Why not tell every decent program you're ranking them highly?

[OTheHorror]

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So, this business about staying in contact with program directors and letting them know you're interested in going there and implying (if not telling directly) that you'll be "ranking them highly..."

Why not just tell every program where you'd be happy that you're "really interested in going there" just to get them to rank you highly? I've had a few PDs tell me to keep in contact, etc., if I was interested in going there.

Would it not increase your chances to match if you tell 5, 6, 7, or even 10 programs that you will be ranking them highly just to get them to rank you highly?

 

[mlw03]

i doubt it'd increase your chances to match significantly, and my field of interest (pathology) isn't that bad. so my integrity matters, as i may be applying to some of these places again for fellowship and/or a job. i'll probably tell my top 3-5 i'm ranking them "very highly," and i'll probably tell my #1 that they're #1. beyond all that, i feel it's a matter of personal integrity and i just wouldn't feel comfortable telling my #13 that i'm ranking them "highly."

 

[AmoryBlaine]

PDs talk.

 

[jane70]

This sounded a little suspicious to me, but I was told that PD's meet before the whole ROL submission and it can come up that you have told more than one program you are ranking them #1. I thought that sounded a little far-fetched, anyone know about this big mtg thing?

 

[AmoryBlaine]

This sounded a little suspicious to me, but I was told that PD's meet before the whole ROL submission and it can come up that you have told more than one program you are ranking them #1. I thought that sounded a little far-fetched, anyone know about this big mtg thing?

Very doubtful that there is an official meeting for each specialty... PDs are busy people. I think it probably works more in terms of them calling up other regional people/their friends just to run stuff by them.

All I know is that I've been advised over and over again to be honest and straightforward during this process.

 

[Doowai]

I think PD's meet at the same time with the Bilderbergers, Trilateralists, and Yale skull and cross bones; and discuss everyone who said they ranked them highly as well as the future of the world economy and how to keep covering up the fact that aliens are abducting people and performing weird examinations on them.

I think conversations go something like :
"All in favor of sending the US economy into recession say AYE"
"Next on the agenda, has anyone heard if OTheHorror has said they rank a program highly?"

 

[Faebinder]

Oh for crying out loud... No way in hell PDs sit in a meeting with all other PDs before the rank list. 🙄 You have been watching SciFi a bit too much.

 

[velo]

No I don't think program directors specifically talk about every individual applicant who claims to have ranked them "#1," but they do sometimes find out about these things.

We had a case like that at our institution a few years ago I hear about from time to time, where an ambitious applicant told several high-powered programs that she would rank them #1. One of those programs (whom she did not pick as her top choice) went on to rank her at the top of their list and were needless to say surprised on match day when she had matched at another institution. The PDs got in contact and realized what she had done, and while I don't think there were any concrete consequences it was seen as quite tacky by both programs and was a bit of a black eye for her. Who knows, maybe there will be consequences when it comes time to apply for fellowships--she'll certainly have a harder time matching at the program she snubbed.

Just food for thought.

 

[missmod]

Programs will do this as well... There have been many instances where students were told they were ranked highly, only to not match there. I think some programs will do this to maximize how well THEY match (i.e. not going far down their list). Our dean told us not to believe anybody unless they explicity tell you "You are ranked to match." Even then... what can you do if they lied and you don't match there?

What I don't understand... why do programs care so much as to how far down their rank list they go? Isn't this information confidential? Is there some website of shame out there that lets everyone know that program X had to go to spot #150 to match all their candidates?

 

[gng930]

Programs will do this as well... There have been many instances where students were told they were ranked highly, only to not match there. I think some programs will do this to maximize how well THEY match (i.e. not going far down their list). Our dean told us not to believe anybody unless they explicity tell you "You are ranked to match." Even then... what can you do if they lied and you don't match there?

Yeah I have to agree that it's quite hypocritical for programs to pull that and at the same time an applicant can get blackballed for doing the same.

Bottom line, rank according to your own preferences and have some integrity; you are a physician after all.

 

[Blade28]

People need to remember that medicine comprises a very small community. When you break it down by specialty, it's even smaller.

 

[DadofDr2B]

How does a Med student decide that the hospital they are interviewing is number 1 until all of the hopitals have been interviewed? My daughter has 8 interviews and has just completed the rounds. It turns out the first interview is her #1. How should she express this situation now that she has finished the interviewing process? She did not feel comfortable saying they were number 1 when she still had 7 interviews left. She certainly would like for them to know now.

Worried Dad

 

[jane70]

How does a Med student decide that the hospital they are interviewing is number 1 until all of the hopitals have been interviewed? My daughter has 8 interviews and has just completed the rounds. It turns out the first interview is her #1. How should she express this situation now that she has finished the interviewing process? She did not feel comfortable saying they were number 1 when she still had 7 interviews left. She certainly would like for them to know now.

Worried Dad

It's so nice to see a Dad involved! I've gotten some conflicting advice regarding this from not telling our #1 they are #1 but rather "would be ranked within the top 3" to just telling our #1. However the vast majority of what I've heard is just tell them / be honest and straightforward and that the admissions committee has decided where they will rank applicants and your promises or whatever doesn't make that much of a difference. I think at the end of the day it's just simpler and more honest to tell a program, I've finished all my interviews and still believe this program would be the best fit and so I will be ranking them #1. It makes perfect sense to not tell the first interview that b/c there are still more places to see. At least that seems to be the consensus from what I've heard. Best of luck.

 

[yaah]

After you complete your interviews it's the perfect time to contact a program you visited awhile back, to re-establish connection. If the program is truly your first choice it doesn't hurt to say that.

 

[mlw03]

Worried Dad,

Programs want residents who want to be there, so I would advise your daughter to either call or email the program director at her #1, and tell him/her that she's now completed her interviews and realizes that his/her program is #1 and she thinks she'd be an excellent fit into their program because of _________. Some applicants interview at their "backup" schools early for practice, so letting an early PD know that their program is very high on your final list is probably a good idea.