how to intepret match lists

[iunci]

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Hi, I'm applying to medical school right now, and I had a question about intepreting "match lists." Most of the schools I'm considering have provided me with match lists, but I don't know what to make of them. I want to be able to interpret these lists to see if people are getting into top notch residencies...but I'm not sure what the toughest residencies to get into are. What should I look for on the lists to see if people are getting into competitive spots? Of the specialties, are there particular ones that are notable for how hard they are to get into? Particular hospitals maybe?

 

[TommyGunn04]

Interpreting match lists assumes quite a bit of knowledge, and even as a 3rd year medical student I'm not sure I possess it yet! You need to know which fields are most competitive and also which programs are the top ones in each respective field. For example, if you see a large number of matches in radiology, ophthalmology, dermatology and orthopedic surgery, that's probably an impressive match list. Of course this is a bit oversimplified, but you get the point. It's not too difficult to figure out which are the most competitive specialties...I think I've got that down now...but finding out which programs are the top-tier ones can be quite the arduous task! Perhaps someone else can point you to a good resource, or quickly give you a run down?

I can tell you that Duke has top programs in internal medicine, surgery and ophthalmology, and a not-so-top emergency medicine program since it's only a couple of years old. I'm not sure about our other programs. And I know that Penn has one of the top few pediatrics programs in the country (at CHOP). Maybe we can start a quick little list here for people to add/confirm top programs in particular fields, to help you interpret those match lists.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record though, I'd caution against using match lists to choose a school...in my experience such concerns rightfully weigh in well behind concerns of personal happiness, learning style, location, etc. This doesn't mean you shouldn't choose a top-tier school because you think it would help you match in a competitive field; you just need to make sure you're considering the big picture. In other words, don't choose a school where you might not be happy just because you think it'll help your match chances.

 

[TommyGunn04]

Here's another one to add to the list: plastic surgery! Plastics programs are in quite high demand and are very limited in space. If I remember correctly there are well under 100 spots per year in the whole country!

 

[Fantasy Sports]

Another thing to remember is that if you class ends up being chock full of prospective dermatologists and plastic surgeons... well, let me put it this way, I wouldn't want to go to a school like that. (And if you have ever interacted with a majority of these folk, you would understand exactly why)

 

[TommyGunn04]

Another thing to remember is that if you class ends up being chock full of prospective dermatologists and plastic surgeons... well, let me put it this way, I wouldn't want to go to a school like that. (And if you have ever interacted with a majority of these folk, you would understand exactly why)

 

[DrMom]

moving to allo forum

 

[KyGrlDr2B]

It's pointless to interpret all the match lists for all of the schools you want to go to. Each graduating class is different and if you pay attention, the match list goes through cycles. By the time you get there, your class could be totally different and everyone wants to do something noncompetitive and regular ole places. That doesn't mean your class wasn't competitive enough to get anything else.

I hope this made sense--no coffee yet. 😡

 

[carrigallen]

I would pay more attention to location, cost, alumni funding, NIH funding, reputation, etc. I think that extramural funding is big...it tells you that the school may have special resources to devote towards medical students. Does the school have an undergraduate? This helps with alumni funding. Tuition costs have been rising significantly in areas hit by malpractice crises.

I agree that a matchlist doesn't tell you much of importance in terms of choosing a school. For example, students at some schools do an extra research elective year. This dramatically improves their matchlist.

Another example of the complexity of the matchlist is distinguishing first year internship/prelims/transitionals from the residency. Schools report this in different ways, and some information may be excluded. This makes it time consuming and unwieldy to compare matchlists.

Some schools do not even report those who didn't match.

In general though, if you see a student's name with only an internship/prelim year listed, I think that may mean they did not match. Their name may also appear with nothing listed after it, another indicator that they did not match. 'Not matching' is mainly the student's fault; but I think it is also partially the fault of the student's dean/mentors for failing to adequately prepare and inform the student about his chances.