What can I be doing right now to improve my chances at matching at a specific program?

[DerpyNeuroMD]

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Basically what the title says. There's a program on the east coast I'd like like to do my residency at. My scores and research are good or better than what's shown on residencyexplorer. It's in a city my wife and I really want to live and their primary hospital is right where we want to be. (We're in the Midwest right now, for the record.)

Is there anything I can be doing right now to start to strengthen my relationship with the program before submitting ERAS this year? For example, could I get in touch with their program director, network somehow, or ask my school's neuro department to talk to theirs? I don't know. Aways are out of the question right now. Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[Kr#36]

Without aways or conferences etc going on right now thats tough. In general, putting all your hopes into one program's basket is a recipe for disappointment. The odds aren't in your favor in regards to being able to match at a specific program. Not to mention, there are endless stories of people who matched at places they didn't think were their number 1 and as things change and you learn more about what you want in a program they change their mind.

 

[Thama]

Agree with the above - targeting a single program is a recipe for disaster. Targeting a metro area or set of metros within a region is often doable, but the match is way too much of a crapshoot to give you any confidence at matching at a single program unless you are the rock star applicant to end all rock star applicants.