MD co ‘20 Residency Panic Thread

[samac]

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WHAT?!?! Cerner is 100000000 times better than Meditech. Are you sure it was Cerner?

It was Cerner. But I’m telling you it was 1998 Cerner. Grey and white. Notes are all over the place. Can’t filter by physician notes. Slower than anything. Like the worst EMR I’ve ever used. I’ve seen new Cerner, new Cerner looks a lot more user friendly and easy to use. 1998 Cerner was straight out of hell.

 

[rukia013]

It’s Cerner. But not updated cerner, I swear it’s straight out of 1998.

On the bright side at least it's just one EMR.. I'm torn with ranking a program where I absolutely loved the PD and residents, program mission/vision, and training but I'm not sure if I really want to rotate through 6 hospital sites and use 5 different EMRs 😳

 

[samac]

On the bright side at least it's just one EMR.. I'm torn with ranking a program where I absolutely loved the PD and residents, program mission/vision, and training but I'm not sure if I really want to rotate through 6 hospital sites and use 5 different EMRs 😳

Oh it’s not. That’s just at the main hospital. There’s at least 3 more

 

[ciestar]

On the bright side at least it's just one EMR.. I'm torn with ranking a program where I absolutely loved the PD and residents, program mission/vision, and training but I'm not sure if I really want to rotate through 6 hospital sites and use 5 different EMRs 😳

One program I interviewed at used 5 EMRs. I was stunned.

Ive never really used Epic so that makes me nervous... lol

 

[hallowmann]

One program I interviewed at used 5 EMRs. I was stunned.

Ive never really used Epic so that makes me nervous... lol

Its easy enough to get used to. If you were OK learning Allscripts, you'll be fine learning EPIC. Personally, I hated Meditech, but I wouldn't necessary call it the worst. Cerner (new) is OK. Anybody ever use Quadramed? I hated that, buggy as hell.

 

[ciestar]

Its easy enough to get used to. If you were OK learning Allscripts, you'll be fine learning EPIC. Personally, I hated Meditech, but I wouldn't necessary call it the worst. Cerner (new) is OK. Anybody ever use Quadramed? I hated that, buggy as hell.

I got the hang of Cerner on my one sub-i as well.

Nextgen is the worst ive used though. ECW is annoying too.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

At least you guys don’t have to use AHLTA.

 

[ciestar]

Cancelled two more interviews. That’s it. Three to go.

 

[samac]

I have an interview scheduled for tomorrow. At least I think I do, I’m scheduled on ERAS. I have not received any kind of confirmation. No kind of itinerary. Nothing. No phone number in the email to call. I’m usually pretty relaxed about stuff, but even this one has me nervous.

 

[hallowmann]

I have an interview scheduled for tomorrow. At least PopI think I do, I’m scheduled on ERAS. I have not received any kind of confirmation. No kind of itinerary. Nothing. No phone number in the email to call. I’m usually pretty relaxed about stuff, but even this one has me nervous.

I'd try calling the hospital or clinic and asking to talk to the program coordinator or someone in the residency. Just google the numbers and see if you could be connected to their office.

The same thing happened to me. I had already bought tickets, AirBnB, reserved a rental car, etc. I tried emailing and calling the program multiple times the days (Thurs and Fri) before and morning of (Mon from 7-8am). In the AM, I just showed up and finally got a hold of someone by 8am, and they had apparently already started the day. The rest of it went fine, but I made a point to explain that I had received nothing ahead of time, which is why I was "late".

Half the people who interviewed that day hadn't received anything, but they were local, so they just went there and asked or had friends who interviewed and had the info. Two other interviewees didn't show up either (probably because they experienced the same). They were very apologetic and I think the PC was really disorganized. Come to think of it it was also this time of year shortly after the holidays/new years.

Now you may ask, did I rank it? Yes. It wasn't even at the bottom of my list. It was a nice hospital, in an awesome location, had a track I was interested in, and honestly everyone I met was friendly and seemed like they'd be easy to work with. It was around the middle of my list, so had I not matched higher, I may have even ended up there.

 

[samac]

I'd try calling the hospital or clinic and asking to talk to the program coordinator or someone in the residency. Just google the numbers and see if you could be connected to their office.

The same thing happened to me. I had already bought tickets, AirBnB, reserved a rental car, etc. I tried emailing and calling the program multiple times the days (Thurs and Fri) before and morning of (Mon from 7-8am). In the AM, I just showed up and finally got a hold of someone by 8am, and they had apparently already started the day. The rest of it went fine, but I made a point to explain that I had received nothing ahead of time, which is why I was "late".

Half the people who interviewed that day hadn't received anything, but they were local, so they just went there and asked or had friends who interviewed and had the info. Two other interviewees didn't show up either (probably because they experienced the same). They were very apologetic and I think the PC was really disorganized. Come to think of it it was also this time of year shortly after the holidays/new years.

Now you may ask, did I rank it? Yes. It wasn't even at the bottom of my list. It was a nice hospital, in an awesome location, had a track I was interested in, and honestly everyone I met was friendly and seemed like they'd be easy to work with. It was around the middle of my list, so had I not matched higher, I may have even ended up there.

Welp I’ll start calling after lunch. I’m already in the town haha

 

[hallowmann]

Welp I’ll start calling after lunch. I’m already in the town haha

If you can't get a hold of them, don't be afraid of showing up (business casual) around 3:30/4pm. Its not ideal, but seriously, this is likely an oversight on their part.

 

[samac]

If you can't get a hold of them, don't be afraid of showing up (business casual) around 3:30/4pm. Its not ideal, but seriously, this is likely an oversight on their part.

I also know a couple residents here. I’ll text them if I have to.
I guess I’m more worried that I somehow don’t have the interview and I came down here for nothing

 

[sharkbyte]

Anyone else starting to get pretty scared/nervous about the next several months? Definitely super grateful for the chill rotations and time off that I have left, but medicine changes your life every few years and each time it's so hard. The combination of not knowing where I'll be + starting intern year in July has me freaked out

 

[CidHighwind]

Anyone else starting to get pretty scared/nervous about the next several months? Definitely super grateful for the chill rotations and time off that I have left, but medicine changes your life every few years and each time it's so hard. The combination of not knowing where I'll be + starting intern year in July has me freaked out

It’s tough, but I guess one way of looking at it is “you’ll end up where you’re supposed to go”. There’s really nothing we can do at this point, so all we can do is wait.

I’m personally worried that I’m wasting time/money going to some of these trickle interviews. One was fine, the other one they grilled me so hard it made me wonder why they even put me on the waitlist and didn’t just outright reject me

 

[sharkbyte]

It’s tough, but I guess one way of looking at it is “you’ll end up where you’re supposed to go”. There’s really nothing we can do at this point, so all we can do is wait.

Yeah that's true. I think it's just the newness of everything that's so overwhelming/uncomfortable. I guess I adjusted for medical school reasonably well and it'll just take some time with residency as well

 

[hallowmann]

Anyone else starting to get pretty scared/nervous about the next several months? Definitely super grateful for the chill rotations and time off that I have left, but medicine changes your life every few years and each time it's so hard. The combination of not knowing where I'll be + starting intern year in July has me freaked out

We've all been there. You think the Med School impostor syndrome is bad, wait until intern year. You'll be fine though, take it in stride.

I’m personally worried that I’m wasting time/money going to some of these trickle interviews. One was fine, the other one they grilled me so hard it made me wonder why they even put me on the waitlist and didn’t just outright reject me

Obviously so that you could rank them lower. Honestly, I went on way too many interviews, and it was crazy tiring and expensive, but I don't regret it. If you don't do it and don't match, you'll question a lot more.

At the end I matched high on my list, but if I had dropped low, I would have been happy at 2/3-3/4 of the places on my list for different reasons, and even that bottom 1/3-1/4 would have been fine because I would have known at least I matched. If you match and find disappointment with the outcome, take a stroll over to the SOAP thread and you'll realize things could definitely be a lot worse.

As for the place that grilled you, they obviously did that so that you knew to rank them lower on your ROL.

 

[CidHighwind]

By that do you mean they showed they were malignant, or to let me know they aren’t ranking me high, so don’t bother ranking them high?

 

[ciestar]

If you were waitlisted should that by itself tell you to not rank that program as high?

I should be ranking all programs, correct? It’ll be 12 vs 16 if i drop a few from my ROL

 

[hallowmann]

By that do you mean they showed they were malignant, or to let me know they aren’t ranking me high, so don’t bother ranking them high?

I don't know about "malignant", but something like that. No, you should rank only based on where you would prefer to go. You gain nothing by taking their ranking of you into account when making your ROL, because doing so will not affect your chances of matching at all.

If you were waitlisted should that by itself tell you to not rank that program as high?

I should be ranking all programs, correct? It’ll be 12 vs 16 if i drop a few from my ROL

Rank every program you'd rather go to than SOAP. If there is a program that you would truly say, "man that place was bad, I'd rather SOAP than be stuck there for x years," then don't rank that place. Other than that, I would rank them, but obviously put them low on my list.

 

[CidHighwind]

I don't know about "malignant", but something like that. No, you should rank only based on where you would prefer to go. You gain nothing by taking their ranking of you into account when making your ROL, because doing so will not affect your chances of matching at all.



Rank every program you'd rather go to than SOAP. If there is a program that you would truly say, "man that place was bad, I'd rather SOAP than be stuck there for x years," then don't rank that place. Other than that, I would rank them, but obviously put them low on my list.

People say that a lot, and I mostly agree. That said, would you really want to go somewhere that doesn’t really like you? Since we don’t know where they ranked us, it shouldn’t matter. But let’s say, hypothetically, someone finds out that a place they rotated at and we’re going to rank #1 gave them a bottom 1/3rd ranking. Does it really make sense to give a program the honor of being your #1 when they have no intention of taking you, and losing out on a LOI for somewhere that might actually take you? I say all that to say that ranking reaches that don’t care for you high that you KNOW aren’t keen on you is silly.

Also, does anyone else feel like it’s BS that it’s considered pointless for us as applicants to tell a program that we are “ranking them highly” since it means they aren’t #1 even though programs use nebulous phrasing like “ranked to match” instead of telling us we are “guaranteed to match”

 

[ciestar]

People say that a lot, and I mostly agree. That said, would you really want to go somewhere that doesn’t really like you? Since we don’t know where they ranked us, it shouldn’t matter. But let’s say, hypothetically, someone finds out that a place they rotated at and we’re going to rank #1 gave them a bottom 1/3rd ranking. Does it really make sense to give a program the honor of being your #1 when they have no intention of taking you, and losing out on a LOI for somewhere that might actually take you? I say all that to say that ranking reaches that don’t care for you high that you KNOW aren’t keen on you is silly.

Also, does anyone else feel like it’s BS that it’s considered pointless for us as applicants to tell a program that we are “ranking them highly” since it means they aren’t #1 even though programs use nebulous phrasing like “ranked to match” instead of telling us we are “guaranteed to match”

Thats what worries me. If i was waitlisted for an interview to start with, odds they’re ranking me in their top 1/3? Like should I waste the spot toward the top for them?

This process sucks. Two more months.

 

[Oedipa Maas]

People say that a lot, and I mostly agree. That said, would you really want to go somewhere that doesn’t really like you? Since we don’t know where they ranked us, it shouldn’t matter. But let’s say, hypothetically, someone finds out that a place they rotated at and we’re going to rank #1 gave them a bottom 1/3rd ranking. Does it really make sense to give a program the honor of being your #1 when they have no intention of taking you, and losing out on a LOI for somewhere that might actually take you? I say all that to say that ranking reaches that don’t care for you high that you KNOW aren’t keen on you is silly.

Also, does anyone else feel like it’s BS that it’s considered pointless for us as applicants to tell a program that we are “ranking them highly” since it means they aren’t #1 even though programs use nebulous phrasing like “ranked to match” instead of telling us we are “guaranteed to match”

I agree. Also I don’t see why it’s so bad or offensive to tell a place that they are your #2 or #3. A majority of people match within their top 3 and if you put a program into one of those ranks it is definitely positive and there may only be minor differences or gut feelings that are delineating them.

 

[Rarygen]

Thats what worries me. If i was waitlisted for an interview to start with, odds they’re ranking me in their top 1/3? Like should I waste the spot toward the top for them?

This process sucks. Two more months.

But you're not wasting a spot toward the top if they ranked you low. Them ranking you low doesn't affect your rank on the rest of the programs on your ROL. I say rank them toward the top if you really want to go there.

 

[CidHighwind]

But you're not wasting a spot toward the top if they ranked you low. Them ranking you low doesn't affect your rank on the rest of the programs on your ROL. I say rank them toward the top if you really want to go there.

But everyone talks about how precious their “LOI” are, so why waste it on someone that doesn’t want you?

It’s why a program from the Midwest will rank someone with average stats from the area over the 250s/AOA from the big coastal city that is using their program as a backup.

 

[sharpstickie]

Programs would be stupid to change rank orders because of any LOI that applicants send and vice-versa for applicants that get a love letter. There is no such thing as wasting a #1 rank on a reach program. If you want to go there, but think you have a low shot? It doesn’t matter, just put it #1 and see what happens, you’ll rank your highest possible rank.
Same with getting an interview from a waitlist. You don’t know why you were on a waitlist or what your preliminary rank is prior to the interview, so stop obsessing over it and just rank according to your true preference. Every program sorts through applications differently, how do you know what it’s based on? If you really want to just rank places that you know you’ll get into, go for it, just don’t come complaining here because you don’t understand the match algorithm.

 

[ciestar]

No, i dont know why i was on multiple waitlists, but, it still makes you think they werent high on you to begin with.

My top choice i got an early interview from and it was an audition rotation. I really hope I am worrying for nothing.

 

[CidHighwind]

Programs would be stupid to change rank orders because of any LOI that applicants send and vice-versa for applicants that get a love letter. There is no such thing as wasting a #1 rank on a reach program. If you want to go there, but think you have a low shot? It doesn’t matter, just put it #1 and see what happens, you’ll rank your highest possible rank.
Same with getting an interview from a waitlist. You don’t know why you were on a waitlist or what your preliminary rank is prior to the interview, so stop obsessing over it and just rank according to your true preference. Every program sorts through applications differently, how do you know what it’s based on? If you really want to just rank places that you know you’ll get into, go for it, just don’t come complaining here because you don’t understand the match algorithm.

Programs are people, and people want those that want them. LOI have some effect, as do thank you letters. We all know how the match works. No one here is confused on how to match programs. While it sounds good to say that there isn’t a difference in being invited from the waitlist, the level of hostility at one of my waitlisted interviews basically made me feel as if I was just there to fill a slot vs being seriously considered.

 

[ciestar]

For those of you with those excel spreadsheets... what are you including in them? Or are most of you going with your gut?

 

[Dr. Doctor MD]

It’s why a program from the Midwest will rank someone with average stats from the area over the 250s/AOA from the big coastal city that is using their program as a backup.

This isn't true at all... That's why they will INTERVIEW the worse local candidate instead of the superstar, but when it comes time to match programs will RANK the superstars they did interview very highly or to match. Once you get the interview, programs will rank who they like the best, not who they think will attend their program.

There is absolutely no downside to ranking programs based on your preference and for programs to rank you based on their preference. It's just the way the match works.

You can bet that State University XYZ will rank their Harvard/Yale/Stanford superstar interviewees higher than their home students if they like them better, even if they know that there is a super slim chance they'll match there. The bias against superstars comes before interviews are sent out. For example I know of one low tier program that will not ever interview any students from top 10/20 schools (barring extenuating circumstances) since they know that none of the students at those top schools are going to ever rank a no-name school in a bad location highly, and it's a waste of the programs time to interview those students.

 

[hallowmann]

People say that a lot, and I mostly agree. That said, would you really want to go somewhere that doesn’t really like you? Since we don’t know where they ranked us, it shouldn’t matter. But let’s say, hypothetically, someone finds out that a place they rotated at and we’re going to rank #1 gave them a bottom 1/3rd ranking. Does it really make sense to give a program the honor of being your #1 when they have no intention of taking you, and losing out on a LOI for somewhere that might actually take you? I say all that to say that ranking reaches that don’t care for you high that you KNOW aren’t keen on you is silly.

Also, does anyone else feel like it’s BS that it’s considered pointless for us as applicants to tell a program that we are “ranking them highly” since it means they aren’t #1 even though programs use nebulous phrasing like “ranked to match” instead of telling us we are “guaranteed to match”

You're taking this completely wrong. For one, you have no idea why you were waitlisted. It could be for a reason that matters, or it could be for a BS reason that they don't even use in final ranking. Programs have to sift through literally hundreds and thousands of apps, and depending on the programs interview hundreds of applicants. They need a way to sift through apps, and honestly a lot of times good apps get missed, but it doesn't matter to the program because there's literally hundreds of equally good applicants.

Programs don't throw away interview spots, and they don't waste their time if they don't need to. If you're being interviewed, you're being seriously considered. It is not unusual for some programs to drop 1/2 or 2/3 of the way down their rank list before they fill. It's just the nature of the process. If you match somewhere, you're matching because they want you. If they didn't want you, they wouldn't rank you. Trust me. We DNR people all the time.

I want to be very clear on this because I'm involved in the recruitment process for multiple programs: If you match, whether you were ranked 1st or 50th, the program is happy to have you. Most of the time they're honestly just happy to fill, because SOAPing is sucky for everyone involved, not just applicants. No one after the match is going, "oh man, I wish we got X person instead of Y person." It's made very clear by everyone involved, that once people match, they're ours, one of us, nothing else matters.

But everyone talks about how precious their “LOI” are, so why waste it on someone that doesn’t want you?

It’s why a program from the Midwest will rank someone with average stats from the area over the 250s/AOA from the big coastal city that is using their program as a backup.

LOIs rarely and shouldn't change rank lists. They may at a few programs, but realistically lots of people lie, so what's the point.

No, i dont know why i was on multiple waitlists, but, it still makes you think they werent high on you to begin with.

My top choice i got an early interview from and it was an audition rotation. I really hope I am worrying for nothing.

You'll be fine.

Programs are people, and people want those that want them. LOI have some effect, as do thank you letters. We all know how the match works. No one here is confused on how to match programs. While it sounds good to say that there isn’t a difference in being invited from the waitlist, the level of hostility at one of my waitlisted interviews basically made me feel as if I was just there to fill a slot vs being seriously considered.

I'm telling you, the bolded says more about the program and less about you being invited off the waitlist. You're reading too much into it.

 

[rukia013]

For those of you with those excel spreadsheets... what are you including in them? Or are most of you going with your gut?

Note: I'm applying MP so some of this won't apply since I have to essentially assess 3 programs at every interview instead of just one:

Personal reflection questions to ask yourself:
-Class size per year
-Pre-interviewimpression
-Post-interview impression
-Makeup of residents (MD, DO, IMG, are most from the home institution or from the area, etc.)
-Impression of the hospital/sites
-Impression of program
-Impression of PD, faculty, residents
-Perceived interactions between residents, PD, faculty, etc.
-Pros, cons, other notes
-Bonus: topics brought up during dinner (memes, genuinely interested in talking about program and giving advice to candidates, would rather talk with each other than with candidates, talk crap about medical students, drink shaming, etc.)

Questions to ask residents
-Well integrated into categorical IM and peds programs?/Strength of categorical programs and training
-Things to do in the area
-Mentoring
-Hands on procedural opportunities/fellows
-Range of patient pathology, patient demographics, which cases get shipped out
-Cons/issues with rotating through multiple sites ie. distance, traffic, stressful, etc.
-Affordability of living
-Single vs. married/do residents hang out with each other outside of work
-Work/life balance
-Meal allowance
-Free parking
-Is curriculum front-loaded or evenly distributed throughout residency (since MP is very ICU heavy)

Questions to ask PD, APD, faculty
-Switch frequency between categoricals; 12mo vs 16mo internship
-EMRs used
-Number of training sites
-Freestanding MP clinic?/Clinic frequency and flexibility (ie. clinic duties during ICU or other time intensive rotations)
-Are clinic patients your own patient panel vs. attendings' patients
-Any measures taken to ensure continuous exposure to newborn exams in clinic throughout all of residency training
-Call schedule/night float/most taxing hours
-Research opportunities/required research?
-Transitional care training
-Option to do combined electives/combined fellowship
-Conference frequency
-Vacation/sick days
-% of graduates going into fellowship/where

I also have a separate tab where I "rank" the program immediately after the interview day based on impression and gut while it's fresh in my mind and list the pros and cons that immediately come to mind

 

[Giovanotto]

Note: I'm applying MP so some of this won't apply since I have to essentially assess 3 programs at every interview instead of just one:

Personal reflection questions to ask yourself:
-Class size per year
-Pre-interviewimpression
-Post-interview impression
-Makeup of residents (MD, DO, IMG, are most from the home institution or from the area, etc.)
-Impression of the hospital/sites
-Impression of program
-Impression of PD, faculty, residents
-Perceived interactions between residents, PD, faculty, etc.
-Pros, cons, other notes
-Bonus: topics brought up during dinner (memes, genuinely interested in talking about program and giving advice to candidates, would rather talk with each other than with candidates, talk crap about medical students, drink shaming, etc.)

Questions to ask residents
-Well integrated into categorical IM and peds programs?/Strength of categorical programs and training
-Things to do in the area
-Mentoring
-Hands on procedural opportunities/fellows
-Range of patient pathology, patient demographics, which cases get shipped out
-Cons/issues with rotating through multiple sites ie. distance, traffic, stressful, etc.
-Affordability of living
-Single vs. married/do residents hang out with each other outside of work
-Work/life balance
-Meal allowance
-Free parking
-Is curriculum front-loaded or evenly distributed throughout residency (since MP is very ICU heavy)

Questions to ask PD, APD, faculty
-Switch frequency between categoricals; 12mo vs 16mo internship
-EMRs used
-Number of training sites
-Freestanding MP clinic?/Clinic frequency and flexibility (ie. clinic duties during ICU or other time intensive rotations)
-Are clinic patients your own patient panel vs. attendings' patients
-Any measures taken to ensure continuous exposure to newborn exams in clinic throughout all of residency training
-Call schedule/night float/most taxing hours
-Research opportunities/required research?
-Transitional care training
-Option to do combined electives/combined fellowship
-Conference frequency
-Vacation/sick days
-% of graduates going into fellowship/where

I also have a separate tab where I "rank" the program immediately after the interview day based on impression and gut while it's fresh in my mind and list the pros and cons that immediately come to mind

I only have one section
location

 

[GoSpursGo]

Thats what worries me. If i was waitlisted for an interview to start with, odds they’re ranking me in their top 1/3? Like should I waste the spot toward the top for them?

This process sucks. Two more months.

Please read this thread: How the NRMP Match Works

There's no such thing as "wasting" a high spot on a program that you're worried isn't that excited about you--go ahead and rank them highly, you have nothing to lose. It DOES NOT MATTER how the program ranks you, you still should just rank the programs in the order that you would want to go there. The Match has plenty of inefficiencies, but ultimately it DOES favor the applicant, and you will always match at whichever program highest on your rank list that you also ranked you high enough to match.

To address your other recent concern, for a similar reason you should rank all of your programs that you would be happy to go to over going through SOAP/reapplying next year. For the vast majority of applicants, this probably should include all of the programs you interviewed at--I even ranked 2-3 programs that I really didn't like at the bottom of my list, because it was still better than the alternative.

 

[rukia013]

I only have one section
location

Yes I do agree! I do consider location as well, I just don't have a formal criterion for it since I'll list it under the pros or cons section if the location stands out enough for me (I've literally been transcontinental and already know that I'll be matching into a brand new state regardless and I'm not geographically limited to any place so it matters less to me vs. others who have to consider family support, SO/spouse, or are only comfortable with living in a certain climate)

 

[ciestar]

I only have one section
location

I was geographically limited from the start haha

 

[samac]

I hate trying to make a decision.
Honestly this is the first big one I’ve tried to make.
I got a full ride to college so I didn’t apply anywhere else.
I only applied to 4 medical schools. Waitlisted and never got off a couple, so I went to the school that accepted me.
Now I have a few programs I like and feel like I could fit at and feel like they don’t hate me and I hate thisssss

 

[ciestar]

I hate trying to make a decision.
Honestly this is the first big one I’ve tried to make.
I got a full ride to college so I didn’t apply anywhere else.
I only applied to 4 medical schools. Waitlisted and never got off a couple, so I went to the school that accepted me.
Now I have a few programs I like and feel like I could fit at and feel like they don’t hate me and I hate thisssss

I am scared of making the wrong decision. There are a few programs I love and it sucks I have to choose

 

[CidHighwind]

I am scared of making the wrong decision. There are a few programs I love and it sucks I have to choose

Better to have the displeasure of choosing between a bunch of programs you like vs a bunch you don’t lol. From what I’ve seen, as long as the program isn’t malignant and offers decent perks, the most important thing is location. It’s just hard to decide where to live for 4 years.

 

[star.buck]

For those of you with those excel spreadsheets... what are you including in them? Or are most of you going with your gut?

FM bound here.

I have a massive excel, categories for how robust different aspects of the education is (how OB, Peds, psych heavy different programs are). I also have several columns on more emotional based aspects (communication between residents, organization of interview day, quality of hospital, how easy (or not) the conversations were, etc).

I have been told over and over to stop with the spread sheet and go with my gut, but my gut got tired, got sick of it all... I’m glad my spread sheet is there to back me up and tell me that my number one is actually number one based on more than a feeling.

 

[star.buck]

LOI question... I've heard there are forums where PD’s talk to eachother, and if you tell one program they’re your #1 the other programs will find out and alter their rank lists. Any truth to this? I am madly in love with my #1, but my #2 is fantastic as well, and has sent me several love letters. They’re both in the same system, different cities.

I applied FM, Midwest.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

more than a feeling.

 

[star.buck]

I’ll admit I had that song flash through my head when I typed that, lol!!

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I’ll admit I had that song flash through my head when I typed that, lol!!

Coincidentally, I was singing that in the shower last night.

 

[star.buck]

Coincidentally, I was singing that in the shower last night.

You just made it a little weird...

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

You just made it a little weird...

 

[GoSpursGo]

LOI question... I've heard there are forums where PD’s talk to eachother, and if you tell one program they’re your #1 the other programs will find out and alter their rank lists. Any truth to this? I am madly in love with my #1, but my #2 is fantastic as well, and has sent me several love letters. They’re both in the same system, different cities.

I applied FM, Midwest.

Specialty-dependent. Chances are nobody will ever find out, but obviously bad if they do.

Keep in mind... so many applicants do exactly what you're proposing (telling multiple programs that "you're number 1") that a lot of PDs don't care about these kinds of emails anyways. So send them if it makes you feel better and that you "did everything you could." But if you match to your number 1, number 2, number 6, whatever, chances are it will have to do with how competitive your application is and how your interview went rather than because you did or didn't send letter after the fact.

 

[sharkbyte]

Anyone else interview at USC for IM? I'm not quite sure what to make of the probation/cards fellowship issues, as the program in general seems solid and the residents are happy but being on probation for "resident wellness/safety" does seem concerning, even if they're off probation now. I wonder if they will suffer a bit in the match this year?

 

[sanfran256]

Anyone else interview at USC for IM? I'm not quite sure what to make of the probation/cards fellowship issues, as the program in general seems solid and the residents are happy but being on probation for "resident wellness/safety" does seem concerning, even if they're off probation now. I wonder if they will suffer a bit in the match this year?

I don't think so. Plenty of Californians itching to get back

 

[CidHighwind]

I don't think so. Plenty of Californians itching to get back

Or just people from other regions that want to go there. If a program in Cali doesn’t fill you KNOW they’re bad lol.