Who's starting to worry?

[fourthyearmed]

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Anyone else starting to worry about their rank list and matching where they want to go? I know just getting an interview is very good at many places but 150 people for 20 spots (or whatever) isn't a great ratio! Anyone else feel the same way?

 

[Cameron]

Anyone else starting to worry about their rank list and matching where they want to go? I know just getting an interview is very good at many places but 150 people for 20 spots (or whatever) isn't a great ratio! Anyone else feel the same way?

Yes, I'll admit I'm starting to become anxious about the match -- especially now that my interviews are behind me.
However, while a particular program may interview 150 people for 20 spots, not everybody is going to rank that particular program at the top of their list. A program that has 20 spots will, likely, go much further down their list than 20 (how far down they go seems to be a closely guarded secret 😉 ). It would be interesting to know...
In the end, I'm sure most of us will be very happy with the outcome. Peds is, thankfully, not as competitive as many specialties and there are many great programs. We'll see how it all turns out in a few months!

 

[Lara]

The other interview thread seems dead and I hate being a broken record, but if you can please please post impressions of the programs you've seen! It would really be a great help for us third years planning to apply this fall, and considering where to do away electives...

Thanks, and best of luck with the match! 🙂

 

[shellfish]

i am definitely worried. i feel like everyone i've met on the trail so far has the same top choices as i do. the only thing that gives me hope is that it seems at all the places i've interviewed at, the residents seemed to be at their top choices as well. even the programs i didn't like. maybe we should do a write in poll?! just kidding.

 

[fourthyearmed]

Glad to hear other people feel the same way! I just always wonder when I'm at a program I really like if all the other interviewees feel the same way or if they're bored stiff like I am at some other programs! I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the programs I liked felt the same way about me!

 

[shellfish]

thought you would be interested in this article from the Pediatrics journal, although there is probably some selection bias due the survey nature of the study.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0950/is_3_112/ai_108646458

"Of those who went through the NRMP, 68.3% matched at their first choice program, 15.4% at their second choice program, 7.8% at their third choice program, 3.4% at their fourth choice program, 2.8% at their fifth choice program, and 2.3% at a program below their fifth rank (see Fig 1)."