Is it okay to ask a school about match?

[poohbear12345]

Is it okay to ask a school what percentage of their students got into their first choice residency program in the match? do schools even keep these statistics? Ive been accepted to these schools/ going for second look/ cant seem to find the stats online, wondering if they know and if this is considered kosher to ask?

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[Brachyury]

Is it okay to ask a school what percentage of their students got into their first choice residency program in the match? do schools even keep these statistics? Ive been accepted to these schools/ going for second look/ cant seem to find the stats online, wondering if they know and if this is considered kosher to ask?

Considering you've already been accepted, the worst they could do is say "no." Ask away!

 

[alerk323]

They might think you're a meanypants though

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Most schools make these stats readily available, they want you to know. If a school won't give the info and acts huffy about you asking, my first thought would be why would they be afraid to report match rates if they were good?

Remember, too, that there's a difference between matching into your first choice residency specialty and your first choice residency program.

Edit: and I should say that I don't really put much weight into match stats anyway. A lot depends on where people choose to apply that year. If a lot of people want IM or peds in the Midwest that year, chances are the school will get a great match rate. But if a ton of people apply to derm and neurosurg in Cali, or something, match won't look as good.

 

[ppfizenm]

Is it okay to ask a school what percentage of their students got into their first choice residency program in the match? do schools even keep these statistics? Ive been accepted to these schools/ going for second look/ cant seem to find the stats online, wondering if they know and if this is considered kosher to ask?

You can ask but they probably won't give you a real answer. I don't know how many schools keep this data but if they did it would be self reported anyway. Then there is the difference between real first choice and first choice of the places that interviewed you. You'll probably hear an answer that does really address that question like "Our students match very well" or "We are proud of where our students match".

 

[Law2Doc]

Is it okay to ask a school what percentage of their students got into their first choice residency program in the match? do schools even keep these statistics? Ive been accepted to these schools/ going for second look/ cant seem to find the stats online, wondering if they know and if this is considered kosher to ask?

I'm not 100% sure schools actually even know who got their first choice. At least they didn't when I was in med school. Schools aren't part of the ranking process. They only know what people ended up with, and who didnt match. But I would suggest that it's not so meaningful. A place where no one gets their top choice may simply mean that everybody burns one rank on a very unrealistic longshot, and are totally content if they get their second choice.. On the other hand, a place where 100% get one of their top two choices might mean that even with a ton of self selection, people are only getting a couple of interviews. Statistics are never meaningful in a vacuum. I think folks fool themselves into thinking match lists mean different things, but honestly without the appropriate context (ie what people actually wanted, rather than what they got) they are more often misleading than helpful. The mindset is so different as a premed than as a fourth year med student, so it's like trying to use rudimentary Latin skills to read a menu in Portuguese. You think you are getting it until they bring you a shoe with cheese on it.

 

[LizzyM]

I'm not 100% sure schools actually even know who got their first choice. At least they didn't when I was in med school. Schools aren't part of the ranking process. They only know what people ended up with, and who didnt match. But I would suggest that it's not so meaningful. A place where no one gets their top choice may simply mean that everybody burns one rank on a very unrealistic longshot, and are totally content if they get their second choice.. On the other hand, a place where 100% get one of their top two choices might mean that even with a ton of self selection, people are only getting a couple of interviews. Statistics are never meaningful in a vacuum. I think folks fool themselves into thinking match lists mean different things, but honestly without the appropriate context (ie what people actually wanted, rather than what they got) they are more often misleading than helpful. The mindset is so different as a premed than as a fourth year med student, so it's like trying to use rudimentary Latin skills to read a menu in Portuguese. You think you are getting it until they bring you a shoe with cheese on it.

The woman who loves metaphors and analogies salutes you!