Likelihood of matching?

[RadOncLova]

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[thesauce]

Fellow HHMIer here. 33 might be too few for RadOnc. You might think about expanding your list to some places in commuter-range of schools your gf might be able to go (if you haven't already).

If you're able to get a pub out of your research year, even if just submitted and not yet accepted by the time of applications, you should do pretty well. You're right in the middle in terms of the other aspects of your application. Good luck!

 

[nod]

i think your chances are reasonable. not guaranteed, but you have a good shot.

your step 1 is good enough to make it through the first pass, your grades are good, and you have a whole year of dedicated research experience. i agree to try and at least get a couple of abstracts out and maybe something submitted, even if you are not the first author. you just do not want that publication section to be blank.

33 is a good number, especially if they are not all the superstar rad onc programs. i would just stress the importance of getting good letters from rad onc doctors that are at least some what known by others. when you do your rotations, choose them carefully. if you have a good home program, get to know them well, they can even be your best shot at a place to match. if you do not have a good program, maybe pick one or two away ones where you have a decent chance of getting in (you should also want to go to these places), and really work your magic during your time there.

good luck!

 

[mikedc813]

i think your chances are reasonable. not guaranteed, but you have a good shot.

your step 1 is good enough to make it through the first pass, your grades are good, and you have a whole year of dedicated research experience. i agree to try and at least get a couple of abstracts out and maybe something submitted, even if you are not the first author. you just do not want that publication section to be blank.

33 is a good number, especially if they are not all the superstar rad onc programs. i would just stress the importance of getting good letters from rad onc doctors that are at least some what known by others. when you do your rotations, choose them carefully. if you have a good home program, get to know them well, they can even be your best shot at a place to match. if you do not have a good program, maybe pick one or two away ones where you have a decent chance of getting in (you should also want to go to these places), and really work your magic during your time there.

good luck!

I can't stress how important letters of rec are. Who you know can take you a long way, especially when they say great things about you. As has been stated many many times before, rad onc is a small field. My application on paper looked similar to the OP. I managed to get a sufficient # of interviews and then match at my #1 because I had strong letters from well-known people in rad onc. You don't have to be a superstar on paper to become a radiation oncologist. I think you need to be reasonably competitive from a numbers standpoint, meet the right folks, do even a modest amount of research, interview well, and have a lot of luck. Point is that you don't need to be #1 in your class, AOA, and have 5 first author pubs. I was far from that! I hope this makes people feel better...

 

[IndyXRT]

I can't stress how important letters of rec are. Who you know can take you a long way, especially when they say great things about you. As has been stated many many times before, rad onc is a small field. My application on paper looked similar to the OP. I managed to get a sufficient # of interviews and then match at my #1 because I had strong letters from well-known people in rad onc. You don't have to be a superstar on paper to become a radiation oncologist. I think you need to be reasonably competitive from a numbers standpoint, meet the right folks, do even a modest amount of research, interview well, and have a lot of luck. Point is that you don't need to be #1 in your class, AOA, and have 5 first author pubs. I was far from that! I hope this makes people feel better...

I would stress the importance of the interview. Programs are innundated by resumees of candidates that look excellent on paper. Once you land the interview (and the OP's stated attributes should land him/her interviews), you have to make the most of it. Being friendly and interested goes a long way. Leave people thinking that they would really enjoy working with you for four years. This involves being nice to everyone, from the first secretary you meet to the residents you have a meal with (this seems like simple advice, but you'd be surprised). If you play it right, you can rocket yourself past some of the people with ridiculous resumes that come off as stiff/unfriendly/uninterested.

With a good interview, sometimes you can generate your own luck.

 

[deleted4401]

After four years, still not so sure of how much the interview matters for normal human beings - meaning, if you are normal person that I would like to go out for a beer with, it shouldn't help or hurt ... but, I will say this: during our most current interview cycle: a candidate that was highly ranked based on application/CV yawned multiple times in front of multiple of interviewers and was significantly lowered on the list because of this.

Moral of the story: caffeinate strongly before interviews ... or, don't interview at programs that bore you.

-S