*Official* "IM Interviews Offered" Thread

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I am also from Top 20 school in the South (but borderline FMG/AMG as I am a foreigner who needs a visa. I wouldn't be surprised if some PD treated my application just like FMG's)
My grades are $hit: ZERO honors in any courses/clerkships. Probably bottom quartile of class.
Decent Step I(240). Above average research. Good extracurricular
Awesome letter from a well-known faculty at BWH but no love from BWH which really disappoints me but well... my grades suck and no one from my school has matched at BWH for many years. (except for MD/PhDs)
I am satisfied with what I already have but I would love a few more interviews in either coast to make sure I leave the South for residency. (no offence to people from the South 🙂 )

 

[BStein76]

Zolpidem and Bart

In some ways, I kind of look down on that mentality...I mean I see why med school name gets you stuff, but don't you think board scores and aoa and all those other factors should outweigh it...I mean name of med school only means what did you do in college...your board scores and aoa is what you learned in med school which is more relevant to the residency program...I guess what I am coming down to saying is, maybe more merit should be placed on everything...equally

Maybe you should volunteer to be on the admissions committees and try to change things. Board scores, AOA, school reputation, grades, extracurriculars all factor in the application, but there is always that X factor, not just in medicine, but other jobs as well. George Bush went to Yale, was a lush, skipped out on military service, performed poorly in school and look where he is now. Do you think Eli Manning could pull the stunts he did in the NFL draft if his brother and father wasn't famous? I accept that some schools will add more weight to alumni's children or friends of the program director's family. It sounds like you are getting some of the top interviews so at least you can somewhat be reassured that someone on the admissions committee is looking beyond medical school reputation and loves you for who you are... 😍

 

[DrHeartMD]

hey raph,

Yale is still pretty darn impressive...so I wouldnt worry too much...I am sure other top tier programs will come by your way...have you heard from other big programs at all in the northeast?...I think this whole thing is a big waiting game, and a bit random at best...Your USMLE scores must be decent though with a yale invite...are you sure your "average" isnt another person's "crush the boards"...maybe you could post your stats so some of us who are waiting for yale invites can get an idea for what it takes...or PM them if you're afraid people in your school might find out...as I recently found out, my friends at my school here in upstate NY just found out who I was by username (hi guys, I'll see you tomorrow), so I just advertised my stats to my whole school...oh well...I guess I'll take it as they come...

Dr. Jay

 

[BigBadBix]

I know tuffgong got UCSD today (congrats to you BTW!)...but we all know he's in another league, so I went ahead called them to find out if they knew when we less-than-perfect non-Californians might hear. They said they have recently started reviewing apps and will be giving out interviews one by one, not in a big group on one day. Also, when the program coordinator looked up my application she estimated that I'd hear something by e-mail in the first part of next week. Based on that I'd guess we'll probably see them trickling in over the next 1-2 weeks. I hope that helps others who are trying to make plans.

In other news, no love for me again today. I've had pretty good luck on Fridays thus far, so maybe tomorrow will be a big day! Here's hoping...

 

[cj0415]

hey cj and others,

just wondering what level of med school you guys attend...I have a theory that board scores count more for some of us who do not attend top tier institutions...I think top tier programs are more forgiving of an avg board score for an applicant from hopkins than one from a middle or lower tier state school...in which case the board score might become a neutralizer...from my school last year, we had a few people with 250+ and AOA (we are a middle or lower tier state school) who did not even get interviews at jhu mgh bwh bid and many others...I think this importance of board score thing is relative to the remainder of your app...

hey all, i go to a pretty good school on the east coast, but definitely not a top tier by any means, trust me. generally, our school do well in match, every year, lot of ppl end up in really really good and also so-so places. with that said, our deans tell us, given our history in match, score is not everything (our school doesn't do stellar when it comes to avg board score), whereas 3rd year core clerkship grades means a lot more. as for some of the top tier hospitals, a lot of them are very research oriented, ie half of Brigham's residents are MD/PHDs. as for school, name does help of course, but there are only so few of those ... however, if your school have a history of sending ppl to certain places every year (even 1-2), you will have a higher chance of being offered interview. hope that helps.

 

[mangogurl]

Just received Cornell this evening

Received post Nov 1st
Johns Hopkins
UChicago
Northwestern
Mt Sinai
Yale (new haven)
UPenn
Cornell

Received prior to Nov 1st
Duke
UNC
UVA
UTSW
GWU

 

[raph91]

hey raph,

Yale is still pretty darn impressive...so I wouldnt worry too much...I am sure other top tier programs will come by your way...have you heard from other big programs at all in the northeast?...I think this whole thing is a big waiting game, and a bit random at best...Your USMLE scores must be decent though with a yale invite...are you sure your "average" isnt another person's "crush the boards"...maybe you could post your stats so some of us who are waiting for yale invites can get an idea for what it takes...or PM them if you're afraid people in your school might find out...as I recently found out, my friends at my school here in upstate NY just found out who I was by username (hi guys, I'll see you tomorrow), so I just advertised my stats to my whole school...oh well...I guess I'll take it as they come...

Dr. Jay

Dr. Jay, PM'ed you about your questions. For everybody, 210 step I, 225 step II (dont you love it when everything is divisible by 5!). Yale came in 11/04. No rejections yet (hopefully). But my basketball team finally won a game! But my football team is the worst in the NFL 🙁 I'll give up an interview for a win! C'mon! (VERY good thing I don't gamble.)

Anyway, also heard from places like Sinai, UNC. No other biggies. That's all for now.

 

[DrHeartMD]

raph pm'ed u back man...your app looks solid without the board scores...I'm sure you will rock on the interviews...besides, some of those programs that you got there are pretty rocking...

Bix: Never would've guess you were a lady (being big and bad and all)...I guess you were right...wouldn't be able to spot you at an interview from your username...I was thinking big dude, say 6'2 220, lots of facial hair, huge club luggin guy...

Wishing everyone a little friday morning love

the Jay man

 

[DrHeartMD]

Just received Cornell this evening

Received post Nov 1st
Johns Hopkins
UChicago
Northwestern
Mt Sinai
Yale (new haven)
UPenn
Cornell

Received prior to Nov 1st
Duke
UNC
UVA
UTSW
GWU

those are some ROCKING schools Mango...best of luck

Man, I love seeing the people on this board...its enlightening and very humbling to see so many brilliant people, so bright in their own way...

 

[coogmed]

When I was interviewing for different medical schools, a couple faculty interviewers mentioned to me that it would be to my advantage to go to a school on the East or West Coast because the names of the schools would give me an advantage when applying to residencies. Furthermore they mentioned to me that some schools look down on schools in the midwest and the south because they felt that the schools were less established (whatever that means). However I had a lot of student loans from undergraduate and I did not want to incur a significant amount of debt for medical school so I ended up going to school in the South (without any regrets).

AMEN- Myself, I am from a mid-bottom tier newer state school (nobody has gone to one of the "high end" places recently), still getting good interviews (BID today, BWH, JHU, UChicago) I think this is due to my boards and AOA and feel that even if I had a step 1 in the 230's and were top 15% I would have no chance (I still think rep. is keeping me from UPENN and U Wash...)

really a shame- I feel that step scores and clinical honors should be the great equalizers. If these programs do descriminate on basis of the "school name" they are really missing out on some stellar residents that may have chosen their med school for other reasons (financial, family concerns, geography, etc.)

 

[BStein76]

really a shame- I feel that step scores and clinical honors should be the great equalizers. If these programs do descriminate on basis of the "school name" they are really missing out on some stellar residents that may have chosen their med school for other reasons (financial, family concerns, geography, etc.)

I am just glad I am not going into radiation oncology where you either have to sleep with the whole admissions committee, have your last name on the buildings on campus, or publish in the NEJM AND Nature Medicine to be considered for an interview for 1 or 2 spots (depending on how many faculty members' kids are applying).

 

[DoctorSax]

Man, I love seeing the people on this board...its enlightening and very humbling to see so many brilliant people, so bright in their own way...

Amen to that. Great spirit, great vibe. In fact, I think that one could get a skewed impression of the average medicine applicant if he/she surfed this forum. Wicked high scores, yo. Anyway, I may not post all the time, but I enjoy the banter.

I would like to weigh in on the school prestige issue. I really can't say how it impacts the application. Personally, I never thought I would get into medical school and was so thankful to have the opportunity that I never considered how far the school's name would take me. I mean, I go to what I think is a very good med school in the South, but I honestly don't know what it would be ranked. In the end I think that y'all are right--that the reputation of the school precedes your application. I guess i just figured that the USMLEs were there to even the playing field (hence the name "standardized test!"), but the bias definitely exists.

Also, it seems that if people from your school have trained there, their example influences how you are perceived.

Ultimately, it seems that region plays a huge role. At my school, of the folks applying to internal medicine, only a handful are looking to leave the South. Most are applying in-state or at places below the Mason-Dixon line. I've asked many of them why they don't look farther up north and they just say, "I like the South and it's too cold up there."

I'm still holding out for some of the big Northeast/Northwest programs--hope they give a Southern boah some love soon!

DS

 

[coogmed]

I am just glad I am not going into radiation oncology where you either have to sleep with the whole admissions committee, have your last name on the buildings on campus, or publish in the NEJM AND Nature Medicine to be considered for an interview for 1 or 2 spots (depending on how many faculty members' kids are applying).

No kidding - [insert diety(ies) name(s) here] bless internal medicine! All in all its nice to know that pretty much all of us will end up SOMEwhere, and will probably get a killer education to boot! 😀

 

[metastatic dz]

alright, lets see if this works again...MAN!!...I'm gettin' no love from the northeast, especially Penn and Columbia. I must not be good enough for them....should I panic? Call them up...beg them for an interview? I may start crying soon. 🙂 🙂

 

[GIMed]

Cornell last night....

Finally someone is acknowledging my application. Still waiting on 8 more programs but hopefully this is signalling the winds of change.

At least I don't have any rejections 🙄

 

[raph91]

Doh! Not a single e-mail in a week! What to do, what to do?

 

[stat!!]

This is an impressively active thread. I have gotten USC, UVA, Vandy, UC-Denver, GW and Cedars Sinai. No love from UCLA and UNC (I AM applying all over the country... ) I'm still waiting to hear from some top spots - Duke, Penn, UW, UCSD, Stanford etc. I am assuming the longer it takes, the less the chance, right? Also, I have read here mentioned that contacting the programs is acceptable, "ie - what is the status of my application" - for me this is also to express personal interest, since I am applying far from home with every intention of going. Do you guys think email, letter, or call is the best for this sort of thing? And when should it be done? Congratulations everybody - I am impressed with the quality of programs on this post...

 

[DrHeartMD]

hey guys, today is veteran's day...so that MIGHT be a reason to not expect too much today...just letting everyone know so that if you don't get an interview offer today, you aren't quaking...

with that said...I'm shaking like a saltshaker..."YAY"

Jay

 

[DrHeartMD]

Doh! Not a single e-mail in a week! What to do, what to do?

raph, what's your total program list thus far?

everyone:
I heard from very good sources at the brigham that they will be sending invites through the first week of dec...and a good source at mgh told me no interviews til mid next week

 

[BigBadBix]

Another quiet day for me. At least I have you guys (and women perhaps?) to commiserate and speculate with while the waiting continues...

FWIW, I spoke with my dean today to see when would be a good time to contact programs. His advice was to wait until after the 17th and then start calling, because the ones I haven't heard from (Columbia, BWH, MGH, UCSF, UCSD, UCD, Stanford) tend to invite later in the season. I know there are people on this board who have heard from these programs already. However, think my dean's perspective is probably more realistic for the majority of us, as it's based on the experience of previous applicants from my school, which has a solid but not top-tier reputation (e.g. we haven't sent anybody to UCSF or Stanford in years, but we do have people at Columbia, UW, Cornell, Penn). I am therefore going to try to wait patiently until next Friday. Well, let's be honest, I'll wait but I probably won't be patient about it.

Regarding the best method for contacting a program, I think a phone call is a good place to start. You can find out the status of your application and sometimes get a bit more info. I have already done this successfully with a couple places b/c I wanted to know how much longer to wait before making travel plans. I didn't call with the goal of expressing interest, but in both cases I didn't feel like there was an opportunity to do so, or that the person on the other end of the line had much use for that info. It seems like interest would be most helpful when expressed directly to a PD. What do others think? If you agree, anybody know the best way to contact a PD?

 

[raph91]

raph, what's your total program list thus far?

everyone:
I heard from very good sources at the brigham that they will be sending invites through the first week of dec...and a good source at mgh told me no interviews til mid next week

Jay: 13 so far (Yale, BU, GWU, Sinai, Einstein-Montefiore, Einstein-LIJ, StLukes, UNC, Case Western, Mayo-Rochester, UConn, Jefferson(Philly), UMaryland). Waiting on 9 (MGH, BWH, BIDMC, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, UChicago, Duke, UPenn). I know NYU has my app "on hold," but I don't care about NYU so much since I'd rather go to Sinai so if I get others and they don't contact me before December I'm probably not going to go.

And I heard the same as you about the MGH/BWH interviews. Also, BIDMC does the same apparently if anybody was concerned/wondering.

 

[metastatic dz]

Other than the VA system (which closes down even on president's day), all the hospitals in my neck of the woods are fully functioning today. The VA system is kinda funny...I sometimes imagine this little midget who watches the clock ever so patiently, then precisely at 4 pm, pulls the lever that shuts the entire hospital down. A patient could be in the middle of recieving a cardiac cath, and the interventionalist would leave. At least thats what it feels like at my school's VA.

Anywho, my list of programs thus far kinda confuses me. That is to say, I've gotten interviews at places others haven't, but those same people have gotten interviews at places I haven't. Here's my list so far: Vandy, Northwestern, U Chicago, Mayo-Roch, Wash U, Baylor, U Pitt, UNC, Cornell, BIDMC, Mt. Sinai.

I haven't heard from Columbia, Penn, MGH/BWH, Duke, Stanford, UCSF, UW, JHU, NYU

Hmmm..the more I think about it, that lists looks like the super elite. It doesn't help that my school sends less than a hand full to northeast programs every year.

 

[chicamedica]

Has anyone heard from Mt. Auburn in Cambridge, Mass yet?

 

[Mossjoh]

Hey everyone, its been a while since I posted, I've been at Mayo-JAX during October..cool program. I liked it a lot.

My updated list of interviews:
1. Henry Ford
2. Cleveland Clinic, Florida
3. University of South Florida
4. Mayo Clinic, JAX
5. Unversity of Florida-Gainesville
6. St. Joseph Mercy, Ann Arbor, MI
7. U. North Carolina
8. Carolinas Health Care
9. Wake Forest
10. Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale
11. Good Samaritan, Phoenix, AZ
12. University of Michigan

Declined:
MUSC

Waiting to hear:
Duke, anyone know how to get them to interview you?

Mossjoh

 

[quidnunc]

Anyone hear from U. Chicago or Baylor (Houston) recently?

 

[quidnunc]

BTW, what's up with those late evening Cornell invites?...of course, I wouldn't mind one, though 😉

 

[RastaMan]

Just to clarify the snail mail vs. email issue for JHU. Got my rejection via email today...at least it was a polite kick in the nuts.

 

[Zolpidem25]

OK, i've made it this far without a rejection, but finally succumbed and got my first today. yes, Johns Hopkins decided to make it official, by shootin me an e-mail on the issue. not like i didn't know already, but i'm glad its in the books now and behind me.

the e-mail suggests that i should not be discouraged in my pursuit of internal medicine. so i guess i won't be.

bye for now.
Z

 

[DoctorSax]

OK, i've made it this far without a rejection, but finally succumbed and got my first today. yes, Johns Hopkins decided to make it official, by shootin me an e-mail on the issue. not like i didn't know already, but i'm glad its in the books now and behind me.

the e-mail suggests that i should not be discouraged in my pursuit of internal medicine. so i guess i won't be.

bye for now.
Z

It definitely was the kindest rejection I've ever received...Still hurts, though!

DS

 

[Butter Pecan]

Finally got UCSD last night. My list is now complete! 16 for 16. I'll pare this list down some - I'm planning to go to 9 or 10 interviews. Good luck to all!

UVA
UNC
Duke
Vanderbilt
UAB
Carolinas Medical Center
Emory
Harbor-LA
Cedars-Sinai
Scripps Mercy
Scripps Green
Mayo-Scottsdale
U of Arizona
U of Washington
UCLA
UCSD


(You may notice a theme here - I hate cold weather!)

 

[lasix]

updated list:

brigham
hopkins
penn
stanford
yale
columbia
cornell
michigan
wash u
nyu
mt sinai
northwestern

still waiting for mgh and cali schools.

 

[Zolpidem25]

updated list:

brigham
hopkins
penn
stanford
yale
columbia
cornell
michigan
wash u
nyu
mt sinai
northwestern

still waiting for mgh and cali schools.

wow, what a list lasix. that is incredible. i would kill for your list. well, i probably wouldn't kill. cause then i would be incarcerated. and someone would be dead. and that would just be entirely counterproductive for everyone. but nonetheless, i like your list. good luck with mgh.

 

[BigBadBix]

wow, what a list lasix. that is incredible. i would kill for your list. well, i probably wouldn't kill. cause then i would be incarcerated. and someone would be dead. and that would just be entirely counterproductive for everyone. but nonetheless, i like your list. good luck with mgh.

Ditto. This board has convinced me that there are some AMAZING applicants out there. I suppose I always knew that, but to see how many are here alone, and this is probably just a small sample...wow. Even if I somehow by a stroke of luck get an invite at a place like Brigham or UCSF, I will feel so underqualified!! Anyway, impressive list lasix.

Also, Zolpidem, you crack me up. I keep seeing your posts everywhere on this board lately. How could you not be to 100+ yet? By the way, I just found a good little icon for you to use until you get there: .

 

[ucladukes]

Finally got UCSD last night. My list is now complete! 16 for 16. I'll pare this list down some - I'm planning to go to 9 or 10 interviews. Good luck to all!

UVA
UNC
Duke
Vanderbilt
UAB
Carolinas Medical Center
Emory
Harbor-LA
Cedars-Sinai
Scripps Mercy
Scripps Green
Mayo-Scottsdale
U of Arizona
U of Washington
UCLA
UCSD


(You may notice a theme here - I hate cold weather!)

Since you only want to go on 9 or 10, I would call and cancel Harbor-UCLA, Scripps-Green and Emory (since they are the ones I am waiting for 🙂 .

J/K that is a pretty sweet list

 

[oliviakler99]

I've been perusing these boards for a weeks now - there's lots of helpful info and i figured it was time for me to post...

Interviews:
GW
UNC
Duke
UPenn
Northwestern
BU
BIDMC
OHSU

Rejections: JHU...I wasn't planning on interviewing there to begin with. Great name, but I don't know if the personality there is the right fit for me; have similar concerns regarding Duke and may cancel that interview. But it still hurts to get rejected 🙁

Awaiting: MGH, BWH, UCSF, UCSD, U of C, Cook County, Univ. of Washington (want oh so badly to hear from BWH, UCSF, and UW)

Plan on going on 8-10 interviews; waiting to hear from more schools to decide.

About me:
Step I: 230
Step IICK: 257
Step IICS: December
AOA
Lots of research experience/handful of publications
Preclinical: Mostly HPs with a few passes, and a few more honors
Clinical: All honors with the exception of HP in OB/GYN and Neuro, Honors in
Medicine AI

Congrats to everyone on their interviews and good luck; hope to run into some of you on the interview trail 🙂

 

[oliviakler99]

Oops, also awaiting Stanford and Emory

 

[ucladukes]

No love today either

I am going to attempt this whine and get interviews thing that seems to be working for some of my comrades.

"God....Be nice"

Now let me go and check my e-mail ................ damn! Nothing.

 

[quidnunc]

As a rule of thumb, how many schools do you usually rank in order to feel comfortable that you'll get into at least one of them ?(eg. rank 5 - safe to assume you'll get into at least one of those five programs?). Or is it pretty much random, depending on how strong you feel your interview went/strength of application? Thanks.

 

[Zolpidem25]

As a rule of thumb, how many schools do you usually rank in order to feel comfortable that you'll get into at least one of them ?(eg. rank 5 - safe to assume you'll get into at least one of those five programs?). Or is it pretty much random, depending on how strong you feel your interview went/strength of application? Thanks.

Well, if you were to ask DrNick2006, he'd give you a very simple and straightforward explanation of how to determine how many to rank, based on a confidence interval, a p-value, and RR or something....

😀 😉

 

[Zolpidem25]

Ditto. This board has convinced me that there are some AMAZING applicants out there. I suppose I always knew that, but to see how many are here alone, and this is probably just a small sample...wow. Even if I somehow by a stroke of luck get an invite at a place like Brigham or UCSF, I will feel so underqualified!! Anyway, impressive list lasix.

Also, Zolpidem, you crack me up. I keep seeing your posts everywhere on this board lately. How could you not be to 100+ yet? By the way, I just found a good little icon for you to use until you get there: .

hey BigBadBix -- i'm very very close now..... 100+ is just around the corner. i can almost taste sweet victory.

now 500+, that's a whole different ballgame.

thanks for the icon. how do i get an avatar? can i just use any pic, or does it have a special format or something?

Z

 

[Zolpidem25]

hey BigBadBix -- i'm very very close now..... 100+ is just around the corner. i can almost taste sweet victory.

now 500+, that's a whole different ballgame.

thanks for the icon. how do i get an avatar? can i just use any pic, or does it have a special format or something?

Z

ah, cool cool. love this site man. good thing i didn't discover it until 4th year, or else I would have been saa - croood

 

[inositide]

Out of all of the lists, I think Lasix' is most impressive. The application must be absolutely superb because it looks none of the very top programs in the country could turn it down. I will know that MGH is sending out interviews when Lasix gets his/her invite.

 

[metastatic dz]

well...it took this long, but I got my first rejection today. I'm guessing by the other posts, today was the giant "screw you" day from Hopkins. Well, if they don't want an AOA with a 250 step 1, there are obviously much better candidates than myself.

To be honest, this doesn't bother me that much, I really had no intention of ever living in the slums of baltimore. But if Penn, Columbia or Duke reject me, I may have to kill someone. jk

 

[BigBadBix]

Out of all of the lists, I think Lasix' is most impressive. The application must be absolutely superb because it looks none of the very top programs in the country could turn it down. I will know that MGH is sending out interviews when Lasix gets his/her invite.

I agree - that is one great set of invites. But I think it is also evidence of the randomness of the process. Here lasix has this stellar list of invites and yet is waiting for "cali schools," presumably including UCSF. And UCSF has invited several others who may or may have not have heard from all these other places like BWH and Columbia. Now I'm sure lasix will get an invite from UCSF (assuming he/she applied there), but it's strange that it hasn't come through yet. In a way it gives me hope that receiving invites later is not necessarily a sign that one is a weaker applicant.

 

[oliviakler99]

As a rule of thumb, how many schools do you usually rank in order to feel comfortable that you'll get into at least one of them ?(eg. rank 5 - safe to assume you'll get into at least one of those five programs?). Or is it pretty much random, depending on how strong you feel your interview went/strength of application? Thanks.

I plan on ranking at least five, but it's a personal decision (I can't handle the advanced calculations I've seen in other forums). You really can't tell - I've heard from people that they ended up not matching at programs where the program directors suggested that they would be ranked highly by the program. I don't think there's any point in ranking more than 10-15 places unless you're really unsure of your standing with those programs. I'd stick with a handful of programs, definitely no place that you wouldn't be happy being at next year. Just my two cents...

 

[InternalWhizzzz]

I plan on ranking at least five, but it's a personal decision (I can't handle the advanced calculations I've seen in other forums). You really can't tell - I've heard from people that they ended up not matching at programs where the program directors suggested that they would be ranked highly by the program. I don't think there's any point in ranking more than 10-15 places unless you're really unsure of your standing with those programs. I'd stick with a handful of programs, definitely no place that you wouldn't be happy being at next year. Just my two cents...

this is really important guys, not to OVERANK...it might seem like an underestimation..

I had a friend who ranked 15 programs, and then on match day she got into a program that she didnt even like that much. She started crying and sobbing profusely...she had a step 1 and 2 in teh 99th percentile..

this what really got to her, another classmate of hers, didnt match into internal medicine at all, he flunked both step 1 and 2. So he was going to do research...Lo and behold, that was the year Vanderbilt had open spots, he scrambled and got into Vandy!

She was really pissed, that someone like that, got in the back door. However, she could no longer apply to the vandy program, since she had RANKED A program..had she didnt rank it, she could have also scrambled to vandy..

MORAL OF THE STORY, dont rank every school you go to...more importantly, DONT RANK A PROGRAM, which you have doubts about wanting to go, or the location might be bad..

cuz on match day, you might get that choice, and some other person who didnt match, will scramble into a very good program! 🙄

 

[Zolpidem25]

this is really important guys, not to OVERANK...it might seem like an underestimation..

I had a friend who ranked 15 programs, and then on match day she got into a program that she didnt even like that much. She started crying and sobbing profusely...she had a step 1 and 2 in teh 99th percentile..

this what really got to her, another classmate of hers, didnt match into internal medicine at all, he flunked both step 1 and 2. So he was going to do research...Lo and behold, that was the year Vanderbilt had open spots, he scrambled and got into Vandy!

She was really pissed, that someone like that, got in the back door. However, she could no longer apply to the vandy program, since she had RANKED A program..had she didnt rank it, she could have also scrambled to vandy..

MORAL OF THE STORY, dont rank every school you go to...more importantly, DONT RANK A PROGRAM, which you have doubts about wanting to go, or the location might be bad..

cuz on match day, you might get that choice, and some other person who didnt match, will scramble into a very good program! 🙄

well, you definitely should never rank a program that you would not want to go to... but, if it just so happens, that you really do genuinely like 10 programs, and you could honestly see yourself being at any of them -- then what's the harm in ranking all 10 of them? just be sure to put the in the RIGHT ORDER of your interest. then, even if you match into your 10th choice, you'll know that you did all you could to get into the first 9, and you still end up somewhere you wouldn't mind going...

of course, if you interview at 15 places and you only like 4 of them, then you would have a much smaller rank list.

the thought of not including some of the programs that i like somewhere lower on the rank list for the sole purpose of later having the option of scrambling into one of them scares the crap out of me. that's almost a self-defeatist attitude.

 

[Zolpidem25]

this is really important guys, not to OVERANK...it might seem like an underestimation..

I had a friend who ranked 15 programs, and then on match day she got into a program that she didnt even like that much. She started crying and sobbing profusely...she had a step 1 and 2 in teh 99th percentile..

this what really got to her, another classmate of hers, didnt match into internal medicine at all, he flunked both step 1 and 2. So he was going to do research...Lo and behold, that was the year Vanderbilt had open spots, he scrambled and got into Vandy!

She was really pissed, that someone like that, got in the back door. However, she could no longer apply to the vandy program, since she had RANKED A program..had she didnt rank it, she could have also scrambled to vandy..

furthermore -- if she hadn't ranked Vandy, she still wouldn't have been able to scramble into it, because she was already matched with the program that she didn't like. so not including Vandy on her rank list wouldn't have solved her problem. rather, not including the program that she didn't really like (which she ultimately matched) would have solved the problem.

 

[inositide]

There is no doubt that the programs are looking at the geographics of the applicant pool. I would guess that one reason that someone who is AOA with step 1 250 does not get an invite from hopkins yet gets invites all over the west coast is that the person may have never lived on the east coast, never been to school on the east coast, and the application is strong enough that hopkins can be reasonably sure that this applicant will match out west and may only be using hopkins as a "testing ground" for his/her application. Otherwise, how does one explain that an AOA with step 1 250 doesnt get an invite from hopkins? (assuming that the letters of rec and MSPE are all positive with no singularly devastating comments).

 

[jadedbearsprite]

I got my interview date from JHU today, which was my second choice, but then found that the other program I had already scheduled for that date cannot be rescheduled. I'm trying to reschedule my JHU interview now. Anyone else trying to do the same? Also, does that look bad?