Who's gotten post-interview love from which programs?

[chuckaroo]

I've heard U Penn sends some emails post interview, and Rush sends a holiday card. Any other programs handing out unsolicited love?

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[RxBoy]

I got a thank you from UMDNJ Newark. Three other programs sent emails stating "you will be ranked". I take it with a grain of salt.

I think the most important feedback you'll get is the feedback you get when you tell a program you are my #1. I will be sending that out today and see where it takes me.

 

[HoyaBlue02]

I think the most important feedback you'll get is the feedback you get when you tell a program you are my #1. I will be sending that out today and see where it takes me.

Are you going to email, snail mail, or call your #1? What's the best?

 

[firefly333]

I got a postcard from Northwestern''s chair(wo)man, a letter from Mayo's program director, a letter from Loyola saying they will rank me, and an email from Wayne State saying they will rank me.

Am planning on sending out a letter to my #1 - just wondering what those who were sending one out plan on saying?

 

[RxBoy]

Are you going to email, snail mail, or call your #1? What's the best?

Email. I was told to email anyways.

Snail mail may appear more personable but I wouldn't recommend snail mail because:
1) It may get lost in the mail system.
2) They may get it too late to rank.
3) We're applying to anesthesia, and we all know how busy those Program Directors get. Maybe for Derm where they interview 20 applicants, you want to keep it as personable as possible but I feel email is quicker and more convenient. especially for the OR swamped anesthesiologists

I def. wouldn't call because it would be a very uncomfortable call. You have to give them time to absorb it and follow up. If you can have someone call for you (your dean, chair or an attending who knows the program well) I would recommend that. I don't have that luxury, but even if I did I would still email as well.

Thats my advice but I'm in the same boat as you. Anyone else have any input on this matter?

 

[DO4lifer]

this late in the game, you're down to email and phone calls

i think email is the best route. programs are sending love to those they liked...applicants should do the same.

hope it all turns out like we want it

its like they say "i dont want you to match here, i want you to match at your top choice"

 

[treasurefull2]

The program director had emailed me after my interview, so I was comfortable sending my letter of intention by email as well.

 

[akpete]

I've gotten a postcard and a letter from Northwestern, letter and voicemail from UCSF, letter from Mayo, and letter from Duke.

Unsure about my top choice right now. And unsure about emailing my top choice. Am I screwing myself if I don't do this?

 

[DO4lifer]

I've gotten a postcard and a letter from Northwestern, letter and voicemail from UCSF, letter from Mayo, and letter from Duke.

Unsure about my top choice right now. And unsure about emailing my top choice. Am I screwing myself if I don't do this?

no you're not, but if you cant figure out you're number one, show love to your top 3. use the vague terms that are used for applicants such as "rank you highly", really loved your program, etc

 

[fakin' the funk]

Hard to say what counts as "love" from which programs since thank-you responses usually have some sort of vague statement of interest.

That said, CCF also sends a love email.

I am very curious about this UCSF voicemail...

 

[akpete]

Hard to say what counts as "love" from which programs since thank-you responses usually have some sort of vague statement of interest.

That said, CCF also sends a love email.

I am very curious about this UCSF voicemail...

One of my UCSF interviewers called me and left a message that thanked me for coming out there and asked if I had any other questions and feel free to call them back. Kinda glad I wasn't available to answer the call because after 3 months of interviewing, I am definitely outta questions.

Some of the stuff Ive gotten looks like a form letter, and some is handwritten. Hard to say if everyone gets the same thing or not.

What day do programs submit rank list?

 

[lfesiam]

One of my UCSF interviewers called me and left a message that thanked me for coming out there and asked if I had any other questions and feel free to call them back. Kinda glad I wasn't available to answer the call because after 3 months of interviewing, I am definitely outta questions.

Some of the stuff Ive gotten looks like a form letter, and some is handwritten. Hard to say if everyone gets the same thing or not.

What day do programs submit rank list?

Feb 5??? I know it is usually earlier than the applicant.

I have a hypothesis: "personal post interview contacts from program" may be directed toward applicants who are ranked to match. If I was the program director, I would contact the applicants who I ranked to match to see their interests in my program. (don't have to go down very far on the rank list = successful match).

good luck everyone! Finally done with my interviews!

Can't wait until Match day.

Gotten some love from programs but taking it with a grain of salt. Might as well ask the 8 ball.

 

[CR7]

For what its worth....letter from Mayo, letter from Wisconsin, thank you email from Washington, thank you from UMKC. Also I thought that programs have until the 25th of February just like us, but most probably submit theirs earlier. Can't wait until March 19th!

 

[akpete]

For what its worth....letter from Mayo, letter from Wisconsin, thank you email from Washington, thank you from UMKC. Also I thought that programs have until the 25th of February just like us, but most probably submit theirs earlier. Can't wait until March 19th!

so you're right. I just looked on NRMP and programs have the same deadline. Thanks!

 

[ZoidbergMD]

I keep getting singing telegrams and checks made out to cash...Is that normal?

 

[escape78]

 

[guitarguy09]

I keep getting singing telegrams and checks made out to cash...Is that normal?

I thought we were supposed to pay THEM for the spots...

 

[Ag4Life]

Anyone get a letter and email from Stanford along the lines of rank us and match within the past 2 weeks? Want to know if this is generic or actually special.

Anyone hear anything from UCSD or UCSF recently?

 

[G0S2]

Anyone get a letter and email from Stanford along the lines of rank us and match within the past 2 weeks? Want to know if this is generic or actually special.

Anyone hear anything from UCSD or UCSF recently?

When did you interview at UCSF?

I did toward the end of December. About 2 weeks ago I got a call from my resident interviewer stating that they were ranking me highly and hoped that I would consider the program. I told her that it was a great program (it is) but too $$$ for a family. That probably caused them to move me down in the rank list but it was the absolute truth.

 

[Ag4Life]

When did you interview at UCSF?

I did toward the end of December. About 2 weeks ago I got a call from my resident interviewer stating that they were ranking me highly and hoped that I would consider the program. I told her that it was a great program (it is) but too $$$ for a family. That probably caused them to move me down in the rank list but it was the absolute truth.

I interviewed back in mid-November early on the season. All I got was the generic letter from the PD. I go to UCLA and none of my classmates who interviewed at UCSF got anything from them.

 

[firefly333]

I only got a postcard from Northwestern

 

[Spacedman]

Anyone get a letter and email from Stanford along the lines of rank us and match within the past 2 weeks? Want to know if this is generic or actually special.

Anyone hear anything from UCSD or UCSF recently?

i got a letter from stanford saying my rank position would have matched "in each of the past 8 years". i can't help wondering why "8" is the magic number. if i were smoother, would my letter say "12"? (i know, everyone should have this problem)

got a generic-sounding letter from ucsf, no call.

 

[Boom shaka laka]

Any post-interview emails/phone calls from the new york programs? specifically cornell, nyu, and mt. sinai? let me know. thanks for the help!

 

[DO4lifer]

to be safe, i mailed out $20 bills to each of my top 3 with a free small cone coupon for Ben & Jerry's...

a week later, i got a PD at my door asking me to sign the dotted line. they told me they would have preferred Haagen Daz, but B&Js was pretty good too.

 

[guitarguy09]

to be safe, i mailed out $20 bills to each of my top 3 with a free small cone coupon for Ben & Jerry's...

a week later, i got a PD at my door asking me to sign the dotted line. they told me they would have preferred Haagen Daz, but B&Js was pretty good too.

Sweet. Now I'm glad I put those Cold Stone Creamery gift certificates in with my thank you letters...

 

[RxBoy]

Sweet. Now I'm glad I put those Cold Stone Creamery gift certificates in with my thank you letters...

Call me old fashion but I think blackmail and personal threats always trump bribes.

"I think it would be in your wife Sally and 6 month old John's interest to rank me to match"

 

[guitarguy09]

Call me old fashion but I think blackmail and personal threats always trump bribes.

"I think it would be in your wife Sally and 6 month old John's interest to rank me to match"

haha... nice!

 

[ZoidbergMD]

to be safe, i mailed out $20 bills to each of my top 3 with a free small cone coupon for Ben & Jerry's...

a week later, i got a PD at my door asking me to sign the dotted line. they told me they would have preferred Haagen Daz, but B&Js was pretty good too.

I got something similar, except he was wearing a chicken suit, clapping and making cawcaw-caw noises (chickens don't clap!). I don't know why, but I got a good feeling that he takes his program seriously.

 

[doozenberg]

A few weeks back I got a thank you email from UW except the salutation had someone else's name on it.

I emailed back saying, thanks, but that's not my name. Apology email reply.

I never got the same thank you email with my actual name on it.

My guess is that this is not a good thing.

 

[error404]

i got a letter from stanford saying my rank position would have matched "in each of the past 8 years". i can't help wondering why "8" is the magic number. if i were smoother, would my letter say "12"? (i know, everyone should have this problem)

Hehe, and here I was just bugging my SO yesterday, "Why 8? Why 8? What would it take to get 10? What does it all mean?"

On a totally unrelated note, my SO is now counting days until this madness is over.

 

[periopdoc]

A few weeks back I got a thank you email from UW except the salutation had someone else's name on it.

I emailed back saying, thanks, but that's not my name. Apology email reply.

I never got the same thank you email with my actual name on it.

My guess is that this is not a good thing.

Don't take it negatively. It is a screw up on our part, NOT a subliminal message to bugger off.

-pod

 

[bobg504]

I received the letter from Mayo-Rochester's PD, Letter from Loyola's PD, jump drive from Penn State, and Hand written card from UMKC. I wish programs would just tell you what number you are on their list. It would make things much easier!

 

[Gern Blansten]

I received the letter from Mayo-Rochester's PD, Letter from Loyola's PD, jump drive from Penn State, and Hand written card from UMKC. I wish programs would just tell you what number you are on their list. It would make things much easier!

But even then, that info is useless unless you know how many spots they typically go down the list before they fill all spots. Some programs only go 2-3 spots down their list for each position to fill. For example, the NRMP measures "rank to fill" data. That means if the program offers 10 spots and they go to 40 to fill all of them, they have a "4" for a rank to fill score(In a program that filled, rank number of last candidate to fill a class divided by positions offered). Some programs have even lower than that. Some have even had a 1 recently meaning they went straight down their list and filled all of their top choices.

According to NRMP, the 50th %ile for "rank to fill" is 6.2 for 2008, 5.6 for 2007, and 4.5 for 2006. If you can find out that number, if gives you a better idea than just a number on their rank list alone.

Best of luck to everyone.

 

[RxBoy]

But even then, that info is useless unless you know how many spots they typically go down the list before they fill all spots. Some programs only go 2-3 spots down their list for each position to fill. For example, the NRMP measures "rank to fill" data. That means if the program offers 10 spots and they go to 40 to fill all of them, they have a "4" for a rank to fill score(In a program that filled, rank number of last candidate to fill a class divided by positions offered). Some programs have even lower than that. Some have even had a 1 recently meaning they went straight down their list and filled all of their top choices.

According to NRMP, the 50th %ile for "rank to fill" is 6.2 for 2008, 5.6 for 2007, and 4.5 for 2006. If you can find out that number, if gives you a better idea than just a number on their rank list alone.

Best of luck to everyone.

Not to be a nitty gritty but of all the anesthesia programs that were filled during the match for 2008: it was 7.1 for PGY1 and 8.5 for PGY2. Refer to:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=598621


But you're completely right, some programs fill with a lower #, some with a higher #... This is just the average. There is no way to know for sure, seeing as programs will probably lie about it. i interviewed at a program with 20+ spots and the resident claimed they filled by 25. Complete bull.

Keep in mind, bigger named programs only interview higher qualified applicants . Meaning their rank list is composed of highly qualified applicants. These same applicants only go to 1 program so the # to fill should still be high even for big named programs.

 

[boggy]

Not to disappoint anyone with hope of a particular program but these communications from the program to you are worthless. They are merely hoping that you push them up your rank list the same way that applicants hope our notes to them advances us in their rank list. A letter, note , or call from a PD is as useless as a note from an applicant saying that they are ranking a program number 1 or highly. All that matters is what happens on match day. Programs rank their applicants based upon whom they think will work well in their program and has USMLE scores high enough that they will pass without too much trouble the written boards---afterall that is really what they care about--a low board pass rate gets them into trouble with the ACGME --the better test taker you are as a student the better you will do on the written board--and the easier the PDs life will be. That does not mean that a PD will take an applicant based on scores alone--they want you to fit in with what their place has to offer in the hopes that you will be a content and happy resident. No one wants to be around a miserable resident for three or four years Applicants of course use a combination of factors prestige, location, workhours, impression of the interview day, lifestyle, family issues, etc and formulate a list that will work for them. It all goes into the computer and thats it----so having gone through this anxiety in the past the best suggestion is rank your programs, certify the list and forget it until match day. Assuming you match--which most people do--most all of these programs will get you through the boards and make you an anesthesiologist

 

[Steric]

A few weeks back I got a thank you email from UW except the salutation had someone else's name on it.

I emailed back saying, thanks, but that's not my name. Apology email reply.

I never got the same thank you email with my actual name on it.

My guess is that this is not a good thing.

Same thing happened to me twice last year. Pretty funny actually. I wouldn't pay too much attention to it or any other love you get from programs.

 

[RxBoy]

Not to disappoint anyone with hope of a particular program but these communications from the program to you are worthless. They are merely hoping that you push them up your rank list the same way that applicants hope our notes to them advances us in their rank list. A letter, note , or call from a PD is as useless as a note from an applicant saying that they are ranking a program number 1 or highly. All that matters is what happens on match day. Programs rank their applicants based upon whom they think will work well in their program and has USMLE scores high enough that they will pass without too much trouble the written boards---afterall that is really what they care about--a low board pass rate gets them into trouble with the ACGME --the better test taker you are as a student the better you will do on the written board--and the easier the PDs life will be. That does not mean that a PD will take an applicant based on scores alone--they want you to fit in with what their place has to offer in the hopes that you will be a content and happy resident. No one wants to be around a miserable resident for three or four years Applicants of course use a combination of factors prestige, location, workhours, impression of the interview day, lifestyle, family issues, etc and formulate a list that will work for them. It all goes into the computer and thats it----so having gone through this anxiety in the past the best suggestion is rank your programs, certify the list and forget it until match day. Assuming you match--which most people do--most all of these programs will get you through the boards and make you an anesthesiologist

My sentiments exactly. Unless you somehow shadow the PD this month or can hack the USMLE site and increase your score, all the post interview love means very little. Its a dice roll, either you get lucky or you don't. Same goes for the programs.

 

[bigdan]

...talk to the folks in your class that already matched Urology. My good friend was blown so much sunshine from his top couple of programs, but matched below those that showed so much pre-Match love.

dc

 

[doozenberg]

Don't take it negatively. It is a screw up on our part, NOT a subliminal message to bugger off.

-pod

Turns out UW ended up sending me a thank you email today with my actual name on it, middle initial and all, just a day after that post.

Chance? Hmmm...

Anyway, good to know at least that I wasn't intentionally left out of the love emails.

 

[bobg504]

But even then, that info is useless unless you know how many spots they typically go down the list before they fill all spots. Some programs only go 2-3 spots down their list for each position to fill. For example, the NRMP measures "rank to fill" data. That means if the program offers 10 spots and they go to 40 to fill all of them, they have a "4" for a rank to fill score(In a program that filled, rank number of last candidate to fill a class divided by positions offered). Some programs have even lower than that. Some have even had a 1 recently meaning they went straight down their list and filled all of their top choices.

According to NRMP, the 50th %ile for "rank to fill" is 6.2 for 2008, 5.6 for 2007, and 4.5 for 2006. If you can find out that number, if gives you a better idea than just a number on their rank list alone.

Best of luck to everyone.

You are absolutely right...just wishful thinking on my part!

 

[Gern Blansten]

Not to be a nitty gritty but of all the anesthesia programs that were filled during the match for 2008: it was 7.1 for PGY1 and 8.5 for PGY2. Refer to:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=598621


But you're completely right, some programs fill with a lower #, some with a higher #... This is just the average. There is no way to know for sure, seeing as programs will probably lie about it. i interviewed at a program with 20+ spots and the resident claimed they filled by 25. Complete bull.

Keep in mind, bigger named programs only interview higher qualified applicants . Meaning their rank list is composed of highly qualified applicants. These same applicants only go to 1 program so the # to fill should still be high even for big named programs.

Your data is the average. Mine is a list by percentiles. My data comes from the sheet they send out to programs showing what percentile they rank in for varying categories. I have not ever seen this info published by the NRMP prior to this year, though it may have been. The data shows info for the last 3 years. Percentiles and averages...subtle differences. Not sure which one would be most interesting to know.

 

[tracheatoedoc]

i got a letter from stanford saying my rank position would have matched "in each of the past 8 years". i can't help wondering why "8" is the magic number. if i were smoother, would my letter say "12"? (i know, everyone should have this problem)

got a generic-sounding letter from ucsf, no call.

You probably don't remember that show.
It was much easier to match 12 years ago than 8.
Did you rank any FP?

 

[buntatog]

Hello everyone. The stress of the match is upon us. I don't know about the rest of you but I am definitely hating this uncertainty. Anyways, I was just wondering if anyone got an email from Penn State stating: "I am pleased to inform you that you will be ranked favorably on our match list and
that if you wish to match with us there is a good chance you will.". Just wondering if I should put any value to this.

 

[bobg504]

Hello everyone. The stress of the match is upon us. I don't know about the rest of you but I am definitely hating this uncertainty. Anyways, I was just wondering if anyone got an email from Penn State stating: "I am pleased to inform you that you will be ranked favorably on our match list and
that if you wish to match with us there is a good chance you will.". Just wondering if I should put any value to this.

I Pm'ed you!

 

[300benz]

yup got that email
i think its fairly generic and goes out to probably everyone on their list but im not 100% sure, thats just my take on it

 

[bigdan]

I've gotten a recent uptick of affection as well:

1) Monday call from Brigham
2) Monday email from Penn
3) Tuesday call from U Rochester

dc

 

[DOme2009]

so what's the general consensus on phone calls where the pd actually left you a voicemail? am i supposed to return the call? email them back? this particular program is solid but not my top choice (or even 2nd or 3rd). i hate all this bs i'll be so happy on march 19th to be done with this lame old song and dance once and for all.

 

[Gimlet]

so what's the general consensus on phone calls where the pd actually left you a voicemail? am i supposed to return the call? email them back? this particular program is solid but not my top choice (or even 2nd or 3rd). i hate all this bs i'll be so happy on march 19th to be done with this lame old song and dance once and for all.

I think it depends on the content of the message. If they ask you any questions, I would return the call. Otherwise, e-mail. Personally, I'd probably try to call back at a time when I was reasonably certain I could catch the PD away from his/her desk in order to leave a voicemail for them.

 

[Cartman]

I think it depends on the content of the message. If they ask you any questions, I would return the call. Otherwise, e-mail. Personally, I'd probably try to call back at a time when I was reasonably certain I could catch the PD away from his/her desk in order to leave a voicemail for them.

Personal call from Hopkins "ranked in a way where it is statistically impossible for you not to match here if you rank us high".

Did you guys get this call?

Since Hopkins didn't fill last year, -does this mean that everyone on their rank list this year will potentially match? Don't know how to interpret the phone call.

 

[lfesiam]

Personal call from Hopkins "ranked in a way where it is statistically impossible for you not to match here if you rank us high".

Did you guys get this call?

Since Hopkins didn't fill last year, -does this mean that everyone on their rank list this year will potentially match? Don't know how to interpret the phone call.

Ditto. Got the call too.