Top IM vs. low-end Derm

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I think that a top 5 IM spot would be significantly harder to get then a low end derm spot. Some of the smartest kids in my class want to do IM, and those top students could almost certainly land a derm spot somewhere if that's what they wanted.
 
southerndoc said:
Top IM will be harder. You can't honestly tell me that a derm residency at a very small hospital is more competitive than IM at MGH, Hopkins, Barnes Jewish, or Duke.

Strictly by the numbers, when there are 50+ at Duke, or 40+ at MGH, or 50+ at BWH, and 2 or 3 at any derm program, that would indirectly make one think derm is harder.

I tried to find the stat last evening that, for every 5 applicants to derm, one matches, but couldn't find it. Where are there "very small hospitals" that have derm programs?

Any and all program directors will tell you that the most competitive residency, by the numbers, is derm. If there is overlap, I believe, it would be at the low end of derm, and high end of IM.
 
Apollyon said:
I tried to find the stat last evening that, for every 5 applicants to derm, one matches, but couldn't find it.

I've never heard that stat, and I don't believe it for one second. Maybe you saw it in reference to re-applicants or something. Last I heard, of all the seniors applying to derm, about 30-40% didn't match. It's still the toughest field to match into ofcourse.
 
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