How many people are interviewed per slot?

[Cerberus]

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Just curious, does anyone know how many applicants typically get interviewed per residency slot (lets assume I am talking Academic program in desirable location)?

 

[Apollyon]

Dude, all programs are academic!

However, I think the number is about 8 to 1.

 

[SoCuteMD]

At the programs I interviewed at I got the feeling that it was about 6 for every spot up to 12 per spot. I think it's about 10-11 per spot on average - which makes sense if you look at statistics for how long match lists are. Most US grads rank about 10 programs, maybe interview at 11 or 12 to be able to leave a couple off.

 

[roja]

10-12 is a good rule.

 

[Seville]

scary

 

[WilcoWorld]

scary

not if you do 10-12 interviews

 

[Seville]

not if you do 10-12 interviews

true. Let me just get them!

 

[NeuroSync]

12 where I am.

 

[NeuroSync]

scary

Easy for me to say, but it really does all work out for the vast, vast majority of applicants. Last year the "magic number" for interviews was about 10. If you have 10 interviews you should feel pretty confident that you will match at one of those.

 

[doctorFred]

in regards to how many programs you need to rank to "feel good" about matching, there are exact numbers available.

per the NRMP, specific to emergency medicine for the 2009 match:
rank 9 programs = ~95% chance of matching
rank 10 programs = ~96% chance
rank 11 programs = ~97% chance
rank 12 programs = ~98% chance
rank 13 programs = ~99% chance
rank 14 or more programs = ~99.9% chance

just for comparison's sake.. here are the same numbers for plastic surgery, 2009 match:
9 programs = 80% chance (i.e. 1 in 5 won't match! vs 1 in 20 for EM)
rank 20! programs = 99% chance

 

[Seville]

in regards to how many programs you need to rank to "feel good" about matching, there are exact numbers available.

per the NRMP, specific to emergency medicine for the 2009 match:
rank 9 programs = ~95% chance of matching
rank 10 programs = ~96% chance
rank 11 programs = ~97% chance
rank 12 programs = ~98% chance
rank 13 programs = ~99% chance
rank 14 or more programs = ~99.9% chance

just for comparison's sake.. here are the same numbers for plastic surgery, 2009 match:
9 programs = 80% chance (i.e. 1 in 5 won't match! vs 1 in 20 for EM)
rank 20! programs = 99% chance

Ugh, can you imagine going on 20 interviews? I would think you'd be pretty worn out-and broke.

 

[doctorFred]

Ugh, can you imagine going on 20 interviews? I would think you'd be pretty worn out-and broke.

it sounds crazy. even crazier is that the NRMP has established stats for 20+ interview acceptance rates, meaning that some of those derm and plastics people end up doing it pretty regularly!

 

[NeuroSync]

Ugh, can you imagine going on 20 interviews? I would think you'd be pretty worn out-and broke.

I agree. I ended up canceling a lot of interviews last year due to time/money/fatigue. I interviewed at 10 and ranked them all. I felt very safe with that.