Official 2017 Match Results!!!

[BobLoblaw44]

Ok I guess I will get this started, I copied the same format as last year's.

School:
Step Scores:
Grades:
Research:
AOA:
Rank:
Interview Invites:
Rejections:

Matched (+ # on ROL):

Advice:

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[gutonc]

And your answers to the above are?...

 

[BobLoblaw44]

School: UT Health San Antonio
Step Scores: 256 Step 1, 263 Step 2
Grades: 3.96 GPA
Research: Bench research on aging between M1 and M2. Presented an oral session at the national AGS conference.
AOA: No (was invited to apply twice, but no luck)
Rank: Top quartile
Interview Invites: UW, OHSU, Utah, UTSW, UTHSA, Vanderbilt, Carolinas, UNC, Duke, Emory, UVA, MUSC, Rutgers Newark, Wake Forest, VCU
Rejections: BWH, MGH, BIDMC (WL then denied), Colorado, Yale (WL then denied), Penn (same), silent rejections from Georgetown, George Washington,
BU, UConn
Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 UVA!!

Advice: A lot of randomness to this and it's hard to know what programs are looking for so don't take things personally. Keep an open mind because UVA wasn't really on my radar but I absolutely loved it when I interviewed there and ranked it number 1.

 

[Wordmule]

School: DO school
Step Scores: 253/251. Passed PE on first attempt.
Grades: HP in Medicine, ObGyn, Family. P in Surgery, Psych, Peds.
Research: None
AOA: No AOA or SSP
Rank: About 70th percentile based on preclinical grades.
Interview Invites: 23 total. Mixed academic and community centers. I noticed the farther away programs were, the less likely they were to send invites.
Rejections: 47

Matched (+ # on ROL): U Arizona Tucson IM, #1 on my rank list.

Advice: The anti-DO bias is real, but not as bad as some of the more negative opinions I've seen around here. Some programs commented that a couple of my letters were particularly strong. Otherwise fairly normal applicant.

 

[Matteo]

School: top 10
Step Scores: ~260 Step 1, ~255 Step 2 CK (Step 2 CK sent in Jan)
Grades: All H with exception of HP in OB/GYN
Research: Very strong research (papers, presentations, etc.)
AOA: No (was confused by this to say the least)
Rank: Top quartile
Interview Invites: JHH, Penn, MGH, BWH, Cornell, Yale, BIDMC, Duke, Stanford, WashU, etc
Rejections: UCSF, UW, UMich, Columbia, UCLA
Matched (+ # on ROL): #1

Advice:
-Lots of randomness in the interview invitation process!
-Be yourself on interviews, even though sometimes it's hard. We all have the nervous energy, but the more comfortable you feel, the better you'll perform on the interview
-IM interviews are conversations, enjoy them - I had very few 'hard-ball' questions
-It should go without saying that you should be kind and respectful to everyone (from your fellow interviewees to program coordinators, etc.)
-Be yourself. it's worth stating that in two separate bullet points simply because I think it's that important.
-Post interview communication, it still happens (although apparently less so than before) - try not to let it sway your opinion too much.
-This whole process is stressful, from completing ERAS, to waiting for invites, interviewing, post-interview communication. Don't let it consume your life, take time to do things you enjoy and be a normal human being too.
-You'll meet amazing people who will become friends along the trail, embrace the opportunity!
-As much as I thrive on external validation, I know that the program does not define you or your potential success. Going to a Top X program wont make you an amazing clinician, nor will going to a lower tier program preclude you. Kick a$$ during residency.

 

[Full Metal IC]

Advice:
1. Take Step 2 CK before applying and do well on it, regardless of Step 1. Especially if you are not AOA or from a top school. Many people applying to the top programs will have high Step 1 and Step 2 scores on file. I was advised that programs wouldn't care about my Step 2 score because of Step 1, so I took it late in the year without much studying. Obviously they do care, and Step 2 is also considered when ranking applicants.
2. APPLY BROADLY. Advisor told me to apply to 15 programs, and I applied to 30. I should have applied to many more programs. There is no reason not to if you are not geographically restricted.

Congratulations to everyone! There are some very impressive students out there. To those who are disappointed with their results, take into perspective how fortunate you are just to match and be in a position to be a physician. To those who didn't match - f*** man, I'm sorry.

 

[Warren Peace]

Couples match - IM and a primary care specialty
School: Mid tier in mid west
Step Scores: 230/250
Grades: Ps in preclinical. Mix in clinicals. Pass in IM clerkship, honors in Sub-I and ICU
Research: Summer research with national conference poster
AOA: No
Rank: No ranking
Interview Invites: Hennepin, Indiana, JH-Bayview, Mayo-Rochester, MCW, U of Arizona-Phoenix, UC-Davis, UColorado, UIowa, UMinnesota, Mizzou, UNebraska, UWisconsin, Wake Forest, Scripps Green, Scripps Mercy, Spokane
Rejections: Case Western, Creighton, Duke, JHH, Mayo-Arizona, , UC-Irvine, UCSD, UNC, UWashington, UPMC

Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 - Mayo Clinic - Rochester!!!

General Advice
- If you didn't get the score you want, take Step 2 CK early (and while you're at it take CS too just to get it out of the way). While I don't think it helps you get an interview on the initial screen, I felt a good CK score helped when my application as being reconsidered for an interview and during the ranking process.
- I was not a great applicant stat wise. However, I spent a lot of time crafting together my application. I received many compliments on my personal statement and a few on my activities. Again, I don't think it helped me get an interview but helped my stock in the interview and the ranking process.
- Letters of recommendation are important! You want to pick someone who will say that you are one of the best or the best medical student they have worked with.
- I didn't honor my clerkship but I did well in my Sub-I and ICU rotation. I think this hurt me on the initial interview screen but kind of made up for it once I passed that step.
- Enjoy the interview travels. There are a lot of cool people out there!
- In addition, be aware you are being evaluated all the time. I heard stories of an applicant not being ranked because they were heard yelling at the airlines over the phone while in the waiting room, or not showing up for the interview because they were too drunk from the interview dinner. I had a few programs tell me specifically that the they use the interview dinner to see who can get along with the residents and other students and that they haven't ranked some great applicants because of the dinner experience.

Couples Match advice
- I read that people had good luck with emailing programs where one applicant had an interview to get one for the other. That didn't really work for us. We tried it a few times and only got an additional 1-2 interviews.
- We were able to schedule most of our interviews around the same time as one another because they heard back for interviews really earlier and I was able to plan mine around theirs.
- When it came time to rank, we felt similar about most programs but had a few discrepancies. The best advice we received was to make a rank list individually and then come together and negotiate the final list as a couple. The danger of making the list together to start is that the other person's feelings about a program can actually influence how you felt about your own experience!
- Apply to more programs rather than less! It's a lot easier to cancel interviews that to hope you had enough to match. Our rule of thumb was 1.5-2x as many programs as we would have applied to individually.
- Between me (IM-primary care), and the two other couples in my class (OB-Surgery, OB-Ortho), we all matched into our top 5 and we all thought we would drop far, far down our rank list. I don't think the couples match is easy, but it is doable!
-I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting to write. Send me a PM and I'll be happy to answer any questions!

 

[Medran01]

School: Not Top 50
Step Scores: Mid 240's Step 1, Mid 250's Step 2
Grades: H in Surg, Peds, FM, OBGYN; not in IM
Research: No pubs, 1 pres/1 poster
AOA: No
Rank: Top quartile
Interview Invites: UMich, Mayo, UWisc, BCM, tOSU, Cedars Sinai, Iowa, Nebraska, Jefferson, Utah, Brown, BU (attended); cancelled at others. Applied to 35.
Rejections: Many "upper mid tier". UNC, UVA, NW, UChicago, OHSU, etc.

Matched (+ # on ROL): #2 UWisc!!

Advice: Go with the best fit, regardless of preconceived notions. Get AOA. Don't know how much not having the H in IM was a factor but had I studied more for the shelf this would have easily been a nonfactor.

 

[ElixirofLife]

School: Top 25
Step Scores: Step 1 and CK >265 (CK released with ERAS submission)
Grades: All A's/Honors preclinical/clinical
Research:>5 peer reviewed publications (mostly from before medical school)
AOA: Yes +GHHS
Rank: Top grouping per MSPE/top quartile
Interview Invites: (20 total) Hopkins, UCSF, MGH, Columbia, Penn, Stanford, University of Washington, Duke, Northwestern, UChicago, UTSW, WashU, Vanderbilt, Michigan, Mayo, others
Rejections: (1 total) BWH

Matched (+ # on ROL): Penn!!! #1

Advice:
- Many may disagree, but I highly would recommend taking Step 2 CK early regardless of your Step 1 score for several reasons - 1) at the end of 3rd year you're still relatively fresh on shelf exam material and it should be an easier review rather than later in the year 2) with the increasing competitiveness of IM, many programs want CK/CS prior to ranking so try to maximize your chances by doing your best 3) get it out of the way to maximally enjoy 4th year!
- Don't blow off CS. It's easy to assume you'll pass CS but nothing is more unfortunate than a CS failure, which can catastrophically affect your application.
- Think really long and hard about who you opt to get letters from. Contrary to what people may think, I felt the majority of my interviewers had read my LOR's prior to the interview and had commented on them in one way or the other. Ask faculty that will write strong letters for you rather than cherry picking faculty with "clout" who write lukewarm letters
- Same goes with your PS. Think about your PS carefully and put some work into it! You guys all have passion for medicine so paint it with your PS. I felt the majority of my interviewers had read and remarked about my PS on my interviews as well. It definitely matters!
- Academic IM at top programs are very competitive so expect some randomness in the process.
- When it came down to ranking, I let my gut feeling carry my list. I had warm and fuzzy feelings from certain places I felt I was meant to belong and combined that with location preferences for family, I was happy and never had any regrets with how I ranked my programs
- Go into interviews with an open mind - don't let stuff you read online or hearsay affect your initial impressions of a program. Go see and judge for yourself!
- There are a ton of great IM programs out there. I felt I could thrive at almost all the programs I visited and at the end of the day it was basically splitting hairs. You can't go wrong when it comes to IM.
- Applications to IM (not including travel costs) are pretty inexpensive so apply broadly and consult your school advisor or these forums. Don't limit yourself from getting invites broadly in the beginning. You can always cancel or switch around dates if needed.
- Don't let love letters or rank to match communication affect your rank list! It's very tempted to let this factor into your list but I stayed firm with my choices despite hearing things from several PD's
- Interview fatigue is very real and the process and constant traveling can be stressful. Never let it affect your attitude and be kind to your fellow applicants (they're going to be your colleagues) as well as coordinators and faculty
- Obviously know your application well but don't expect IM interviews to be intimidating. Many of them were very pleasant and conversational. Ask lots of questions about the program - the most common question I had was "What questions do you have for me?"
- Regardless of how tired you may be, attend pre-interview dinners - these were some of the most valuable experiences on the trail.
- Get a Southwest airlines CC and look for deals/promos on uber/lyft
- Be kind, be yourself, and have fun!!!

 

[clk88]

School: large state school, top 30?
Step Scores: 240/260
Grades: Honored most of my M3 rotations, except for High Pass in surgery. Did pretty mediocre in M2.
Research: Lots
AOA: No but AOA eligible
Rank: Top 25%
Interview Invites: Penn, UCSF, UWashington, Duke, BIDMC, WashU, UCLA, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, UChicago, Yale, Michigan, Mayo, Vanderbilt, BU, Tufts, Rochester, OHSU, Colorado, NYU
Rejections: BWH, MGH, Hopkins, Stanford

Matched (+ # on ROL): Penn (switched between #1 and 2 many times over and it ultimately became #2, this morning before match I told everyone I wish I put it #1 so it all worked out!)

Advice: I would say to really work on your personal statement. I'm not the best test taker but I had a good personal statement and it was mentioned in almost every interview.

 

[pyrenees]

School: top 50 school (mid/low tier)
Step Scores: 251/275, CS pass
Grades: all Honors
Research: 1 paper, 2 abstracts, 2 poster
AOA: senior
Rank: top quartile
Interview Invites: BWH, Penn, Hopkins, Stanford, UCLA, UChicago, NW, Columbia, NYU, BID
Rejections: MGH, UCSF, Cornell

Matched (+ # on ROL): Penn #3 (really 1-3 were all equal, i switched them 100 times. i would have been so happy with any!)

Advice:
1. i thought having a well rounded application was necessary for top IM programs (especially if coming from a lesser known school). i.e., high step scores, research, honors. some of my colleagues were lacking 1 of these and they received less interviews
2. as long as you are semi-normal, i don't think the interview has much bearing on your rank. just be yourself and use the time for asking questions you have about the program1
3. PLAN THINGS TO DO THE WEEK LEADING UP TO MATCH - this week was so stressful, my gosh
4. missed a bunch of pre-interview dinners (including where I matched), don't think it matters
5. i did absolutely no post interview contact

 

[Crayola227]

1) by listing school and where you matched in what specialty, depending on what your school does with publishing match results... I don't say this to give anyone ideas, it's sort of the obvious

2) this thread reads like an excuse to humble brag. Anyone posting here with Steps >250 is not really giving the typical future student any help. Well, maybe SDN is just full of these sorts of students. Unless, that's not the point, to help other students. Maybe the point of this is to celebrate/humblebrag. Then again, why do that online in the open? Why not by PMs? There's something called real friends and family.

3) If this thread was just humble bragging I'd thought I'd come rain on the parade. Otherwise, I'm sorry for bringing salt to your party.

4) The advice section you have written is useful.

 

[BuffyCoat]

School: UK (University of Birmingham) IMG
Step Scores: 212 Step 1 (I was writing my thesis instead of studying oops!), 250 Step 2 CK, 240 Step 3
Grades: Foreign lol
Research: PhD from University of London and Harvard. Pubs, presentations etc.
AOA: Not applicable
Rank: Top quartile
Interview Invites:UChicago Yale, BIDMC, MountAuburn, StLukesRoosevelt, Jacobi Medical Center
Rejections: Too many to count
Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 - UChicago physician scientist track- ecstatic


Advice:
-Mainly for IMGs:
Don't worry if your step 1 is crappy and you don't have any clinical US experience. If you have a research background and network like crazy it might be ok, it was for me!

This forum was so helpful- thanks everyone who contributes!

 

[dfib slim]

School: DO school in the south
Step Scores: 261/264, 751/777, PE pass first try.
Grades: We get graded during clinicals. All As though.
Research: 2 poster presentations and textbook chapter in the works during interview season.
AOA: Nope
Rank: 4th
LORs: IM Chair, community hospitalist, general surgeon, and cardiologist.
Interview Invites: Applied to 52 programs in total and invites from 15: UAz Tucson, SCVMC, Harbor-UCLA, UCSF-Fresno (declined), UC Irvine, UColorado, Georgetown, UF-Gainesville, Indiana U, UMass (declined), UNM, Legacy Emanuel, Providence Portland, ETSU (declined), Baylor-Houston. Waitlisted at Loyola. Went on and ranked 12.
Rejections: Rejected from UC Davis, CPMC, Cedars-Sinai, Stanford, UCSD, Yale, WashU, Dartmouth, UNC, Cleveland Clinic, OSU, OHSU, Jefferson, Vandy, Utah, VCU, UWash, Virginia Mason, MCW, UWisconsin.
Never heard from Kaiser Santa Clara, UCLA-Olive View, Loma Linda, USC, George Washington, Emory, Iowa, Minnesota, Mayo, Duke, Wake, Case, UPMC, Brown, MUSC, UTSW.

Matched (+ # on ROL): UC Irvine #1

Advice:
For DOs, try to rotate through at least one program for the experience and maybe to get a LOR, however, I didn't rotate through any of the programs I interviewed at.
Take BOTH Step 1 and CK since some programs require both. Was surprised I was ghosted from a lot of supposedly DO friendly programs. I did have a 15 year old misdemeanor conviction red flag on my app that might have played a part as confirmed by one program that said I was auto-screened out. I got at least 5 of these interviews after sending emails out in late November including getting added and pulled off a waitlist. Feel free to PM me with any questions, especially DOs looking for specific advice.

 

[sliceofbread136]

1) by listing school and where you matched in what specialty, depending on what your school does with publishing match results... I don't say this to give anyone ideas, it's sort of the obvious

2) this thread reads like an excuse to humble brag. Anyone posting here with Steps >250 is not really giving the typical future student any help. Well, maybe SDN is just full of these sorts of students. Unless, that's not the point, to help other students. Maybe the point of this is to celebrate/humblebrag. Then again, why do that online in the open? Why not by PMs? There's something called real friends and family.

3) If this thread was just humble bragging I'd thought I'd come rain on the parade. Otherwise, I'm sorry for bringing salt to your party.

4) The advice section you have written is useful.

Salt salt salt

 

[kjamess]

1) by listing school and where you matched in what specialty, depending on what your school does with publishing match results... I don't say this to give anyone ideas, it's sort of the obvious

2) this thread reads like an excuse to humble brag. Anyone posting here with Steps >250 is not really giving the typical future student any help. Well, maybe SDN is just full of these sorts of students. Unless, that's not the point, to help other students. Maybe the point of this is to celebrate/humblebrag. Then again, why do that online in the open? Why not by PMs? There's something called real friends and family.

3) If this thread was just humble bragging I'd thought I'd come rain on the parade. Otherwise, I'm sorry for bringing salt to your party.

4) The advice section you have written is useful.

do you even lift

 

[checkmed]

Any one with lower end of the scores, please share.

 

[gutonc]

1) by listing school and where you matched in what specialty, depending on what your school does with publishing match results... I don't say this to give anyone ideas, it's sort of the obvious

2) this thread reads like an excuse to humble brag. Anyone posting here with Steps >250 is not really giving the typical future student any help. Well, maybe SDN is just full of these sorts of students. Unless, that's not the point, to help other students. Maybe the point of this is to celebrate/humblebrag. Then again, why do that online in the open? Why not by PMs? There's something called real friends and family.

3) If this thread was just humble bragging I'd thought I'd come rain on the parade. Otherwise, I'm sorry for bringing salt to your party.

4) The advice section you have written is useful.

Of all the threads to come take a dump in, why did you choose this one?

If there's any place we should encourage bragging, it's the Match results thread.

Come one come all.

Matched your #1 at a Top 10 program? We want to hear about it.
Matched the last spot on your list at a community program you don't actually remember interviewing at? We want to hear about that too.

Post Moar Match Results!

 

[OslerClub]

Hey everyone who has posted thus far, I appreciate it. This helps put a framework on expectations for those of us a year behind.

 

[obiwan]

Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 - MGH/BWH for some anonymity

Oh c'mon you can tell us, you're among friends

 

[rokshana]

1) by listing school and where you matched in what specialty, depending on what your school does with publishing match results... I don't say this to give anyone ideas, it's sort of the obvious

2) this thread reads like an excuse to humble brag. Anyone posting here with Steps >250 is not really giving the typical future student any help. Well, maybe SDN is just full of these sorts of students. Unless, that's not the point, to help other students. Maybe the point of this is to celebrate/humblebrag. Then again, why do that online in the open? Why not by PMs? There's something called real friends and family.

3) If this thread was just humble bragging I'd thought I'd come rain on the parade. Otherwise, I'm sorry for bringing salt to your party.

4) The advice section you have written is useful.

wow debbie downer...does it really bother you that much that people matched and good programs?

congrats to all that matched...please continue to post here...the rest of want to hear where you are going...

 

[banjo10]

Attn @Casa Loma. It's time to reveal where your domineering father chose for you to go to residency.

 

[Swainmd]

Posting on an anonymous account

School: Mid tier midwest
Step Scores: 244/246
Grades: Preclinical: some honors. Clinical: Honors in IM, surgery, peds, subi, medicine electives. HP in the rest
Research: 4 first author publications, but mostly case report / case series level stuff
AOA: No
Rank: Unsure
Interview Invites: Applied to 18. II: U of MN, Iowa, Wisconsin, MCW, Mayo, UIC, Utah, Indiana, a few community places
Rejections: OHSU, UW, Northwestern, UChicago, UMichigan

Matched (+ # on ROL): Mayo Rochester, #1!!!

Advice: I agree with the standard advice of applying broadly. Medicine does seem to be getting more competitive, but still very reasonable. Your gut feeling on interview day is the most important thing--many programs you didn't like on paper will end up getting ranked higher or places you thought you'd love get ranked lower. I was told CK didn't matter if you were happy with your step 1, but feel like I may have gotten another interview or two if I had done CK a little earlier. Programs want you to have something cool about you (research, unique hobby, whatever)--find the thing that makes you unique and sell it.

 

[saveourpens]

Ok I guess I will get this started, I copied the same format as last year's.

School:
Step Scores:
Grades:
Research:
AOA:
Rank:
Interview Invites:
Rejections:

Matched (+ # on ROL):

Advice:

Looking back I should have seriously imagined myself matching at each and every program on my list. I may have done my ranking differently. I was so sure that I'd end up at my home institution I didn't look far beyond it.
Not that they owe me anything or that they did anything wrong, but as almost a lifetime resident of the city, 8 year student of the university, I'm not sure I'll ever get over this.

 

[Pocket3:16]

School: Lower Tier
Step Scores: Step 1 High 230 Step 2 Mid 240
Grades: Clinical High Pass OB and FM. Honors the rest
Research: One poster
AOA: Yes
Rank: Top Quartile
Interview Invites: UCSF, Vanderbilt, UNC, JHH, Hopkins Bayview, Baylor, UTSW, UAB, Mayo( Rochester), Emory, WF
Rejections: Duke

Matched (+ # on ROL): # 2 UTSW

Advice: My gut told me to go to UTSW so I guess everything works out. I think I painted a unique picture of who I was with my PS, letters, and volunteer activities. That's prob why I got the interviews I did. Good luck to everyone

 

[CatFactorial]

This is a couple years back but for the sake of different kind of numbers and for the opportunity to dump in threads (and how!)

School: Lower Tier MD
Step Scores: Step 1 220s Step 2 Mid 240
Grades: high passes, no honors
Research: Several basic science onc papers in high impact factor journals (this is probably what overcame an otherwise lackluster app)
AOA: lolz nope
Rank: dunno, probably bottom half
Interview Invites: UAB, WashU, USC, Irvine, Tulane, Einstein, North Shore LIJ, Lenox Hill
Rejections: Lolz lots

Matched at UAB, been very happy there.

 

[fcuser1]

School: Top 10
Step Scores: Step 1: mid 240s, Step 2: high 260s
Grades: HP everything, H surgery
Research: 5 basic science publications (3 in med school, 1 first author)
AOA: Nope
Rank: Top 2/3?
Interview Invites: Only midwest
Rejections: lmao

Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 Michigan

Advice: Step studying, research. Rec letters early. Interesting activities.

 

[lebronisgod23]

School: Top 50 Midwest
Step Scores: Step 1 249, Step 2 262
Grades: Honors in all but Neuro
Research: None
AOA: Yes
Rank: Top 30
Interview Invites: UTSW, Yale, U Chicago, Northwestern, Wash U, OHSU, U Wisc, Case Western, Brown, UNC, Duke, Emory, Colorado
Rejections: JHH, UCSF, MGH, BWH, U Washington, Stanford, Penn (silent)

Matched (+ # on ROL): Duke! #1

Advice: Don't be shy on emailing programs. I think a lot of programs that are far away from your home institution just assume that you won't come anyway so why interview them. I did with some top programs and got some interviews that way. Overall, the whole process is pretty great so try and enjoy it!

 

[Shark7500]

Thanks everyone who has posted their results so far. We really appreciate it! And keep them coming!!

If anyone is concerned about anonymity, I know that in the past @gutonc has fielded PMs and posted them with de-identified info. Are you offering the same service this year?

 

[adfbaf124]

Alright I've been lurking on this forum all season and promised myself I'd finally contribute for posterity's sake

School: Top 40 Northeast
Step Scores: Step 1 249, Step 2 263
Grades: Honors in IM/OB
Research: two publications in submission (one 1st auth, one 3rd), a few 1st auth posters/presentations
AOA: no
Rank: our school does not rank (second or third quintile?)
Interview Invites: BMC, Brown, BWH, Cornell, Emory, JHH, Hopkins Bayview, LA-Harbor, Montefiore PC, NYU, Sinai, Tufts, UCLA PC, UPenn, UW, Yale PC
Rejections: BIDMC, Columbia, Duke, GW, MGH, Stanford, UCSF, UNC, Yale Cat

Matched (+ # on ROL): #4 and incredibly happy! (I loved my 2-5 pretty equally and struggled to order them)

Advice:

• I applied with a strong focus on becoming a leader in GIM and underserved communities work, and was blown away by the amazing people and inspiring work at programs across the country! There were huge, unique upsides that I would've been excited for at just about every program I ranked. I am also so proud of all the PC applicants I met on the trail; they come from incredible backgrounds, second-to-none, and leave me optimistic for the future of our (embattled) field. Wish I had snapped out of my interview-day anxiety to befriend more people...
• For people who intend to follow a similar career path, I'd take some of the conventional SDN wisdom with a grain of salt-- I received way more interviews than I expected with modest numbers (by this forum's standards), and a lack of AOA/GHHS and school name. Don't get caught up in the scramble for clinical research if you aren't passionate, or IM electives just to look good. As soon as I finished my sub-I/Step 2, I spent MS4 exploring pop health with independent projects and experiences in resource-limited settings. I don't think programs which value pubs and posters over this kind of development would be a good fit anyway.
• I believe my strength was having a clear narrative about my passions and career aims, which was reflected in all my research and ECs. The biggest theme in interviews was about relating my experiences to my goals (only once or twice did I get a cliche question about "strengths/weaknesses", "memorable patient", "a time you worked as a team", etc). IM interviews are so stress free--maybe 30% of the time the whole interview would be me asking questions to them.
• Definitely email/work your faculty connections to land interviews- it works! I went 2/4 for PDs I subsequently contacted.
• Enjoy the process!

 

[hizziaips]

School: Top 25 state school
Step Scores: 258/271/Pass
Grades: Mostly honors; HP in peds and ob/gyn
Research: Two research projects (one still in progress), 1 pub
AOA: Yes
Rank: Top 1/4
Interview Invites: WashU, Vanderbilt, Michigan, U Chicago, Mayo, UPMC, UTSW, Colorado, OHSU, UCSD, UAB, UNC, Wisconsin, Baylor, Utah, UVA, UC Davis, Cedar-Sinai
Rejections: UW, UCSF, Stanford, UCLA, Northwestern

Matched (+ # on ROL): Michigan (#1)

Advice: Agree with what others have said: From the applicant's perspective, there seems to be an element of randomness insofar as who gets interviews. Keep in mind that different programs are looking for different types of people, however. Don't take anything personally, and put your best foot forward at all stages of the process.

 

[235009]

If anyone is concerned about anonymity, I know that in the past @gutonc has fielded PMs and posted them with de-identified info. Are you offering the same service this year?

I'd be happy to help out with posting anonymous match results if you want to PM them to me.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[nlax30]

I agree in that it's nice to see all the various matches and regardless, this is something I feel people should be able to brag about a bit. You've worked hard to get to this point and this is a huge step in your career. Congrats to all of ya'll! Looking forward to seeing some more matches.

 

[Sartorial]

School: Top 50
Step Scores: Step 1 250s, Step 2 250s
Grades: Mostly HP, H in IM
Research: 3-4 accepted poster presentations, 1 first author manuscript in submission
AOA: No
Rank: Dunno
Interview Invites: Mt. Sinai, NYU, Cornell, Yale, BMC, OHSU, Brown, Emory, Colorado, BIDMC, Tufts, GW, Cedars Sinai, Monte, USC, Mayo, UMD, UC Davis
Rejections: UCLA, UCSD, MGH, BWH, JHH, Michigan, Pitt, Penn, UW, Columbia, Stanford, UCSF, Duke

Matched (+ # on ROL): #2 (and ecstatic!!)

Advice:
-From my experience, seems like AOA and/or accepted pubs are necessary to break into those top 10-ish programs.
-My ROL was highly personal and my final order didn't reflect doximity or SDN’s rankings. A wide variety of personal reasons shaped my list, including my partner’s preferences, my gut feeling, specific career related factors, the program’s mission, and others.
-Reach out to programs and tell them, with reasons, if you really want to interview there. I know plenty of people who had success getting some interviews this way. That said, I got a last second interview after emailing the program I eventually ranked #1, so it may not always bode well for your chances of matching there. I figure each program handles this differently.
-SDN self-selects the med student equivalent of first world problems. Take it with a grain of salt, but it can definitely be useful too. We should all be humbled and grateful to be where we are

Edit: Removed my match to maintain anonymity. If you really want to know specifics, you can PM me.

 

[gutonc]

Thanks everyone who has posted their results so far. We really appreciate it! And keep them coming!!

If anyone is concerned about anonymity, I know that in the past @gutonc has fielded PMs and posted them with de-identified info. Are you offering the same service this year?

Happy to do so. Even though I think the anonymity thing is ridiculous.

 

[70218731]

School: top 30?/south
Step Scores: 250s/260s/pass
Grades: all H, 1 HP, 1P (both surgical rotations)
Research: 3 posters, one submitted manuscript (1st author) by ERAS deadline
AOA: nope
Rank: no ranking
Interview Invites: OHSU, UCLA, UCSD, Colorado, northwestern, Michigan, Wisconsin, UTSW, Baylor, Tulane, Vanderbilt, uab, Pittsburgh, NYU, Cornell, Albert Einstein, Yale, BMC, tufts
Rejections: JHH, MGH, BWH, UCSF, Stanford, UW, U Chicago, BIDMC, Penn

Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 - UCLA!!!

- in comparing myself to posts here, I expected to get interviews at a couple of the places I was rejected -- I think AOA (and/or a bit of luck!) would've made the difference for me in getting more "top 10" interviews. That being said, I loved so many of the places I interviewed and had an excess of good options despite being rejected at some places I was excited about befote interview season.
- sent emails to three places I hadn't heard from explaining why their program aligned with my career goals and would otherwise be a good fit for me. No success. I'm not sure if it was timing (all places sent out decisions later that week so maybe they'd made up their mind) or what. I don't think there is any harm in sending one if you're really interested - don't let yourself wonder 'what if'!
- didn't send/receive any post interview communication

 

[Code Blah]

School: Top 50 med school
Step Scores: High 240s step 1, 270+ step 2, pass
Grades: Edited: Half pass (including IM), Half honors (no high pass at my program) during MS3. Honors in acting internship during MS4.
Research: Currently working on a paper; but this happened after application and interviews.
AOA: Nope
Rank: 1st quartile
Interview Invites: Iowa, UIC, OHSU, Baylor, NYU, Vandy, Michigan, UAB, WashU, Northwestern, Emory, UCSD, Mayo, Cedar, UTSW, Yale, UC Irvine, Tulane
Rejections: Wisconsin, Rush, Brigham, Duke, Columbia, Cornell, UCLA, UWash, BID, George Washington, URochester, USC, UChicago, Stanford

Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 Michigan!!!!!

Advice:
1. Getting great letters from my acting internship (AI) is super important. Except for my step scores, my IM application is average on a good day. However, I took my AI during my first month and I knocked it out of the park. A lot of interviewers during the trail commented on how great the 2 letters I got during my AI were. So I believe it really helped me get my foot in the door.

2. Get honors in IM. One of my friend had similar application to mine (high step, no research, not AOA but 1st quartile) except he honored in IM, and he got more higher tier interviews (Duke, Cornell, UChicago, UCLA, BID). And I was asked by an interviewer if I had a reason for the pass in IM during 3rd year; if one person asked, others probably at least thought about it or took note of it.

3. This has been stated multiple times, but I concur: reach out to programs. I know class-mates who emailed Stanford, Duke, UCLA with love letters, got interviews, and matched there. I let my pride get in the way and did not sent any letters of interest. In the end, I still matched in the program I fell in love with, so I'm pretty ecstatic. But for those who really want the top of the top and didn't get early interview invites, be proactive.

4. Have fun! In a lot of the interview dinners, a lot of the interviewees seemed so stiff and nervous. Just relax. Have a couple of beers (don't get buzzed or drunk though), and have an honest chill conversation with the residents. You'll stand out more, and I felt most of the residents really liked me for asking a lot more about them, their interest, hobbies, etc than about the program.

 

[ssreb]

School: Midwest School ranked in top 40 of NIH research money
Step Scores: Step 1 250 ish, Step 2 250ish
Grades: H in Neuro and Medicine Sub I, HP in everything else, including medicine.
Research: A couple presentations and a summer of research at home institution. No pubs
AOA: No, was invited but then not taken.
Rank: 2nd Quintile
Interview Invites: UVA, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio State, Case Western, UAB, UTSW, MUSC, Emory
Rejections: Duke, Vandy, Umich, Wash U, Mayo

Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 UT Southwestern.

Advice:
1. I was surprised at how many rejections I received from places, but no one is joking when they say the top of IM is very, very competitive
2. I loved Case Western and UAB way more than I thought I would, just based on location. Both great places with super, super friendly staffs.
3. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!! I know there are a lot of 3rd years reading this trying to figure out where to apply, or to gauge how competitive they are. It can be depressing to see people with tons of high scores get rejection (I know it was for me), but know we are all rooting for you!
4. I honestly liked 80% of the places I interviewed and would have been happy to train at any of them. The academic IM programs are all pretty badass.
5. Good luck!

 

[Insomniyack]

School: Top 40
Step Scores: 230s/240s
Grades: H in IM, Peds, Neuro, Family Med
Research: Two publications, neither first author
AOA: no
Rank: ?
Interview Invites: UW, OHSU, Colorado, Utah, UTSW, Michigan, NW, UChicago, Case, Jefferson, UNC, Mt. Sinai, Cornell, NYU, Yale, BIDMC, BMC, Tufts, Brown
Rejections: UCSF, Stanford, UCLA, Duke, Penn, BWH, MGH

Matched (+ # on ROL): UTSW! (#4- couples match)

Advice:
1) Make sure you are telling a story with your application. Have a cohesive narrative that links your personal statement, extracurriculars, and future plans.
2) Don't be afraid to contact programs with detailed (and genuine) letters of interest. I got a number of interviews this way.
3) The top end of IM is competitive! For the top-15 programs, AOA matters. Research matters. If you are not super strong in either of these categories, you need to have something else that makes you interesting or you will get lost in the shuffle.
4) Well-funded academic IM programs are, honestly, all pretty similar. It's easy to get caught up in minute details, but broad strokes, your future is in your own hands, more than a given program.
5) Have fun on the int trail. Be nice to the people who may be your co-residents one day. Breathe. Smile.

 

[baef]

School: Top 40
Step Scores: 26os/270s/P
Grades: Mostly H, a few HP
Research: A bunch
Rank: ?
Interview Invites: Duke, Columbia, UPMC, Michigan, Sinai, Cornell, UW, Mayo, Yale, UVA, Dartmouth, Brown, others
Rejections: MGH, BWH, UCSF, JHH, Stanford, Penn

Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 Columbia

Advice:
- Be proactive in emailing programs that you haven't heard from about an interview if you are truly interested. This strategy helped me get a few interviews.
- Strong letters of recommendation from faculty that know you well are essential.
- Like others have said, top IM programs are very competitive. Apply broadly and narrow after you start getting invites.

 

[silencedogood]

School: Top 25
Step Scores: 250s/260s Step 1/2
Grades: HP in OB/GYN, H otherwise
Research: Fairly minimal. Two pubs (neither first-author), three posters. Another pub and a book chapter submitted at the time of ERAS
AOA: Yes
Rank: Top 10%
Interview Invites: MGH, BWH, BID, JHH, Duke, UNC, Penn, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Mt. Sinai, Northwestern, UChicago, Stanford, UW, Yale, Vandy, UVA
Rejections: UCSF

Matched (+ # on ROL): Top 2 were BWH and Penn, matched at one of them (for a little anonymity)

Advice: Use school faculty and mentors to get solid, individual advice about where to apply. There’s plenty of great advice interwoven throughout SDN, but it’s sprinkled throughout piles of anxiety-riddled myth. We are all forever indebted to GutOnc, aPD, MeatTornado and a few other persistent contributors. It’s absolutely worthwhile going through the WAMC and program-specific threads to read what they, and others, have written. But in the end, your best ERAS advice will come from those who know you well. Once you start interviewing, my recommendation would be to keep a running list of your preferred programs as you go. On that list, jot down a few sentences with your major takeaways from the interview day experience. All the objective stuff will be in the packet they give you, but it’ll be helpful to be able to re-read your visceral impression of the program, the leadership, and the residents they attract.

Feel free to PM with any specific questions about programs, or general questions about the process at large. For now, though, I will continue to shirk responsibility in a manner befitting a spring semester MS4.

Lastly, trust the Match. The algorithm works, so submit a rank list that reflects your true preferences.

 

[johnwalldance]

School: Medical College of Georgia
Step Scores: 239/251 Step 1/2, fail on first CS attempt way early in July then passed about 3 months later
Grades: As/Bs preclinical, A's in everything clinical except pediatrics and family medicine (rampant grade inflation in my school though )
Research: No pubs, three posters, a lot of research experience without much publication production
AOA: Nopeeeeee
Rank: Third quintile (GPA very close to second quintile but no cigar :/)
Interview Invites: Ohio State, Cedars Sinai, UIC, Univ South Florida, Hofstra Northwell, Scripps Mercy, UT-Austin Dell, University of Tennessee at Memphis, Mt-Sinai Beth Israel (declined because hospital downsizing ), Medical College of Georgia
Rejections: The other 60+ places I applied to including Emory, University of Louisville, UT-Houston, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, UF, UF-Jacksonville, Nebraska, SUNY-Downstate, Georgetown, George Washington, Washington Hospital Center, Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson, Drexel, Jefferson, Temple, Baylor University Medical Center - Dallas, Indiana, Jackson Memorial, LSU, Tulane, Loyola, Rush, Albert Einstein - Jacobi, Mayo - Arizona, MUSC, SLU, Scripps Green, Stony Brook, UAB, Arizona, Cincinnati, Maryland, Minnesota, UNC, UVA, Univ Southern Cal, UT-Nashville, VCU, Wake Forest

Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 Ohio State

Advice: Pass CS! Definitely go on the website and read what the test scores on and use the most updated version of the First Aid book (I used an old version initially, stupid me). The minicases and lab tests to order from that book are simply money. If you somehow do fail it take it as soon as you can be comfortable passing it, I got my passing grade before many of my classmates despite already getting a failing one, and all but one of the schools that I interviewed at after getting a passing CS grade didn't even bring it up.
If you somehow fail CS, apply very very broadly.

In general, applying broadly is a very good idea - I remember when I started to process I tried asking mentors and older students what schools are good for me and no one answered my question - so I figured in reality it's a very hard question to answer - instead just apply broadly all around and see what you get. My broad criteria was - academic center in a big/mid size urban area that can send me to a good hematology/oncology fellowship.

If you want to do something very competitive, definitely do well on preclinical classes especially if that also has a effect on your ranking for AOA and class rank. Also it's not a bad idea to get involved with research early in your medical school career, especially with a preceptor that publishes a lot (you can search preceptor's last names and institutions on pubmed and then see who also gets on their previous papers - that way you might be able to find preceptors that publish a lot AND do it with medical students).

Send emails to programs that are of interest to you, I did that with Ohio State and Cedars Sinai and they sent me an interview invite right after that, and I remember there only being one interview date left when I got the invitation (yikes!).

Feel free to PM with any specific questions about programs, or general questions about the process at large.

 

[gutonc]

School: Medical College of Georgia
Step Scores: 239/251 Step 1/2, fail on first CS attempt way early in July then passed about 3 months later
Grades: As/Bs preclinical, A's in everything clinical except pediatrics and family medicine (rampant grade inflation in my school though )
Research: No pubs, three posters, a lot of research experience without much publication production
AOA: Nopeeeeee
Rank: Third quintile (GPA very close to second quintile but no cigar :/)
Interview Invites: Ohio State, Cedars Sinai, UIC, Univ South Florida, Hofstra Northwell, Scripps Mercy, UT-Austin Dell, University of Tennessee at Memphis, Mt-Sinai Beth Israel (declined because hospital downsizing ), Medical College of Georgia
Rejections: The other 60+ places I applied to including Emory, University of Louisville, UT-Houston, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, UF, UF-Jacksonville, Nebraska, SUNY-Downstate, Georgetown, George Washington, Washington Hospital Center, Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson, Drexel, Jefferson, Temple, Baylor University Medical Center - Dallas, Indiana, Jackson Memorial, LSU, Tulane, Loyola, Rush, Albert Einstein - Jacobi, Mayo - Arizona, MUSC, SLU, Scripps Green, Stony Brook, UAB, Arizona, Cincinnati, Maryland, Minnesota, UNC, UVA, Univ Southern Cal, UT-Nashville, VCU, Wake Forest

Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 Ohio State

Advice: Pass CS! Definitely go on the website and read what the test scores on and use the most updated version of the First Aid book (I used an old version initially, stupid me). The minicases and lab tests to order from that book are simply money. If you somehow do fail it take it as soon as you can be comfortable passing it, I got my passing grade before many of my classmates despite already getting a failing one, and all but one of the schools that I interviewed at after getting a passing CS grade didn't even bring it up.
If you somehow fail CS, apply very very broadly.

In general, applying broadly is a very good idea - I remember when I started to process I tried asking mentors and older students what schools are good for me and no one answered my question - so I figured in reality it's a very hard question to answer - instead just apply broadly all around and see what you get. My broad criteria was - academic center in a big/mid size urban area that can send me to a good hematology/oncology fellowship.

If you want to do something very competitive, definitely do well on preclinical classes especially if that also has a effect on your ranking for AOA and class rank. Also it's not a bad idea to get involved with research early in your medical school career, especially with a preceptor that publishes a lot (you can search preceptor's last names and institutions on pubmed and then see who also gets on their previous papers - that way you might be able to find preceptors that publish a lot AND do it with medical students).

Send emails to programs that are of interest to you, I did that with Ohio State and Cedars Sinai and they sent me an interview invite right after that, and I remember there only being one interview date left when I got the invitation (yikes!).

Feel free to PM with any specific questions about programs, or general questions about the process at large.

You know what man...we're 40+ posts into this thread and you're the first person to post your actual school rather than the vague "mid-tier school in vague geographic region". For having the stones to do so (Pro-tip...nobody, and I mean, nobody cares who any of you actually are IRL), an Amazon GC is headed your way.

 

[johnwalldance]

You know what man...we're 40+ posts into this thread and you're the first person to post your actual school rather than the vague "mid-tier school in vague geographic region". For having the stones to do so (Pro-tip...nobody, and I mean, nobody cares who any of you actually are IRL), an Amazon GC is headed your way.

Wait, but BobLoblaw44 the number 3 poster put that he goes to UT Health San Antonio and matched at UVA...should he get one too? And thanks so much gutonc I'll take that gladly

 

[gutonc]

Well damn...I missed that one. Yes, yes he does deserve one.

 

[BobLoblaw44]

Haha thanks for looking out for me johnwalldance , and thank you gutonc!

 

[BuffyCoat]

Wait what about me? Everyone always overlooks BuffyCoat :-( I'm easily identifiable as the only IMG at UChicago so I didn't try and hide! I'm blood type AB+ and there's hypertension on my father's side if anyone cares....

 

[bdth1337]

School: Top 25 in the southeast
Step Scores: Mid 250s step 1, mid 260s step 2
Grades: HP in OB, H in everything else
Research: Basic science research before med school with a few papers (none first author), some abstracts during med school
AOA: No
Rank: Top quartile
Interview Invites: Duke, UPenn, Stanford, U of Washington, UTSW, UCLA, BIDMC, Pitt, Vandy, Emory, Northwestern, U of Chicago, NYU, UCSD, Colorado, UVA, UNC, OHSU
Rejections: BWH, MGH, UCSF, Columbia, JHH. Also withdrew from Cornell and Sinai by mid-interview season since I already had a full slate.
Matched (+ # on ROL): #1 at a program west of here (without getting too specific, not one of the programs in the SE or NE)

Advice: The majority of the top ~50 academic programs all provide excellent training and fellowship opportunities. Look for the little things that will make your everyday life better. Do you like the other residents? Is there free food and parking? How's the weather? Do you like the local options in terms of food, drink, entertainment, outdoors, etc.?

 

[somethingclever12]

s/o to everyone lurking just waiting for @CasaLoma


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[kakaze]

School: University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)
Step Scores: Step 1: 241, Step 2: 249
Grades: H in Fam Med, HP everything else
Research: Plenty (I did MD/PhD), 14 pubs (5 first author) and lots of presentations
AOA: nope
Rank: N/A
Interview Invites: I definitely over-applied, but was interested in a research track and unsure of their competitiveness:
Mayo Clinic (MN), UT-Southwestern, WashU, Emory, UVA, Yale, UCSD, Cornell, U of Utah, Baylor, Scripps, U of Colorado, U of Iowa, Ohio State, Dartmouth, U of Wisconsin-Madison, Wake Forest, Case Western MetroHealth, UT-San Antonio, UT-Houston, U of Maryland, U of Cincinnati, U of New Mexico, U of Nebraska, UTMB, Methodist Houston
Rejections:
MGH,Stanford, UAB, U of Rochester, Beth Israel Deaconess, U of Washington, Vanderbilt, UNC, U of Pennsylvania, U of Michigan, UC-Irvine, Mount Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, U of Chicago
Silent rejections: Boston University, Duke, Northwestern, NYU, Penn State, Temple, U of Massachusetts, Columbia, UPMC, Tulane
Matched (+ # on ROL): I matched to Mayo Clinic (MN) Clinical Investigator track (Cards fellowship) which was my #1 on ROL

Advice: If you did an MD/PhD, the research tracks do not seem to be more competitive than categorical spots (fewer spots but fewer applicants). Regardless of which type of position you are applying for, apply broadly and add some places that might be outside of your geographical comfort zone, it is fun to see new places and you just might be pleasantly surprised by them (or unpleasantly disappointed with the programs in your geographical comfort zone). There are lots of differing philosophies out there about which programs are better than others, and there are lots of other things to consider besides just reputation when choosing where you will be for the next 3+ years, definitely listen to your gut feeling during interviews. And you can do very well in the match even if you aren't coming from a top X (10, 20, 50) med school if you handle things right.