One of my strategies to get interviews was if I did not receive a notice of rejection or acceptance from a program that was going to have an interview in a week or two..if I really was interested in the program, i would send an email to the program director, and residency coordinator expressing my interest, especially since I had heard that others were granted interviews.
This has a high success rate, at least it did for me.. I got two interviews as a result. I wouldn't recommend it unless you were actually interested in the program, as they might ask you why specifically you want to go there...
I had one program coordinator call me up and ask 'I got your email..and I forwarded it to our chairman..and he said he would have given you an interview, but was confused why didn't you do an away rotation here..if you were so close?' I explained that I was doing a research year and was unable to do rotations because of insurance..She got back to me, and arranged an interview for me.
Once you have an interview, at many places, that puts you on a 'semi-even' playing field. See one of my recent earlier posts regarding this question. You think doing this may put you at a disadvantage, but most of the interviewers don't know you were a "second pick"..and you never know whose eye you're going to catch..which could lead to a match. Yes, I know of people, and have heard of many stories of this happening...
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