"safe number" of IM interview

[Dany]

how many interviews should a CMG get to be considered "largely safe" to land in IM match?

 

thanks

[Guest tongtongcuty]

I would like to know as well.

 

Thanks

[Lactic Folly]

The number of interviews you receive gives you some idea as to how strong your paper application is, i.e. your pre-interview ranking. But all that can change with your interview. I don't think you can take anything for granted. Prepare for your interviews.

[thebouque]

Probably 3-4 if you include your home school. I know a few people who only applied at their own school and they got it but that was a bit risky.

[n00b]

How competitive is IM in general? There are more spots than most other fields, but obviously also more applicants.

[rmorelan]

How competitive is IM in general? There are more spots than most other fields, but obviously also more applicants.

 

Not competitive really comparatively. Has left over spots after 2nd round, and if I recall a well over 90% success rate.

[n00b]

Do the top programs usually fill up after first iteration?

[cheech10]

Yes. The top programs rarely have spots in the 2nd round.

[rmorelan]

Yes. The top programs rarely have spots in the 2nd round.

 

Yup - you can find out all the specifics on the CARMS website under reports. There is a report breaking things down by school, discipline, first vs second etc.

[Dany]

As many as you can land. Don't take anything for granted. Sure you may decline to interview in Manitoba but then come 2nd interation time you'll be wishing you had when all that's left is SK and rural NFLD.

 

Sask < Manitoba??

are you just giving me an example or is it true?

as someone from the East, I srsly think they're about the same... except that Sask often has left overs after the 1st iteration.

 

any comments?

[Lactic Folly]

Winnipeg is a larger city than Saskatoon, if that matters to you.

[NLengr]

Winnipeg is a larger city than Saskatoon, if that matters to you.

 

Am I as likely to get shanked in Saskatoon as Winnipeg though?

[Lactic Folly]

Am I as likely to get shanked in Saskatoon as Winnipeg though?

 

Different sides of the same coin.

[olecranon]

i'm going to 3.

[cardiomegaly]

Remember Manitoba is open to IMGs first round now. They don't leave anything behind in second round anymore and things seem more competitive there as a result

[youbrokeit]

There are always a couple spots left over, but not usually at the the larger centers. Best bet is to apply and rank everywhere you would consider going.

 

Consider that many people doing IM as a first choice have applied to 4 or more spots. Therefore, even with a 100% match to choice of specialty, only 25% of (total) applicants are getting offered a position at a given location. Differences in ranking between applicants mean that considerably more than 25% are actually getting their first choice though. Let's say it's 40% for people who want a "popular" location as their first choice and maybe 70+% for people wanting a less popular location. This is pretty relaxed competition compared to other residencies (and certainly better than med school admissions!!) but a fair bit more competitive than the "nearly 100% match rate" that gets thrown around suggests.

 

Because of this, it's a really good idea to apply to quite a few places. This also prevents a bad interview, cancelled flight, etc. from kicking you into the second round.

[rmorelan]

There are always a couple spots left over, but not usually at the the larger centers. Best bet is to apply and rank everywhere you would consider going.

 

Consider that many people doing IM as a first choice have applied to 4 or more spots. Therefore, even with a 100% match to choice of specialty, only 25% of (total) applicants are getting offered a position at a given location. Differences in ranking between applicants mean that considerably more than 25% are actually getting their first choice though. Let's say it's 40% for people who want a "popular" location as their first choice and maybe 70+% for people wanting a less popular location. This is pretty relaxed competition compared to other residencies (and certainly better than med school admissions!!) but a fair bit more competitive than the "nearly 100% match rate" that gets thrown around suggests.

 

Because of this, it's a really good idea to apply to quite a few places. This also prevents a bad interview, cancelled flight, etc. from kicking you into the second round.

 

hmmm you might get offers at several spots though - we are just automatically getting our top pick each time. In theory I suppose everyone in your example could be ranked at every school meaning that that school would accept that applicant. This is just a bit of splitting hairs, I think your main point is still important