Match stats for the entering class of 2015

[Gfunk6]

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Each year we request users anonymously post their match statistics (whether or not they successfully matched) in the format below.

Cheers,

G

--Board Scores:
--AOA and class rank: if known
--GPA:
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc)
--Research: (none, some radonc with no publications, radonc publications, other pubs)
--Honors in clerkships: (especially surgery, medicine and radonc)
--# and where you did away rotations:
--# of programs you applied to:
--Where invited for interviews:
--Where matched:
--Matched at what number on rank list:
--Anything that helped your app: (ie: a phone call to a program, big-wig letter of recs, MD/PhD, other degree, SDN Forum, etc)
--Plans if not matched:
--Prelim year:
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list:
--Other:

 

[Quetzal479]

• Board Scores: Step 1 223 (yeah, yeah, I know); Step 2 250
• AOA and class rank: not AOA, class rank unknown
• GPA: 3.94 grad school; no number grades in med school, about 2/3 Honors
• Reputation of medical school: enh, top 50?
• Research: MD/PhD, tumor immunology research; 9 publications (1 rad onc related), 16 presentations (10 poster, 6 oral; 2 rad onc-related)
• Honors in clerkships: honors in all "honor-able" clerkships except Pediatrics, OB/Gyn
• No away rotations
• Applied to 64 programs
• Invited for interviews: attended - Arizona, Buffalo, Stanford, NYU, Wake Forest, Colorado, MUSC, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins; cancelled/didn't attend - Indiana, Louisville, UPMC, Thomas Jefferson, Rochester, SUNY Downstate, VCU, UNC
• Matched: Top-tier program; my #1
• Anything that helped app: MD/Phd, tumor immunology research, great letter of rec from PhD PI
• Plans if not matched: um, really hope to match?
  
• Prelim year: prelim surgery (as planned) at home institution
• Matched at what number of prelim yr: #1 (and only)

 

[Foosball]

--Board Scores: 260s/260s
--AOA and class rank: No/top 10
--Reputation of medical school: Not top 50, no home program
--Research: MD/PhD with 4 first author (8 total), 1 rad onc specific under review manuscript/1 rad onc poster,
--Honors in clerkships: Honors in all clerkships
--# and where you did away rotations: 3- 2 top 10 on east coast, 1 top 10 in mid-west
--# of programs you applied to: ~60
--Which interviews taken: Stanford, UCSF, MSKCC, MD Anderson, Emory, WashU, UChicago, Wisconsin, UT Southwestern, UAB, Iowa, Duke, NYU, UPenn, Colorado
--Where matched: Top 15 program
--Matched at what number on rank list: #8
--Anything that helped your app: MD/PhD, big-wig letters from aways.
--Plans if not matched:.....

 

[MadRadLad]

In such a small field as Rad Onc is, is there any known stat on how many successful applicants per cycle end up being PhDs? It seems like when considering the numbers, an MD-only student would have to consider that many PhDs also choose this field and are successful because of their strong research backgrounds. Which kind of puts an MD student at a disadvantage to begin with, no? To be clear, i'm not denigrating PhDs by any means, just saying that they seem to make up a significant chunk of strong applicants to an already small field. Wondering how that affects the average applicant.

 

[californiaXRT]

I encourage more people to post in this thread, but just so someone doesn't overlook this, a lot of data has been compiled in the Google Doc for this year as well:




Step scores, phd status, aways, number interviews, # ranked on match list - nearly 50 applicants have entered their stats

 

[SJSM001]

In such a small field as Rad Onc is, is there any known stat on how many successful applicants per cycle end up being PhDs? It seems like when considering the numbers, an MD-only student would have to consider that many PhDs also choose this field and are successful because of their strong research backgrounds. Which kind of puts an MD student at a disadvantage to begin with, no? To be clear, i'm not denigrating PhDs by any means, just saying that they seem to make up a significant chunk of strong applicants to an already small field. Wondering how that affects the average applicant.

Yes.

 

[couchkick]

Google the charting outcomes 2014. My understanding is that MD PhDs only make up 25% of the applicants. They are going to be top applicants for the top tier places but I wouldn't say you are at a disadvantage if you don't have a PhD. Perhaps only for certain programs......

 

[md228]

In such a small field as Rad Onc is, is there any known stat on how many successful applicants per cycle end up being PhDs? It seems like when considering the numbers, an MD-only student would have to consider that many PhDs also choose this field and are successful because of their strong research backgrounds. Which kind of puts an MD student at a disadvantage to begin with, no? To be clear, i'm not denigrating PhDs by any means, just saying that they seem to make up a significant chunk of strong applicants to an already small field. Wondering how that affects the average applicant.

I've heard from top programs that they don't like to fill an entire class with PhDs. I am a traditional MD, and was a little worried about my research since it wasn't fancy science, but was told that I was looked favorably upon because I did the best with what I had. So try to do as much as you can as a traditional MD, and if you have the step score/grades/letters to match it, you will get just as nice of interviews at PhDs. Some programs are definitely more inclined to basic science, and I didn't get some of those interviews, but a PhD alone will not buy you a residency spot over an MD.

 

[Foosball]

I've heard from top programs that they don't like to fill an entire class with PhDs. I am a traditional MD, and was a little worried about my research since it wasn't fancy science, but was told that I was looked favorably upon because I did the best with what I had. So try to do as much as you can as a traditional MD, and if you have the step score/grades/letters to match it, you will get just as nice of interviews at PhDs. Some programs are definitely more inclined to basic science, and I didn't get some of those interviews, but a PhD alone will not buy you a residency spot over an MD.

I completely agree. It seems most programs, especially the bigger ones, want a diverse class composed of people who have lots of different interest- e.g. PhD basic science, clinical research, etc.

 

[Gfunk6]

Anonymous Match Stats

--Board Scores: 224 Step 1, 247 Step 2
--AOA and class rank: No, and unknown, but not in the top quartile
--GPA: N/A
--Reputation of medical school: Not great. Borderline top 50.
--Research: Radonc publications (5-6 with 2 first authors), 6 first-author posters, couple 2nd author presentations
--Honors in clerkships: H in Fam Med, home rad-onc (not taking anybody this year) and one away, HP at 1 one away, P at other away. P in medicine and peds, HP in surgery, OB/GYN, Psych
--# and where you did away rotations: 3 aways (UPMC, Cleveland Clinic, Univ. of Rochester)
--# of programs you applied to: 85 (Including Drexel when they opened)
--Where invited for interviews: UPMC, Cleveland Clinic, Univ. of Rochester, Henry Ford, Iowa, Colorado, City of Hope, UC Irvine, Drexel/Christiana Care, Einstein, SUNY Downstate
--Where matched: Small program
--Matched at what number on rank list: 8
--Anything that helped your app: Research year with productive basic science research, letter from Research PI and one away's PD, both named by multiple interviewers as being very good
--Plans if not matched: Prelim year followed by re-applying
--Prelim year: Surgery prelim (had to SOAP after not matching out of 7 ranks for medicine prelim)
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: N/A, see above
--Other: Cancelled 2 prelim interviews to go on Rad Onc interviews. Ended up not matching in medicine prelim/TY and SOAPed into surgical prelim in my hometown (could have taken a TY offer outside of detroit or med. prelim approx. 2 hours from hometown, but decided on surgical prelim due to geographical location and not having to move). Was panicking when I found out I matched advanced but not prelim. I'm a little disappointed at how far I fell down my rank list, but with my stats and not stellar clinical grades, I'm not surprised. Overall happy I can enter the field on my first match cycle

 

[medgator]

I've heard from top programs that they don't like to fill an entire class with PhDs. I am a traditional MD, and was a little worried about my research since it wasn't fancy science, but was told that I was looked favorably upon because I did the best with what I had. So try to do as much as you can as a traditional MD, and if you have the step score/grades/letters to match it, you will get just as nice of interviews at PhDs. Some programs are definitely more inclined to basic science, and I didn't get some of those interviews, but a PhD alone will not buy you a residency spot over an MD.

Yup. Plenty of people go into private practice. No advantage to a PhD there.

 

[Gfunk6]

Anonymous Match Stats

--Board Scores: 253 step 1, 257 step 2
--AOA and class rank: Not AOA, no class ranks
--GPA: No grade points
--Reputation of medical school: Not sure? 40 by US News Rankings, top 15 by academic objective data
--Research: Rad-Onc research year
--Honors in clerkships: Surgery (HP), Family Medicine (HP), Internal Medicine (H), Pediatrics (H), Psychiatry (H) and OB/GYN (H). Rad-Onc rotation was Credit/No Credit
--# and where you did away rotations: No away rotations
--# of programs you applied to: 35
--Where invited for interviews: AECOM, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Mt. Sinai, NYU, OHSU, Rochester, Tufts, UC Irvine, UChicago, UPenn, UWashington, William Beaumont
--Where matched: top 20
--Matched at what number on rank list: 3
--Anything that helped your app: Research year was key
--Plans if not matched: SOAP --> Prelim year --> reapply more broadly
--Prelim year: Transitional Year
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: 1

 

[sunealoneal]

Awesome, a DO matched into Cleveland Clinic. So far in the last few years I've seen Baylor, Jefferson, U Pitt, UWashington, Wayne State, and OSU take DO residents. I wonder how I might figure out where to rotate for my 4th year.

 

[Gfunk6]

Anonymous Match Stats

--Board Scores: 243 Step 1, Step 2 not submitted
--AOA and class rank: No, 3rd quartile
--Reputation of medical school: (top 10, top 25, etc): Top 25
--Research: (none, some radonc with no publications, radonc publications, other pubs): no publications, some 2nd author posters/presentations, many ongoing projects
--Honors in clerkships: (especially surgery, medicine and radonc): HP in OB/GYN, peds, surgery; P in medicine, neuro, family med, psych; Honors in 3 rad onc rotations
--# and where you did away rotations: 1 home, 2 aways in Northeast region
--# of programs you applied to: ~65
--Which interviews taken: USC, UC-Irvine, Cedars Sinai, UT San Antonio, UNC, Fox Chase, Drexel/Christiana Care, Mount Sinai, Einstein, NY Methodist; (invited but did not attend: Minnesota, SUNY Downstate)
--Where matched: great program, very happy with how everything turned out
--Matched at what number on rank list: #1
--Anything that helped your app: (ie: a phone call to a program, big-wig letter of recs, MD/PhD, other degree, SDN Forum, etc): big-wig letters from my aways, supportive home department
--Plans if not matched: prelim year --> hopefully apply for open PGY-2 position

 

[Gfunk6]

Anonymous Match Stats

• Board Scores: Step 1 260; Step 2 259

• AOA and class rank: AOA, not sure we have class ranks

• GPA: ?

• Reputation of medical school: off brand state school with small rad onc department

• Research: MD/PhD, cancer cell signaling research; 11 publications (2 rad bio related), bunches and bunches of presentations, 2 international conferences related to PhD work (not radiation)

• Honors in clerkships: Family Med, Pediatrics, Internal Med

• Aways; UCSF and University of Washington

• Applied to 57

• Interviews attended: UAB, Wisconsin, MSKCC, MDACC, Colorado, Johns Hopkins, Chicago, UCSF, U Wash, Wash U, UCSD, Duke, UTSW, Emory, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Home Program

• Matched: Big 3; my #2

• Anything that helped app: Lots of diverse leadership and community service. Strong letter from away.

• Plans if not matched: drink? cry? medicine? i dunno.

• Prelim year: MSKCC TY

• Matched at what number of prelim yr: #1

 

[medgator]

Anonymous Match Stat

• 
  
• Matched: Big 3; my #2

• Anything that helped app: Lots of diverse leadership and community service. Strong letter from away.

• 
  
• 
  

I think what really helped was being an MD/PhD stud with both steps around 260, AOA, and rad bio publications. Can't get better than that.

 

[MadRadLad]

I think what really helped was being an MD/PhD stud with both steps around 260, AOA, and rad bio publications. Can't get better than that.

Are radbio pubs harder to get and/or more sought after?

 

[medgator]

Are radbio pubs harder to get and/or more sought after?

Not a phd, myself but imo, yes.

 

[samvimes]

--Board Scores: 259
--AOA and class rank: Junior AOA, no ranking
--Reputation of medical school: top 10
--Research: 7 pubs, 5 first author (3 of these rad onc) (not a PhD, +1 research yr during med school).
--Honors in clerkships: H in all except HP in neuro.
--# and where you did away rotations: 1 home, 1 away ('big 3' institution)
--# of programs you applied to: 52
--Where invited for interviews: 34 invites; interviewed at MSKCC, MDACC, HROP, Penn, Yale, JHU, WUSTL, Stanford, UCSF, UChicago, Vanderbilt, UPMC, Jefferson, Cleveland Clinic, OSU, USC, Columbia.
--Where matched: 'big 3' institution
--Plans if not matched: Panic, cry, rinse, repeat.
--Prelim year: local internal medicine prelim.
--Other: This forum is exceedingly helpful for applicants, and the moderators are exceptional at making this an honest and useful resource for everyone. Seriously, they deserve tons of thanks.

 

[Gfunk6]

Fixed it for you 😉

--Board Scores: 259
--AOA and class rank: Junior AOA, no ranking
--Reputation of medical school: top 10
--Research: 7 pubs, 5 first author (3 of these rad onc) (not a PhD, +1 research yr during med school).
--Honors in clerkships: H in all except HP in neuro.
--# and where you did away rotations: 1 home, 1 away ('big 3' institution)
--# of programs you applied to: 52
--Where invited for interviews: 34 invites; interviewed at MSKCC, MDACC, HROP, Penn, Yale, JHU, WUSTL, Stanford, UCSF, UChicago, Vanderbilt, UPMC, Jefferson, Cleveland Clinic, OSU, USC, Columbia.
--Where matched: 'big 3' institution
--Plans if not matched: make sure I haven't entered the Bizarro world
--Prelim year: local internal medicine prelim.
--Other: This forum is exceedingly helpful for applicants, and the moderators are exceptional at making this an honest and useful resource for everyone. Seriously, they deserve tons of thanks.

 

[Gfunk6]

Another anonymous, chronic underachiever

--Board Scores: Step 1 242, Step 2 248
--AOA and class rank: unknown
--Reputation of medical school: Top 10
--Research: PhD in Cancer Biology, multiple papers published, some in high profile journals, 1 Rad Onc paper submitted at time of application
--Honors in clerkships: Honors in Medicine and RadOnc, HP everything else .
--# and where you did away rotations: 0
--# of programs you applied to: 59
--Where invited for interviews: UPenn, Duke, Michigan, Emory, Harvard, MSKCC, MDACC, Wash U, Johns Hopkins, OHSU, Case Western, UT San Antonio, U Chicago, USF, William Beaumont, Cornell, Vanderbilt
--Matched at what number on rank list: #1
--Anything that helped your app: PhD with research in cancer biology, good publication record, Top 10 medical school, very strong letters.
--Plans if not matched: Prelim year and hope to match to a PGY2 opening
--Matched at what number of prelim yr on list: 2
--Other: I have been reading this forum for years and can't emphasize how helpful it has been. Thanks to all who have contributed and keep paying it forward.