Program Director's Statements

[Peeshee]

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If a program director tells you that you are definitely on their rank list in a competitive position, should you believe him/her, or do they say that just to make sure they fill?

What if the PD tells you that you are not on the rank list at all? Should you even bother ranking that program, or are they just saying that?

 

[Gfunk6]

You should never trust what PD's say unless they put it in writing (very rare). Rank the programs in the order you would like to go to them.

 

[Broken Ankles]

...What if the PD tells you that you are not on the rank list at all? Should you even bother ranking that program, or are they just saying that?

if the pd tells you this, then you can probably take the pd at his/her word. don't see why they would say this unless they meant it.

 

[sepsis]

if the pd tells you this, then you can probably take the pd at his/her word. don't see why they would say this unless they meant it.

RANK THEM ANYWAY. (if you would go there)

 

[Idiopathic]

RANK THEM ANYWAY. (if you would go there)

agreed, but dont count on going there

 

[sepsis]

agreed, but dont count on going there

right-o.

Are you people calling these places up and asking??? Cause, I'd just LOVE to do that but ummm, thought you ought not to.

 

[pdintheusa]

Actually, your only restriction as an applicant [via the NRMP] is that you CAN'T ask the PD where you'll be ranked. That's a match violation... as we can't ask you where you're going to rank us.

I agree with the posters who say that you should rank EVERY place you could see yourself being happy, and in order by how much you like them. That is using the match to its best advantage.

Good luck!

 

[Peeshee]

Yeah, so you can call up the programs but don't ask them directly but allow them time to talk and mention their interest in you.

But, I'd like to know from the PD's point of view that just posted - should we believe a PD when he tells someone that they are in a competitive spot on their rank list?

Thanks!

 

[BKN]

Yeah, so you can call up the programs but don't ask them directly but allow them time to talk and mention their interest in you.

But, I'd like to know from the PD's point of view that just posted - should we believe a PD when he tells someone that they are in a competitive spot on their rank list?

Thanks!

I don't know about PDintheUSA, but I always lie for my own amusement.

Actually "in a competitive spot on their rank list?" is a very vague statement that could mean anything from "ranked to match" to "ranked".

But let's say it again. From your point of view, you don't care what the PD thinks. You rank them in your preferred order and you'll get the top choice that wanted you.

BKN, the other PD

 

[yaah]

It might be nice to know, but in truth it doesn't matter whether they are telling the truth or not. It shouldn't change your rank list at all. The only thing you get out of matching at your #1 is the ability to say, "I matched at my #1" which is great but doesn't really matter unless that's the place you want to go. Rank the place that YOU want to go to first, your second choice second, etc.

 

[ExtraCrispy]

The advice I received was to take every statement with a grain of salt. Unless you're explicitly told "you're ranked #(insert high number here)," or "we've ranked you to match," vague statements like "we'd love to have you," "you were well received," "we were impressed with you," etc. mean only that they're ranking you - period. It doesn't say anything about WHERE they're ranking you.

 

[ny skindoc]

PDs have a job to do.Its to match their program.They will say what they have to to keep everyone on board.I agree that "competitive" position can mean almost anything.Rank the places you want in the order you want them,this kind of statement from a PD does not really give you helpful information.

 

[pdintheusa]

Actually "in a competitive spot on their rank list?" is a very vague statement that could mean anything from "ranked to match" to "ranked".

But let's say it again. From your point of view, you don't care what the PD thinks. You rank them in your preferred order and you'll get the top choice that wanted you.

BKN, the other PD

Agree 100%. I know of PD's who will call/write their top choices [those ranked within the number of slots they have - let's say their top 25 if they have 25 positions]...personally, I find this awkward at best.

Rank where you want to be and don't sell out to someone who courts you with emails, despite the temptation...if you only rank places you want to be, there's no shame in being at #2 or 3..

 

[basil]

I got a letter in the mail from a PD saying "we will be ranking you at the top of our match list". He already knows I want to go there, cause I said in the interview that it was the only TY I had applied to in the city where I matched for PGY-2.

Is this more believable than a PD saying "we would love to have you here" or something equally noncommittal?

 

[Peeshee]

Is it worth taking the risk to scramble if you really only want to be at your number one choice? Should you list other programs you interviewed at or should you take the scramble risk?

 

[Gfunk6]

It is never worth taking the risk to scramble. Rank every program where you would be willing to go. During the scramble you will have a very abbreviated chance to evaluate potential programs -- far less then when you visited programs to interview. Therefore, you will be making a decision with less information than when you created your Rank list. "Better to go with the devil you know, then the one you don't."

Year after year NRMP data shows that, on average, individuals who don't match rank far too few programs.