Gauging Competitiveness

[vir0n]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Personally, one of my greatest fears is applying to programs and not hearing back from a single place. My question for the experts is the following: how can I best gauge my competitiveness at various schools? Sure ok, if I failed my step 1 two times I know not to waste my money applying to the "Big 8". But what if that is not case? There seems to be so many factors involved that it is hard for me judge just where I stand. Do programs provide matching data? Should I contact my medical education office?

 

[jdh71]

Personally, one of my greatest fears is applying to programs and not hearing back from a single place. My question for the experts is the following: how can I best gauge my competitiveness at various schools? Sure ok, if I failed my step 1 two times I know not to waste my money applying to the "Big 8". But what if that is not case? There seems to be so many factors involved that it is hard for me judge just where I stand. Do programs provide matching data? Should I contact my medical education office?

There's a ton of great places to do internal med, and some of them are even not (*gasp* - Who? What?!?) in the top 30 academic programs as declared by SDN.

The three things you need to decide before matching to IM, in my ever so humble opinion is 1) do I want to do fellowship, 2) do I want to stay in academic, and 3) where do I want to live.

 

[Instatewaiter]

There's a ton of great places to do internal med, and some of them are even not (*gasp* - Who? What?!?) in the top 30 academic programs as declared by SDN.

I'm pretty sure you're lying. There's no such thing.

The three things you need to decide before matching to IM, in my ever so humble opinion is 1) do I want to do fellowship, 2) do I want to stay in academic, and 3) where do I want to live.

Excellent advice.

In my experience, I thought i was less competitive than I actually was. I applied to a lot of "safety schools" who offered me interviews right away while a lot of other places waited until the deans letter came out. I was too nervous to wait to see if I would get interviews from those places. I ended up going to a lot "safety schools" who offered me interviews right away and by the end I was too exhausted to go to some excellent programs. Had I just waited a little longer to schedule interviews, I could have cut out some off the mediocre programs. Still, how are you to know which programs are going to give you an interivew?

 

[docscience]

Still, how are you to know which programs are going to give you an interivew?

This is where talking to the program director of medicine at your program helps tremendously. Did you ask him/her?

 

[Pkboi24]

Personally, one of my greatest fears is applying to programs and not hearing back from a single place. My question for the experts is the following: how can I best gauge my competitiveness at various schools? Sure ok, if I failed my step 1 two times I know not to waste my money applying to the "Big 8". But what if that is not case? There seems to be so many factors involved that it is hard for me judge just where I stand. Do programs provide matching data? Should I contact my medical education office?

What the heck is the Big 8?

 

[Instatewaiter]

What the heck is the Big 8?

I'm pretty sure its:
Hopkins, Hopkins, Hopkins, Hopkins, Hopkins, Hopkins, Hopkins, Some other place in Boston.