Hey everyone....been watching the posts here on the forum recently. Figured I'd weigh in with my 2 cents.
Personally I felt during the interview trail that most every program I visited said "We don't have to go very far down our rank order list to fill our PGY-1 positions"....or "We only fell to number 10 on our list to fill 9 posiitions".
While thats all fine and dandy to say to a group of eager to be surgeons like us....take a step back for a moment and think logically. WashU for example had like 30-40 people on my interview day, spent at least $40 per person, and in total probablly interviewed nearly 180 applicants. Why on Earth would they go through all the trouble, cost, and time to interview 180 applicants if they only fall to #10 on this ROL??? Doesn't seem to make sense to me. The fact of the matter is all of these programs can flex their muscles all they want, but the only person who really knows the truth is the guy sitting at the PDs NRMP computer station on match day. My gut feeling is most programs are blowing smoke up our arses when they say they only fell to number X to fill X positions.
For those statements to be true would mean that each and every applicant who matches at these top programs somehow circumvented the match system, (ie. communicated with the PD) and stated they placed program X at the top of their list, and the program in turn placed the applicant high enough to ensure a match. While I'm certain things like this happen often, I don't think its the norm. Especially, everyone, common you all met the individuals on the interiew trail who stated they were telling every program they are #1. At the end of the day, stick to your guns.....rank the programs how you want to go to them, certify the list, and forget about it unitl March 18th.
I had received a letter from a PD this week telling me how much they liked me. While it made me feel good, it didn't change how I'm going to rank that program.
Don't get paranoid that you didn't get a call or home visit from the PD.......you've gotta put your faith in the match system....use your rank order list as it was created to be used. And remember, as we all heard at many programs this year (Don't take lack of communication as a sign of disinterest on the program's part).
I wish everyone the best of luck with the match. It was very nice meeting and traveling with you all during the past three months. And my last word of advice, don't make any rash last minute changes to your ROL.....as the NRMP sent out an e-mail a few days ago attesting to the fact that most applicants who change ROLs (especially within the 6 hours leading up to the deadline) often regret it in the long run. Think logically, weigh the pros and cons of each program, in the words of that plastic surgery enhanced guy on TV with the chicken roasters (Ron Popeil) certify it (well he says set it) and forget it.
Later everyone.
Johnny Cash
The Man In Black
