Which programs are considered the most competitive?

[yellowcocopuffs]

Here is my current list:
CHOP
Boston
Seattle
Baylor
Northwestern
UCSF
Stanford
...
and then I'm lost. Which programs are known to be ultra competitive. Where you definitely NEED the numbers to make the initial cut?
Thanks.

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[klake3]

My guess is all of the "big name" CA programs just based on location alone, in addition to some of the community ones. UCLA, UCSD, CHOC, CHLA, possibly Oakland I imagine are all quite competitive. Children's National in DC is also competitive, I believe. Cornell seems popular due to location and a more benign reputation than Columbia/NYU, but I've heard mixed things about the training there. Same with Mt Sinai.

 

[BigRedBeta]

In terms of being places where you need a minimum score...
Cincinnati
Denver


Portland (Oregon Health Sciences Univ) swings above their weight because Portland is such a popular destination, so it's more competitive than one would expect and thus *needs* a score though not to the same extent as the others on the list. Denver's location also contributes some to their need for a score, but their academic reputation is more regarded.

Someone else may have more in depth knowledge of WashU in St. Louis, and Vanderbilt and their residency program practices but a particular cutoff wouldn't surprise me. St. Louis Children's certainly wants to be in the same breath as CHOP/Boston/Cinci/Baylor in terms of academic reputation, but they don't often get that sort of attention. I don't know the Coasts as in depth, so I also wouldn't be surprised if places like CHLA or some of the NYC programs were named by others. Emory is another possibility, but the South (or at least its stereotypes) can be a negative for many people decreasing the competition.