have some ideas where she'll wind up).
 
What about weighing in the name of competitive programs and reach schools... counting those in those 12-15?
 
People like to say to use the rule of thirds like when you were picking the programs to apply to. So rank 1/3 reaches, 1/3 competitive, 1/3 safeties. But that's not how the math works to generate that magic number of 12 interviews. That number doesn't take into account your competitiveness.

But hey, everyone has an anecdote of the person they know that matched at their 13th choice. So what does math know.
 
doggydog said:
People like to say to use the rule of thirds like when you were picking the programs to apply to. So rank 1/3 reaches, 1/3 competitive, 1/3 safeties. But that's not how the math works to generate that magic number of 12 interviews. That number doesn't take into account your competitiveness.

But hey, everyone has an anecdote of the person they know that matched at their 13th choice. So what does math know.
Click to expand...

Is there a good way to figure out which programs are competitive/reaches? I've been told to look at the medical schools of the current residents but is there a better way? Can I assume the programs that offer me interviews later in the season are reaches?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
so.... the magical "15th" came and went, and now I'm just sitting staring at the wall

thanks for all the shared frustrations, as horrible as it is and as much as I wish you all luck...misery loves company
 
DO2017_EM said:
Hey guys, I went to the EMRA Residency Fair yesterday in Las Vegas. Multiple PDs told me that they were still working through mounds of applications and that they haven't sent a lot of invites out. At one of the earlier sessions, someone asked a question to a PD about what do if you only have a few invites. He laughed and said not to worry at this point and that the next few weeks a lot more invites would be coming out. Just some food for thought.
Click to expand...

That earns a solid "Yaaaaaaasss" from me. Basically have been sitting here trying not to panic from lack of EM interviews. Thanks for that update! Any more news from this years ACEP we should know about?
 
DO2017_EM said:
Hey guys, I went to the EMRA Residency Fair yesterday in Las Vegas. Multiple PDs told me that they were still working through mounds of applications and that they haven't sent a lot of invites out. At one of the earlier sessions, someone asked a question to a PD about what do if you only have a few invites. He laughed and said not to worry at this point and that the next few weeks a lot more invites would be coming out. Just some food for thought.
Click to expand...
Hello. Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California is starting an Emergency Medicine Program in 2017. The inaugural class will be 6 residents. We are not on ERAS yet as this is a reactively new development (it was originally intended to be starting in 2018). I am at ACEP16 and if anyone would like to talk to me in person about the program, please get in contact. I was not able to make it to the EMRA residency fair. ([email protected])
 
Got 7 invites + 3 rejections (NY Presbyterian, Emory, & Pittsburgh). Applied to about 80+ programs. My invites are pretty much spread across 6 different states TX, NY, PA, MO, MI, LA.
 
Would you guys please state whether you guys are DO or MD and what USMLE scores you guys have and how many SLOES? I think that'd be very helpful.
 
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DetectiveAlonzo said:
Would you guys please state whether you guys are DO or MD and what USMLE scores you guys have and how many SLOES? I think that'd be very helpful.
Click to expand...

I rather not disclose too much information as this is a public forum. I can say that I am a DO with 2 SLOEs. My board scores, class rank, overall application is average compared to some of the posters on SDN.
 
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DetectiveAlonzo said:
Would you guys please state whether you guys are DO or MD and what USMLE scores you guys have and how many SLOES? I think that'd be very helpful.
Click to expand...
MD, 1 SLOE (live in Puerto Rico- they're extremely hard to get), average student, many volunteering, leadership positions, etc. (Should've spent the time studying for my boards- instead of aiding my community- but I don't regret it for a second- Helping is in our EM DNA) 🙂 hope it helps!
 
Just out of curiosity, why are people so bullish about being anonymous on this forum? As long as you aren't posting things are inflammatory, openly bashing programs, or being rude, why does it matter if someone could figure out who you are based on your stats? I'm genuinely curious, is there some downside?
 
MD, US, 2 sloes, HP/HP, step 1 240, clinicals mostly P (spent more time w/ patients and uptodate than my tests)
applied mainly midwest.... 1 invite, 2 rejections, and several crushed hopes
4th yr isn't going how I planned it to be, but maybe I'm being overly dramatic lol.
 
EMPertinent said:
Just out of curiosity, why are people so bullish about being anonymous on this forum? As long as you aren't posting things are inflammatory, openly bashing programs, or being rude, why does it matter if someone could figure out who you are based on your stats? I'm genuinely curious, is there some downside?
Click to expand...
I think it's just playing it safe. I have nothing to hide on Facebook (unless my interviewers are offended by Anti-trump memes), but better to play safe. You never wanna be that random story (don't be drunk, stupid, and take uber)
 
EMPertinent said:
Just out of curiosity, why are people so bullish about being anonymous on this forum? As long as you aren't posting things are inflammatory, openly bashing programs, or being rude, why does it matter if someone could figure out who you are based on your stats? I'm genuinely curious, is there some downside?
Click to expand...
I've said this for YEARS here on SDN. Here is the quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

These people give me too much credit if they think I (or anyone else) give(s) even one damn about who they are, or where they go to school, or anything else. No matter who you are, you are just not that intriguing.

There was one guy a few years ago who posted his rank list, but left the last rank off, because he said it was his home program. Really? If you don't say even one thing, how am I going to know that your last rank is your home school? And, even if I did, how would I know who you are? That sounds, to me, like a rather robust amount of hubris.
 
So, I just realized the following: though I received a SUNY Upstate "You're on the waitlist" email, Upstate is not on the list of schools that have sent rejections.

Did every single person that didn't get a first round interview at Upstate receive this waitlist email? Or are there people who have complete radio silence, or have people been rejected that didn't add that to the rejection thread?
 
EastCoastEMApplicant17 said:
So, I just realized the following: though I received a SUNY Upstate "You're on the waitlist" email, Upstate is not on the list of schools that have sent rejections.

Did every single person that didn't get a first round interview at Upstate receive this waitlist email? Or are there people who have complete radio silence, or have people been rejected that didn't add that to the rejection thread?
Click to expand...
radio-silence: Aiming for the stars. -Did just receive a rejection from Northwestern. 🙁 places just keep crushing my-overreaching soul.
 
EastCoastEMApplicant17 said:
So, I just realized the following: though I received a SUNY Upstate "You're on the waitlist" email, Upstate is not on the list of schools that have sent rejections.

Did every single person that didn't get a first round interview at Upstate receive this waitlist email? Or are there people who have complete radio silence, or have people been rejected that didn't add that to the rejection thread?
Click to expand...

Marie Colette said:
radio-silence: Aiming for the stars. -Did just receive a rejection from Northwestern. 🙁 places just keep crushing my-overreaching soul.
Click to expand...

for upstate, did you guys login into myeras and go to the interviews tab?
they are not using interview broker, rather you pick your date on ERAS
 
What's the deal with emails of interest? Is it too early to send them out to highly favorable programs? I think these would only apply to programs that have sent out invites 2 weeks or so ago.
 
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EastCoastEMApplicant17 said:
So, I just realized the following: though I received a SUNY Upstate "You're on the waitlist" email, Upstate is not on the list of schools that have sent rejections.

Did every single person that didn't get a first round interview at Upstate receive this waitlist email? Or are there people who have complete radio silence, or have people been rejected that didn't add that to the rejection thread?
Click to expand...

I got that "On Hold" email too -- thoughts on whether you will follow up with an email indicating interest? It kind of seems like they're asking us to do that.
 
jessk2015 said:
I got that "On Hold" email too -- thoughts on whether you will follow up with an email indicating interest? It kind of seems like they're asking us to do that.
Click to expand...
My honest answer is I do not plan on doing that for at least another two weeks, as I (we) haven't heard back from most programs yet - at this point we are all interested in any/all programs that would have us on the cusp of an interview, so I feel that to say Upstate is of special interests feels to me to be disingenuous at this point, despite Upstate being within my preferred geographic area and certainly a program I would consider 'strongly'
 
EastCoastEMApplicant17 said:
My honest answer is I do not plan on doing that for at least another two weeks, as I (we) haven't heard back from most programs yet - at this point we are all interested in any/all programs that would have us on the cusp of an interview, so I feel that to say Upstate is of special interests feels to me to be disingenuous at this point, despite Upstate being within my preferred geographic area and certainly a program I would consider 'strongly'
Click to expand...

I actually feel the same way! Would hate to send a love letter, get lucky with an interview, and then end up canceling it if I ultimately get a few more invites from places I'm more interested in. Tricky situation though, because at the moment I'm not quite up to my "magic 12" and I'm feeling slightly uncomfortable!
 
Hey everyone. Misery loves company, so I thought I'd chime in.

250+ step 1, 240+ step 2, solid ECs, solid performance 3rd year. Applied to 50+ programs, only got a few interviews in early October and haven't heard anything since other than a few rejections (albeit they were all at reach programs).

Some friends from the class ahead of me said they got their wave of interviews after ACEP, so hoping that's still the case this year... :/
 
emergencythrowaway said:
Hey everyone. Misery loves company, so I thought I'd chime in.

250+ step 1, 240+ step 2, solid ECs, solid performance 3rd year. Applied to 50+ programs, only got a few interviews in early October and haven't heard anything since other than a few rejections (albeit they were all at reach programs).

Some friends from the class ahead of me said they got their wave of interviews after ACEP, so hoping that's still the case this year... :/
Click to expand...
I hear ya. So far sitting on 3 interviews and 6 rejections.
 
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