Match Results 2017!

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its unlikely anything on your application. they just liked other people better. its not like you'd have been rank to match material. who know how far down their rank list they went. It's a competitive program, they put some emphasis on resident input, and interviews matter most substantially at the ranking stage. we could all improve on our interviewing skills. regardless, they just liked other people better. please don't email the resident, yes it is a horrible idea. the only circumstance it is reasonable to contact interviewers for feedback is if you didn't match at all. and I would not contact the residents in that case either.

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Again, super grateful to have matched where I did and am determined to be the best psychiatrist possible, but just looking for some answers to those terrible "what if's" that seem to like to linger.

It was the lack of research/early demonstrated interest. Also the lack of aways, if you're not from CA.

Who cares - you matched!
 
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I'm sure there are many very impressive applicants that don't get into UCLA. There really doesn't have to be a reason to not match into top programs. Beating yourself up over "why did I get #2?" makes as little sense as programs wondering "why didn't I get so and so.." The few times I have a conversation with reachable applicants who go elsewhere, you would not believe some of the reasons people prioritize programs.

"My brother is opening a record store near my program"
"I liked the dog park near this program"

I guess when things look fairly even, small things can change minds. This goes both ways I'm sure. I'm also sure that these decisions are a little more complicated than this, but maybe not so much.
 
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It's a big ask to get "ranked to match" at a top institution. Meaning (according to some) being in the top 12 if they have 12 spots. Top programs vary by year, but sometimes don't go very deep into their list. That doesn't mean you did anything wrong. There's always an element of chance involved -- meeting with a certain person who'd be a good personality fit and sees how great you are. There are many many metrics weighed in. Or so I hear.

Also heard that UCLA went the shortest into their list than they ever have.
 
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It was the lack of research/early demonstrated interest. Also the lack of aways, if you're not from CA.
I'm with splik on the lack of research issue. Even at the top programs, the majority of applicants do not have research experience or interests.

I have mixed feelings about the lack of away rotations issue. I used to be of the mind that they didn't matter (and was certainly told this). Now that I've sat on the admissions committee for residency, I will say that if you have your eyes on a competitive program, it pays to do one. When I am looking at two residents from outside programs applying to residency, I will almost always opt to select the one that is "road tested" at our program (assuming they did well and the residents and faculty give them a thumbs up). This is the case even if the applicant does not have as stunning an application as the person I don't know.

Most folks on admissions committees will likely feel this way. We have been burned too often by folks who look awesome on paper but turn out to be prima donnas or failure to thrives. Nothing beats firsthand experience.

So I would do an away if I was really hoping to match at a competitive outside program. If the program isn't competitive, I wouldn't so much bother. I also would care less if it was a program across town (when I read letters about applicants from nearby programs, I usually know the writers and can make sure to get a good impression of the applicant).
 
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It's a big ask to get "ranked to match" at a top institution. Meaning (according to some) being in the top 12 if they have 12 spots. Top programs vary by year, but sometimes don't go very deep into their list. That doesn't mean you did anything wrong. There's always an element of chance involved -- meeting with a certain person who'd be a good personality fit and sees how great you are. There are many many metrics weighed in. Or so I hear.

Also heard that UCLA went the shortest into their list than they ever have.

The common feature shared by "ranked to match candidates" seems to be a clear cut professional identity, so the programs feel confident what they're getting. If you have a history of winning grants and publishing major papers, it's clear your going to be a researcher. If you were some student body leader or ran the student clinic, you'll likely be in a leadership role. If you self-published a novel, you'll be that quirky person who may not be the most reliable but will certainly be interesting. It's not that one thing is more important than the other, as much as you "have a thing" that shows the direction you're heading. This is why students from the home institution are favored, in addition to maintaining good will with the affiliated med school.

At least that would be my philosophy, and my experience with program directors who are, most of all, risk averse. If you weren't ranked to match, you could still be an excellent resident, but maybe they just filled the various niches, or felt more familiar with other candidates for whatever reason.
 
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Matched at my #2!! Overall I'm pleased but still somewhat bummed out that I didn't match at my #1 (which was UCLA NPI). Overall I thought I was a pretty strong applicant metric wise - 247/249 steps, mostly honors in 3rd year, 97% percentile on psych shelf, strong LORs from home program - however didn't have AOA, come from a relatively middle of the road state MD school, and no psych research, or away rotations. I think my two biggest negatives were lack of demonstrated commitment to psych early on and my resident interviewer and I didn't really seem to connect that well, at least not like with my other two interviewers (PD interview seemed to go very well, went 15min over, told me that he thought I "would be very happy here." Also at the post interview reception, there weren't a ton of residents that showed up and I ended up getting cornered into a conversation with another applicant for a while and didn't talk as much as possible with the residents as I would have liked. Thinking that I missed out on showing them more of my personality. Also, I was interested in dermatology earlier in medical school and my experiences reflected that on my CV, but my application and EC's also showed that I have a very humanistic bent and seemed to "gel" with a lot of the other residents varied interests. But worried that maybe the program thought I was just back-up applying?

Not sure why I'm posting. Was thinking of emailing my resident interviewer and asking if I came across poorly? Is that just like asking an unrequited love for closure that will never come and a horrible idea? Anything else that might have been obvious for not matching at my #1? (Lack of AOA? Not coming from a top 20 med school?).

Again, super grateful to have matched where I did and am determined to be the best psychiatrist possible, but just looking for some answers to those terrible "what if's" that seem to like to linger.

Hope you don't lose too much sleep over it. You're clearly bright and hardworking, and I'm glad we stole you from derm. I'm sure UCLA would have been happy to have you, but for whatever reason they were looking at a different composition of candidates (like when Harvard needs an oboe player).
 
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Matched at my #2!! Overall I'm pleased but still somewhat bummed out that I didn't match at my #1 (which was UCLA NPI). Overall I thought I was a pretty strong applicant metric wise - 247/249 steps, mostly honors in 3rd year, 97% percentile on psych shelf, strong LORs from home program - however didn't have AOA, come from a relatively middle of the road state MD school, and no psych research, or away rotations. I think my two biggest negatives were lack of demonstrated commitment to psych early on and my resident interviewer and I didn't really seem to connect that well, at least not like with my other two interviewers (PD interview seemed to go very well, went 15min over, told me that he thought I "would be very happy here." Also at the post interview reception, there weren't a ton of residents that showed up and I ended up getting cornered into a conversation with another applicant for a while and didn't talk as much as possible with the residents as I would have liked. Thinking that I missed out on showing them more of my personality. Also, I was interested in dermatology earlier in medical school and my experiences reflected that on my CV, but my application and EC's also showed that I have a very humanistic bent and seemed to "gel" with a lot of the other residents varied interests. But worried that maybe the program thought I was just back-up applying?

Not sure why I'm posting. Was thinking of emailing my resident interviewer and asking if I came across poorly? Is that just like asking an unrequited love for closure that will never come and a horrible idea? Anything else that might have been obvious for not matching at my #1? (Lack of AOA? Not coming from a top 20 med school?).

Again, super grateful to have matched where I did and am determined to be the best psychiatrist possible, but just looking for some answers to those terrible "what if's" that seem to like to linger.
While I understand your disappointment in not getting your #1, please realize the you should not take it as a reflection of inadequacies on your part. I suspect that you were decently up there on UCLA's list and are a strong candidate. They could have just had a great year this year because they were the #1 choice for more applicants than normal.
 
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Thank you so much everyone for all of your responses! Definitely did not expect to hear back from so many of you. Your insights and advice definitely have helped bring me some more peace of mind regarding everything. Happy to be joining a group of docs that look out for one another so much :)
 
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In case anyone is curious for follow-up about my path or there are future readers of this thread, I'm three months into intern year at my 2nd choice program after UCLA NPI, which is UCLA SFV, and am absolutely loving it :) During interview season, after NPI, I thought SFV was far and away the best program for me out of all of the rest of the Southern California programs and I was right - diverse clinical sites and patient populations (county, private, VA, and even college), impressive co-intern class, amazing faculty, ample moonlighting opportunities starting second year, outpatient therapy and continuity training beginning second year, and the most interaction with UCLA's main campus out of any other program from my understanding (2 months every year for the first three years and then unlimited elective time 4th year). Not to mention I finally get to live in glorious west LA as well haha.

I guess the point of my post is just to say everything works out the way it is supposed to in the end. Best of luck to everyone and see ya around!
 
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