JoseyCali123
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Do #1 LOI really matter, to move you towards top of list? like how much of an effect does telling program that they're #1 really matter?
Do #1 letter of interest really matter, to move you towards top of list?
- Thread starter JoseyCali123
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At my program:
They have absolutely no effect whatsoever. You can send one if it makes you feel good, but they don’t affect how we rank you. The algorithm works best if the programs and the applicants rank based on their own preferences. I think most programs are also aware that #1 emails are worth less that cost of the electrons rented to send the emails to our inboxes because some people send more than one, some people change their minds, etc.
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They have absolutely no effect whatsoever. You can send one if it makes you feel good, but they don’t affect how we rank you. The algorithm works best if the programs and the applicants rank based on their own preferences. I think most programs are also aware that #1 emails are worth less that cost of the electrons rented to send the emails to our inboxes because some people send more than one, some people change their minds, etc.
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I was just going to say ... no...but agree with this.
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There are a handful of programs out there that like having their ego stroked, but for the vast majority no. They're something that neurotic MS4s who have nothing better to do invented to make themselves believe they have any further control over their fate in the match.
It's probably not going to hurt, and it might make you feel better to feel like you "did everything," but chances are it doesn't matter.
It's probably not going to hurt, and it might make you feel better to feel like you "did everything," but chances are it doesn't matter.
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They make literally no difference. Your interview matters. Your LORs matter. Your grades matter. What a program writes to you after an interview or what you write to them makes absolutely no difference, unless you write something to the effect of "**** off" which likely would have an effect on your position on their rank list.
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Funny these types of questions on LOI are popping up like flies both here, in MD and the pre-med forums.
The answers to all of them from wise and veteran SDN residents and attending is no, they don't help.
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...but they don't hurt. That's what I keep telling myself.
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You don’t know that...
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As long as you don’t sound unprofessional, I can’t imagine a program saying, “We were really interested in candidate Smith, until he sent us a letter telling us we were his favorite program.”
OR
“Hey guys, lets only rank candidates that don’t want to be here.”
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No difference typically. Likely won't hurt. But have heard of a program or two out there that only rank applicants who tell them their #1. These are big time, big ego programs.
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Or “ good grief! This person has emailed us over and over and over that we are his number 1...we get it already!! Wonder who else he is emailing the same thing?”
i dont really think so. i think it's mostly a myth - most programs don't really care about these letters. i matched at the place wehre i did residency and sent them nothing. ironically the only place i didn't send anything to!
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I think it would hurt more than help. Don't beg
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Once I received a #1 email like this, and it had the name of a different program in it. That hurt.
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Hell no
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As a program our residents have a great say in our rank list. If we know that a person really wants to be here and has shown to be a quality med student, or impressed on interview day, it will help us to know that we are the program that person would like to come to. Basically all other things being equal, yes we are more likely to rank a person higher who has shown a great deal of interest versus another which we have no communication with.
D
deleted480308
It means nothing at my program.
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I’m sure it means nothing to 95% of programs. But there’s always that 5%.
As an applicant, if I had 3 programs that were in the middle of my rank list and equal in my mind, and one of those programs told me I was guaranteed to match there, I would move them up a couple spots, since they maybe like me more than the other 2 programs.
Lol. Did you still rank them?
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Same. We rank about 60 candidates from 100 interviewees, and usually end up somewhere around 20s-30s on the list to fill. My impression has been that it's not going to help you if you are in the "probably won't match here" range (not ranked or 40+). Similarly it probably doesn't do much (as far as the applicants chances of matching) if you're in the top 20. But it can be a tiebreaker in that 20s-30s range where people who express interest in being here can get a slight bump (like 1-2 spots).
Even in that case, it's about more than saying "You're my #1." You should be able to give a succinct explanation of why it's a good fit for you.
