How many programs did you apply to

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

echod

Junior Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
255
Reaction score
6
How many programs are you applying to? I want to know if I am applying to enough programs. Please fill out the following info:

Here's mine

# of programs: 28
Tier: 2/3 top tier or desirable cities; 1/3 middle tier
Board score: low 250s
AOA: no
Honors in clerkships: 1/3 of requireds and all of my electives.
 
I applied to about 30.

I have lower scores than you, 240s/250s, Half honors, half passes, obviously no AOA. Applied to 5 "top tier", the rest are just in cities and regions that I like. Not coincidentally, the top ones are also in cities/regions that I like.

Don't use me as a guide. I am not exercising much strategy.
 
# of programs: 33
Tier: About 1/3 top tier, the rest are middle tier. Only a handful are lower tier, picked for location. Almost all in desirable cities.
Board score: 240's
AOA: no
Clerkships: A few honors

I also have no idea what I'm doing. My classmates going into anesthesia seem to be applying to less programs than me, more in the 15-25 range. But I think I'm less location restricted than them and also applying to more reaches.
 
# of programs: 33
Tier: About 1/3 top tier, the rest are middle tier. Only a handful are lower tier, picked for location. Almost all in desirable cities.
Board score: 240's
AOA: no
Clerkships: A few honors

I also have no idea what I'm doing. My classmates going into anesthesia seem to be applying to less programs than me, more in the 15-25 range. But I think I'm less location restricted than them and also applying to more reaches.

Same exact story for me, except I applied to 28 programs, all categorical.
 
# of programs: 88, both Categorical and Advanced.
Tier: probably mostly mid-tier, with a bunch of low-tier and 1-3 big programs.
Board scores: 230s/250s
Non-Carib USIMG
 
Last edited:
# of programs: 88, both Categorical and Advanced.
Tier: probably mostly mid-tier, with a bunch of low-tier and 1-3 big programs.
Board scores: 230s/250s
Non-Carib USIMG

Please give me some examples of low tier program. I would consider all programs in desirable cities to be at least mud tier in terms of competitovesness. Don't you?
 
Last edited:
14 programs, only west coast + 4 on the east
mix of high tier plus mid
250's/AOA


But got freaked out about Prelims so applied to 20
 
Last edited:
27 Anesthesia 3 prelim 1 TY (prelim and ty only in region i want to stay if i don't get ill just scramble anywhere)
Step 1 & 2 250s and 270s
COMLEX 1 and 2 >700
mostly honors in clinicals
 
Hi,
# of programs: 26 anesthesiology (cat and advanced); 7 prelims (thinking of adding a few more anesth perhaps)
mix of mid/upper only in places i'd live
Board score:220s/250s
AOA
mostly A's with a few A- and H for clinicals
 
66 anesthesia 23 top teir 33 mid and 8 lower/mid 12 prelims/Ty but applying to more tonight
Usmle step1 high 240s
Usmle step 2. >250
comlex 1 670
comlex 2 730
Mostly east coast schools some in CA and spread throughout the states. Should I apply to more mid tiers I feel like everyone posting here is 250s and better kinda getting me worried
 
Last edited:
30 anesthesiology (cat and adv), 10 pre-lim med, 10 TY.
step 1: 233, step 2: still waiting to hear.
Mostly HP, some H's. A-OK, not AOA. 🙂
Mixed east/west coast, about half big city.

One interview offer so far, came quicker than expected considering I only sent them 2 LOR's and MSPE's aren't out yet.
 
Should I apply to more mid tiers I feel like everyone posting here is 250s and better kinda getting me worried

On the one hand, applying to more programs is an easy thing to do if you really feel you need to, but on the other hand you have to take things written on SDN with a grain of salt. Even IF everyone on here was completely honest all of the time, there is a strong self-selection bias going on here. If I scored in the 250's, I would probably go out of my way to post about it, too. Props to the big brains and skilled test takers. According to NBME data, applicants who matched had an average step 1 score of 226. Not 250.

Bottom line: There are plenty of spots in anesthesiology for people like you and me who are NOT hitting the 250 mark.
 
Hi,
# of programs: 26 anesthesiology (cat and advanced); 7 prelims (thinking of adding a few more anesth perhaps)
mix of mid/upper only in places i'd live
Board score:220s/250s
AOA
mostly A's with a few A- and H for clinicals

actually make that 28 programs. just decided to add 2 more.
 
About 50 total - advanced and categorical across the country
Applied to all top programs(might get lucky) and mid tier one - heavy on east and west coast
Steps: 250s
Clinicals: HPs/Hs
Not AOA
Low/Mid tier USMD
Did 1 away rotation/using my anesthesia chair's letter
 
About 50 total - advanced and categorical across the country
Applied to all top programs(might get lucky) and mid tier one - heavy on east and west coast
Steps: 250s
Clinicals: HPs/Hs
Not AOA
Low/Mid tier USMD
Did 1 away rotation/using my anesthesia chair's letter

50 anesthesia?? or 50 anesthesia + prelim's?

50 seems like a ton esp for a usmd with good steps.
 
# of programs: 30 (applied to categorical, advanced, and physician only when available)
Tier: big name programs in big cities (mostly California, NYC, and Boston) plus a few other randoms
Board score: 240s on step I and II
AOA: yes sir
Clerkships: all H in 3rd year, half H/HP in 4th year

I'm currently an intern in a surgical subspecialty making the switch. Lots of research (5 publications, 8 posters/presentations) in my field and currently interested pursuing a career in academics. I believe letters will be an issue though, since I have yet to secure one from an anesthesiologist.
 
50 anesthesia?? or 50 anesthesia + prelim's?

50 seems like a ton esp for a usmd with good steps.

50 with categorical and advanced, another 10 for prelims
I applied heavily on the East and West coast to mostly all the top tier programs (because why not lol) which mid tier sprinkled in which is the total is high. I'd be lucky to get 10 interviews but got 2 already so who knows

Steps: 250s
Clinical: HPs/Hs
AOA: no
Low mid tier Md school
Using Anesthesia chair's letter
Did 1 away rotation at a program I'd put #1 or #2 for me
 
Last edited:
So far I've applied to 29 Anesthesia (Cat and Adv) + 11 TYs... probably going to do a couple Prelim years too this weekend when I have time to find some more.

Step 1- 250s, Step 2-260s
Preclinicals mostly P, Clinicals 1HP, others H
USMG mid tier
No AOA
No aways yet
 
Last edited:
Are many of you applying to TY and Prelims at the same programs? If so, are you just using the same PS for both?
 
Are many of you applying to TY and Prelims at the same programs? If so, are you just using the same PS for both?

Most people use the same PS with an extra paragraph at the end targeting prelim/TY programs.
 
Are you guys using your Anesthesia Chair/away LOR for prelims or just filling it with general LORs from third year along with a medicine chair if your school does them for prelim? I have enough letters to apply without my Anesthesia LOR for my prelim but not sure if it's customary to send the advanced specialty LOR or not.
 
Are you guys using your Anesthesia Chair/away LOR for prelims or just filling it with general LORs from third year along with a medicine chair if your school does them for prelim? I have enough letters to apply without my Anesthesia LOR for my prelim but not sure if it's customary to send the advanced specialty LOR or not.

My school made us get a department letter in medicine if we were doing a prelim medicine year, so i switched that letter in place of my anesthesia chair letter. The rest of the letters I sent were third year clerkship letters (non anesthesia): 2 med 1 surg attendings.
 
Are you guys using your Anesthesia Chair/away LOR for prelims or just filling it with general LORs from third year along with a medicine chair if your school does them for prelim? I have enough letters to apply without my Anesthesia LOR for my prelim but not sure if it's customary to send the advanced specialty LOR or not.

i used the exact same letters for gas and prelims, including a letter from my away. i think the away letters should be included, shows them that youre capable of doing well outside your home institution
 
Which programs require a chair letter? I looked online and I couldn't find any programs that say they require one. I have a letter from our chair who worked with for a few days but I have a feeling the letter is more of a generic one. I have one more slot for another letter on all my applications and i can use a better letter then the chair letter. Does anyone have any knowledge of programs that absolutely need a chair letter. Thanks
 
66 anesthesia 23 top teir 33 mid and 8 lower/mid 12 prelims/Ty but applying to more tonight
Usmle step1 high 240s waiting on usmle step 2.
comlex 1 670
comlex 2 730
Mostly east coast schools some in CA and spread throughout the states. Should I apply to more mid tiers I feel like everyone posting here is 250s and better kinda getting me worried

Whoa, you need to chill out. I had very similar stats, applied to half as many programs and had more interviews than I could go on, declined over 10 interviews. You're gonna be fine.
 
Top