Very few interviews

[tarpondoc]

Hello everyone,

I am currently applying as a 4th year US med student. At this point, I have only 2 interviews (including one at the program I did an away rotation). Based on the interview invite thread, some programs from my region of the country have already sent out invites (not yet in my state). Is it too early to start worrying about not matching? By what date is probably a good indication that I will not get enough interviews to have a good chance of matching? I'm the first from my program to apply to derm, so I don't really know what to expect. Thank you for your input!

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[Dral]

Unless timelines have changed in the last year or two, a decent number of IIs come through in Nov and even early Dec. I would sit tight and not worry.

I would focus your energies on interview prep so you can nail the interviews you do have.

 

[sweatybrain]

it's too early my friend. I haven't even turned in my stack of the applications. Wait til early december.

 

[bowlofmushypeas]

To piggyback, when is it a good time to start emailing PDs or having yours call to advocate? While it seems the bulk of invite/rejections are still not yet sent, we're in a couples matching situation and have already started receiving some rejections.

 

[tarpondoc]

Thanks for the replies! Since my last post, I have a total of 3 interviews now. Does anyone know how many interviews an average successful applicant would have by this point in the application cycle? I have heard that the week after Thanksgiving is when the majority of invites are sent?? Thanks again!

 

[Member070286]

If it's any consolation, I'm at 3 interviews now as well. Heard the same thing Re: just after Thanksgiving, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

A good friend who matched last year and got an impressive number of interviews basically got all her invites around/after Thanksgiving, so I'm hoping that schedule stuck for this year too.

 

[DermApp13]

.

 

[tarpondoc]

If it's any consolation, I'm at 3 interviews now as well. Heard the same thing Re: just after Thanksgiving, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

A good friend who matched last year and got an impressive number of interviews basically got all her invites around/after Thanksgiving, so I'm hoping that schedule stuck for this year too.

It's nice to know I'm not alone! Thanks for posting. Do you know how many invites your friend had at this point?

 

[Drdrdr1115]

The average applicant that matched got 10 interviews, per the nrmp data they recently put out.
So if you have 3, and 1/3 of the programs have sent out invites--then you seem to be on track.
G'luck!

 

[bowlofmushypeas]

I don't know if the new forum will let you do this anymore, but you could try creating a poll like they did a few years back:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/how-many-derm-interviews-do-you-have-by-now.871320/

 

[Gracile]

I also have 3 interviews. I noticed that a couple of schools have sent out both interviews and rejections but I received neither. Does anyone know what to make of this? I think this process is making me over-analyze things.

 

[Gracile]

Double post.

 

[hookedonmnemonics]

I think that it's too early to start worrying at this point. People have matched with only three interviews and you're likely to get more. Notifications (both interview invites and rejections) have finally started to pick up. Our individual prospects will vary depending on how many programs we applied to in total and the proportion of our programs that have already sent out notifications based on the II thread.

It's a grueling process and it's just started. Stay optimistic!

 

[tarpondoc]

I think that it's too early to start worrying at this point. People have matched with only three interviews and you're likely to get more. Notifications (both interview invites and rejections) have finally started to pick up. Our individual prospects will vary depending on how many programs we applied to in total and the proportion of our programs that have already sent out notifications based on the II thread.

It's a grueling process and it's just started. Stay optimistic!

Thank you for your words of encouragement! I just got a 4th interview. The thing I don't understand is that I was under the impression that I would most likely receive most of my invites from regional programs. My away rotations aside, I have received invites from programs that are relatively far from my region of the country and only rejections from programs in neighboring states. I'm very grateful for these programs' willingness to give me the opportunity to interview, but am I at a disadvantage interviewing at a program outside of my region in terms of actually matching there?

Thanks again and I hope this information is useful to others reading

 

[Pam fyck us]

I just got a 4th interview. The thing I don't understand is that I was under the impression that I would most likely receive most of my invites from regional programs. My away rotations aside, I have received invites from programs that are relatively far from my region of the country and only rejections from programs in neighboring states. I'm very grateful for these programs' willingness to give me the opportunity to interview, but am I at a disadvantage interviewing at a program outside of my region in terms of actually matching there?

You're definitely overthinking this.

 

[doc MD]

Thank you for your words of encouragement! I just got a 4th interview. The thing I don't understand is that I was under the impression that I would most likely receive most of my invites from regional programs. My away rotations aside, I have received invites from programs that are relatively far from my region of the country and only rejections from programs in neighboring states. I'm very grateful for these programs' willingness to give me the opportunity to interview, but am I at a disadvantage interviewing at a program outside of my region in terms of actually matching there?

Thanks again and I hope this information is useful to others reading

They will rank you on how they like you, not your region.

 

[pinecat]

This process is quite the character builder...just when you think you're at the top of your game you go for derm....humbling, simply humbling

 

[DermApp13]

It seems that almost all programs have sent out invitations (or at least first round of invites) by now.

What is a good number of interviews to have at this point?

 

[username456789]

It seems that almost all programs have sent out invitations (or at least first round of invites) by now.

What is a good number of interviews to have at this point?

I interviewed two years ago, so things may be a little different now. When I was going through it all, I remember getting my very last interview invite the day before my very first interview (right around this time of year, actually). It was one of the last programs to send out invites. That put my total at 14 or 15, and I was ecstatic (honestly I was thrilled once I got past 5). It can vary so much, though. I know someone who got >20 interviews, and I know someone who got 3 . . . they both matched at their top choices.

According to the charting the outcomes from a few years ago, I remember thinking that 8 interviews put you at a pretty darn good position as far as chances to match. No clue what the consensus is these days, and whether it's changed significantly in two years.

 

[luxaeterna]

86 of the derm only programs by my count, so 23 left to hear back from.

 

[DermApp13]

Thanks for the response.

Not all are posted here yet even though invitations have been sent out (ex: ohio state). Looking at last year's thread, they did not have all of the programs either.

 

[tarpondoc]

Good question...looks like based on Charting Outcomes from 2011 there was about a 90% match rate with 8 interviews.

For past applicants: how many invites did you receive from now until the end of the cycle? Thanks!

 

[futuredoc8788]

What's everyone's opinion on sending emails of interest to programs?

 

[asmallchild]

What's everyone's opinion on sending emails of interest to programs?

For places you've interviewed at or places you want an interview from?

If it's a place you want an interview from (and they haven't offered yet), I'd tell you to hold off. It's much more likely to hurt than to help

 

[pinecat]

It does seem as though all initial interview invites have been extended. Are 2nd rounds possible, or should we assume that what we have right now is what we are to have?

 

[hookedonmnemonics]

It does seem as though all initial interview invites have been extended. Are 2nd rounds possible, or should we assume that what we have right now is what we are to have?

I'm still waiting on a handful that I haven't seen on the invite thread and have received a quarter of my invites after the initial date has been posted. I'd love to be able to finalize travel plans, but I'm happy that Southwest exists.