Can I tell a program "You're #1?"

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Abram Hoffer said:
No one is contacting me telling me anything. Nor did they tell me anything during my interviews. And I am finished interviewing (except one more). Should I be worried?
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I should mention I'm doing Family Med (allopathic), which seems to be the most aggressive about contacting applicants. None of my IM, Surg, etc. friends are hearing anything. It's nice to feel wanted, but I'm viewing it all with caution.
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DonStracci said:
I should mention I'm doing Family Med (allopathic), which seems to be the most aggressive about contacting applicants. None of my IM, Surg, etc. friends are hearing anything. It's nice to feel wanted, but I'm viewing it all with caution.
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Um, I am applying for FM as well and haven't been contacted by any of my top choices! Reading this is starting to freak me out... I am only applying in NYC, which I have been told is more competitive, but still...
 
Law2Doc said:
Agreed, although as I was informed on another thread, the DO match doesn't have as stringent rules on communication as the allo match. I'd say the norm is for the program not to tip their hand.
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Interesting about DO.

For clarification, I'm doing ortho allo. I applied to 1 program where they call their top people. I didn't not receive such a call from that program, and I've heard nothing else from anyone else. I'm totally fine with it. Of course, it'd be great to get "love letters" like my friends in peds and anesthesia are getting.
 
What if you send a "you're my #1" and don't hear a peep? :(
 
I'm not sure you can read much into it. Maybe they just don't like to 'reveal their hand' if you will...or they might like you but maybe you are not in their very top list of candidates. Who knows, could be any number of scenarios. It is nice if you hear something back though.
 
The e-mail bounced back to me so it never got through. I just sent it again.
*crossing fingers for a response*
 
I asked this question in different thread, but it died. When is the best time to express some love to the top choices? When do programs finalize their ROLs and submit them? Any ideas?
 
doxtyp said:
I asked this question in different thread, but it died. When is the best time to express some love to the top choices? When do programs finalize their ROLs and submit them? Any ideas?
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Best time to contact your top choices: It's never a bad time, but I'd recommend starting to do so at least by Feb 1st.

Programs finalizing ROLs: This will vary per each program's interview schedule. My program held its last interview in December and our Rank Meeting was done last week, although I know that a lot of programs in my specialty are still conducting interviews. I'd say that if you know when the last interview date was for the programs you liked, add two to three weeks to that date and you'll have a good approximation of their Rank meetings.

ROLs can be changed even after they are submitted, so knowing when the Rank Meeting is won't matter all that much. What really matters is what the program's list looks like on the final day, and that you rank programs in the order you want to Match rather than where you think you fall on a program's list.
 
mcl said:
Best time to contact your top choices: It's never a bad time, but I'd recommend starting to do so at least by Feb 1st.

Programs finalizing ROLs: This will vary per each program's interview schedule. My program held its last interview in December and our Rank Meeting was done last week, although I know that a lot of programs in my specialty are still conducting interviews. I'd say that if you know when the last interview date was for the programs you liked, add two to three weeks to that date and you'll have a good approximation of their Rank meetings.

ROLs can be changed even after they are submitted, so knowing when the Rank Meeting is won't matter all that much. What really matters is what the program's list looks like on the final day, and that you rank programs in the order you want to Match rather than where you think you fall on a program's list.
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Yeah I have heard pretty much the same thing. I know of one program that had their final ROL meeting a couple weeks ago (Peds). So if you emailed them now, I guess they could go in and change it if they really wanted to make sure you matched there....

if it was me, I would want to get my letter/email in about the time they are about to have the final meetings...whether or not it would affect their ranking/decision is unknown.

Luckily for me, I have finished interviewing. Sent my #1 an email recently, and got a quick response, which was basically 'looking forward to working with you in the summer.' Needless to say, I was happy about that.
 
what are you guys writing in these letters? how long are they?
 
EMMER said:
what are you guys writing in these letters? how long are they?
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mine was literally 2 lines. plain and simple. I got a positive response back :) i also had my PD call.
 
In my case, before I sent an email, I got one from the PD of my no. 1 program. Although she didn't write "ranked to match", she did say the whole selection committee would be very happy if I can be a resident there, among other very nice things. I replied back saying they were my no. 1, but I didn't hear back from her! What should I make of this? Maybe she didn't get my email??
 
Here's my personal taxonomy:
"ranked to match" = you're here if you want to be
"hope to see you" = high on the list, probably will match
"ranked highly" = high on the list, but final ranking not decided
"we liked you a lot/felt you would be a good fit/etc" = on the list, but we're keeping our options open, although we'll probably rank you in a spot where you could match
"happy to have you here" = we're ranking you, no indication where
"enjoyed meeting you" = we're polite people

I could be way off, but that's my rough assessment.
 
After writing a nice letter about thieir program this is what my #1 sent back:

We all enjoyed your time here as well. You are a very competitive candidate, and you would fit in well in our program.

No "rank to match" but I thought it was pretty good.
 
It seems to me that most people are getting nice replies back from their top choices. Which to me means that the program directors are all trying to be nice and not burn any bridges to avoid interested applicants from changing their ranks and ranking them lower. Seems very similar to what applicants are doing. I guess this process really works the same both ways and we should all just play the game and trust the match.
 
Samoa said:
Here's my personal taxonomy:
"ranked to match" = you're here if you want to be
"hope to see you" = high on the list, probably will match
"ranked highly" = high on the list, but final ranking not decided
"we liked you a lot/felt you would be a good fit/etc" = on the list, but we're keeping our options open, although we'll probably rank you in a spot where you could match
"happy to have you here" = we're ranking you, no indication where
"enjoyed meeting you" = we're polite people

I could be way off, but that's my rough assessment.
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IMHO
"ranked to match" = we're ranking you high enough that based on our past years you'll likely match here if you want to (assuming they are telling you the truth and not blowing smoke at you)

All those other comments on the list above = we're trying to say something polite, without indicating anything to you about where you are on our rank list.
 
Of course none of it's binding, and in that sense none of it really means anything. But I do think most PD's use the term "ranked to match" to mean ranked within the number of spots they have. But that's a discussion on another thread.
 
It really seems like everyone is doing this...the debate seems to be the language to use, the format, and whether to write your top program or your top 3 or top few or all of them or whatever...

Is it really that bad for you if you just don't write anything other than thank you notes to anyone? Or even :)eek:) if you don't write anything at all?
 
I debated about whether to do anything beyond thank you letters, and finally this week emailed my top choice and another program I really like to let them know I plan to rank them highly and why. Both PDs responded in a friendly but non-commital way (no "ranked to match" or anything even close), which now has me worried that they're just being polite as Samoa said and really aren't interested. I have had some post-interview contact from other programs that seem more enthusiastic, but nobody has told me more than that they think I would be a good fit or whatever. I'm no good at these types of games, I wish I just knew who was really interested and who wasn't. I'm being honest with them, I wish they would just be honest with me too. I hate putting my feelings out on the line and getting a simple "thank you" in return, now I'm worried that's code for "don't waste your time." :(
 
Ah Mistress S, welcome to the vague world of 'what does this mean?'

I poured my heart out to a faculty person about their program and they replied in a very nice and professional way and then ended with something like: thank you for your interest in our program. Ack! I am getting used to it by now but it is like the flippin' tea leaves, what does this strange pattern of dark lines mean?



PS - Mistress, I am getting dizzy and maybe a little seasick looking at your avatar! :)
 
I actually got a "ranked-to-match" letter from the PD of my no. 1 program, which got me all excited. However, after I replied back saying they were my no. 1 program, they never responded! I now wonder if I did the right thing by saying they were my no. 1, or if I kind of broke some rule.
 
pdz said:
I actually got a "ranked-to-match" letter from the PD of my no. 1 program, which got me all excited. However, after I replied back saying they were my no. 1 program, they never responded! I now wonder if I did the right thing by saying they were my no. 1, or if I kind of broke some rule.
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Don't worry--after giving you the unsolicited feedback that you are "ranked to match," and receiving your uncoerced response that you've ranked the program #1, programs don't generally see the need for additional reassuring emails. Don't expect a response unless you asked a question in your email (such as, "can you recommend a good realtor?". The "ranked to match" emails are really very rare and can get a program into trouble if they aren't true.

To Mistress S:
Rank programs in the order in which you like them. Period. Some programs have a strict "no contact post interview" policy and not hearing from them doesn't mean they aren't ranking you highly. Some programs send a post-interview "thank you for coming, we really enjoyed meeting you and hope you continue to be interested in our program" letter/email to everyone. Some programs only contact their top applicants post interview to encourage interest. In this process, everyone hedges their bets. I don't want to discourage even the last person on our ROL, because I'd rather have that person than have to scramble, so it really doesn't do any good to try and read things (positive or negative) into post-interview communications with the programs.

If you rank programs by how you think they are ranking you instead of by your preference, won't you always wonder if you could have matched with the program that was really your first choice?
 
mcl said:
In this process, everyone hedges their bets. I don't want to discourage even the last person on our ROL, because I'd rather have that person than have to scramble, so it really doesn't do any good to try and read things (positive or negative) into post-interview communications with the programs.
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This is the crux of the matter.
 
peerie said:
....
I poured my heart out to a faculty person about their program and they replied in a very nice and professional way and then ended with something like: thank you for your interest in our program. ...
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This sounds like the old exchange...
"I love you"
"Thank you"
...
:confused:

:laugh:
 
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