How many programs to apply to?

[EthylMethylMan]

Hey all. I'm an MS4 applying to EM in September, and I was wondering how many programs I should apply to. My stats are decent (235 Step 1, 237 Step 2 CK) and I'll have 3 SLOEs (2 from home, one from away) that I am pretty sure will be good. I know people apply to more and more programs every year, so I was thinking of applying to 30 or so programs. Does that sound reasonable?

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[bravotwozero]

As many as your time and resources will allow. You can always turn down interviews if you can’t go to all of them.


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[BoardingDoc]

Hey all. I'm an MS4 applying to EM in September, and I was wondering how many programs I should apply to. My stats are decent (235 Step 1, 237 Step 2 CK) and I'll have 3 SLOEs (2 from home, one from away) that I am pretty sure will be good. I know people apply to more and more programs every year, so I was thinking of applying to 30 or so programs. Does that sound reasonable?

I think the WAMC sticky thread should be able to answer this pretty well as opposed to creating a new thread on the topic.

 

[Mbekweni]

At least 10, but it's so cheap to apply to a few extra that you might as well go for 15-20 if you would be willing to go to all of them. I had one crazy friend who only applied to 1 program and was going to go into private equity and drop clinical medicine if he didn't get in. Now he's a resident instead of a millionaire. Oops.

 

[KGflyboy]

I would apply to more if you are able. Check the match data first, but I'm pretty sure the average number people apply for now in EM is far higher than what was suggested.

 

[Got Em]

The average number of applications for US allopathic students is > 50 (48 for 2017 cycle, 50-51 for 2018, probably more for this cycle). Your stats are good, but "average" for EM applicants (Avg Step 1/2 233/245 in 2016 and likely higher now).

With that said, there are so many factors involved. If you only apply to big names and metros, you may need to apply to more than average. If you're okay with new programs, programs in small cities, midwest, non-big name NE programs, etc, then you may need to apply to less programs. Without any other info, I'd say apply to at least 50 broadly.

Remember, it is not as difficult to match, but much more difficult to match at the 1-2 programs at the top of your list, if they are at big name places/metros.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Programs filter based on geography, so the majority of your interviews will come from places in states surrounding your school or where you list your permanent address. Apply to all those, they will be the highest yield in terms of getting your application looked at. After that, it's hit or miss whether a program will even review your application. No program sits and looks at 1000 applications. They filter them down to a reasonable number based on geography and scores, then look at the applications from there.

Lets say you are from PA. You apply to all the PA programs, MD, WV, and a smattering of NY and Northeast programs. Lets say you apply to 30 programs. You'll probably get more than enough interviews with that strategy. But if you pick 30 programs that are all over the map of the US, with 5 in CA, 2 in Arizona, 10 in Florida, etc etc... you probably won't get nearly as many interviews and would have to apply to far more. Because programs in the SE are looking more apt to look at your app if you are from the SE. Programs out West are more likely to look at your app if you have a link to the west. Programs know students choose their residency largely based on their own geographic preferences. So programs use the students biases to try to maximize the number of "matchable" people on their list.

Apply smartly based on geography and you won't have to apply to 100 programs.

 

[alpinism]

The above is great advice.

Make sure you apply to every program in your region. Your best shot at interviews will be from programs in your area since they're more likely to seriously review your application. Once you knock them out then you can add on some additional out of region programs.

Back when I applied I was 8/10 in the midwest and 10/40 outside of the midwest.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

The above is great advice.

Make sure you apply to every program in your region. Your best shot at interviews will be from programs in your area since they're more likely to seriously review your application. Once you knock them out then you can add on some additional out of region programs.

Back when I applied I was 8/10 in the midwest and 10/40 outside of the midwest.

Also, knowing that programs within your geographic range will likely have looked at your application, and places way outside of it probably have not... If you have a place that you think is within your competitive window but is outside a reasonable geographic range, but is kind of a place you really wanted to interview, these are the places that you will get the most benefit from networking through something like a residency fair or emailing the program coordinator to express your interest in the program. You can get a handful of interviews from networking this way, because if it seems like you have genuine interest, the program may actually review your application at that point despite being out of their geographic range.

 

[lucid_interval]

Hey all. I'm an MS4 applying to EM in September, and I was wondering how many programs I should apply to. My stats are decent (235 Step 1, 237 Step 2 CK) and I'll have 3 SLOEs (2 from home, one from away) that I am pretty sure will be good. I know people apply to more and more programs every year, so I was thinking of applying to 30 or so programs. Does that sound reasonable?

Sorry how does one get 2 sloes from home? Is that -one being the EM department SLOE, and another from a faculty member solo SLOE?

 

[theSmurfette]

Sorry how does one get 2 sloes from home? Is that -one being the EM department SLOE, and another from a faculty member solo SLOE?

Yes


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[decgra]

Yes


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Is that recommended, or the next best thing to having no other SLOEs? Also should the person be a PD or someone important?

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Is that recommended, or the next best thing to having no other SLOEs? Also should the person be a PD or someone important?

Generally not recommended. CORD recommends programs only write one single SLOE, preferably based on a consensus group opinion, not one persons opinion.

 

[EthylMethylMan]

Sorry how does one get 2 sloes from home? Is that -one being the EM department SLOE, and another from a faculty member solo SLOE?

My institution actually offers 2 AIs, one in adult EM and one in PEM. I'm getting a SLOE for both.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

My institution actually offers 2 AIs, one in adult EM and one in PEM. I'm getting a SLOE for both.

I've been told there's a bit of skepticism when all the SLOE's are from the home institution (schools tend to thumb the scales for their own students) but since you have the outside sloe I'm sure it is fine.