signaling and dual applying

[m3ds]

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I'm applying to psychiatry residency this cycle, and should be a very competitive applicant.

I am worried that I will only get interviews to my signals, and have heard mixed advice about how to allocate them. I feel like basically no program is a reach for me with my stats, but it feels insane to only signal brand name academic programs. However, I feel like more accessible/target programs won't consider interviewing me unless I signal. This leaves me with 10 hyper-specific interviews (max), which is statistically not enough ranks to match.

Which brings me to a workaround I thought of: signal programs that offer CAP and categorical tracks, that way 1 signal can net 2 interviews/ranks. I have a genuine interest in CAP, and it has always been on the table for me, I just wasn't sold on applying to it now versus later after more experience (let's say I decide I don't need a fellowship at all). I have a solid CAP application in itself; most of my research and extracurriculars are CAP. Anyone reading my application would sense a strong CAP flavor to begin with.

I am worried that this strategy will net me 2 interviews at my dream program (let's say, hypothetically VCU), but when I actually interview, I will come off as wishy washy and insincere if I tell them (separately) how much I want to do CAP vs categorical, and I will fall down both rank lists.

How have you felt about applicants who applied to distinct tracks at the same program? Is there a way to handle this well (e.g. emphasize I want a spot at that program and would do anything to be there)?

 

[TexasPhysician]

I can’t speak to all CAP programs, but this is how it worked a few years back. Let’s say Program A has 10 PGY-1 psych spots. They advertise 8 gen psych and 2 combined psych positions to applicants. After interviews, they create 2 rank lists. They may feel that only 3 applicants clearly demonstrated their CAP desire after interviewing 20. Rank list for CAP will have 3 names. Those 3 names get automatic priority over all other PGY-1 psych applicants. The other 17 names can get ranked in the gen psych pool. If 2 of those 3 applicants match elsewhere, the program automatically matches 9 to the gen psych track.

You only reach the CAP list if you are a top applicant. If not, you will be placed in the gen psych pool wherever they want you. They don’t punish you for trying to reach the combined pool.

 

[comp1]

It's hard to figure out what exactly your situation is. Your application is just too good for average psychiatry programs to consider? This "signaling" mess came out long after I matched and it appears the above poster is talking about ranking whereas I think signaling more involves the getting an interview part? Honestly the game playing is just too much for me. Signal and then rank based on where you want to match. If your application is really just that amazing, you'll get interview offers from a wide variety of programs. I sincerely think you're overestimating how often a less competitive program thinks that someone is too good for them to offer an interview. What you definitely want to avoid is matching into a combined residency and then deciding that you really didn't actually want to give up that extra year of attending salary to do twice the work the rest of your life dealing with the dual patient child-parent setup while the making roughly the same. If you want to convince a program you want to go there, have a strong geographic tie or explain somewhere in your application why the GEOGRAPHY matters. It's easy for everyone to say they just adore the CAP faculty at some institution, harder to say that your wife's family lives in the same city as the program and ultimately your interview and rank decisions should be driven by geography since regardless of the program, you're statistically likely to keep living in that city. Residency is only four years.

 

[Merovinge]

If you are a top applicant and VCU is a (hypothetically speaking) top school from your perspective, I wouldn't hesitate to just signal 10 academic programs. You will have absolutely no problem matching as a top applicant if you get 10 interviews at mid to top tier public universities. That's a lot different than just signaling the top 10 very best psychiatry programs in the country.