Questions about letters of intent

[EthylMethylMan]

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With rank list season approaching, I had a couple questions about letters of intent. Firstly, would now be an appropriate time to send them, or is it better to wait until ranking actually opens? Secondly, I keep hearing people discourage the idea of telling a program that you're ranking them first. Is this always a bad thing, even if it's true? I already know which program I'm ranking first, and I was considering including that in my letter of intent to them.

Thanks, all.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Don't over think it. LOIs aren't necessary. If you feel the need to tell a program you are ranking them first, great. If you don't, great. Do it when you want, say what you want. It's not going to matter, so just don't over think this. LOIs just don't change anything. I have never once had a candidate send an email to our program saying "I'm ranking you first" and the PD and I say, oh man, we need to move them way up the list now. Likewise, we've never had a candidate that we loved and had highly ranked that we didn't hear from that we dropped down the list. It just doesn't work that way. Would you as a candidate bump your top program off your list for your 6th ranked program if the 6th ranked program emailed you to say they are ranking you #1? No. You wouldn't. And neither will programs. Both sides rank the other based on their own interests. There is zero reason to think that these post-interview games will make any difference.

 

[enalli]

There's really no harm in telling a program that they are your number 1, but do not under any circumstance ever tell a program that you are "ranking them highly." It blows my mind that med students would think this is a clever thing to do.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

There's really no harm in telling a program that they are your number 1, but do not under any circumstance ever tell a program that you are "ranking them highly." It blows my mind that med students would think this is a clever thing to do.

Yeah, thats an obvious “you are not my number one program”. Ive never understood why someone would email you just to tell you that your program is a good backup for them. It doesnt change anything, we dont change our rank list based on any of these emails anyways. But I never understood the need to send that type of email.

 

[Birdstrike]

With rank list season approaching, I had a couple questions about letters of intent. Firstly, would now be an appropriate time to send them, or is it better to wait until ranking actually opens? Secondly, I keep hearing people discourage the idea of telling a program that you're ranking them first. Is this always a bad thing, even if it's true? I already know which program I'm ranking first, and I was considering including that in my letter of intent to them.

Thanks, all.

These letters aren't worth the paper (or email) they're written on. I doubt many ranking committees are gullible enough to put much, if any, weight on them. We all know they're non-binding and that there's nothing to stop anyone from sending every program an insincere "I ranked you #1" letter to try to get an edge. That being said, if you think sending one, gives you and edge, from a persuasion standpoint, then send away. I did send similar letters, back in the day. I seriously doubt they had any effect other than making me feel slightly less anxiety about matching, at the time.

 

[r-e-l-a-x]

Programs do send "ranking you highly" emails to us, though. Should we interpret that as relatively meaningless, the same way a program would interpret the same from us? They could have said "you will be ranked to match", which seems like the equivalent of me telling them they're my #1.

Also, I've heard on the trail some programs have recently matched all 10 of their spots within like the first 11 on their rank list, which seems absurd and makes me wonder if they do put people at the top who they know also put them at the top.

 

[RustedFox]

Programs do send "ranking you highly" emails to us, though. Should we interpret that as relatively meaningless, the same way a program would interpret the same from us? They could have said "you will be ranked to match", which seems like the equivalent of me telling them they're my #1.

Also, I've heard on the trail some programs have recently matched all 10 of their spots within like the first 11 on their rank list, which seems absurd and makes me wonder if they do put people at the top who they know also put them at the top.

1. I got a phone call from a program letting me know that I was in their top whatever. They play these games, too.
2. I do know of one program (that my buddy attended) that matched all 8 in their top 8. Had a discussion with all of them prior to match day.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Programs do send "ranking you highly" emails to us, though. Should we interpret that as relatively meaningless, the same way a program would interpret the same from us? They could have said "you will be ranked to match", which seems like the equivalent of me telling them they're my #1.

Also, I've heard on the trail some programs have recently matched all 10 of their spots within like the first 11 on their rank list, which seems absurd and makes me wonder if they do put people at the top who they know also put them at the top.

Yes, programs reach out and let some candidates know where they stand. But there is a difference. Programs have many spots to fill, not just one. It wouldn't make sense for them only to contact their top candidate.

While I think its definitely reassuring to hear from places to know they think highly of you, I would never as a candidate change my list based on such feedback. Your list should always be in the order of places you want to attend. Period.

As for programs trying to game the system and figuring out who likes them the most, stacking their list to make it look like they are more competitive then they are... I'm sure places do that, I've had arguments with academic types who just don't understand the match before about this. Those places are being foolish and they don't understand how the match works. You need to play games to stack your list like this as a program. The majority of programs don't operate this way, because the majority of leadership understand how the match actually works. It's easy, I just don't get how very intelligent people on both sides fail to understand the match. Just rank them how you want them. That's it. Look, I'd love for every candidate to want to match at my program as their top choice. But that's not realistic. And in the end, I'd rather have my #1 choice who had us ranked #5 on their rank list over my #40 choice who had us ranked #1. It's that simple. Just rank the candidates/programs in the exact order you want them. No need to try to game the system.

 

[1drfulJL]

Sent mine today and then got jittery everytime an email came in all day long ! It felt like texting your crush and hoping they respond/ like you back LOL!

 

[Jlaw]

it doesn't really matter, but saying you are ranking them highly won't hurt. And take any communication with a grain of salt. I got a "love letter" from the PD of my #1, responded in kind, and ranked them #1, did not match there. Also if you're going to do it hurry up, my program already finalized their list.

 

[deleted109597]

Programs do send "ranking you highly" emails to us, though. Should we interpret that as relatively meaningless, the same way a program would interpret the same from us? They could have said "you will be ranked to match", which seems like the equivalent of me telling them they're my #1.

You telling them they are your #1 is the same as them telling you that you are in their top (#of residents per class).

 

[gamerEMdoc]

You telling them they are your #1 is the same as them telling you that you are in their top (#of residents per class).

Correct. A program that has say 10 spots telling you they have you in their top 10 (ie ranked to match) is equivalent to a candidate telling a program they are ranked #1.