Re-edition_ Apply Apply and no Reply - nov 2005

[Eritrocito]

I recommend you guys like me, wondering why don't you have the amount of interviews you espected at this time, to review pages 26 to 28 of this forum. It was about the exact time ( November) but of 2005 ( last year!!)
Digidoc put an awesone thread..exactly one year ago...here it is:

11-04-2005, 09:12 PM
digitaldoc2002 vbmenu_register("postmenu_282786", true);
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 53


Apply Apply and No Reply? Hang in there :-)
In response to many emails I received about a apparent paucity of interview calls this year for people who have applied for the 2006 residency match !

First of all, it's true that this year the competition is bizarre with many IM programs receiving more than 1,600 applications for their 20-30 seats and this is understandably disturbing !!

But hold on a minute here and think a moment from the Program Director's (PD) point of view - If you were a PD with a responsibility of making sure that none of your program seats go unfilled and received tons of excellent applications, how will go about it ? Within the current application system, you will work like this :

a. Obviously you will like to start with the best applicants - so you 'screen' all application with the most obvious parameter - the Scores. You invite the 100 people with , say , more than 96 on the steps.

b. You ask them to confirm dates for interviews - and soon find out that some are cancelling interviews - why ? That's coz' this year - almost ALL students with all sorts of scores have applied to ALL programs and on the other side ( I know a dude with 96 &99 who has applied to 100 programs each from IM, FP, Peds and Ortho !!) - ALL programs have been unintentionally choosing the SAME applicants in the 'screening' process. That's why on various forums you might have come across folks with 20-plus interviews and some none ! ALL-OR-NONE Phenomenon ;-)

c. As a PD, your nightmare has begun ! Well, you are happy that not everyone has cancelled their interviews to your program - but your 6th sense (and logic) tells you that these guys with great applications must also be interviewing - god knows how many places! How do you tackle that uncertainty ? - 1. Ask them during the Interview ! 2. Offer the Prematch 'bait' and see if they take it 3. Go back to your downloaded application in your ERAS software and call the next batch of applicants with slightly lower scores...

d. OK ! So you interviewed the 90s guys and many did not take the prematch ..and many looked eligible for higher-ranker programs - many would prefer a H1 and not that J1 which you wanted to give..and so on....your head gets cluttered with so much pessimism...but again , you got time on your hands...it is only October man ! and so send out interview invites to some more folks through November, December and Jan till you are reasonably sure that you got enough potential candidates who will consider your program!!!

So folks...sit tight, sympathize with the programs and give them time - the first round of interviews will be getting done and second round will begin with the score-barometers lowered with each round. There is always hope to hear about an interview call hope till the early weeks of Jan, when the PDs have to submit their candidate rank listings for the match

Afterall - You only need that one special interview that will matter ! Worth a wait, ain't it ?
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[vadimk]

scarier is apply apply and reject reject...
No good news in a while...need to cheer up

[kparikh82276]

It's november 2006, i was hoping to hear from hosptials w/ interviews.

I've applied to some 60 IM programs mostly east coast and have been rejected by 6

I've also applied to 10 FP programs and rejected by 3

I'm recalculating my strategy and will draw up some more FP programs to apply to.

I've been told to also apply to ped's. we'll see. I think i'm going to get a list ready for psychitary.

But reading that post has told me to be patient and not to get over my head and worry. b/c in the end the program directors have more of a stress then you.

Thanks for the post. it was a good read and reduced my stress level a bit.

i will read it again in dec. if i don't get any more interview invites.

Good luck everyone.

[Eritrocito]

Well, after waiting 10 days (since my first interview invitation), I have received my second one. The cool thing is, I like both hospitals and I have a chance in both I think. By logic, things are going to change for a lot of us in the next few weeks. For GOOD!!
I mean, 6000 IMG's applied in 2005, and an average IMG applies to 50+ programs. Thats 300 000 applications!!! THAT'S STUPID!! All this late-interview invitations deal is just a consequence of that!!
There should be a real limit for applications..25 for all or something!! Doesn't matter if you have 75 or 99!!, Then the ones with 99 will choose their programs wisely, and the ones with 75 will also apply to programs they have a real chance!! also wisely!!

[Venus]

Hmm, great post by digitaldoc.
Except, one thing doesn't add up...
How come it's November 23 and I am sitting on 5 IM interviews (prelim) only, with my scores being 98 & 99.
Anyone??

[vadimk]

Hmm, great post by digitaldoc.
Except, one thing doesn't add up...
How come it's November 23 and I am sitting on 5 IM interviews (prelim) only, with my scores being 98 & 99.
Anyone??

Well I don't know much about you but based on the statement above I would guess that either:

a) you need a visa

b) you graduated many years ago

c) you applied late

d) you applied to only competetive programs

e) something in your application (LOR's / maybe PS) is holding you back

-how was that?

[Venus]

Vadimk, I know it's almost match day but I thought I would post anyway.
In response to your guesses:
a) I don't need a visa, I'm a permanent resident
b) I graduated in 2005
c) I applied on Sept. 3
d) I applied based on location - all programs in CT and a good number in
western MA (mostly community hosp, some univ. so a good mix)
e) looking back at it I don't think so because many interviewers
complemented me on my LORs and some on my PS
As a matter of fact I ended up with more interviews for anesthesiology than preliminary programs.
Interestingly I called a few prelims to find out the status of my application and most of the time I was told that my application hasn't even been reviewed! (and that was in Dec!!). I earned a couple more interviews through calling (I asked the coordinator to pull up my file and give it to the PD for review; in 3 cases I got an e-mail or a phone call with an invitation within a couple hours)

So I guess the bottom line is - it's not necessarily your scores or the timing of your application. It is whether you get lucky enough to have your application looked at. All of the programs I called stated that they had an enormous number of applications - way more than they would be able to review. So it's like a lottery in a sense - if you get lucky they will look at your file. If not - so sad too bad.

In the end I'm hoping that I ranked enough programs to match. I shall find out tomorrow.

Good luck everyone, the zero hour is almost here!