I would say that isn't necessarily true. Competitiveness may be increased, it may simply be that a lot of "undesirable" programs did not fill. Of course, you may also be right, but based on what I have heard from PDs during my interviews, there was an increase in applicants this year, and there was also an increase in GOOD applicants. I will be interested to see the final stats once all of this business is finished.
I also am not sure if "total spots offered" includes those filled prior to the match. Per rumor, there were fewer spots offered this year "outside of the match" but that may be just rumor and not grounded in any reality.
The NRMP is very anticlimactic in the way they do business. On one hand, I admire their simplicity of sending an email with the subject "Did I match?" and the message content "Congratulations. You have matched." But on the other, it seems like there should be more involved.
And if people are having trouble accessing the website, based on what I have heard about last year and this year, they need to upgrade their capabilities. I will find out here at school at noon, but there are quite a few folks who are not currently affiliated with schools or are away and thus unable to find out this way. That being said, an extra couple of hours isn't going to kill anyone.
By the way - I'd hate to be the PD for that ONE unfilled dermatology program or those 3 unfilled radiology spots...Better get some rest tonight!
