Program and geographic signaling strategy

[ofmeiosisandmen]

Hey all,

Currently gearing up for the 2025 match cycle for IM. I've been receiving mixed advice from student affairs advisors and mentors within the field regarding program and geographic signaling. Many student affairs folks are advising us to use our 3 gold signals for true target and safety programs, while using the remaining 12 silver signals for a mix of target, safety, and 1-2 reach programs. They also suggest aligning our 15 program signals within 3 geographically signaled areas. They've cited data from past OB/GYN and Derm matches showing how alignment of geographic and program signaling returns the highest interview yield, and therefore have suggested to forgo completely the "I have no preference" geography signal. The AAIM's guidance (attached) also said programs should not be using signals to make their rank lists (i.e. ranking a gold signal applicant over silver signal applicant), although I'm hesitant to believe this will be adopted.

My question is - if you were an applicant today, how would you devise your signaling strategy?

Many thanks

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[Konigstiger]

From my personal experience, I only received interviews from programs within the area I geographically signaled, and even if I was more than competitive for a program, if it was outside of the area I geographically signaled, I did not get an interview. It seemed to me that the other, regular type of signaling mattered less than geographical signaling; I received plenty of interviews from programs I did not signal but were within the area I geographically signaled.

What your student affairs office told you sounds like good advice. If you like a program, I would suggest to both geographically and regularly signal it. If it is a safety program, it may be fine to just geographically signal it. I wouldn't bother wasting any sort of signal on programs that are big reaches, as even when I signaled them with both types, I still didn't get an interview as everyone applying to these competitive programs is going to signal them anyway so your signaling it is not going to make you stand out. Mid-tier and low-tier programs will take note when you signal them, though.

 

[ofmeiosisandmen]

From my personal experience, I only received interviews from programs within the area I geographically signaled, and even if I was more than competitive for a program, if it was outside of the area I geographically signaled, I did not get an interview. It seemed to me that the other, regular type of signaling mattered less than geographical signaling; I received plenty of interviews from programs I did not signal but were within the area I geographically signaled.

What your student affairs office told you sounds like good advice. If you like a program, I would suggest to both geographically and regularly signal it. If it is a safety program, it may be fine to just geographically signal it. I wouldn't bother wasting any sort of signal on programs that are big reaches, as even when I signaled them with both types, I still didn't get an interview as everyone applying to these competitive programs is going to signal them anyway so your signaling it is not going to make you stand out. Mid-tier and low-tier programs will take note when you signal them, though.

That's great insight. It's interesting that you found geographic signaling to matter "more" than program signaling. Thank you!

 

[NotAProgDirector]

That's great insight. It's interesting that you found geographic signaling to matter "more" than program signaling. Thank you!

I think this is somewhat challenging to measure. Geo signals can cover many, many programs. Where program signals only target a single program.

Most likely, programs will start by focusing on their Gold signals. Because students only get 3 of them, most programs won't get that many, but are likely to first review these files. Next, the silver signals. After that, geo signals. Somewhere along that path, all of the interview spots get filled. If not, then review everyone else.

There is certain to be wide program variability. All published data show that 50% of the signals go to 25% of the programs. So some programs will get many signals, and some will get few. Those that get many might decide to only consider signals (why bother looking at apps where people sent 12 other programs signals and not you?), or they might decide the signals really don't help because there are so many of them and hence ignore them.

The bottom line is that there is no best strategy, and you can drive yourself crazy looking for one. Signal the programs you want to go to. Signal the geo regions you're interested in. There are only 9 geo regions and you can choose three, so that's a big swath of the country.