Lurker here wanted to share my general thoughts and though it may not be helpful for this cycle, hopefully can be helpful for the future.
I know this might be a stupid question, but what are some of the most important factors to consider when you make the rank order list?
Because almost every program I go to, I really like them all, and they all seem good...
As cliche as it sounds, go for what fits you best professionally and personality. IM was easy, go to the biggest name possible to help for fellowship. For fellowship, choose a program that'll give you the training you want for your career (academic, clinical, broad training or very specific) and ideally a program that fits your personality. I know some who went to a big name program but don't mesh with the personalities or culture there and aren't particularly happy. Those who say to suck it up a few years, I'd disagree, some of the above mentioned individuals have developed a distaste for medicine and/or changed their career plans due to their feelings. Unfortunately, with the competitiveness of GI, you may not get much say in the matter, but at least it's a start.
I'm in the same boat.
Questions I grapple with:
1. Do I go for the big fancy name that will require me to publish, publish, publish.....
2. Do I go for the cush program and accept that I may not be an academic.
3. Do I go for the big city? or small town?
etc etc.
I'm lucky that I have a significant other who will narrow my search down. There's no way my wife will agree to rank a rural program high on the list. I guess in the end it's different for everyone.
Academics is not end-all-be-all that some may think. A majority of physicians are private practice, yet in medicine, particularly during training in academic centers, there certainly is a push of academics>private practice. There's sometimes a sense that academic medicine is superior or that research is all that matters, call it ivory-tower medicine, but many times it is unrealistic or just insignificant in the real world.
besides the thank-you email, are you guys sending a follow up email this week before ROL to express interest? Not sure if this is going to help?
Telling your #1 program can help, maybe it won't move you from the bottom to the top, but it could be a tie-breaker. Programs want people who want to be there as they'll likely be happier. However, take whatever a program says with a grain of salt. A non-response could be their policy, which is respectable as to not interfere with the match process. There may be a generic responses, then there could be responses that put the match in their favor. There are programs out there who game the system, subtly get applicants to rank them #1 or try to find out how the applicant ranks them, then use that info to make their own rank list handpicking the incoming class or making sure they don't go far down their list for bragging rights. All of which abuses the spirit of the match, imo.
