Signaling Strategy for Upcoming Cycle?

[mr-dookie]

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[clozareal]

There are only so many programs in the PNW and Bay Area. Can't you signal all of them?

UW
Providence Sacred Heart
OHSU
Samaritan Health Services
UCSF
Stanford
California Pacific Medical center
San Mateo County
Kaiser Oakland
Kaiser San Jose

 

[Celexa]

Keep in mind that this whole signaling thing is very new, and so no one is very certain how it will go.

However, in so much as there is a consensus, it is that the one way to waste a signal is to signal a program that you are completely not competitive for.

In your case, though, your application is quite strong. So I do not think it would be a waste to signal some of the very competitive programs.

Since geography is important to you, I would focus on that and use your signals at West coast programs, spanning the range of highly competitive academic programs and community programs you would be happy to go to.

 

[comp1]

It's so heartening to see someone focus on geography. That is definitely what will make you happiest in the long term, way after residency. I have no idea what the signal system is, but apply and interview at a broad range of programs even with your excellent stats. That said, what do you WANT? Do you have any idea? There's actually a fair difference between say UCSF and California Pacific even if they are in the same city and both relatively competitive. Just the call system alone...

 

[mr-dookie]

There are only so many programs in the PNW and Bay Area. Can't you signal all of them?

UW
Providence Sacred Heart
OHSU
Samaritan Health Services
UCSF
Stanford
California Pacific Medical center
San Mateo County
Kaiser Oakland
Kaiser San Jose

Planning on signaling a decent amount of those + my home program in the midwest. I guess specifically I'm curious about if I should say remove some of the community programs listed (Kaiser etc.) and replace them w/ bigger academic programs in cali (UCSD, Davis, etc.), or if that is aiming too high?

 

[Meyer-Overton]

Signal the programs you most want to go to. Your stats are high enough that there is no strategy.

 

[Celexa]

Planning on signaling a decent amount of those + my home program in the midwest. I guess specifically I'm curious about if I should say remove some of the community programs listed (Kaiser etc.) and replace them w/ bigger academic programs in cali (UCSD, Davis, etc.), or if that is aiming too high?

This is an unanswerable question. It depends on your personal preferences for programs like that over community programs with your preferred geography. There is no clear right or wrong answer.

Your dept advisor might have a better idea of exactly how competitive you may be as they potentially know where other students from your school have matched and what their applications looked like and be able to more precisely advise you. But as I said before there is no clear wrong way to use signals other than burning them all on places out of your league. Your application sounds strong enough that that isn't a major consideration if you already plan to use all your signals on west coast programs, which is a very reasonable thing to do.

 

[wellbutrin.girlfriend]

This video is long (slow enough to watch at 2x speed) but interesting and very useful. I love the Sheriff of Sodium. Gets into strategy etc which it sounds like you might not need but might be helpful to other applicants viewing this post