Filter Mechanics

[clement]

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If you get a rejection email, does that tell you whether or not you have managed to get past a filter?

 

[Ludicolo]

If you got rejected, you didn’t get past some filter. That should be inherently obvious.

Will the email tell you why you got rejected, which filter you weren't able to pass through? No.

 

[clement]

If you got rejected, you didn't get past some filter. That should be inherently obvious.

Will the email tell you why you got rejected, which filter you weren't able to pass through? No.

I don't think it's inherently obvious. Why can't an application be reviewed then rejected?

 

[gutonc]

I don't think it's inherently obvious. Why can't an application be reviewed then rejected?

Your app certainly got past some kind of filter, but (and this is the inherently obvious portion), not the most important one. And the main point is that you'll never know if or how your app was, or wasn't filtered, and even if you could figure that out, there's no way to know if other programs will filter the same way.

Also, filtering is reviewing. If a PD only wants to interview applicants with 240+ on Step 1, by setting that filter, they've "reviewed" all the applications to their program. Granted, they're only reviewing one, small portion of the application, but review it they have.

 

[crx4500]

Related question to application filters - does your application automatically get reevaluated by programs when make a change to your ERAS profile? Like if adding AOA status, or (like I stupidly did) neglecting to check the box that says I plan to participate in the NRMP match and not realizing it until recently.
Should I contact programs that I haven't gotten interviews with in case this was keeping me out? Or will they automatically see the change?

 

[clement]

Related question to application filters - does your application automatically get reevaluated by programs when make a change to your ERAS profile? Like if adding AOA status, or (like I stupidly did) neglecting to check the box that says I plan to participate in the NRMP match and not realizing it until recently.
Should I contact programs that I haven't gotten interviews with in case this was keeping me out? Or will they automatically see the change?

your app SHOULD get reevaluated automatically as the system lets them know when they log in for things like transcripts at least...people on this forum tend to advise against contacting progs at this point in time...but i'm starting to wonder...i.e. my bumblefudge of a school didn't upload my transcript until recently...some progs got in touch with me the next day while others that had begun 2 weeks prior (that were not particularly competitive necessarily) have yet to acknowlege anything, so I'm thinking it's not a terrible idea to drop them a line...

 

[atsai3]

your app SHOULD get reevaluated automatically as the system lets them know when they log in for things like transcripts at least...people on this forum tend to advise against contacting progs at this point in time...but i'm starting to wonder...i.e. my bumblefudge of a school didn't upload my transcript until recently...some progs got in touch with me the next day while others that had begun 2 weeks prior (that were not particularly competitive necessarily) have yet to acknowlege anything, so I'm thinking it's not a terrible idea to drop them a line...

Yes it is. Now would be too early to call.

-AT.

 

[clement]

Your app certainly got past some kind of filter,

vs

And the main point is that you'll never know if or how your app was, or wasn't filtered, and even if you could figure that out, there's no way to know if other programs will filter the same way.

in summary, an applicant will never know if the rejection email occured as a result of the usmle score filter or not? i'd tend think that if you DIDN'T get past their filter you wouldn't hear from them...

 

[gutonc]

in summary, an applicant will never know if the rejection email occured as a result of the usmle score filter or not? i'd tend think that if you DIDN'T get past their filter you wouldn't hear from them...

You will never know, which, if any, filters you did or did not get past. As aPD and other PDs have stated in the past, they can filter their apps 6 ways from Sunday. They can run one filter for Step 1 scores, then filter those apps by AOA status, then again by citizenship status, then again by Honors in the relevant clerkship or SubI. Or they can do them all in reverse. Or they can filter by Step 1 score and only look at apps from people below a certain score. Or look at Step 1 scores between 210 and 230 but nothing else.

From an efficiency standpoint, it would be easier overall to pick a first cutoff, keep those apps above whatever that cutoff is and then send rejection emails (a largely automated process that probably takes the PC about 10 minutes to do) to those who don't make the cutoff so you never have to hear from them again.

 

[jackieMD2007]

in summary, an applicant will never know if the rejection email occured as a result of the usmle score filter or not? i'd tend think that if you DIDN'T get past their filter you wouldn't hear from them...

You've got to let go of this whole idea--they rejected you, and that sucks.
Sounds like you have issues with your USMLE score, and that is scary. I think a lot of us wish we did better. But that ship has sailed.

Besides, what are you going to do about your USMLE score now? It is what it is. Even if you found out it WAS the score--it doesn't change what you will or can do.

This whole thing involves all of us taking a big bite of the sandwich we all hate the most--the "You're not in control" sandwich. 😀

 

[fergustsi]

Out of curiosity, can programs filter by anything they want? not jus score on usmle but by age, geography, sex, etc. just curious how advanced this software they use is.

 

[atsai3]

Out of curiosity, can programs filter by anything they want? not jus score on usmle but by age, geography, sex, etc. just curious how advanced this software they use is.

I never heard our program director discuss use of software. My impression was that it was more or less conducted by hand (e.g., flipping through a stack of application PDF's, all the D.O.'s get deleted, etc). Other program directors may do it differently.

-AT.

 

[fergustsi]

I never heard our program director discuss use of software. My impression was that it was more or less conducted by hand (e.g., flipping through a stack of application PDF's, all the D.O.'s get deleted, etc). Other program directors may do it differently.

-AT.

Ha Ha Ha. I hate you.

 

[gutonc]

Out of curiosity, can programs filter by anything they want? not jus score on usmle but by age, geography, sex, etc. just curious how advanced this software they use is.

If it's something included in ERAS, they can filter by it. Not sure if AT is being obtuse or not but there's no way anyone would "card flip" 1000+ apps. They can filter by med school, # of publications, state of residence, AOA, etc.

Filtering by age/sex/race/ethnicity/religion, whether possible or not, would be illegal.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Out of curiosity, can programs filter by anything they want? not jus score on usmle but by age, geography, sex, etc. just curious how advanced this software they use is.

As mentioned, it's quite sophisticated. I can filter or sort on anything -- phone numbers, whether you have a PTAL or not, whether your email address is .edu or .com, whether or not you're ACLS certified, etc. Needless to say, sorting or filtering based upon your phone number is not terribly useful, but I could do it if I wanted.

Also, I can combine requests and hence make very specific filters -- I can create a filter that shows me: All IMG's that are still active (i.e. have not been rejected, invited, or withdrawn) that have all Step scores reported, at least 3 letters of recommendation, a transcript, and a personal statement uploaded, sorted by school (so all IMG's from the same school are listed together) or sorted by USMLE score highest to lowest.

The software also allows me to screen data -- such as birth date, sex, etc. If I do so (which I do), then I can't see it and I can't filter or sort by those variables.

 

[DrScientist]

Does a US-obtained PhD and research experience and publications count for an IMG? Could these show up in a filter too? Thank you!

 

[gutonc]

Does a US-obtained PhD and research experience and publications count for an IMG? Could these show up in a filter too? Thank you!

They certainly could be used, but are probably low on the list of things to filter by.

 

[DrScientist]

Does it help substantially or not really?

 

[gutonc]

Does it help substantially or not really?

It will definitely put you above other IMG/FMGs with similar stats to yours but without the research/PhD. Which means you're now in the 4th most wanted category of applicants rather than the 5th or 6th.

 

[DrScientist]

Thank you for your feedback, it is much appreciated. Do you mind informing me of the top 4 categories of IMG/FMG applicants you have just referred to?

 

[gutonc]

Thank you for your feedback, it is much appreciated. Do you mind informing me of the top 4 categories of IMG/FMG applicants you have just referred to?

You will be ranked behind AMGs with good scores --> DOs with good scores -> AMGs with crappy scores ---> DOs with crappy scores. Everybody else comes after that.