Anonymous User - 25 January 2008 09:11 AM

Dude, I’m sure she has already thought of this… she probably didn’t sleep last night thinking about it. But I guess it’s a good lesson in the randomness of this process. Unfortunately, if you want to be sure you match, it sounds like you have to spend thousands of dollars interviewing at places you don’t want to go.

Unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily true.  The data suggests that there’s no statistically significant benefit in matching likelihood for going to more than 10 interviews.  Getting to the 10 threshold is important though.  As you’re seeing on this board, the vast majority of matched applicants hit in their top 3 choices.  People tend to put more effort getting to know/getting known at a small number of top choices (second looks, etc.).  Surgigal was probably extremely close to matching at a couple of her top 3 choices, but her outcome shows that when you drop past those, the programs further back are not likely to catch you.  I, and many others, believe that you are better off interviewing at 10-15 programs, and spending time doing second looks, etc. to get to know these programs better.  Going on 25 interviews and not spending any extra time with any of them probably isn’t a more successful strategy.

surgigal - 25 January 2008 10:08 AM

Anonymous User - 25 January 2008 06:23 AM

Looking back, would you have accepted more interviews?
Also, it appears that you felt it would be better not to match than to match at one of the programs you interviewed at.  Would you please share which program this was and why you chose not to rank them?  Again, if you could turn back the clock would you now rank that program?

Thank you for your input.  Best wishes for your future.

Would I do more interviews?  Well, sure, of course - but hindsight is 20/20 right?  At the same time with 13 interviews, calls from chairmen expressing interest, second look invites and more, I wasn’t thinking that I had cut things dangerously close.  One really excellent program even brought my husband up and arranged for him to have job interviews in his field at the nearby university, in order to help us feel comfortable with the possibility of matching there.  I guess the lesson is that you really can NEVER be safe, and if you have the energy to squeeze in just one more interview, do it! 

I am now scheduled to interview for a vacancy which appeared at one of those 20 schools I originally didn’t choose to prioritize.  It’s a great program, and I’m grateful to have been re-invited under these new circumstances.

There was one program (will not be named, I’m sorry) that I did not feel was a cultural fit for me personally.  And no, I would not rank that program if I could go back and do it.  The strategy I worked with during interviews was, “Match, but not at the cost of predictable unhappiness.” I don’t think it would benefit me to change that now.

Hope that’s helpful...

Jessica-

Congratulations on lining up the interview, and I hope it (or something else) works out for you. You’ve been pretty brave letting it all hang out in front of this crowd.

I can’t mention names here, but when I was a student rotating at Barrow, one of their best residents was a woman. During her match, she had everything lined up, and wound up ‘just missing’ at a number of great places, a lot like what happened to you. She didn’t match, but got picked up on waivers by BNI. Not bad.

Anyway, stay positive (just like you’re doing) and it sounds like you’re going to get picked up—quite possibly by a really good program that has a hole.

with 13 interviews, calls from chairmen expressing interest, second look invites , arranging job for husband for possible matching and more.......finally she didnt match .dude this girl is way too odd
This discussion is not worth for a “regular” candidate

A little off topic...but quick question.....Did anyone else not hear any response from a program about an interview(no email, mail, or call rejecting or inviting)?  Does this sometimes happen or should I ask for some money back from the match?

Dr. Hfuhruhurr - 25 January 2008 10:43 AM

Congratulations on lining up the interview, and I hope it (or something else) works out for you. You’ve been pretty brave letting it all hang out in front of this crowd.

Thank you very much, I appreciate that.  I swallowed hard when I put my real name here, but karma is a funny thing… I really believe that the next year’s class will learn more from dissecting what happened to non-matching applicants, learning from mistakes, etc., and that kind of info is awfully hard to come by since it’s so scary to post.  I meant it when I said I was not ashamed to have been unmatched, as I think I’m a solid candidate and we all know solid candidates have gone unmatched before.  And in the end, who knows?  Putting my name out here may have been the source of my contact for the vacancy.

If there is something I could go back and do, I might make greater efforts to ensure my #2 and #3 programs knew how highly I was ranking them.  My #1 knew, but the rest I think I could have pushed harder for.  It’s entirely possible that my #2, which was a rather last minute decision on my part, had no idea I was ranking them highly...probably a strategic misstep.

While some anonymous posters are skeptical about my personality or some other intangible social issue (and sure, that’s a reason someone with good stats might not match), the feedback I have gotten directly says that this wasn’t my stumbling block.  As I mentioned earlier, when I got the bad news I did immediately wonder - “how could I have failed to match unless I really screwed up my interviews / was perceived badly / am a weirdo?” It’s a logical enough question that I asked it myself, but have thankfully since put it to rest.

Does anyone know how many spots this year went unfilled?

Anonymous User - 25 January 2008 10:46 AM

with 13 interviews, calls from chairmen expressing interest, second look invites , arranging job for husband for possible matching and more.......finally she didnt match .dude this girl is way too odd
This discussion is not worth for a “regular” candidate

I’m not the OP or any prior poster on this thread but how dare you judge another person as being “ODD” simply based on the fact that they got rejected. How shallow and mean of you. I matched well this year and I’m glad it wasn’t with you.

ctsire - 25 January 2008 11:04 AM

A little off topic...but quick question.....Did anyone else not hear any response from a program about an interview(no email, mail, or call rejecting or inviting)?  Does this sometimes happen or should I ask for some money back from the match?

I matched this year but did not hear back (yes or no) from a few places during the places. I think it’s very unprofessional of them and reflects poorly on the program. I have a lot more respect from a program that mails me a solid rejection than one that keeps you in the lurch.

Anonymous User - 25 January 2008 12:59 PM

ctsire - 25 January 2008 11:04 AM

A little off topic...but quick question.....Did anyone else not hear any response from a program about an interview(no email, mail, or call rejecting or inviting)?  Does this sometimes happen or should I ask for some money back from the match?

I matched this year but did not hear back (yes or no) from a few places during the places. I think it’s very unprofessional of them and reflects poorly on the program. I have a lot more respect from a program that mails me a solid rejection than one that keeps you in the lurch.

I am glad it was not just me.  The programs like this were very random...some high, some low, and all over the country.  I agree that it is very unprofessional, if they did in fact get my application.

Anonymous User - 25 January 2008 11:14 AM

Does anyone know how many spots this year went unfilled?

On a related note, does anyone know when official SF Match statistics for 2008 are due to be released?

ctsire - 25 January 2008 11:04 AM

A little off topic...but quick question.....Did anyone else not hear any response from a program about an interview(no email, mail, or call rejecting or inviting)?  Does this sometimes happen or should I ask for some money back from the match?

I didn’t hear from several places - no rejection, no invite, nothing.  I doubt very much that they didn’t get my application.  I didn’t call them because I had plenty of interviews and felt that any program which couldn’t even be bothered to inform me of my status wasn’t a place I wanted to match.

Hi Jessica, I met you on the interview trail this year (very early) and am shocked you didn’t match - you were obviously a fantastic candidate.  It sounds like you are going to land on your feet though.  Glad to hear things are looking up - keep going and I’ll bet things will work out great. -Bruce

It is amazing that people from foreign school......with unknown certification and shady transcripts end up matching through back door and STRONG candidates like surgigal...from reputed american university gets left behind...............

Anonymous User - 25 January 2008 04:30 PM

It is amazing that people from foreign school......with unknown certification and shady transcripts end up matching through back door and STRONG candidates like surgigal...from reputed american university gets left behind...............

Alright, enough mud-slinging.