Match rates are really high!! Why all the Gunning???

[Monica Lewinsky]

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In 2008, 1328 of 1364 total anesthesia spots were filled. A total of 16 programs had unfilled positions. The raw numbers are available here.

In my previous post I was just illustrating common outcomes for an applicant who failed to match. If you don't match in ortho that doesn't mean you absolutely have to do anesthesia. So nothing I posted was absolute, just common occurrences for people who don't match in certain fields.

My whole point regarding the Match is that if you don't match in one of the super-competitive fields, taking a year off, or doing a prelim year, or whatever, and reapplying usually doesn't really improve your chances because applicants look better on paper with each passing year. But nothing's impossible, so if you're really passionate about a field, then be tenacious and go for it until you've just run out of chances.

Do you feel that it is worth it to reapply (rather than scramble) into a less competitive specialty during the next year's match so that you can at least get into a better program or a program in a more desirable location? Obviously, you have to take what you can get when you scramble,but isnt the impact of having to live in an undesirable location or at a malignant program where you would be miserable a reason to sit out a year?

 

[DrDre311]

Do you feel that it is worth it to reapply (rather than scramble) into a less competitive specialty during the next year's match so that you can at least get into a better program or a program in a more desirable location? Obviously, you have to take what you can get when you scramble,but isnt the impact of having to live in an undesirable location or at a malignant program where you would be miserable a reason to sit out a year?

I think that's a personal decision and it depends on how you feel about putting your life on hold for a year. I think if I hadn't matched I'd have scrambled into prelim GS and angled for a categorical GS or ENT spot somewhere with a strong PRS department. I wouldn't have taken a year off so I could apply to categorical GS.

 

[TOMFighter]

It's just an ever-perpetual increase in competition. The avg doc back in the day had a 24MCAT for admission. Everyone just walked into the test and just took it without preparation.

People would just walk into the board exam without studying with aims to just pass. Now we have Kaplan and Princeton reviews with multi-thousand dollar courses and many weeks/months of preparation.

MCAT is at 30 avg allopathic admission, GPAs are rising. Once you get admission, people are studying longer for boards and tests. WHEN IS IT GOING TO ALL END!?!??!

I say retire your guns!!! STop the gunning. THe medical path would be so much more enjoyable if people just WENT THROUGH IT instead of having to fight through it.

 

[DrDre311]

This is a troll thread. Don't try to explain gunning or competitiveness or tests or whatever. That is what the troll wants.

Don't feed the troll.

 

[TOMFighter]

This is a troll thread. Don't try to explain gunning or competitiveness or tests or whatever. That is what the troll wants.

Don't feed the troll.

I would take a picture of my acceptance letter for you, but would rather remain anonymous in regard to the class I'm attending.

Besides, even if I were a troll, the topic is still very relevant.

 

[dr1day]

You must be at or near the bottom of your class since you seemed overly concerned with how well others in your class are doing. Perhaps, if you spent less time worrying about the "gunning" of others and more time on your own studies, you'd be in a better position.

 

[SomeDoc]

It's just an ever-perpetual increase in competition. The avg doc back in the day had a 24MCAT for admission. Everyone just walked into the test and just took it without preparation.

People would just walk into the board exam without studying with aims to just pass. Now we have Kaplan and Princeton reviews with multi-thousand dollar courses and many weeks/months of preparation.

MCAT is at 30 avg allopathic admission, GPAs are rising. Once you get admission, people are studying longer for boards and tests. WHEN IS IT GOING TO ALL END!?!??!

I say retire your guns!!! STop the gunning. THe medical path would be so much more enjoyable if people just WENT THROUGH IT instead of having to fight through it.

Lol...

 

[Monica Lewinsky]

It's just an ever-perpetual increase in competition. The avg doc back in the day had a 24MCAT for admission. Everyone just walked into the test and just took it without preparation.

People would just walk into the board exam without studying with aims to just pass. Now we have Kaplan and Princeton reviews with multi-thousand dollar courses and many weeks/months of preparation.

MCAT is at 30 avg allopathic admission, GPAs are rising. Once you get admission, people are studying longer for boards and tests. WHEN IS IT GOING TO ALL END!?!??!

I say retire your guns!!! STop the gunning. THe medical path would be so much more enjoyable if people just WENT THROUGH IT instead of having to fight through it.

Welcome to the real world...life's a bitch, and I'm sorry you are bitter.

 

[Tiger26]

There is an epidemic of gunnerhea spreading:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul9PgdTXa5o

 

[viper2fast505]

I hate that term, I study hard and I know some people feel that I am a "gunner." I never try to hurt my class mates to make me look better or withhold help when others need it; honestly a lot of the time they help me. But I do like doing well in my classes if you don’t like people like me then you are the one with the problem. I did very well and it feels good, well worth all the work I put into it.

 

[DrDre311]

Read this guy's other posts (like this one).

He's a troll. Don't feed him.

 

[TOMFighter]

Read this guy's other posts (like this one).

He's a troll. Don't feed him.

What makes you think I'm a troll? And what's wrong with that thread?

I begin 1st year in august. white coat ceremony on the 10th...classes around 22nd...

 

[IHeartNerds]

What makes you think I'm a troll? And what's wrong with that thread?

I begin 1st year in august. white coat ceremony on the 10th...classes around 22nd...

...so what you're saying is that even though you've never set foot in a real med school class you think we're all a bunch of gunners?

med school is not undergrad. you will realize this once you, wait for it, just wait for it, actually begin medical school.

fyi if your initial attitude going in is "everyone around me wants to screw me over," you probably won't make a whole lot of friends.

 

[TOMFighter]

...so what you're saying is that even though you've never set foot in a real med school class you think we're all a bunch of gunners?

med school is not undergrad. you will realize this once you, wait for it, just wait for it, actually begin medical school.

fyi if your initial attitude going in is "everyone around me wants to screw me over," you probably won't make a whole lot of friends.

I did a masters, and there were plenty of Gunners in there to try to get a spot. I can only imagine how it is in actual setting.

 

[OncoCaP]

I did a masters, and there were plenty of Gunners in there to try to get a spot. I can only imagine how it is in actual setting.

Most of your classmates will be pretty nice and not gunners at all. Don't worry about them. What you'll find is that the challenge has nothing to do with your classmates ... it's just a lot of stuff to learn. Every day that goes by, there is more medical knowledge. Relax; you're stressing out too much about this stuff.

 

[IHeartNerds]

I did a masters, and there were plenty of Gunners in there to try to get a spot. I can only imagine how it is in actual setting.

Seriously what? A master's program is UNDERGRAD on steroids, not med school. They have nothing to do with each other, just like undergrad has nothing to do with med school.

 

[TOMFighter]

Seriously what? A master's program is UNDERGRAD on steroids, not med school. They have nothing to do with each other, just like undergrad has nothing to do with med school.

You're wrong, bro.

This program was FOR ENTRANCE into med school. And the classes were med school classes (not with med students) - but the notes and lectures were word for word the same. Tests also equal difficulty.

Moreover, all the undergrad ****ups are in the masters program, and when you know that the program is your last possible shot at med school without having to go to DO school or carribbean, what do you think that does to people?

 

[CigarTragic]

This program was FOR ENTRANCE into med school. And the classes were med school classes (not with med students) - but the notes and lectures were word for word the same. Tests also equal difficulty.

Ok, someone give this troll the goddamn trophy he wants, and maybe he'll shut up.

 

[DrDre311]

Trolls lately just sort of suck. Like this guy's not funny, he's just annoying as piss. Why isn't there anyone like Misterioso or Dr. Barry Zlatko or JPH?

I'm pissed about this and would like someone to do something about it. There should be a specific mod whose job is to look at posts which are obviously troll posts and then decide, based entirely on how entertaining the posts are, whether the troll gets banned.

 

[Blade28]

You'd wished you gunned a little more when your on call christmas and new years and your family/gf/friends are over 2,000 miles away and on your one day off on tuesday you don't know anyone to do anything with but just sit and be miserable in your apartment by yourself. So for location you'd wished you gunned it a little bit more.

Ditto.

Except substitute "5,000 miles away" instead of "2,000 miles away."

And add the whole "General Surgery is not a lifestyle field" bit.

😉

 

[DrDre311]

Ditto.

Except substitute "5,000 miles away" instead of "2,000 miles away."

And add the whole "General Surgery is not a lifestyle field" bit.

😉

Aw, come on man, you're in the ATL! There's lots of cool stuff to do in Atlanta. At least you're not far away from friends/family somewhere small and cold (like [insert city here], North Dakota).

Don't rag on the Dirty South--go buy an old Cadillac, wear large sunglasses at all times, and drive at varying speeds around 285 with Outkast/T.I./Shawty-Lo/other ATL guys blasting. It's fun.

 

[Blade28]

Aw, come on man, you're in the ATL! There's lots of cool stuff to do in Atlanta. At least you're not far away from friends/family somewhere small and cold (like [insert city here], North Dakota).

Don't rag on the Dirty South--go buy an old Cadillac, wear large sunglasses at all times, and drive at varying speeds around 285 with Outkast/T.I./Shawty-Lo/other ATL guys blasting. It's fun.

You have experience in Atlanta, I see? 🙂

Where are you? SoCal (man I'd be jealous!)? Or just somewhere warm?

 

[DrDre311]

You have experience in Atlanta, I see? 🙂

Where are you? SoCal (man I'd be jealous!)? Or just somewhere warm?

I'm originally a dirty Southern boy, I can't lie. 😀