Chances of matching off the wait List?

[jorts42]

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About 1/3 of the interviews I have I came off of waitlists and I'm getting nervous because I imagine that means I'll be low on the rank list for those. Can any residents or attendings say how programs handle these applicants or how often they match waitlisted applicants?

 

[frommel22]

I am at a "Top 20" medical school and I know from talking to several faculty that the radiology residency program here utilizes a "wait list" and that come interview day, generally only the PD even knows who came from the waitlist and who was granted an original interview. It also has zero effect on how you will be ranked---even (and you may not believe me but it is well accepted here) might give you a touch of an advantage since you have probably expressed a personal interest in that program already by managing to get onto the waitlist and get chosen from it.

Good luck with your interviews!

 

[futureradres12345]

Many schools use a points-based system, with the interviews being one component among many. At such programs, you are at a disadvantage coming off the wait list since your aggregate score excluding the interviews is lower than the applicants who received an initial interview without being waitlisted. A great interview can move you up the rank list from your starting position at the bottom, but you are somewhat constrained in how high you can climb since the interview is a relatively small component of your overall score.

 

[CorneliaSt]

I know this is n=1 but last year I matched to my number one program after coming off the wait list.

 

[jorts42]

I am at a "Top 20" medical school and I know from talking to several faculty that the radiology residency program here utilizes a "wait list" and that come interview day, generally only the PD even knows who came from the waitlist and who was granted an original interview. It also has zero effect on how you will be ranked---even (and you may not believe me but it is well accepted here) might give you a touch of an advantage since you have probably expressed a personal interest in that program already by managing to get onto the waitlist and get chosen from it.

Good luck with your interviews!

Thanks for the information. This is reassuring.

Many schools use a points-based system, with the interviews being one component among many. At such programs, you are at a disadvantage coming off the wait list since your aggregate score excluding the interviews is lower than the applicants who received an initial interview without being waitlisted. A great interview can move you up the rank list from your starting position at the bottom, but you are somewhat constrained in how high you can climb since the interview is a relatively small component of your overall score.

Understandable. It's probably variable between programs.

I know this is n=1 but last year I matched to my number one program after coming off the wait list.

May I ask how competitive this program is?

 

[CorneliaSt]

May I ask how competitive this program is?

It's one of the doximity top 25 programs.