How many residency applications?

[Rogue42]

How many OBGYN residencies should an average male applicant apply to this cycle?

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[DocWinter]

Greatly depends on how good of a candidate you are and what tier of programs you are targeting.

 

[Dr G Oogle]

You’ll have an advantage because of being male, but it’s still competitive, and you’ll need probably 15 interviews

 

[Rogue42]

Greatly depends on how good of a candidate you are and what tier of programs you are targeting.

You’ll have an advantage because of being male, but it’s still competitive, and you’ll need probably 15 interviews

Thank y’all for the advice!

Have y’all heard anything about the new “signals” in place for this year and how they might impact applicants? If not, nbd.

 

[DocWinter]

What “signals”? I’m not aware

I agree more interviews the better. I think I matched on 10 interviews and felt fortunate.

I think being a male may have gotten me more looks but I don’t necessarily think it helped in the ranking / matching process. After being a part of the match cycle at my program for 4 years, I am more confident in that view.

 

[Rogue42]

What “signals”? I’m not aware

I agree more interviews the better. I think I matched on 10 interviews and felt fortunate.

I think being a male may have gotten me more looks but I don’t necessarily think it helped in the ranking / matching process. After being a part of the match cycle at my program for 4 years, I am more confident in that view.

This year, they have added "signals" to OBGYN.

So part of the primary application, applicants "signal" their top programs. For OBGYN, we get 3 gold signals (top of the top) and 15 silver (best of the rest.

The goal is to keep applicants from applying to 100 programs, but I also think it really will help programs dwindle their interview pool quickly; and there has been discussion that unless you signal gold, they wont interview you or if you don't signal at all and talk in general that they wont care about the signal.

 

[anonperson]

This year, they have added "signals" to OBGYN.

So part of the primary application, applicants "signal" their top programs. For OBGYN, we get 3 gold signals (top of the top) and 15 silver (best of the rest.

The goal is to keep applicants from applying to 100 programs, but I also think it really will help programs dwindle their interview pool quickly; and there has been discussion that unless you signal gold, they wont interview you or if you don't signal at all and talk in general that they wont care about the signal.

What dumb@$$ administrator thought this idea up?

So they want medical students to signal programs in order to try to get an interview? What happens if the programs you signal aren't what you expected after you interviewed with them and they are either low on your rank list or don't even make it?

You ended up wasting your signals then.

These administrators really have nothing useful to add...

 

[DocWinter]

Huh. Plenty of ways for that to backfire imo, but let’s give it a cycle.

They could have made it less expensive to apply, easily made it affordable, but that must of been thrown out as a silly idea.

I spent close to 8k my year “back in the day” when we had to fly around and internet in person.

 

[obgynprince]

What dumb@$$ administrator thought this idea up?

So they want medical students to signal programs in order to try to get an interview? What happens if the programs you signal aren't what you expected after you interviewed with them and they are either low on your rank list or don't even make it?

You ended up wasting your signals then.

These administrators really have nothing useful to add...

completely agree with this view. They advertise the signaling program benefits applicants, but it really feels like its just another filter for programs to sort through people faster.

 

[Rogue42]

If you all love the signals, you'd also like to hear that they made SLOEs a requirement this year for obgyn too.

 

[PapaGuava]

Yeah I've had multiple PDs speak with me on rotations about my thoughts on the signals, and they weren't sure how they were going to utilize them. ACOG/APGO assured applicants that if you don't signal a program, it doesn't mean you won't be considered for an interview, but we all know programs will use them for different reasons. So this cycle is definitely a trial run sadly.

And yes, on top of it, Rogue42 mentioned that at least 1 SLOE is now required similar to Emergency Medicine.