IM program invites

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I know a number of people from last year who were DO IM applicants that matched at their 4-6 rank, which is what prompted me to post the question in this thread. Kinda scary. I'm optimistic but being realistic just preparing for the worst so I'm not one of those that's completely blindsided on match day if I do fall on my list.

At the end of the day we'll all be docs no matter where we match, even if it's not our top choice. Just have to learn to detach our happiness with something like this that isn't even really in our hands. Just gotta try our best and leave it up to fate I guess.
I think its honestly reasonable to bank on matching your top 4 or 5 places unless you just absolutely suck horribly at interviewing. Even if the places are competitive I think falling down below 5 on your list is just absurd to think about. I would be straight up livid if I didn't match my top 4 or 5 after all of that hard work
 
See my edit. I put in hard numbers from the 2021 NRMP report for DOs.

72% top 4.

Unfortunately you have to just mentally be prepared to match somewhere that isn’t your ideal place. This goes for both MDs and DOs. Too many people get devastated emotionally when they match farther down their list than they wanted.
I will 100% be devastated if I go low on my rank list. I'd transfer out of the program if I matched below my top 4 or 5
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2021-11-07 at 3.23.46 PM.png
    Screen Shot 2021-11-07 at 3.23.46 PM.png
    95.5 KB · Views: 102
I will 100% be devastated if I go low on my rank list. I'd transfer out of the program if I matched below my top 4 or 5
Honestly man that's not a very good way to go about this, because there is a real chance that happens to any given applicant. Genuinely curious, where do you think you would transfer to? Why even rank or apply to those places if that's what you're going to do if you match there?

This is like the residency app equivalent of the med school applicant applying to Cal Northstate as a "back up" but then being devastated when it's their only acceptance at the end of the cycle and thinking of turning it down to reapply.
 
Honestly man that's not a very good way to go about this, because there is a real chance that happens to any given applicant. Genuinely curious, where do you think you would transfer to? Why even rank or apply to those places if that's what you're going to do if you match there?

This is like the residency app equivalent of the med school applicant applying to Cal Northstate as a "back up" but then being devastated when it's their only acceptance at the end of the cycle and thinking of turning it down to reapply.
I only want to go to the top 5 programs on my list. I want name brand and thats all id be happy with unfortunately. If i get off WL at these other two places id feel much better as id be happy at my top 7. I have to rank at least 12 programs so that ill match id rather match than not match obvi but id look into transfering. I have to deal with the interviews that I got I cant only rank 7 programs
 
I think its honestly reasonable to bank on matching your top 4 or 5 places unless you just absolutely suck horribly at interviewing. Even if the places are competitive I think falling down below 5 on your list is just absurd to think about. I would be straight up livid if I didn't match my top 4 or 5 after all of that hard work

I will 100% be devastated if I go low on my rank list. I'd transfer out of the program if I matched below my top 4 or 5
This is not a great attitude going into the match. If 75-80% of people get their top 4, then 20-25% don't. That's lots of people. Not getting one of your top 4-5 doesn't make you a bad student, and doesn't mean you've screwed up. And every year there's a post here about someone miserable with their match, and then a response months later about how happy they were.

Also, realistically, if you don't match into your #1-5, getting a PGY-2 spot at one of them is not going to be easy.

I'd hope for your top 4-5, and plan to be happy with anything on your list. I know that's easier said than done.
 
I will 100% be devastated if I go low on my rank list. I'd transfer out of the program if I matched below my top 4 or 5
Not to sound like a dick but if you don’t even wanna go to anywhere below your top 4 then why even rank them lol? Someone else could go there who actually wants to. Especially if you dislike them to the point of wanting to transfer out of the program.
 
Not to sound like a dick but if you don’t even wanna go to anywhere below your top 4 then why even rank them lol? Someone else could go there who actually wants to. Especially if you dislike them to the point of wanting to transfer out of the program.
I unfortunately dont have enough Interviews rn so I dont have the luxury to rank enough programs id be happy with that is a safe number. Including WL i have about 7 or possibly 8 i would be fine matching at. Only ranking 7 or 8 programs is playing with fire. Hopefully over the next 2 months I can get some more interviews (safeties) at places Id actually be ok going to. its better to match than not match. Its pretty crappy to have worked so hard to match at one of my safeties but i guess thats a possibility and really sucks. I wouldnt transfer out id just be so salty haha
 
Last edited:
I only want to go to the top 5 programs on my list. I want name brand and thats all id be happy with unfortunately. If i get off WL at these other two places id feel much better as id be happy at my top 7. I have to rank at least 12 programs so that ill match id rather match than not match obvi but id look into transfering. I have to deal with the interviews that I got I cant only rank 7 programs
Bro this is honestly a terrible attitude and you're setting yourself up for disaster.
How easy is it to transfer out?
It's very, very difficult. You have to have the PD of the program you're transferring to sign off, AND the PD of your current program give you their blessing. Oh and they actually have to have a spot available. Imagine how well that convo will go, "hey I know I just matched this program, but I hate it and never actually wanted to be here and want to transfer.... will you give me glowing recommendations and get me into a better program?"


@Deecee2DO honestly you would be better off doing a prelim in that scenario and re-applying...
 
Bro this is honestly a terrible attitude and you're setting yourself up for disaster.

It's very, very difficult. You have to have the PD of the program you're transferring to sign off, AND the PD of your current program give you their blessing. Oh and they actually have to have a spot available. Imagine how well that convo will go, "hey I know I just matched this program, but I hate it and never actually wanted to be here and want to transfer.... will you give me glowing recommendations and get me into a better program?"


@Deecee2DO honestly you would be better off doing a prelim in that scenario and re-applying...
Youre right. Sorry for being a douche
 
Youre right. Sorry for being a douche
Nah man. Trust me, I get it. I had the same types of thoughts last year regarding matching academic GS vs no name community/DO programs. In the end you just kind of have to realize that you've reached the point in the training pathway that is kind of out of your control. BUT, once you get to residency it's all in your control again. I hope you match Vandy, but if you match somewhere lower on your list you can still have the career you want. All of your invites are to solid places. Honestly now that I'm actually in an academic GS program I can tell you that a lot of my fears from before weren't 100% true. If I would have ended up lower on my list I'm not sure things would be that different from the perspective on this side of the curtain.
 
Youre right. Sorry for being a douche
I'm sure it'll all work out in the end and we will all match at places that we'll be happy at. If I do fall below my 5th rank on my list I'd honestly be pretty upset too, it's only natural given how much we've given up to get to this point, but I'm also trying to temper my expectations just in case haha, given how much of a crapshoot this whole process is.

I appreciate the sage advice from @DOVinciRobot, kinda puts everything in perspective.
 
When asked why you chose IM, are you guys going to say because you want to subspecialize?
 
When asked why you chose IM, are you guys going to say because you want to subspecialize?
Just pretty much elaborate on your PS which already states why IM. That should be plenty. I would avoid solely saying because you want to specialize since you are applying to IM programs not fellowship. Try and stick to IM and then if asked about fellowship expand on your subspecialty of interest. You can also add on about any specialty interests but keep the focus on IM
 
any suggestions on how to answer a question asking about a time where you dealt with a conflict in medicine
 
I am planning on dropping 2 academic interviews by the end of this week. Great programs but I'm prioritizing location, so I want to give someone who really will rank those places high a chance. Hopefully others follow suit, we don't need to have 20+ programs on our rank list just to have them there.
 
I am planning on dropping 2 academic interviews by the end of this week. Great programs but I'm prioritizing location, so I want to give someone who really will rank those places high a chance. Hopefully others follow suit, we don't need to have 20+ programs on our rank list just to have them there.
How many programs are you planning to rank?
 
How many programs are you planning to rank?
I will likely end up ranking somewhere between 15-20. There are a lot of programs in my home state (FL) and I was lucky to get a lot of interviews there, and I am going to rank all of those programs before any OOS programs regardless of prestige. So I'm starting to drop OOS interviews that I haven't already gone on.
 
I’m going to an interview tomorrow where it looks like I’m only being interviewed by 1 person ..how normal is this
 
Same. Nothing for a while. I just hope there will be more invites coming in and open dates
I checked for the invites I have most places have January open, so I think anything we get now will be for January or February.
 
I checked for the invites I have most places have January open, so I think anything we get now will be for January or February.
Wow I didn't even consider the chance of interviewing into February... Yikes lol
 
Has anyone had any luck getting waitlist dates from the ERAS scheduler?
 
Dang I see on the spreadsheet that a DO student recently got an invite to a place that I signaled and sent a LOI to lol.
 
Dang I see on the spreadsheet that a DO student recently got an invite to a place that I signaled and sent a LOI to lol.
Were they IS applicants? The same thing happen to me but I noticed they were IS.
 
Were they IS applicants? The same thing happen to me but I noticed they were IS.
Ohhhhh good question. It just said "no signal" so I assumed they were probably out of state too. I'm also in state for this particular program haha
 
i have sent some, but the only response I get is that we will add it to your file.
yea the waiting really sucks...some of the programs I got ivs at still have open spots so I'm sure those programs will be sending out more invites..also according to a couple of programs, there was movement on their waitlist later in the season last year so hopefully its the same for this year.
 
yea the waiting really sucks...some of the programs I got ivs at still have open spots so I'm sure those programs will be sending out more invites..also according to a couple of programs, there was movement on their waitlist later in the season last year so hopefully its the same for this year.
So happy hearing there is hope haha I need 3 more interviews and ill be content. GW seriously though where the heck you at??? when I called they had tons of dates open and they just barely started sending out invites. Also VCU take me off your hold list lmao people are dropping!
 
So happy hearing there is hope haha I need 3 more interviews and ill be content. GW seriously though where the heck you at??? when I called they had tons of dates open and they just barely started sending out invites. Also VCU take me off your hold list lmao people are dropping!
I'm waiting on dates to open for Virginia Tech and MCW...really surprised I haven't gotten a date for Virginia Tech..been waiting since mid-October
 
Just dropped those 2 interviews I was talking about. Feels so weird turning them down still, but I think about how there's a couple of programs I really want an interview at and someone with no interest in the program may be holding on to the invite...I would want them to drop, so that's what I did. This process sucks.
 
I'm waiting on dates to open for Virginia Tech and MCW...really surprised I haven't gotten a date for Virginia Tech..been waiting since mid-October
WL movement will probs open in December and Jan ive been told for many places thats when people really get thru most of their interviews and start finalizing their ROLs
 
In no way am I trying to persuade someone to drop their interviews, but i think it is unfair/ absurd that people are ranking 15+ interviews when NRMP from 2021 states that DOs with 12 interviews are safe to match. it is sad because those extra 2-3 interviews could increase someone else's chances who might be sitting at 7 interviews.
 
In no way am I trying to persuade someone to drop their interviews, but i think it is unfair/ absurd that people are ranking 15+ interviews when NRMP from 2021 states that DOs with 12 interviews are safe to match. it is sad because those extra 2-3 interviews could increase someone else's chances who might be sitting at 7 interviews.
15-20 i could see. 20+ kinda pisses me off especially since the data doesnt lie you are 95-100% likely to match with 11-12+ as a DO. I feel you
 
Top