would people stop posting...

[radonc]

"am i going to match" threads?


it seems as if every week, there are one or two of them. why dont you make them more interesting for us...throw in something about your personality, how many dogs you have, and some of your extra-curricular activities.

to tell you the truth, no one knows if you are going to match...and the only way to find out is to try. if you actually read old posts (esp the faq), you would find out that there is no magic bullet.

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[achybrachy]

I don't have any dogs but I have a cat and two turtles. Do you think the lack of dogs hurts my chances at all? After all, the cat is a mammal too and the turtles might be an interesting interview topic.

 

[achybrachy]

In all fairness though, it's understandable to be nervous about matching in such a competetive field, especially if there's something about your app that is weak. But like radonc said, there is just no way for anyone to predict who is going to match. In my opinion, if you're so worried about matching that it's going to determine whether you will apply or not, you are probably interested in the field for the wrong reasons.

 

[radoncmonkey]

True there is no magic formula but reading these boards can make applying to the field seem very intimidating and a little encouragement when appropriate doesn't hurt anyone.

 

[Bruce Banner]

Totally agree with you RadOnc

True there is no magic formula but reading these boards can make applying to the field seem very intimidating and a little encouragement when appropriate doesn't hurt anyone.

It's intimidating because this forum is not a fair representation of those who have succeeded in matching. In general people with less-than-stupendous scores don't post, leaving things a bit one sided.

I myself found this forum extremely anxiety provoking during my 4th year so avoided the forum until AFTER I matched. There's very little to gain (and much sleep to lose) by continuing to visit after you've read the basics (faq and interview pointers).

Do as much research as you can (and publish it), shine in your externships, and honestly convey to your interviewers how much you enjoy the field. The rest isn't under your control.

 

[stephew]

while its true no one can tell you that you will or wont match, its simply not fair to discourage students from posting and trying to get a feel for where they stand in this competitive atmosphere. as you say they're nervous enough as it is. id suggest try to help them or simply ignore the threads if you wish not to participate.

 

[Reaganite]

while its true no one can tell you that you will or wont match, its simply not fair to discourage students from posting and trying to get a feel for where they stand in this competitive atmosphere. as you say they're nervous enough as it is. id suggest try to help them or simply ignore the threads if you wish not to participate.

Exactly. Is it really that hard to ignore?