Internal Medicine residency - why no match after 16 or more ranks?

[IMApplicant18]

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I have gone on 13 interviews and I am exhausted. I have 3 more scheduled for January (all undesirable geographical location) and is thinking about cancelling those. However, I see on 2016 Charting the Outcome that there are people who rank 16 (!) or more programs for IM yet they go unmatched. How could that be? Can someone really interview that poorly despite having 16 or more chances?

I am freaking out a bit now - seems like no number of ranks is safe for AMGs anymore.

@aProgDirector can you weigh in?

 

[Redpancreas]

I have gone on 13 interviews and I am exhausted. I have 3 more scheduled for January (all undesirable geographical location) and is thinking about cancelling those. However, I see on 2016 Charting the Outcome that there are people who rank 16 (!) or more programs for IM yet they go unmatched. How could that be? Can someone really interview that poorly despite having 16 or more chances?

I am freaking out a bit now - seems like no number of ranks is safe for AMGs anymore.

@aProgDirector can you weigh in?

Not AProg, but some possibilities are failing a board exam, terrible interviewer, ranking all top programs etc.

 

[ACSurgeon]

I have gone on 13 interviews and I am exhausted. I have 3 more scheduled for January (all undesirable geographical location) and is thinking about cancelling those. However, I see on 2016 Charting the Outcome that there are people who rank 16 (!) or more programs for IM yet they go unmatched. How could that be? Can someone really interview that poorly despite having 16 or more chances?

I am freaking out a bit now - seems like no number of ranks is safe for AMGs anymore.

@aProgDirector can you weigh in?

Yes, nothing is 100% guaranteed. Ever. If you interview poorly, there’s no number of interviews that will change that. There’s some safety in numbers, and if you rank enough places random chance might work in your favor even if you’re really bad at interviewing. That’s not a good plan.

As a rule of thumb, if you interview at 13 places, you’ll most likely match. Just don’t be the exception to the rule

 

[W19]

Some people got their CS score late (January/February) and found out they failed; I know one case like that in FM... Ranked 1o+ program and did not match because of a failed CS.

If you rank 6+ IM programs, your chances to match is at >95%... Most people match into their top 3.

If you interviewed at 8+ places that you like, don't waste your money. Are you telling us that 3 out of 2000+ people who ranked 10+ programs and did not match freaks you out? Seriously!

http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Charting-Outcomes-US-Allopathic-Seniors-2016.pdf

 

[bobsmith]

However, I see on 2016 Charting the Outcome that there are people who rank 16 (!) or more programs for IM yet they go unmatched.

You say "people" as if there is some large number out there, but let's be clear -- there was 1! Compared to the 563 with 16 or more ranked programs that matched. And not to mention the other ~1000 matched candidates with >=12 interviews with 0 unmatched in that group.

I would guess that if someone got and then went on >=12 interviews and still went unmatched, that that person had some big (probably new) red flag come up (failed test, legal issues, suspension from school, etc) and maybe no number of interviews would have been safe for that one person.

seems like no number of ranks is safe for AMGs anymore.

Well, if you have a big enough red flag on your application, then yes, maybe no number of ranks is safe.

Anyway, you sound like you don't really want to go on these other 3 interviews. You also didn't mention any glaring red flags in your application (like those listed above, not things that SDN freaks out about like "low" Step scores or a HP in a 3rd year rotation).

I wouldn't go to the other 3 if I was in your shoes, but it's your money/time, I guess.

Good luck and happy holidays!

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Since you tagged me, I'll give you the same answer as everyone else. You're looking at outliers. Even if we look at a rank list of 8 or more, the chance of not matching is 0.3%. It seems not worth worrying about.

I expect the low level of unmatched isn't random -- it's people who interview very poorly, fail a step late (so get interviews, and then get dropped), or who end up interviewing at competitive programs only (although if a candidate is strong enough, that's a fine plan.)

 

[ROBINHO]

I have gone on 13 interviews and I am exhausted. I have 3 more scheduled for January (all undesirable geographical location) and is thinking about cancelling those. However, I see on 2016 Charting the Outcome that there are people who rank 16 (!) or more programs for IM yet they go unmatched. How could that be? Can someone really interview that poorly despite having 16 or more chances?

I am freaking out a bit now - seems like no number of ranks is safe for AMGs anymore.

@aProgDirector can you weigh in?

Are you AMG or IMG
IF IMG you should probably go to those last three interviews.
There is no guarantee that u will match with wuteva number.
If you are an AMG can be a little different