Silly Q About Rank Lists (Single and Couples)

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FMApplicant

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I feel like this is a really stupid question but having looked at several Couples Match Rank List examples I'm a little confused.
Speaking on an individual basis - is there any reason or point in ranking programs more than once? e.g. if I have interviewed at programs A,B,C,D should my Rank List consist ONLY of:
ABCD
Or should it be more like:
ABCD,ABCD,ABCD....
***OR***
AAA,BCD, ABCD



I'm asking because my husband and I do not intend to do the whole every-possible-combination thing for Couples Match ranking - we are only interested in matching in the same geographic location. So instead of our list being:
A-A
B-B
C-C
D-D
A-B
A-C
A-D
B-A
B-C
B-D
etc

It is just going to be:
A-A
B-B
C-C
D-D

So with that in mind, should we repeat our list multiple times?

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I feel like this is a really stupid question but having looked at several Couples Match Rank List examples I'm a little confused.
Speaking on an individual basis - is there any reason or point in ranking programs more than once? e.g. if I have interviewed at programs A,B,C,D should my Rank List consist ONLY of:
ABCD
Or should it be more like:
ABCD,ABCD,ABCD....
***OR***
AAA,BCD, ABCD


I'm asking because my husband and I do not intend to do the whole every-possible-combination thing for Couples Match ranking - we are only interested in matching in the same geographic location. So instead of our list being:
A-A
B-B
C-C
D-D
A-B
A-C
A-D
B-A
B-C
B-D
etc

It is just going to be:
A-A
B-B
C-C
D-D

So with that in mind, should we repeat our list multiple times?

I am slightly confused by what you are asking. You have to think of this in pairs when you do your list. "No match" is also part of a pair.

Figure out the pairs between you and your husband in the order you want them. Each pair only needs to get put in once; more than that will not help you.

~Repeating your list will not do anything. If you were doing the individual match, you would only list a program once. As a couple, you don't duplicate the exact pairs (I don't know if NRMP will even let you duplicate). But, if both of you are not ranked to match at the same place in the above scenario, you will both go unmatched. Most people will enter every combo possible because most people would rather both match even if they are separated than both go unmatched, but you guys should do what you think is right for you.
~If you applied to multiple places in a specific area, make sure to get those combos. (i.e. A and B are both in the same metro area, so do AA, BB, AB and BA before moving to CC and DD).
~You should each also just rank individual programs without your partner having a match at the bottom of the list (i.e. AX, BX, CX, DX and XA, XB, XC and XD) to minimize the worst case scenario of both of you not matching. This would look like AA BB CC DD XA XB XC XD AX BX CX DX based on your example. So if one of you guys wasn't ranked to match anywhere, the other will still have a job.

Hope this helps.
 
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