Limitation with no aways

[EMQUEST1]

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I made a new account for this post because I wanted to include stats. Here is some background info and my question.

I am very flexible when it comes to where I will go for residency and I don't have a location preference. I would like to base my rank list on how I feel about each program after the interview. That being said, I am currently not planning to do any out of state away rotations because my wife and I have a newborn at home. I have been away quite a bit during third year because my school has many sites. I would also prefer not to pay for extra housing, flight, etc or to be away from them more than is necessary in 4th year. Do those of you with experience on the interview trail think this is a reasonable explanation for not doing an away even if I apply to other regions such as the west coast? I don't want to give the impression that we are unwilling to move for residency because that is not the case at all.

Stats: My school is mid-tier allo on the east coast. I am a non-trad student. My grades are mostly honors for the first two years and about 50/50 honors and high pass for 3rd year. Step 1 is mid 250s. I have a lot of non-EM research prior to med school with multiple first author papers. No junior AOA but hoping for senior.

Thank you in advance for your comments.

 

[winkleweizen]

I made a new account for this post because I wanted to include stats. Here is some background info and my question.

I am very flexible when it comes to where I will go for residency and I don't have a location preference. I would like to base my rank list on how I feel about each program after the interview. That being said, I am currently not planning to do any out of state away rotations because my wife and I have a newborn at home. I have been away quite a bit during third year because my school has many sites. I would also prefer not to pay for extra housing, flight, etc or to be away from them more than is necessary in 4th year. Do those of you with experience on the interview trail think this is a reasonable explanation for not doing an away even if I apply to other regions such as the west coast? I don't want to give the impression that we are unwilling to move for residency because that is not the case at all.

Stats: My school is mid-tier allo on the east coast. I am a non-trad student. My grades are mostly honors for the first two years and about 50/50 honors and high pass for 3rd year. Step 1 is mid 250s. I have a lot of non-EM research prior to med school with multiple first author papers. No junior AOA but hoping for senior.

Thank you in advance for your comments.

I have a close friend with stats almost identical to you (with a step 1 a few pts less and a few less honors in third year and none second), He only did one EM rotation at his home (East coast program), and he managed to get interviews at almost every program he applied to, although out of the 4 rejections I think they were all west coast places (Stanford, Utah, Arizona, and OHSU). He ended up matching at his first choice on the west coast


This is only N=1

 

[JacobMcCandles]

As I posted in another thread, I didn't do any aways and was never really questioned on that decision.

 

[EMQUEST1]

As I posted in another thread, I didn't do any aways and was never really questioned on that decision.

Did you interview at a lot of places outside your area? Did you match in a different region? I need a little more info than you posted in that other thread to answer my question.

 

[EMQUEST1]

I have a close friend with stats almost identical to you (with a step 1 a few pts less and a few less honors in third year and none second), He only did one EM rotation at his home (East coast program), and he managed to get interviews at almost every program he applied to, although out of the 4 rejections I think they were all west coast places (Stanford, Utah, Arizona, and OHSU). He ended up matching at his first choice on the west coast


This is only N=1

Thanks! Even an N of 1 makes me feel a little better.

 

[SepulvedaMD]

Thanks! Even an N of 1 makes me feel a little better.

Hate to be the debbie downer here, but there is no absolute way to gauge how doing an away will affect your match. Hindsight is always 20/20. Obviously, many have matched without one. Plus, you have a very strong academic background, so of course it can be done. However, there is no way to "fix" the game here. The math is more complex than just grades (also assuming that you'll get a glowing SLOR from your home institution), so even with your stats you may get rejected you like from places for arbitrary reasons.

In short, you could certainly match without an away. However matching and matching where you want are two totally different things. If there is a place you'd really like to go, then rotate, but given your home situation I might not do an away just to do one.

BTW, is there a neighboring school near you? In driving distance?

 

[EMQUEST1]

Hate to be the debbie downer here, but there is no absolute way to gauge how doing an away will affect your match. Hindsight is always 20/20. Obviously, many have matched without one. Plus, you have a very strong academic background, so of course it can be done. However, there is no way to "fix" the game here. The math is more complex than just grades (also assuming that you'll get a glowing SLOR from your home institution), so even with your stats you may get rejected you like from places for arbitrary reasons.

In short, you could certainly match without an away. However matching and matching where you want are two totally different things. If there is a place you'd really like to go, then rotate, but given your home situation I might not do an away just to do one.

BTW, is there a neighboring school near you? In driving distance?

Thanks. Yes, there are a couple of schools that are close to mine, but unfortunately my school is on a different schedule from all but 1 of the nearby rotations. I am planning to apply for a rotation at that school. However, I hear that doing an away rotation in the same city as your home institution can make an applicant look like they are "locked" into a specific area. Definitely would like to avoid giving that impression.

 

[SepulvedaMD]

Thanks. Yes, there are a couple of schools that are close to mine, but unfortunately my school is on a different schedule from all but 1 of the nearby rotations. I am planning to apply for a rotation at that school. However, I hear that doing an away rotation in the same city as your home institution can make an applicant look like they are "locked" into a specific area. Definitely would like to avoid giving that impression.

I can understand that. FWIW, I did my 2 aways (no home prog.) in southern Cal and still got interview offers from the east coast.