School: Top 15-40 (depending on ranking system)
Step Scores: 267/270/Pass
Clinical Grades: All Honors except 1 High Pass (non-medicine)
Research: 1 2nd author pub
AOA: yes, +GHHS
Rank: school does not rank
Interview Invites: WashU, Michigan, UCSD, UChicago, Columbia, UCLA, Northwestern, Stanford, Yale, NYU, BID, and some safeties
Rejections: MGH, BWH, Penn; Silent – JHH, Duke, Cornell, MSSM
Waitlist: UCSF
“Rank to Match” Communication (via email, phone calls, or in person): Michigan, Columbia, Northwestern, Yale, NYU
Matched: Northwestern!!
Advice:
-I went into this cycle with pretty high expectations and was a little surprised by some of the rejections; however, with that said I could not be happier with my match! As everyone else has stated, IM at top-tier programs has gotten incredibly competitive, and there really is no guaranteed formula coming from a non-top 5/10 school. High boards, IM Honors, and AOA still aren’t enough, although a couple of interviewers talked about my step scores so doing well definitely does not hurt
. A few commented on my PS being great, but I honestly don't think it's what got me the interviews - you should still take it seriously. Not sure how important GHHS is, but like AOA it will be a filterable option in ERAS beginning next cycle (link
here). My biggest weakness after seeing the above posts was probably my lack of, and interest in, research and possibly my aloofness towards specializing later.
-I was openly gay in my application and do not regret this for a second – I wanted to be at an institution that was supportive of this. For anyone out there that is unsure if being out would affect your application I would reconsider. It came up in multiple interviews - those interviewers were all very accepting and they wanted to hear about my experiences. Remember to be yourself and you will ace the interview.
-Go to every interview dinner you can, it's a great way to feel the culture of the program. If the PD isn't there, don't be afraid to drink and let loose if the other residents are having a good time - I think my record was 8 beers one night (I left early and the residents were still drinking LOL). The program made it higher on my list because of that night.
-I wrote thank you emails to every program I actually saw myself going to. I would do it again if I could, but it probably makes no difference. Take post interview communication with a grain of salt, yes it is nice to feel special when a program likes you, but you are not the only one they are talking too. Don’t let “rank to match” stuff sway your list, rank them how you like them.
-There is definitely a difference in the types of top programs out there, some will throw you in the wild to let you fend for yourself while others will have some hand-holding and give you a life outside of medicine – find the fit/culture that is right for you and where you will thrive regardless of ‘ranking,’ prestige, or what sdn says. All these programs interchange with each other and once you’re in you can always move elsewhere for fellowship (if that's your goal) if you work hard enough. I chose the latter type of program with the end goal of not coming out of residency jaded and bitter while doing what I love – my home institution was the former and I did not like what it did to the residents training there. Have fun and good luck to all future applicants!
Tl;dr – Do well third year, get some pubs, apply broadly, be yourself and nice to everyone, don’t get caught up in the prestige race, pick the place that is right for you, and have fun meeting incredibly bright, talented people along the way!
