Reaching out to PD for interviews

As I've said before, we interview just about every AMG or DO student who applies from the region, and that group alone has filled up many more of our interview slots this year. I think we've winnowed out the best of the USIMGs and FMGs, and now we're into a pool of a couple of hundred very similar appearing applications that are all interview-able, will probably be competent residents and nice people, but just don't stand out from the other hundred that want the same 10 remaining interview spots. (And of course, I'm worrying that I'm interviewing the same bunch of applicants that everyone else is, and that in the end they are going to choose a place with a bigger name or perceived stature, and leave me grasping straws in the SOAP...)

Bottom line: it's going to be tough to be a fair-to-middling Caribbean grad this cycle. [/QUOTE]

It's pretty interesting that after 20+ years of education, standardized testing, there's not real way to meaningfully distinguish between a large portion of the applicant crowd. Similarly, I found that it's pretty darn hard to distinguish between many programs based on the information available and make an informed choice. The match was created in a time when residency slots were > graduates. But now that grads >> slots, we have a situation where it's almost impossible for a fair assessment of reasonable candidates, increasing the probability of "poor matches."

Importantly, with the total number of applicants/slot at some programs being nuts and PDs having to decide to A) not interview candidates who might be *too good* or B) arbitrarily select applicants they thing might rank them high over others who are equally as good, the match becomes unwieldy and unfair... would another potential solution be an interview match? Programs could rank applicants into equally competitive bunches and set a number of invites. Applicants could do the same with a number of interviews. Within a week it would be all figured out. Cancellations would then just trigger an automatic "next in line" invite.

Also, it's going to continue to be tougher and tougher to be a Carribbean grad of any level as the number of US MD/DO grads keeps increasing.

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Reaching out to PD for interviews