Dermatology Residency Applicants

[dermathalon]

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You are kind of reading this wrong. I believe that data is from the contiguous ranks table. Not just straight up number of total derm interviews (or ranks, assuming we all rank every place we interview).

So let's say someone has this rank list:
Derm program A
Derm program B
Derm program C
Radiology program A
Derm program D
Derm program E
Derm program F
Radiology program B
Derm program G
Derm program H
Derm program I
Radiology program C
Derm program J
Derm program K
Derm program L


Now let's say that the person who submitted this rank list didn't match. They only ever ranked 3 contiguous Derm programs. So on the NRMP data chart, they show up under '3' which I believe you are falsely assuming as three interview offers/three ranked programs total, when it really means three contiguous ranks.

In actuality, they obviously had 12 interviews and ranked 12 derm programs and didn't match, but they don't show up at number 12 in the official data because they weren't ranked contiguous.

Thus we see how data can be misleading. There are undoubtedly people from those data who ranked many more total derm programs.

Dral, though theoretically possible, I doubt there are too many people that are going to throw in a couple of alternate programs in between the derm programs on their rank list..

 

[Dral]

Dral, though theoretically possible, I doubt there are too many people that are going to throw in a couple of alternate programs in between the derm programs on their rank list..

If you go to that link, there is a bar graph entitled 'number of distinct specialties ranked' for US seniors. This indicates that the majority of applicants ranked 2 or more specialties. Also, remember that Med/Derm is not considered the same as Derm.

I doubt that intern year counts as a distinctive specialty, but even so, a decent number of people fall under the 3 or more category.

This could of course indicate the people that rank other programs after their derm programs and don't break them up.

And I know it happens because I ranked med/derm programs interspersed in my derm programs. I ranked 14 derm programs, but my 'contiguous derm programs ranked' was 11. I may be a minority in that, but point being, the original data on number of programs ranked is misleading in terms of number of interviews and matched status.

 

[username456789]

This could of course indicate the people that rank other programs after their derm programs and don't break them up.

I would assume this describes the overwhelming majority of people who rank a second specialty in addition to derm.

 

[pupster]

If you go to that link, there is a bar graph entitled 'number of distinct specialties ranked' for US seniors. This indicates that the majority of applicants ranked 2 or more specialties. Also, remember that Med/Derm is not considered the same as Derm.

I doubt that intern year counts as a distinctive specialty, but even so, a decent number of people fall under the 3 or more category.

This could of course indicate the people that rank other programs after their derm programs and don't break them up.

And I know it happens because I ranked med/derm programs interspersed in my derm programs. I ranked 14 derm programs, but my 'contiguous derm programs ranked' was 11. I may be a minority in that, but point being, the original data on number of programs ranked is misleading in terms of number of interviews and matched status.

On a tangent, that applicant we are interviewing for the fellowship apparently interviewed at 14 programs but only ranked 12 because the applicant was confident about matching and didn't think that he/shewould be happy at the other two programs. However, now that he/she went unmatched, I guess he/she is really unhappy.

 

[dermathalon]

If you go to that link, there is a bar graph entitled 'number of distinct specialties ranked' for US seniors. This indicates that the majority of applicants ranked 2 or more specialties. Also, remember that Med/Derm is not considered the same as Derm.

I doubt that intern year counts as a distinctive specialty, but even so, a decent number of people fall under the 3 or more category.

This could of course indicate the people that rank other programs after their derm programs and don't break them up.

And I know it happens because I ranked med/derm programs interspersed in my derm programs. I ranked 14 derm programs, but my 'contiguous derm programs ranked' was 11. I may be a minority in that, but point being, the original data on number of programs ranked is misleading in terms of number of interviews and matched status.

I'm sure that some people do break up the rank lists if they are truly divided but I don't think med/derm should really count even if the rank statistics count them. I think this is a flaw in their statistics to be honest.

Intern year does count as a separate specialty since you can put it on the primary rank list and it has to be counted. People do this as a backup in case they don't match derm.

I personally don't count med/derm programs differently because it's still a derm related residency that will allow you to become derm board certified. Some people think it's a "back-door" into derm anyway although I'm not sure it's any easier to get into a med/derm program (not sure on this though as I haven't looked at these particular statistics). So in you're case, I would actually say that you ranked 14 derm residencies contiguously.

The fact that med/derm programs are not counted the same as derm underestimates how many derm programs are truly ranked contiguously.

Pupster's point is well taken...you'd better rank all programs you interview at (or have a good reason to not rank) or you'll be left asking yourself if you shoulda woulda coulda which is a really depressing place to be.

 

[Dral]

I agree that med/derm programs probably should just be counted as one entity with derm as it does throw off our statistics from them to be considered separate.