Feeling the Burn!!

[parmed]

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Hey Everyone,

Well first I thought the interview process was stressful, but now, I gotta say, I am in absolute turmoil over ranking. One of my biggest concerns is in being able to speculate how 'desirable' I am as a candidate and translating that into creating a 'safe' rank list. R other people experiencing this? What I really want to know (from veteran match survivors) is how far down your rank list did you have to go? I know some will get their first choice and others no choice at all, but in general, what makes a person safe? My concern is that some of the 'competitive' places like Kessler and Spaulding weren't really my favorites, so they are lower on my rank list...but i realize that institutions like that won't have to go very far down their rank list to fill, so I don't think they offer me any safety being so low on my rank list!! Is my logic off? Maybe. If anyone has been through this... please offer some advice on cutting through the politics, evaluating your 'competitiveness' and creating a match list that will give you the best chances of NOT going unmatched!!

Thank you and good luck to all!! 🙂

 

[CasaElGato]

Since the match uses the "stable marriage" algorithm favoring the applicant it shouldn't matter if you have extra places in your list that you aren't going to match at. It will make no difference if those extra places that you could have never matched at are in or not in your list.

Even if the only place that ranks you within a matching range is 40th on your list you will still match there.

The only difference is to your wallet if you go over 15 ranks.

Hope that helps.

 

[axm397]

In general, most US medical grads will match within their top 5. the match is skewed in your favor as the above poster said, so need to assess what kind of "feel" you got from your top programs and how well you think you did on your interviews in order to decide how many you should rank. Then rank in order of where you would want to go. Also, might help to look at track record from your med school.

 

[MM9]

I’m sorry, but it seems to me that you do not completely understand how the match works. Ranking a program higher or lower does not independently improve your chance of matching at that program. The algorithm is set up so that you do NOT have to speculate where a program may have you on their list.

Take a look at this website and take some time to read through the example.

http://www.nrmp.org/res_match/about_res/algorithms.html

The NRMP matching algorithm uses the preferences expressed in the rank order lists submitted by applicants and programs to place individuals into positions. The process begins with an attempt to place an applicant into the program indicated as most preferred on that applicant's list. If the applicant cannot be matched to this first choice program, an attempt is then made to place the applicant into the second choice program, and so on, until the applicant obtains a tentative match, or all the applicant's choices have been exhausted.

From your question it seems you are not debating whether to add or remove programs, but in what order to rank them. Given the same number of programs, the order in which you rank them does NOTHING to make you more or less likely to match in general. If that sentence doesn't make sense to you, read the website again or ask someone, an advisor or dean, to explain it in person,

Just rank in the order you would like to attend. Don't worry about your competitiveness or how they might rank you. Best of luck!!!

 

[Finally M3]

Hey Everyone,

Well first I thought the interview process was stressful, but now, I gotta say, I am in absolute turmoil over ranking. One of my biggest concerns is in being able to speculate how 'desirable' I am as a candidate and translating that into creating a 'safe' rank list. R other people experiencing this? What I really want to know (from veteran match survivors) is how far down your rank list did you have to go? I know some will get their first choice and others no choice at all, but in general, what makes a person safe? My concern is that some of the 'competitive' places like Kessler and Spaulding weren't really my favorites, so they are lower on my rank list...but i realize that institutions like that won't have to go very far down their rank list to fill, so I don't think they offer me any safety being so low on my rank list!! Is my logic off? Maybe. If anyone has been through this... please offer some advice on cutting through the politics, evaluating your 'competitiveness' and creating a match list that will give you the best chances of NOT going unmatched!!

Thank you and good luck to all!! 🙂

I matched at my top choice. Like Axm said, you're likely to match somewhere in your top 5.

Feb. sucked once your rank list is in. The anticipation killed me.

 

[parmed]

I matched at my top choice. Like Axm said, you're likely to match somewhere in your top 5.

Feb. sucked once your rank list is in. The anticipation killed me.

Thanks all...I think the anxiety is just getting to me a bit. Again good luck to everyone.