Psych. getting more competitive?

[16846]

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I have heard from several people that starting this year Psych. has become more competitive. Is anyone aware of the reason(s) for this? Is this going to be a trend (a la Radiology)? I am about 3 years away from entering the match (MS-I), does anyone think Psych. will be significantly more competitive then than it is now? Any insight is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Thewonderer]

You never know for sure. I believe that people have talked about psych becoming more competitive over the last 3 years but it has not really materialized. Don't stress. Wait until the results of this year's match. Plus, stigma against mental illnesses in general (and thereby extending that to the providers of mental health) still exists so I doubt it will be rising in popularity to the extent of a la radiology and anesthesiology.

 

[Chianti]

I highly doubt that psych programs will ever have greater than a 65% US-grad fill rate.

 

[woundvac]

Originally posted by InfiniteUni
I have heard from several people that starting this year Psych. has become more competitive. Is anyone aware of the reason(s) for this? Is this going to be a trend (a la Radiology)? I am about 3 years away from entering the match (MS-I), does anyone think Psych. will be significantly more competitive then than it is now? Any insight is appreciated. Thanks.

i assume this is a joke cause that was hilarious

 

[PsychNOS]

The number of quality candidates have increased significantly over the past couple of years. This makes the top programs more competitive. For example, this year MGH/McLean received ~500 applications, interviewed ~90, and has 16 positions.

However, you are pretty much guaranteed to match if you are a US grad. This is not ophtho, derm, radiology, plastics.

 

[Miklos]

Originally posted by PsychNOS
The number of quality candidates have increased significantly over the past couple of years. This makes the top programs more competitive. For example, this year MGH/McLean received ~500 applications, interviewed ~90, and has 16 positions.

However, you are pretty much guaranteed to match if you are a US grad. This is not ophtho, derm, radiology, plastics.

Just out of curiousity, are the US grads that are applying for top Psych programs also applying to other specialities or not?

 

[16846]

Originally posted by woundvac
i assume this is a joke cause that was hilarious

Care to elucidate your response to my post?

 

[willow212]

Originally posted by Miklos
Just out of curiousity, are the US grads that are applying for top Psych programs also applying to other specialities or not?

I have only heard of maybe one or two people who also applied in other specialties (or maybe they just weren't being public about it). In general, most of the US-schooled residents and students I have talked to are committed to and very enthusiastic about psychiatry by the time they apply. Have you heard otherwise?

 

[Miklos]

Originally posted by willow212
I have only heard of maybe one or two people who also applied in other specialties (or maybe they just weren't being public about it). In general, most of the US-schooled residents and students I have talked to are committed to and very enthusiastic about psychiatry by the time they apply. Have you heard otherwise?

As an IMG who will only enter the match in a year or two, I really don't know.

The reason I ask is that the numbers qouted above for the MGH program seem "sky-high" to me. 500 applicants is almost 84% of US grads matching for Psych in last year's match. Yes, I know that the 500 must also include independent applicants, but it still seems very high to me.

Guess we will just have to wait and see the outcome of this year's match.

 

[leaf]

Originally posted by Miklos
The reason I ask is that the numbers qouted above for the MGH program seem "sky-high" to me. 500 applicants is almost 84% of US grads matching for Psych in last year's match. Yes, I know that the 500 must also include independent applicants, but it still seems very high to me.

500 is higher than the numbers of applicants being quoted to me by other programs, but not by much. One relatively small program (8 residents per year) told me they had about 320 applicants; another larger one (14 or more residents, I forget exactly how many) said they had 400 or more applicants. Generally, I was told that numbers of applicants at a given program were either the same as or higher than usual. I don't know why numbers are up -- I'd like to think that it's because mental illness is (deservedly) getting more attention and people are more willing to choose psych (sometimes a stigmatized choice among medical students), though there may also be a contribution from the general trend toward choosing more lifestyle-friendly specialties instead of internal medicine. I didn't meet anyone on the psych interview trail who admitted to applying in more than one specialty, but I guess it's not something you'd tell casual strangers at an interview.

 

[PsychNOS]

The numbers that I quoted above for MGH/McLean were told to our interview group by the program director. I don't think it's surprising that many people took a shot at Harvard.

The applicant numbers are up and most people do not apply to 2 specialties with psych as a backup.

 

[drchris71]

The people that laughed at this concept before should take notice, I have a classmate who did not match...decent student, american grad....is doing family now for a year....I am just happy that I matched but I do feel badly for him.

 

[Thewonderer]

Originally posted by drchris71
The people that laughed at this concept before should take notice, I have a classmate who did not match...decent student, american grad....is doing family now for a year....I am just happy that I matched but I do feel badly for him.

Aren't there 40ish spots not filled? couldn't he get one of those spots?

 

[drchris71]

Have you seen the spots unfilled....at least in the south they are the worst programs. But you have a point, I guess if he wanted it bad enough he could have done that....just wanted to point out that it's obviously getting more competitive.

 

[rxg16]

78 unfilled spots last year, 43 this year. If this isn't evidence that it's getting more competitive, I don't know what is.

 

[Thewonderer]

Originally posted by rxg16
78 unfilled spots last year, 43 this year. If this isn't evidence that it's getting more competitive, I don't know what is.

but didn't they also cut down the number of spots by around 50? not sure about that figure....

 

[Miklos]

For those of you who care.

http://www.nrmp.org/2004advdata.pdf

This year was 62.8%

Past years
2003-60.5%
2002-58.9%
2001-56.2%
2000-51.0%

 

[hurt]

Originally posted by Thewonderer
but didn't they also cut down the number of spots by around 50? not sure about that figure....

The number of spots actually increased from about 980 to 1020

 

[16846]

From the data it definetly looks Psych. is getting more competitive.