MD & DO co'21 Residency Panic thread

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Looking at the bsolomon site, a lot of these florida TYs are soaping a bunch of their spots - why? is something wrong with them? They seem to all be at least on the periphery of real cities, I'd expect them to be crazy competative
 
Im convinced HCA is the #1 supplier for hospitalists as well. So many IM programs sponsored by HCA here in Florida haha.

Idk how I feel about it. I'm thankful I've got a good chance at matching close to home (thanks HCA) but i feel like the myriad of programs is a ploy by HCA to drive compensation down.
Hca is just trying to screw up physician market. They did a genius move really because they know none of the regulating bodies will stop it. Look at EM.
 
Looking at the bsolomon site, a lot of these florida TYs are soaping a bunch of their spots - why? is something wrong with them? They seem to all be at least on the periphery of real cities, I'd expect them to be crazy competative
I couldn't find anything wrong with them and some of them are personally verified cush. They are new and people rightfully try to avoid HCA for categorical positions and that spills over into TY thinking. A lot of people really try to do TY at least somewhat close to their advanced program so the Florida programs get ranked lower naturally. Anecdotally, there has been less people applying TY over the past couple years. Anesthesia applicants know that a medicine prelim is much better for them for training as med students now understand that surgery and TY intern year getting them in the OR does zero for their specialty.

Also, from online chatter it seems like people really turn their nose up at smaller town TYs which I think is hilarious.
 
I couldn't find anything wrong with them and some of them are personally verified cush. They are new and people rightfully try to avoid HCA for categorical positions and that spills over into TY thinking. A lot of people really try to do TY at least somewhat close to their advanced program so the Florida programs get ranked lower naturally. Anecdotally, there has been less people applying TY over the past couple years. Anesthesia applicants know that a medicine prelim is much better for them for training as med students now understand that surgery and TY intern year getting them in the OR does zero for their specialty.

Also, from online chatter it seems like people really turn their nose up at smaller town TYs which I think is hilarious.
Well damn, if there are dozens of cushy TY spots in the SOAP, people definitely shouldn't be ranking their least favorite prelims
 
I couldn't find anything wrong with them and some of them are personally verified cush. They are new and people rightfully try to avoid HCA for categorical positions and that spills over into TY thinking. A lot of people really try to do TY at least somewhat close to their advanced program so the Florida programs get ranked lower naturally. Anecdotally, there has been less people applying TY over the past couple years. Anesthesia applicants know that a medicine prelim is much better for them for training as med students now understand that surgery and TY intern year getting them in the OR does zero for their specialty.

Also, from online chatter it seems like people really turn their nose up at smaller town TYs which I think is hilarious.
Well damn, if there are dozens of cushy TY spots in the SOAP, people definitely shouldn't be ranking their least favorite prelims
A little over half of my TYs are HCAs (and most are in FL where I'm from). I like most of the HCA ones better than the other TY interviews I've had and declined some others. Gotta be careful because some are basically prelim medicine in disguise. I won't be ranking at least a couple.

I also think people don't realize how many applicants have to end up soaping for a TY
 
Me on my IM third year clerkship shocking the four third years with me when I get up and leave when the resident says if we want we can just do it tomorrow 👋

someone free me from this third year rotation i can't take it any more!!!
I would have guessed you were on IM based on how stupid the attendings were acting toward your situation.
 
Me whenever an attending or resident asks me anything resembling a pimp question...

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Well, my core underserved rotation was supposed to start last Monday, but the site wasn't prepared for students to return. So currently I am at home holding to see what will happen. To graduate, I have 4 weeks elective, 4 weeks core underserved, an online yet-to-be published underserved module, and some "senior week" requirements left.

I got my Step 2 score back today. Sent brief, slightly personalized update emails to the places I interviewed. And sent 1 last ditch effort email to a realistic/very desirable to me/pre-season top 2 program that hasn't acknowledged my existence all season yet. No idea if they're still interviewing or not. But I had to try.
 
Well, my core underserved rotation was supposed to start last Monday, but the site wasn't prepared for students to return. So currently I am at home holding to see what will happen. To graduate, I have 4 weeks elective, 4 weeks core underserved, an online yet-to-be published underserved module, and some "senior week" requirements left.

I got my Step 2 score back today. Sent brief, slightly personalized update emails to the places I interviewed. And sent 1 last ditch effort email to a realistic/very desirable to me/pre-season top 2 program that hasn't acknowledged my existence all season yet. No idea if they're still interviewing or not. But I had to try.
Glad to hear you got your Step 2 scores back before rank list time. Good luck.
 
Cancelled an interview roughly a week out but I figured it’s gotta be someone’s top? I genuinely felt bad about cancelling but I think it’s probably the best— what’s the most socially acceptable time frame to cancel?
A program I interviewed at sent an email saying just tell them at least two days in advance! Some people have been ca ceiling the day of
 
A program I interviewed at sent an email saying just tell them at least two days in advance! Some people have been ca ceiling the day of

A week is absolutely fine!
This is weirdly a huge relief to hear! Thank you both.I just don’t want to burn any bridges for any future applicants from my med school.
 
I sent a short thank-you email to a program director a few days after my interview and never got a response. Someone mentioned a few weeks later that the program discourages post-IV contact. Did I just shoot myself in the foot, or are they just going to ignore the email with no effect on my ranking?
 
Still undecided if "Letter of regrets" or "Interview denial" was the worst (and simultaneously most comical) email subject between all rejection emails I received this year.
Regardless of the title, I think the one where they rejected me not one...but three times...like I got it...I suck okay...don’t have to do it three times back to back...I set up email and text through my phone so I got it 6 times...🤦‍♀️ Like they were not sure if I did not get the message so they had to do it again...and again?
 
Still undecided if "Letter of regrets" or "Interview denial" was the worst (and simultaneously most comical) email subject between all rejection emails I received this year.
When I was applying, I got one with subject "Invitation to Interview" and then said in the body they were unable to offer me an invitation to interview.
 
This is literally me all day and I'm making a point of it to make the most of this time; we will likely not have such free time in the next 10 years and will regret not chilling as soon as we start residency.

*binges 5 hours of Hulu*
I spit my drink out of my. mouth
 
Who say 4th year is chill? I strongly disagree. The anticipation and uncertainty is worth than step exam
This is why being Type B is so clutch and worth it in med school. Post-step and basically all of 4th year has felt like a vacation. WHen you're able to not worry about things you know are out of your control 4th year is a breath of fresh air and fun.
 
We had a school-wide zoom thing, and people were asking about whether to expect more interviews in Feb, and how to think about post-interview communication and creating rank lists. Someone mentioned that in pych applicants who would have gotten 12-15 interviews in a typical year are getting just an average of 8 interviews. I feel for those wanting more interviews, but I am also so ready for this to be over. In retrospect definitely should have given up my NYC prelim interview during my hell-ish Mon-Fri interviews week, but oh well, it seemed like they were interviewing plenty of people so it's unlikely to go unfilled.

Also, they say high chance we'll still be forced to take step 2CS in order to get our state licenses 😡
 
This is why being Type B is so clutch and worth it in med school. Post-step and basically all of 4th year has felt like a vacation. WHen you're able to not worry about things you know are out of your control 4th year is a breath of fresh air and fun.
Everything is pass/fail, I dont have to fly anywhere or spend any $$$...if anything were having the chillest possible version of MS4
 
Also, they say high chance we'll still be forced to take step 2CS in order to get our state licenses
I am doubtful about this. How well will this sit with the older docs who did not take CS (which was only introduced in 2004) and who may want to get a new license in a different state for starting a new gig?
 
Everything is pass/fail, I dont have to fly anywhere or spend any $$$...if anything were having the chillest possible version of MS4
This is why being Type B is so clutch and worth it in med school. Post-step and basically all of 4th year has felt like a vacation. WHen you're able to not worry about things you know are out of your control 4th year is a breath of fresh air and fun.
Absolutely agree. Once I was confident with my number of interviews, Ive been on cruise control. Read so many books, played so many video games, finished so many TV shows. Spending nearly the whole year in a field I really enjoy, and being so close to the finish line, looking down the barrel into residency... Definitely my favorite year by far.

Other than the whole covid thing.
 
We had a school-wide zoom thing, and people were asking about whether to expect more interviews in Feb, and how to think about post-interview communication and creating rank lists. Someone mentioned that in pych applicants who would have gotten 12-15 interviews in a typical year are getting just an average of 8 interviews. I feel for those wanting more interviews, but I am also so ready for this to be over. In retrospect definitely should have given up my NYC prelim interview during my hell-ish Mon-Fri interviews week, but oh well, it seemed like they were interviewing plenty of people so it's unlikely to go unfilled.

Also, they say high chance we'll still be forced to take step 2CS in order to get our state licenses 😡

Psych is a bad example for this, the spreadsheet last year was all up in arms about the perceived bimodal distribution of interviews - the stellar on paper applicants got a lot of interviews, the applicants that weren’t great on paper got a lot of interviews and those in the middle got the scraps. Leadership at my med school were “surprised” last year at the lower number of interviews offered to candidates. Maybe advisors are dealing with old intel for psych advising and it’s gotten slightly more competitive?

I was just on the website to look up my USMLE id to apply for step 3 and saw the cost of CS. That’s appalling that there is projected high chance of you having to take that test. Idk if it would be better or worse to make it virtual but either way it shouldn’t be a thing.
 
Psych is a bad example for this, the spreadsheet last year was all up in arms about the perceived bimodal distribution of interviews - the stellar on paper applicants got a lot of interviews, the applicants that weren’t great on paper got a lot of interviews and those in the middle got the scraps. Leadership at my med school were “surprised” last year at the lower number of interviews offered to candidates. Maybe advisors are dealing with old intel for psych advising and it’s gotten slightly more competitive?

I was just on the website to look up my USMLE id to apply for step 3 and saw the cost of CS. That’s appalling that there is projected high chance of you having to take that test. Idk if it would be better or worse to make it virtual but either way it shouldn’t be a thing.
They already announced that they are working on a virtual version of CS...when will it be returned is the remaining questions. Corruption at its finest!!!
 
Absolutely agree. Once I was confident with my number of interviews, Ive been on cruise control. Read so many books, played so many video games, finished so many TV shows. Spending nearly the whole year in a field I really enjoy, and being so close to the finish line, looking down the barrel into residency... Definitely my favorite year by far.

Other than the whole covid thing.
guys lol they're making us do an OSCE smfh
i am in PAIN
5 days till i don't have to see another inpatient IM service again
 
A few questions about letters of intent:

When are you guys sending them? Is it the earlier, the better?​
I've heard of some people in other specialties who are sending a letter to their top three schools. But for radiology, at least, I've heard that you should only send ONE letter of intent to your top program that explicitly states "I am ranking you #1". What is the general consensus on this?​
 
A few questions about letters of intent:

When are you guys sending them? Is it the earlier, the better?​
I've heard of some people in other specialties who are sending a letter to their top three schools. But for radiology, at least, I've heard that you should only send ONE letter of intent to your top program that explicitly states "I am ranking you #1". What is the general consensus on this?​
I am applying radiology, and plan on sending my letter of intent on the last day of interviews for my #1 program. Keeping it short and sweet (3-4 sentences) with subject line - "Letter of Intent - Ranking you #1".
 
I am applying radiology, and plan on sending my letter of intent on the last day of interviews for my #1 program. Keeping it short and sweet (3-4 sentences) with subject line - "Letter of Intent - Ranking you #1".

A faculty member from my medical school suggested sending a handwritten note through the mail. Do you think an email would be fine, instead?
 
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