Not Matching

[mikecwru]

At each of your individual schools, what have been the horror stories regarding not matching or matching horribly in EM?

Most of the stories I've heard have been due to people not getting "enough" interviews or ranking only one program due to a PDs insinuation that they were guaranteed to match.

Do you know people that went really low on their rank list? What about people that ranked 10+ and didn't match?

mike

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DrQuinn]

Mike-

since I go to a DO program, it isn't exactly the same... but I knew a student two years ahead that applied to all the DO programs and didn't get in... had to do a DO internship and then successfully matched into a DO EM residency. She had mediocre grades and board scores...

In regards to the MD side... I know of no horror stories, although that's not surprising since I go to a DO school! I often ask though on residencies where the residents ranked the current program they are at. The lowest I've seen is #6. Most people are #1 or #2.

I would be interested in hearing the horror stories though. Bring in on, peeps!

 

[Future EM?]

I always wonder about saying most get their top 1-3 choices. Do most basically tell the top 1-3 that they are ranked high and do second looks? And if you don't, do these applicants still get their top 1-3? I get kind of freaked out thinking that most of these places are interviewing 150-200 and only going down to 30s or 40s on their rank list. I probably can't afford to do 2nd looks at any of my top choices.

 

[mikecwru]

Originally posted by QuinnNSU
Mike-

since I go to a DO program, it isn't exactly the same... but I knew a student two years ahead that applied to all the DO programs and didn't get in... had to do a DO internship and then successfully matched into a DO EM residency. She had mediocre grades and board scores...

In regards to the MD side... I know of no horror stories, although that's not surprising since I go to a DO school! I often ask though on residencies where the residents ranked the current program they are at. The lowest I've seen is #6. Most people are #1 or #2.

I would be interested in hearing the horror stories though. Bring in on, peeps!

A few years back, we had several people not match in EM. I've heard, but haven't confirmed, that there were a lot of unique problems---these weren't above average students applying to a good mix of programs, and going on 10 interviews. These were people doing goofy stuff like ranking only 1 or 2 places, not getting enough interviews, being "bad" enough that they were outright told "You WILL NOT match in emergency medicine," by their home PD.

The class before us, a guy at our school scrambled into a program. I do not know the details surrounding this.... how good of a student the person was, how many interviews, etc.

mike

 

[The White Coat Investor]

My only horror story is a student at my school who was hosed by a bad letter. He had above average grades and boards, but as a result of the letter (which he sent everywhere,) he only got two interviews. At one of the two he was shown the letter. (Not sure exactly what it said.) He ranked both interviews, didn't match, and got lucky enough to scramble into one of the seven available EM slots- at a less desirable program. Moral-Always ask "Can you write me a strong letter?" and ask the secretaries which letters are strong and which ones are OK. Sometimes they'll tell you.

 

[mikecwru]

Originally posted by Desperado
My only horror story is a student at my school who was hosed by a bad letter. He had above average grades and boards, but as a result of the letter (which he sent everywhere,) he only got two interviews. At one of the two he was shown the letter. (Not sure exactly what it said.) He ranked both interviews, didn't match, and got lucky enough to scramble into one of the seven available EM slots- at a less desirable program. Moral-Always ask "Can you write me a strong letter?" and ask the secretaries which letters are strong and which ones are OK. Sometimes they'll tell you.

I know, I am living through this NOW. I got one letter from my home insitution and it wasn't bad, but lukewarm, which anything less than glowing looks suspicious for a RECOMMENDATION. I got rejected by some top places because of this, but I have about 18 interviews, so hopefully the end result won't be as bad. I too had above-average grades (slightly) and above-average board scores.

Another tip I heard from someone smarter than me is get a few letters from each EM institution and stagger these letters to all of your programs (eg, program A gets letter 1, B gets 2, C gets 3, D gets 1, E gets 2) so if you get one ****ty letter, it won't knock you out of ALL programs. But that's advice for the ppl next year.

mike


mike

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Its a good tip, I did it this year. No two programs got the same set of letters from me. Another good solution is to not check the boxes that say you waive the right to see the letter. I know a number of people that have done that. Although it instantly becomes a weaker letter, you will know its not a bad letter.

 

[mikecwru]

Originally posted by Desperado
Its a good tip, I did it this year. No two programs got the same set of letters from me. Another good solution is to not check the boxes that say you waive the right to see the letter. I know a number of people that have done that. Although it instantly becomes a weaker letter, you will know its not a bad letter.

I don't know about that... because, like you said, the letter is pretty much null and void if you get to read it. You can always use a little detective work. I've never had anyone break any rules, but I've had secretaries in the past promise to "alert" me if there was anything concerning in a letter. Unfortunately, I didn't get this opportunity with the one letter than screwed me.

My suggestions to the class of 2004 would be to do the above: stagger letters and get letters from famous people even if the letter isn't stellar. I got letters from (mostly) people who were everyday docs who knew me very well. I thought a letter from Rosen which said "I guess he's ok." would be really stupid for an LOR, but apparently, fame and the content of the letter are a balance.... you should try for both.

mike

 

[Ctrhu]

A few years back, my ex-roomate was really paranoid about getting into radiology although he was AOA. He had the first letters sent to a friend who is an attending at a med sch where he worked as a grad student. All of his letters were good so it didn't matter.

At my school, the Dean's letters were actually written by a secretary. That's 200 letters! There is a format that she uses where she'll mention the grades, board scores, quotes of attendings and residents etc. We could also submit letters of recommendation to the file if we wanted. Several of us got to know her very well. She let me read all of my LORs and I was also allowed to review my Dean's letter. A little change in the wordings and explanations for certain deficiencies were all it took. I had no surprises.

 

[blackcat]

i just waived my right to read them but asked them if they could let me see them. everyone who wrote me a letter gave me a copy also, no problem there.