Couple of questions about the interview and rankings

[njdevil5]

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Does getting an interview sort of level the playing field? I seem to be getting a fair share of interview invites. I'm a USIMG, my board scores are very low (passed steps 1 and 2 CK/CS 1st time) but the rest of my app is solid. I'm just wondering how subjective it gets after this?

Also, I read somewhere that programs interview around 10 applicants per slot. Conversely, around how many applicants do PDs rank per slot?

 

[John Deere Gree]

Does getting an interview sort of level the playing field? I seem to be getting a fair share of interview invites. I'm a USIMG, my board scores are very low (passed steps 1 and 2 CK/CS 1st time) but the rest of my app is solid. I'm just wondering how subjective it gets after this?

Also, I read somewhere that programs interview around 10 applicants per slot. Conversely, around how many applicants do PDs rank per slot?

Depends on the school and the specialty...

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Not exactly.

I'm assuming you're applying to a relatively non competitive field (US IMG + low USMLE + multiple interviews = likely non competitive field). In that case, programs will likely rank most of the people they interviewed. However, if you were at the "bottom" of what the program considers acceptable academic performance for an interview, you're likely to end up near the bottom of the rank list also. Certainly, your performance in your interview can affect your ranking -- I've removed people who otherwise would rank at the top for example. I expect that your interview performance is likely to move you around inside your "group" -- i.e. compared to other applicants with similar credentials, it will move you up or down in that group.

As far as ranking is concerned, programs are encouraged by the NRMP to rank 10-15+ people per slot. Doing so tends to keep you out of the scramble. From my standpoint, choosing to rank you near the bottom of my list or not ranking you at all comes down to a single question: Would I rather match you or end up in the scramble? The scramble is an ugly place to be for both applicants and programs, so many programs will favor matching.

This 10:1 thing seems scary, until you remember that many applicants are interviewing and ranking 8-10+ programs. So, it's not like medical school where only 1/10 people interviewed get in (and the other 9/10 get nothing). Instead, it's like a big game of musical chairs. There are more people than chairs, but in the end most people get a place to sit.

 

[Bill_Brasky]

Not exactly.
As far as ranking is concerned, programs are encouraged by the NRMP to rank 10-15+ people per slot. Doing so tends to keep you out of the scramble. From my standpoint, choosing to rank you near the bottom of my list or not ranking you at all comes down to a single question: Would I rather match you or end up in the scramble? The scramble is an ugly place to be for both applicants and programs, so many programs will favor matching.

This 10:1 thing seems scary, until you remember that many applicants are interviewing and ranking 8-10+ programs. So, it's not like medical school where only 1/10 people interviewed get in (and the other 9/10 get nothing). Instead, it's like a big game of musical chairs. There are more people than chairs, but in the end most people get a place to sit.

i might frame this and place it on the roof of my hospital, to keep me from going over the edge