Calls, letters before March 20th

couldn't agree more. if programs are expressing interest, the classy thing to do would be to keep it quiet. if nothing's been expressed, worrying about what others have or haven't heard won't help. the last thing this board needs is more stress.

couldn't have said it better myself, lantus

I totally agree with Rakmala... you guys are freaking hippocrates. The classy thing is to keep it quiet? You're an idiot. :evilgrin:

i don't understand the hostility... i was just making a counter-point. Sorry if you took it to be criticism... it was not.

we shouldn't start name calling at this point either... some of us may be working together in a few months...


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h well:

Wow, when did this forum start turning nasty? What happened to the good old days when everyone was willing to help each other out and encourage each other?

How's about this: if the thread stresses you out, best avoid it; if you're curious, feel free to read/post!

No more name-calling, 'kay?

I think the stress of the matching is getting to everyone. It seems as if the estrogen level is rising by the second around here.

don't you mean "hypocrites" not "Hippocrates" (aka the father of medicine)...
sorry to be a prick...I just couldn't resist

whoa...gotta agree with the hostility/name calling. kind of silly. i'll probably regret getting dragged into this, even though I was personally attacked. nevertheless, two points.

1. i'm all for sharing sensitive info when that info can help others. take for instance the interview offer thread. because of the way programs handled the whole invite thing (a topic unto itself), hearing from people who got invites was often the only way to find out what was going on. for example, i read about a program sending snail mail invites right after i left for a week long vacation. thanks to the thread, i was able to call in quickly enough to get my choice of dates. useful. on the other hand, i was merely suggesting that there wasn't much utility in telling people "school x wants me" other than patting myself on the back. why...

2. ...because there should be no such thing as "ranking strategy". if you understand the match algorithm, then you know that your choice of programs should not be influenced by which program wants you or any other applicant. given that, announcing that "x number of programs want me" does seem (IMO) a bit boastful, especially when 10%+ of the people who really want to do ortho are not going to get that chance. you may disagree, which is fine. but i fail to see where it's not a reasonable counter-point.

yep, definitely regret getting dragged in. however, since i have some time to kill...

rakmala, in all seriousness, tell me how the info you want will be helpful to you, and i promise i will post as soon as (if) i hear anything. i also promise not to add anymore posts to this thread until (unless) that time comes.

and i mean THAT in the best possible way. )

I have received no calls or you will be ranked to match here but have gotten a few "if you want to come here just let us know." Such places were Campbell Clinic, San Fran Program, Akron General. I do not know if this means squat and it probably doesn't. However, it p@#$es me off because I do not want to call a program and tell them "you are my place" if their not, but feel like I could be missing out because they rank others ahead of me just because I didn't give them the nod, even though I may have been higher on their list before the whole calling thing. My $.02 on the rest of this thread, post whatever in the h$%& you want. If you don't want to read it don't friggin click on the thread. And I did prefer it when OSRR was civil. If my family can pull it off over the holidays I'd think a bunch of pods and future pods could pull it off. Then again it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.

Peace

I'll start it off with actually useful info. I got an email today from Lenox Hill saying that I made the rank list. Anyone else get this email?
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i agree with bigpiece. if everyone played by the rules the match would work better. the truth is applicants and programs are all working angles to get the advantage over other applicants and programs. i have had several directors tell me that they only want students who want them (why do you think i spent a $1500 on a plane tickect to come interview?) . a few even went as far as saying being two or three on a ROL was not acceptable. i can't believe the pi$$ing contest this has become and how important it is for everyone to match their No. 1 or their top applicants to the point where they alter their real ROL so that they can say they matched their top program/applicants. we have all been on the trail and know that the quality of applicants and programs are outstanding, with very few exceptions. if for no other reason posting whether or not programs are calling at least allows people to have an idea where they might stand with a program so as not to be crushed on mar. 20. however, i don't think anyone should change their ROL based on this information. i have been called by programs but i am not going to post where in a attempt to remain anonymous. this forum is viewed by more than just applicants and if you were 1 of 10 phone calls it can get pretty easy to figure out who is posting.

SD is on the money. Rakmala, though I would like to tell you the intricacies of the match process that I am experiencing, that doesn't make sense for me. If you are currently in the game, right now would be that stage where you would prefer not to give away your position as it could compromise future opportunities especially when the pool of people is 5 or 10. I don't know if everyone is playing the angles but I do know that a handful are. It's unfortunate, but if you don't play in the game it's impossible to win. Note: winning is very subjective. For some it may be to just match, while for others it is landing one of those so called "top spots" or a certain geographic location, or others may be couples matching w/ a partner in a competitive residency.

So--
Most of the big name programs have an ego and don't want to dip down their ROL past the numer of positions that they offer.
yes programs are contacting applicants. yes folks have been invited back to programs
yes people have been given private phone numbers for "questions"
yes attendings/residents have contacted people to see what they thought of the program.
Also as girdlestone stated in his/her slamming of the Ortho2B. People will be contacting the people that you know to verify your credentials. They already have in some cases.

Best of Luck. The match is nice for most but it does present some problems when programs don't play by the rules.

best of luck

I have received two vague letters saying that I am a competetive appliicant, that they are sure I will match somewhere, and that they would look forward to working with me. Neither told my I was ranked to match, or gave me a position. It's all part of the game. I don't plan on calling them back and saying great, you are my top choice, but I will let them know in the same vague words that I think very highly of their program and would be happy to train there if the opportunity arises.