2016-2017 "What are my Chances?" thread

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Pezistential

Psych resident
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Link to last year's thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/official-2015-2016-what-are-my-chances-thread.1134969/

I thought I'd get the ball rolling for this year.

Step 1: 228
Step 2 CK/ CS: Not taken yet
School: AZCOM (DO)
Class Rank: Middleish
Grades in Clerkship: one B the rest A's or A-'s
AOA: N/A
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: No research or Publication, typical volunteer work
Red Flags: (step failures, etc): None
Overview of where you want to end up: I'm a non-traditional (Air Force Vet) student interested in community psych more than a career in academia. I live in Arizona so programs here are on my radar. I'd like to stay in the west, but I'm open to the midwest as well. Unsure about interest in fellowships (forensics, Child, etc.)
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Template (feel free to adjust as needed):

Step 1:
Step 2 CK/ CS:
School:
Class Rank:
Grades in Clerkship:
AOA:
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars:
Red Flags: (step failures, etc)
Overview of where you want to end up:
 
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You will be fine just apply broadly and pick programs that are DO friendly (i.e. have at least a couple DO's in the program).
 
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freudianslipp said:
You will be fine just apply broadly and pick programs that are DO friendly (i.e. have at least a couple DO's in the program).
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But don't limit yourself to just these programs. I received invites from a few places without any DOs on the roster.
 
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J DUB said:
Damn, can we match first before you start with next year?......:wtf:
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Haha true... although to be fair, VSAS and all that jazz is opening soon (if it hasn't already), so getting some idea of where you stand might help choose away rotations and the like.

If I might offer a piece of advice to applicants this year - try to take CK and CS as soon as you can (preferably in time to have scores in by September 15 - ERAS opening day). There were a couple programs I was explicitly told I didn't get interviews at solely because of my lack of a CK score (got my score in December), and several programs that told me on interview day to make sure I had a CS pass in before rank time, otherwise they wouldn't rank me. This is even if you did stellar on STEP 1.
 
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Freddie Mercury said:
Haha true... although to be fair, VSAS and all that jazz is opening soon (if it hasn't already), so getting some idea of where you stand might help choose away rotations and the like.

If I might offer a piece of advice to applicants this year - try to take CK and CS as soon as you can (preferably in time to have scores in by September 15 - ERAS opening day). There were a couple programs I was explicitly told I didn't get interviews at solely because of my lack of a CK score (got my score in December), and several programs that told me on interview day to make sure I had a CS pass in before rank time, otherwise they wouldn't rank me. This is even if you did stellar on STEP 1.
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I can back this statement up. I applied to 20 programs and was told by my school don't worry you can take CK later in the season. Well, 7 out of my 20 required CK for an interview. I got my score in early Dec and most of my interviews rolled in after that too. I think having all your scores back before 9/15 is very beneficial and will get you more action. Especially CK.
 
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Freddie Mercury said:
Haha true... although to be fair, VSAS and all that jazz is opening soon (if it hasn't already), so getting some idea of where you stand might help choose away rotations and the like.

If I might offer a piece of advice to applicants this year - try to take CK and CS as soon as you can (preferably in time to have scores in by September 15 - ERAS opening day). There were a couple programs I was explicitly told I didn't get interviews at solely because of my lack of a CK score (got my score in December), and several programs that told me on interview day to make sure I had a CS pass in before rank time, otherwise they wouldn't rank me. This is even if you did stellar on STEP 1.
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Thanks for the advice on CK and CS. Yeah, my personal reason for posting is to get ideas for "reach" programs where an audition rotation (via VSAS) *may* be helpful.
 
Considering its "only" 6 months away from ERAS application, I dont think its too early to start planning...

I would highly suggest nagging a psych resident and writing up a case report. It may be too late to do any solid psych research, especially with the Steps, but a case report is doable (and 6 months is plenty of time for it to be published).

Having a publication can possibly lift you into a few 'reach' programs. American Journal of Psychiatry Residents' Journal is very open to medical students....

Just my 2 cents,
 
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J DUB said:
Damn, can we match first before you start with next year?......:wtf:
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On the contrary, this may be the best time to post match stuff, because I'm sure after next weekend, forum traffic will plummet until the beginning of summer :D
 
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Alright if I throw my hat into the ring? :shy:

Comlex 1: 535
Comlex 2 CK/ CS: taking soon
School: Midwest DO school
Class Rank: Unsure, best guess is third quartile. Will likely improve with clerkship grades.
Grades in Clerkship: 2 Honors (Peds & EM), rest High Pass.
AOA: N/A
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: No research/publications. Healthy amount of volunteering and involvement in school/outside organizations. Nothing outstanding or out of the ordinary.
Red Flags (step failures, etc): None (that I know of)
Overview of where you want to end up:
Looking to stay in the Midwest/Southeast due to family reasons, particularly Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky area. Strong interest in C&A Psych and also considering the Triple Board route (I love Pediatrics, especially Developmental Peds) so any insights about that would be great as well.

Love reading all the advice from y'all and good luck to those matching soon. Thanks!
 
pinkpolkadoc said:
Alright if I throw my hat into the ring? :shy:

Comlex 1: 535
Comlex 2 CK/ CS: taking soon
School: Midwest DO school
Class Rank: Unsure, best guess is third quartile. Will likely improve with clerkship grades.
Grades in Clerkship: 2 Honors (Peds & EM), rest High Pass.
AOA: N/A
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: No research/publications. Healthy amount of volunteering and involvement in school/outside organizations. Nothing outstanding or out of the ordinary.
Red Flags (step failures, etc): None (that I know of)
Overview of where you want to end up:
Looking to stay in the Midwest/Southeast due to family reasons, particularly Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky area. Strong interest in C&A Psych and also considering the Triple Board route (I love Pediatrics, especially Developmental Peds) so any insights about that would be great as well.

Love reading all the advice from y'all and good luck to those matching soon. Thanks!
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You would have an excellent shot at UK, and they do have a triple board residency, so...if you like Lexington you are set.
 
Step 1: 250+
Step 2 CK/ CS: taking soon, before end of August
School: Northeast MD School. Nothing special name-wise.
Class Rank: Unsure. My school doesn't give a lot of info on this. I did honor almost all first year and second year courses. Probably high, but again, who knows.
Grades in Clerkship: pass FM, otherwise 2 honors (including psych) one high pass. Still have two rotations left.
AOA: who knows, probably have a shot.
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: Research assistant on a psych project between first and second year but did not get pubs from it. One probable poster/possible case report in the works on a psych related topic from a patient on my psych rotation. Tutor for first and second year courses, step 1.
Red Flags: (step failures, etc) none
Overview of where you want to end up: Strong urban academic hospitals on the east coast from New England down to Baltimore. I've been considering places like Longwood, Penn, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Hopkins, as well as some places like Temple, Tufts, Jefferson, etc. I'll probably apply to MGH but expect a rejection based on my little research credentials.

I'm just not sure how damaging my lack of research is for these sorts of places.
 
Don't worry all that much about research. I got interviews from MGH and the like with nothing to show but a poster presentation. Of course having a PhD or tons of research certainly wouldn't hurt!

Have stats and Med school name reputation that are probably pretty similar to yours.
 
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sloop said:
Step 1: 250+
Step 2 CK/ CS: taking soon, before end of August
School: Northeast MD School. Nothing special name-wise.
Class Rank: Unsure. My school doesn't give a lot of info on this. I did honor almost all first year and second year courses. Probably high, but again, who knows.
Grades in Clerkship: pass FM, otherwise 2 honors (including psych) one high pass. Still have two rotations left.
AOA: who knows, probably have a shot.
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: Research assistant on a psych project between first and second year but did not get pubs from it. One probable poster/possible case report in the works on a psych related topic from a patient on my psych rotation. Tutor for first and second year courses, step 1.
Red Flags: (step failures, etc) none
Overview of where you want to end up: Strong urban academic hospitals on the east coast from New England down to Baltimore. I've been considering places like Longwood, Penn, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Hopkins, as well as some places like Temple, Tufts, Jefferson, etc. I'll probably apply to MGH but expect a rejection based on my little research credentials.

I'm just not sure how damaging my lack of research is for these sorts of places.
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The 250 will probably go a long way. Do you have anything "special" that you can sell about yourself? Seems like that goes a long way with MGH. (I wouldn't know, didn't get an interview w/ them.)

Keep in mind that you won't be able to apply to the Longwood program, as the programs (Brigham and BI) are separate for your application year.
 
FlowRate said:
The 250 will probably go a long way. Do you have anything "special" that you can sell about yourself? Seems like that goes a long way with MGH. (I wouldn't know, didn't get an interview w/ them.)

Keep in mind that you won't be able to apply to the Longwood program, as the programs (Brigham and BI) are separate for your application year.
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Nothing special, per se. My dream at this point is probably a faculty position where I can teach people, which is part of why I'm attracted to university programs. I have a long record from college (high school actually, but who cares at all about that) of tutoring, though I'm sure everyone has that and nobody cares much about it. I've always loved teaching, and I guess could "sell" that aspect of myself in that way but I don't think it's that unique.

Maybe I have something special but if I do, it's not at all clear to me what that might be.

Also, thanks for the heads up on the split in this program. Is there a distinct difference between the type of training one might get at either of these component institutions?
 
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sloop said:
Nothing special, per se. My dream at this point is probably a faculty position where I can teach people, which is part of why I'm attracted to university programs. I have a long record from college (high school actually, but who cares at all about that) of tutoring, though I'm sure everyone has that and nobody cares much about it. I've always loved teaching, and I guess could "sell" that aspect of myself in that way but I don't think it's that unique.

Maybe I have something special but if I do, it's not at all clear to me what that might be.

Also, thanks for the heads up on the split in this program. Is there a distinct difference between the type of training one might get at either of these component institutions?
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I imagine they'll both be strong. Brigham psychiatry will see somewhat older and more medically complicated patients. BI will see more college-aged patients. That's in relative terms, you'll see young/old/healthy/sick at both. Probably more neuropsychiatry and super sub-specialized psychiatry at Brigham.

I sort-of forgot to bring up my teaching experience, but I too have been involved in teaching/tutoring since HS and did have it on my app--was never asked about it in interviews. Doesn't necessarily mean that it wasn't noticed, but I think my research year/project was a more obvious (or different) thing to ask about.
 
Congrats to all the M4s who matched!!!
 
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Hello everyone, please help as I am trying to determine what to do these next few months.

Step 1: 224
Step 2 CK/ CS: 230; Pass; all on first attempt
School: St. George (IMG... :(
Class Rank: average
Grades in Clerkship: B in Peds, IM, Surgery, A- in OB/GYN, A+/Honors in PSYCH
AOA: no
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: NO research (going to try to do something in next few months.. any suggestions??). No publications.. General volunteering, Tutoring experience
Red Flags: (step failures, etc) : 1) IMG (as I am realizing after not matching this season and a PD telling me that I was excellent and could not have interviewed better... and most of the people ranked higher were AMGs) 2) Didn't match this year!!!! 3) Took a few months break during 3rd year as I got in car accident and had to obtain proper medical care (I know this "Break" cost me some interviews, but whenever I was asked about it at any interview and gave me reply, everyone was quickly convinced and seemed to brush it off quickly) 3) IMG
Overview of where you want to end up: No strong preference.. Preferably east coast somewhere, but no strong preference.. [Had 10 interviews this year, and ranked 9 (1 was outside the match), but didn't match- was SHOCKED to say the least (especially since I conveyed immense interest to my top 3 and all were very reciprocative and receptive back)..]

How bad is not matching this year going to hurt me next year?? (Not too down about taking a year off, but just very nervous if I am going to have a tougher time next year...)
 
...
 
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prok said:
Long-time lurker here looking for some advice. Sorry for the poor timing right after the match. Hoping to figure some stuff out since VSAS opens soon.

Step 1: 230
Step 2 CK/ CS: Taking CK in June. Taking CS late and won't have score back until December.
School: Top ~20ish MD school
Class Rank: Bottom 60% most likely. That's all the info they give out.
Grades in Clerkship: HP Psych/Med/Peds. Honored Psych elective. Passes in other cores.
AOA: No
Research/ Publications: One case report just submitted. Working on a longer psych-related QI project but it probably won't be done before interviews (no way to speed this up). Have 2 cognitive psychology publications from college (worth including?)
Extracurriculars: Part of my school's medical ethics track and will be starting a project soon, but again won't be done for a while. Have some other random volunteering but not much.
Red Flags: (step failures, etc): None that I know of
Overview of where you want to end up: This is the issue. I'm originally from Texas but have spent all of college/gap year/med school out of state. Would really like to go back for residency due to personal reasons. I know it's not the most competitive part of the country, but it seems like the better programs aren't exactly easy to get into. UTSW seems like my dream program, but any of the academic programs would do. Would still consider other parts of the country in the end.

I'm having a hard time figuring out where I stand. I didn't do much in my first 2 years and now I'm regretting it. Feel like a very meh applicant compared to the other ~15 people in my class who are applying. I'm hoping to do child psych and possibly do some teaching. Would doing an away rotation in Texas be worth it since I really want to match in the area? Anything else I should be doing?

Congrats to everyone to just matched! Really appreciate all the help everyone here gives out.
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If the publications from college are actually in peer-reviewed journals, by all means include them. If they appeared in an alumni magazine, maybe not so much.
 
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bump :) would really appreciate some feedback from all you wise folk!
 
luckyt66 said:
Hello everyone, please help as I am trying to determine what to do these next few months.

Step 1: 224
Step 2 CK/ CS: 230; Pass; all on first attempt
School: St. George (IMG... :(
Class Rank: average
Grades in Clerkship: B in Peds, IM, Surgery, A- in OB/GYN, A+/Honors in PSYCH
AOA: no
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: NO research (going to try to do something in next few months.. any suggestions??). No publications.. General volunteering, Tutoring experience
Red Flags: (step failures, etc) : 1) IMG (as I am realizing after not matching this season and a PD telling me that I was excellent and could not have interviewed better... and most of the people ranked higher were AMGs) 2) Didn't match this year!!!! 3) Took a few months break during 3rd year as I got in car accident and had to obtain proper medical care (I know this "Break" cost me some interviews, but whenever I was asked about it at any interview and gave me reply, everyone was quickly convinced and seemed to brush it off quickly) 3) IMG
Overview of where you want to end up: No strong preference.. Preferably east coast somewhere, but no strong preference.. [Had 10 interviews this year, and ranked 9 (1 was outside the match), but didn't match- was SHOCKED to say the least (especially since I conveyed immense interest to my top 3 and all were very reciprocative and receptive back)..]

How bad is not matching this year going to hurt me next year?? (Not too down about taking a year off, but just very nervous if I am going to have a tougher time next year...)
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Firstly, I am sorry you didn't match.

I think your post is misleading. Being an IMG is not a red flag. I appreciate that with your credentials, you may have been more likely to match if you had attended a US medical school. But many IMG's with your board scores have, did, and will continue to match into psychiatry. It is unclear whether you had anything on your application that made you stand out, and it is a reasonable expectation that in order to get to do residency in a country where you did not train, you need to show some degree of dedication to the field either through research, unique leadership/volunteer experiences, standout academic performance etc. Many factors likely contributed to you not matching including bad luck and I wish you the best, but blaming this on being an IMG isn't going to get you anywhere.
 
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SmallBird said:
Firstly, I am sorry you didn't match.

I think your post is misleading. Being an IMG is not a red flag. I appreciate that with your credentials, you may have been more likely to match if you had attended a US medical school. But many IMG's with your board scores have, did, and will continue to match into psychiatry. It is unclear whether you had anything on your application that made you stand out, and it is a reasonable expectation that in order to get to do residency in a country where you did not train, you need to show some degree of dedication to the field either through research, unique leadership/volunteer experiences, standout academic performance etc. Many factors likely contributed to you not matching including bad luck and I wish you the best, but blaming this on being an IMG isn't going to get you anywhere.
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I know IMG isn't a "red flag" in the typical sense (and it isn't the sole reason I didn't match as I know several others from my school that did), but I think I overly frustrated and in bitchy/venting mode at the time I made that post.. lol (because the PD I mentioned made it sound like if I had the same application/scores/everything else, I would have probably matched there if I was an AMG). Nevertheless, I definitely do recognize it as a bigger negative than I thought and wouldn't endorse going to an international school to others (my honest thoughts even before match week) unless all other avenues are closed. Anyhow, I can't change that about my app and am done venting/complaining at this point, so just trying to be on top of my game and figure out what modifiable things I can change to make myself maximally competitive over the next 6 months!
 
luckyt66 said:
I know IMG isn't a "red flag" in the typical sense (and it isn't the sole reason I didn't match as I know several others from my school that did), but I think I overly frustrated and in bitchy/venting mode at the time I made that post.. lol (because the PD I mentioned made it sound like if I had the same application/scores/everything else, I would have probably matched there if I was an AMG). Nevertheless, I definitely do recognize it as a bigger negative than I thought and wouldn't endorse going to an international school to others (my honest thoughts even before match week) unless all other avenues are closed. Anyhow, I can't change that about my app and am done venting/complaining at this point, so just trying to be on top of my game and figure out what modifiable things I can change to make myself maximally competitive over the next 6 months!
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Well, then we essentially agree. You did list it twice as a red flag, hence my reaction :)

Good luck!
 
^The hardest thing for the two of you will be the EM match as your SO will most certainly receive interviews at very nice academic programs. Not *all* but a great assortment for sure. Do you have regional preferences?

If you're set on the northeast, expect it to be more random but your SO will get more interviews than they'll miss. Outside of the northeast it should be a pretty clean sweep until you're at the West Coast, where, unless y'all happen to live there, it's going to be really random. If you're looking at Chicago/Michigan/Detroit for EM-Psych you should probably both get interviews there depending on your stats, ditto most places in the Southeast and mid-atlantic outside of weird prestige places like Duke which I wouldn't want to train at for either EM or Psych anyway. A lot of solid EM programs may not have Psych programs your SO would be interested in, like JPS, Wake, Henry Ford, Northwestern, Oakland, or Carolinas (can you tell most of my friends applied EM?) but fortunately there are so many of both that if you're not set on Boston-NYC you'll be fine. (Ex. if you love JPS and she really likes UTSW, that would be a good match)

Your SO should really think about what she means by top tier and what her desires for that are. Does she mean an Ivy/UCLA/UCSF? I interviewed at/cancelled a number of these, they're good for what they are, but I didn't want a coastal research career so I chose an academic program that wasn't one of them. Psych residency in any major academic medical center lends itself to a fruitful and stratospheric academic career so long as you're motivated.
 
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When couples are matching with a psychiatrist, the non-psychiatrist is almost always the one who determines the limitations. If you stick to the largest metropolitan areas, both of you will probably have multiple choices from which to develop combinations. The odds of landing a one program city is much less than places where you each have two or three within driving distance of each other. Places with a lot of choices also prevent one SO from making the other compromise as much. Since you can’t just apply everywhere and have your SO do the same and then cancel most of them, pick places in NYC, Chicago, LA, then have her keep the invites in places you get invites. Odds are she will like some of the programs well enough. Couples matching is never an advantage, but relationships are very important and the support is generally well worth the mild disadvantage. (Now OPD is going to accuse me of being a romantic again).

Just take a deep breath and remember true love from “A Princess Bride” and you too will be able to bring the almost dead back to life. A very good talent to have for EM.
 
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I just did a quick search look at # of psych slots per area instead of size of city. Philly and Boston are represented out of proportion to their size so these places are likely as well.
 
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Thanks for the responses! I appreciate them.

We are open to any location, the big thing she is focused on is well respected academic institutions and from what I can tell there seems to be a lot of them. Correct me if I'm wrong but there doesn't seem to be a strict tier system like in radiology. So the general plan is to apply to all of the big cities (Phily, Boston, DC, NYC, LA, SF, Chicago) and try to match to programs in the same city.
 
J DUB said:
I can back this statement up. I applied to 20 programs and was told by my school don't worry you can take CK later in the season. Well, 7 out of my 20 required CK for an interview. I got my score in early Dec and most of my interviews rolled in after that too. I think having all your scores back before 9/15 is very beneficial and will get you more action. Especially CK.
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Would you mind sharing your stats?
 
I just had another question:

How much do programs care about ties to a region? Like, I really like one program which is in my area, and have spent about 8yrs in this general area, though I did not grow up here (though not too far away). I guess I wonder if programs value a "clear reason to prefer to stay here" geographically.

Also, how essential would away rotations be for someone like me? I'm trying to minimize costs/hassle if possible.
 
I never understood the geography thing much until our applications tripled and the applicants didn’t. This makes programs try and guess who is a serious applicant and who is just canvasing. The easiest way to do this is look for reasons applicants would be interested. With all of the hyper applying going on, just granting interviews based solely on performance can come back and bite you if you end up interviewing 95% of applicants who are just canvasing. Unless the # of applications per applicant levels off, having local ties will become increasingly important.

As far as doing away interviews, they are nice, they are useful for both sides to get a real opinion, but they are for from necessary. No one is going to get more than one or two programs covered this way so it isn’t an expectation. If you really have your heart set on a program, I would consider it if is a stretch for you. You may find you hate them and they love you, or you might love or hate each other mutually. The only sad outcome would be if they hate you and you love them. One out of 4 isn’t bad.
 
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Hey all, I'm hoping I don't sound too dire.

Step 1: 198 :(
Step 2 CK/ CS: taking in September
School: Lower tier US MD
Class Rank: Low quartile, might even be last
Grades in Clerkship: Haven't finished them yet. P in IM, neuro, EM, HP in psych
AOA: nope
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: I helped start a Phi Delta Epsilon chapter, served on the leadership board of it and the Latino clinic at school. Good amount of volunteering outside of school and involvement in student orgs. Going to do a mental health project this year and I'm organizing a Step 1 preparedness program to identify students in danger of doing poorly on it and intervening before they end up failing or doing like I did.
Red Flags: (step failures, etc) None thank God.
Overview of where you want to end up: I don't have a preference. A nice community hospital in a big city.

Thank you all for taking your time to read it. I keep myself up at night wondering if I will match.
 
weeoverlord said:
Hey all, I'm hoping I don't sound too dire.

Step 1: 198 :(
Step 2 CK/ CS: taking in September
School: Lower tier US MD
Class Rank: Low quartile, might even be last
Grades in Clerkship: Haven't finished them yet. P in IM, neuro, EM, HP in psych
AOA: nope
Research/ Publications/ Extracurriculars: I helped start a Phi Delta Epsilon chapter, served on the leadership board of it and the Latino clinic at school. Good amount of volunteering outside of school and involvement in student orgs. Going to do a mental health project this year and I'm organizing a Step 1 preparedness program to identify students in danger of doing poorly on it and intervening before they end up failing or doing like I did.
Red Flags: (step failures, etc) None thank God.
Overview of where you want to end up: I don't have a preference. A nice community hospital in a big city.

Thank you all for taking your time to read it. I keep myself up at night wondering if I will match.
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I think taking CK in September might not suit you that well. To demonstrate that you will not perform borderline on Step 3 or on board and licensing exams, it is important to show a much better score on Step 2 CK. If you could take it in late July or August so that you have a strong score prior to September, that would be ideal. However, if you feel that you need that time to do well on CK, take it, but understand that might delay or deny you interviews early in the cycle.

Edit: in fact, after some thought, I would prioritize studying for Step 2 and doing well on it over your ECs. These are awesome, and I think the Step 1 activity is great and insightful, but do not let these become barriers for you doing well on your own exams.
 
Thanks for replying! I took Step 1 later than most because I delayed it and consequently delayed my surgery rotation. My school makes us take an exam in MS2 year that determines if we are able to pass Step 1 and I did poorly on it, so they put me in a Step 1 crash course over a month and I took right after. I have to take surgery in the beginning of MS4 year and then I will take Step 2 CK and CS.
 
MacDonaldTriad said:
I never understood the geography thing much until our applications tripled and the applicants didn’t. This makes programs try and guess who is a serious applicant and who is just canvasing. The easiest way to do this is look for reasons applicants would be interested. With all of the hyper applying going on, just granting interviews based solely on performance can come back and bite you if you end up interviewing 95% of applicants who are just canvasing. Unless the # of applications per applicant levels off, having local ties will become increasingly important.

As far as doing away interviews, they are nice, they are useful for both sides to get a real opinion, but they are for from necessary. No one is going to get more than one or two programs covered this way so it isn’t an expectation. If you really have your heart set on a program, I would consider it if is a stretch for you. You may find you hate them and they love you, or you might love or hate each other mutually. The only sad outcome would be if they hate you and you love them. One out of 4 isn’t bad.
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Thanks for the insight! So I guess overall, aways can be helpful but are not necessarily required?

I don't necessarily know what I should consider a stretch for me, which is part of the issue. Nobody at my school has talked with me about this yet. Of course I know that a lot of the places I listed are very competitive and I can by no means be guaranteed an interview, but I don't know how unrealistic they might be for me.

Like, when it comes time to apply, how extensively should I apply to less competitive programs where I might be safer? Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm under the impression that once I get past considering a certain number of programs in my region of interest (urban academic programs on the east coast from New England to Baltimore), there will be a significant drop in competitiveness in any other programs I might consider.

I know I probably come off as overly anxious, I'm just trying to figure out what type of mix of programs I would be wise to consider to make sure I don't go unmatched (something I have nightmares about even though I know it is unlikely).
 
sloop said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm under the impression that once I get past considering a certain number of programs in my region of interest (urban academic programs on the east coast from New England to Baltimore), there will be a significant drop in competitiveness in any other programs I might consider..
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Your target program/region is the same for half or more of all applicants...so why not identify academic programs in other regions as a secondary target?

It is a big country, with lots of great training going on in all regions. Take off the blinders...
 
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Agree with Psychotic. Urban, New England-to-Baltimore academic programs covers the top 5 list of oh 80% of applicants. Apply broadly (community, Midwest/South) and see what shakes out.


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Psychotic said:
Your target region is the same for half or more of all applicants...so why not identify academic programs in other regions as a secondary target?

It is a big country, with lots of great training going on in all regions. Take off the blinders...
Click to expand...

Several reasons. Among them: I want to stay close to my family (who I am close with), my significant other's job is much easier to relocate regionally, I have lived inland before and I strongly dislike lacking relatively easy access to the ocean for various reasons, etc. I have briefly considered places I would generally like but they usually either pose a problem for being close to my family or they are undesirable for my significant other.
 
sloop said:
I don't necessarily know what I should consider a stretch for me, which is part of the issue. Nobody at my school has talked with me about this yet.

Like, when it comes time to apply, how extensively should I apply to less competitive programs where I might be safer?
Click to expand...

The two best bets would be to ask your school's PD their impression of your competitiveness and to look and your school's prior matches. If you're average for your school, apply to the range of programs that your school matches to.

To those who say apply outside the Northeast... If you want to be in the North East, why bother spending a TON of money on applications, interviews, ect? If your priority is best possible program... maybe add some farther away reaches. If youd rather be at a solid but not UCSF program in new england than UCSF, save your money.
 
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