Strategy for how to rank TX schools for the match?

[HiImNew]

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Hi all

I was wondering if there are any recommendations for how to rank the schools we've interviewed at on TMDSAS for the match in Feb. So far, I know that if a pre-match choice isn't the first choice, it's OK to rank it last because we're still guaranteed a spot.

I'm on the fence about my rank order for two schools: A & B. School A is considered a 'better' school than School B. However, my interview at School A was probably the worst interview I've had so far.
My question is: If I rank School A first and they do not give me an offer, are my chances of getting a match offer from School B lower because I ranked it second?
Should I rank based on which school is 'better' or should I rank based on my likelihood of acceptance considering my interview performances? I like both schools equally, but I'm trying to figure out if there is any strategy to the rankings.

 

[esob]

Tell us the schools and I'll tell you 😀

 

[Med Ed]

Hi all

I was wondering if there are any recommendations for how to rank the schools we've interviewed at on TMDSAS for the match in Feb. So far, I know that if a pre-match choice isn't the first choice, it's OK to rank it last because we're still guaranteed a spot.

I'm on the fence about my rank order for two schools: A & B. School A is considered a 'better' school than School B. However, my interview at School A was probably the worst interview I've had so far.
My question is: If I rank School A first and they do not give me an offer, are my chances of getting a match offer from School B lower because I ranked it second?
Should I rank based on which school is 'better' or should I rank based on my likelihood of acceptance considering my interview performances? I like both schools equally, but I'm trying to figure out if there is any strategy to the rankings.

@MD2025 is correct, the appropriate strategy is to simply rank in order of preference. Doing this ensures the best possible outcome.

Every year there are applicants going through the residency match who do not understand the algorithm, think they are gaming the system, and end up at (for them) less desirable programs.

 

[NickNaylor]

So this is how the confusion regarding the residency match algorithm gets started...

There is no gaming this system or the NRMP match system. Your one and only factor for coming up with your rank list is your order of preference for your schools. Full stop, nothing else. Any other advice you receive or coming up with your list based on any other factors is misguided and due to misunderstanding the match algorithm. It is an extremely simple algorithm. Try and understand it. If you do, you will realize that ranking schools by your "likelihood of getting accepted" is counterproductive.

 

[HiImNew]

rank them in your honest opinion order.

simply rank in order of preference

your order of preference for your schools

Thanks for your help! Knowing this has definitely made me less stressed out 🙂

Just to clarify: I was referring to the medical school match, not the residency match, but from my understanding of your responses they work similarly.

 

[NickNaylor]

Thanks for your help! Knowing this has definitely made me less stressed out 🙂

Just to clarify: I was referring to the medical school match, not the residency match, but from my understanding of your responses they work similarly.[/user]

They both utilize a nearly identical algorithm, thus the comparisons.

 

[DokterMom]

And please don't let yourself be overly swayed by relatively minor differences in school rank. Yeah, UTSW and Baylor are higher ranked than the others, and El Paso, Rio Grande Valley and N TX are ranked lower, and those tiers might be a big enough prestige difference (all other things being equal, which they never are) to make a difference in your residency match options. But among the mid-tier schools (all the others), base your ranking on where you honestly feel you'd be happiest and perform best, because there's a correlation between happiness and making it thru med school with your psyche intact.

 

[WingedOx]

So this is how the confusion regarding the residency match algorithm gets started...

There is no gaming this system or the NRMP match system. Your one and only factor for coming up with your rank list is your order of preference for your schools. Full stop, nothing else. Any other advice you receive or coming up with your list based on any other factors is misguided and due to misunderstanding the match algorithm. It is an extremely simple algorithm. Try and understand it. If you do, you will realize that ranking schools by your "likelihood of getting accepted" is counterproductive.

Nick's right once again. It also works the same way on the other end. Programs have no reason not to rank the applicants they want first even if the programs think they're "reaching" for a potential applicant ("We really like him, but he'll probably choose Harvard over us, so let's not rank him highly" is a nonsense idea, for example). There's a saying that the match works "to the applicant's advantage" but that phrase is a bit of misnomer.

Related point: With regard to the NRMP system, most of the complexity and potential for problems actually comes when couples matching gets added to the algorithm. If people would stop hooking up during med school, everyone would probably get their results back faster.

 

[DominusAnulorum]

So if I've got a pre match, then I can rank that school last (just to confirm)?

 

[Psai]

Nick's right once again. It also works the same way on the other end. Programs have no reason not to rank the applicants they want first even if the programs think they're "reaching" for a potential applicant ("We really like him, but he'll probably choose Harvard over us, so let's not rank him highly" is a nonsense idea, for example). There's a saying that the match works "to the applicant's advantage" but that phrase is a bit of misnomer.

Related point: With regard to the NRMP system, most of the complexity and potential for problems actually comes when couples matching gets added to the algorithm. If people would stop hooking up during med school, everyone would probably get their results back faster.

Of course it works to the applicant's advantage. The applicant chooses which schools to apply to and when the algorithm is working, it takes the applicants' preferences into account before it looks at the programs' preferences. Not a misnomer at all

 

[Cookie04]

So if I've got a pre match, then I can rank that school last (just to confirm)?

Yes. Rank it wherever you want to. Even if you don't match at any other school, you will still have your pre-match seat.