scared -- please respond...

[kellysmith]

i submitted my application back on september 9. since that time i would say that 95% of the programs that i applied to have downloaded my CAF, personal statement, and usmle transcript. two days ago, my first LOR got downloaded. i know that i may be overreacting but i'm a little bit worried that programs have not downloaded my LOR because they've decided they're not interested in me after looking at the application / usmle transcript. i missed my step 1 by a few points on the first attempt -- i did well on my second attempt and on step 2. i'm applying for family residency which should make it easier but i'm pretty much only applying to academic residencies. does anyone have any thoughts?

i'm just petrified that they wrote me off after seeing the step 1 score and wont bother looking at my school transcript or LORs....

thoughts?

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[raspberry swirl]

relax, im sure its nothing. you should see the bizarre downloading patterns out there. one place only downloaded my LORs and personal statement, and hasn't touched my transcript or my board scores. who knows ... im sure every place has their own system of how they like to do stuff. maybe the secretary got an important phone call and forgot, who knows. there are a million explanations. its only mid september ... we've got 3 months to hear from programs and interview, im sure you'll be fine (plus, you're not the only person out there who didnt pass step I on the first go around) no worries!

 

[sophiejane]

Remember, who is doing the downloading? Who pulls all the information together and checks the e-mails and ERAS messages every day? Is is the program director? No, it is the secretary.

Now, this is not to discount these folks, because being rude to them can ABSOLUTELY get you knocked off the list, but I would be very surprised if program directors and people who make the actual decisions are doing the actual daily administrative work of downloading documents.

I would assume they download everyone's applications and then make decisions on who to interview. The order in which they download or the time it takes to download certain docs should not be scrutinized and worried about.

These programs are dealing with hundreds of applications. It takes a while to get it all together.

You will be just fine for family medicine, don't worry!

 

[sophiejane]

.

 

[sophiejane]

i'm applying for family residency which should make it easier but i'm pretty much only applying to academic residencies.

Actually, many academic family medicine programs are less "competitive" than some of the better unopposed, community programs. I wouldn't assume that only applying to academic programs would decrease your chances for getting ranked, in fact, it will likely do the opposite.

 

[gutonc]

Different programs have different download patterns. Some places will d/l stuff every day, some once a week, some completely at random and some places in one or two mass dumps. So don't worry about it right now, there's no point in trying to read the tea leaves. Some of the places that were first to d/l my stuff were the last to invite me for interviews.

Also, don't use other programs at a particular institution that your friends are applying to as a guide for when your stuff should be getting d/l'd or when you should be invited or rejected. Different programs at one institution have less in common than the same programs at different institutions do (if that makes any sense).

Good luck,
BE (now PE)

 

[kellysmith]

thanks all -- you've made me feel a MILLION times better... it's interesting that you say that the better academic programs can be less competitive than the unopposed community ones... why is that?

 

[sophiejane]

thanks all -- you've made me feel a MILLION times better... it's interesting that you say that the better academic programs can be less competitive than the unopposed community ones... why is that?

Many people feel you can get better training in an unopposed program because there is no competition from other specialties. You do all the deliveries, are first assist on surgery, you are the internist, the pediatrician, etc.

Many larger academic programs, while they may have a big name, are opposed, and FP residents tend to be the red-headed step children. Also, some of the larger academic programs have trouble attracting US grads. This is not the case in most of the better known community unopposed programs.

 

[48 hours]

thanks all -- you've made me feel a MILLION times better... it's interesting that you say that the better academic programs can be less competitive than the unopposed community ones... why is that?

Good. Becasue you need to RELAX!! I mean, everyone on this forum is so on top of everything that it makes me want to freak out. You are going to get interviews and do fine! good luck.