unfilled slots

Started by realruby2000
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realruby2000

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sorry if this sounds kinda ignorant...im not really familiar with how the match process works....

but anyway, i went on scutwork a while back and saw many unfilled slots for EM residencies in many different hospitals accross the country.... why are there so many unfilled slots when there isnt a 100% match rate?
 
25 unfilled spots... I really dont' think that's a big number... and I don't want you to be lulled into a false sense of security...

"They" say that if you aren't geographically limited, you WILL match into a residency (as long as you are getting a decent # of interviews). I wouldn't count on a done deal scrambling into an unfilled spot. But that's just me... I don't like variables and unknowns...
 
There are unfilled spots because there isn't 100% match rate. 100% match would mean all the spots are filled. There are some good sites on the web that explain how the algorithm works. Try the NRMP's site for starters.

I think there are roughly 1300 EM spots around the country and only 25 unfilled last year all of which were filled within 2 days of the scramble starting and most in the first day. That still makes for a roughly 98% match rate. The year before there were only 6 unfilled positions and 3 years ago the unfilled postions were also very low. Getting a spot in the scramble is very unlikely. I agree with Quinn that if you apply to enough programs and get a few interviews you will probably get a spot.
 
The EM scramble isn't REALLY a scramble...the open spots seem to be either pre-ordained, or no effort is made to fill them during the scramble. For example, at Metropolitan last year (where they had 3 openings out of 7), the scramble started at noon...by 4pm, all spots were filled, and they had 2 contracts SIGNED and IN HAND at that time. I would have been hard-pressed to even have been up on the upper east side in less than an hour and a half, so those were real locals.

The midwestern programs stay true to themselves - even in the scramble, they, as a PD told me, "Only take their own tri-state people". Drew-MLK (the only hospital in the country to have unfilled EM and ortho positions) even took their own sweet time (where they only filled 12 of 14) - and they still were full the next day.

I have one piece of advice, on the off chance you end up like an egg in waiting...

Go for the weakest programs first; the strongest ones will be flooded, so, when you DO get through, they'll tell you to fax your stuff. Bing. Big surprise Then, you've missed the window for the others.

I have a suspicion, too, that there will be more open spots this year...I personally think that the demand has reached its max two years ago.

Quote me in 4 months or so, especially if I am dead wrong!
 
On the topic of unfilled spots, a PD told me during an interview that "the number of applicants into EM is lower than the number of spots for this year" !?!?!?!!??? How could he possibly know that? Is the number of applicants to a specialty known before the match? And if he doesn't really know, why would he say that?
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Originally posted by m and m
On the topic of unfilled spots, a PD told me during an interview that "the number of applicants into EM is lower than the number of spots for this year" !?!?!?!!??? How could he possibly know that? Is the number of applicants to a specialty known before the match? And if he doesn't really know, why would he say that?
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Click to expand...

It's possible that ERAS/AAMC releases this info to the program directors, as they can easily calculate how many of us applied to EM and break it down into "EM only" and "applied to at least one EM program."

As for # of spots, that # is usually fixed with the final official # for the year supposedly set sometime in Jan/Feb.

mike
 
Indeed, that would be a boon for us all (there being more spots than applicants)... although I doubt it, considering many people still apply for EM as well as another specialty. I myself am only applying to EM...

One PD told me that they did indeed get a lower # of applicants than last year...

One PD told me that they were getting MORE applications than last year.

Go figure.
 
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