carms competition for rads this year

[monkey799]

wondering what the competition is like this year

 

last year was an easier year with roughly 73-5% match rate (vs previous year 2007 - 69%) - in fact there were 3 left over spots unmatched!!!

 

if it's indeed getting easier I would be interested in applicant's view: is it the uncertainty and volatility of future of this specialty that is keeping students away?

[noncestvrai]

Where did you get the 73-75% figure?

 

It did not feel as an easy match, as a lot of my friends did not match to rads, having it discipline numero uno...

 

The 3 postions left where all in the same programme if I remember...so sounds more like some kind of mistake/anomaly/programme issue.

 

Most of the people I saw during the interview trail practically walked on water. It suffices to say that there are still lots of demand for the discipline, IMHO.

 

noncestvrai

[Lactic Folly]

Like noncestvrai said, those 3 unmatched spots were not for lack of interest in the specialty.. it is more likely that a relatively small number of applicants were interviewed for those spots. If you look at past years, the % success does fluctuate from year to year as the pool isn't huge.. can't say that I see any overall trend towards it getting easier or harder.

[monkey799]

Where did you get the 73-75% figure?

 

It did not feel as an easy match, as a lot of my friends did not match to rads, having it discipline numero uno...

 

 

if you simply look into the report on how many people ranked it as first choice specialty and how many matched, it comes to about 73-5%, slightly harder for a female to match.

 

In looking into past few years, when it even dipped into the 50% range in early 2000's, I'd definitely conclude that it's getting easier - perhaps a fewer % of students are interested nowadays.

[Maxime]

NCV,

 

Do you walk on water? You need to show me that sometime!

[Kirsteen]

if you simply look into the report on how many people ranked it as first choice specialty and how many matched, it comes to about 73-5%, slightly harder for a female to match.

 

In looking into past few years, when it even dipped into the 50% range in early 2000's, I'd definitely conclude that it's getting easier - perhaps a fewer % of students are interested nowadays.

Hello,

 

I'm not sure those stats are statistically significant and as for the "volatility" of the specialty keeping medical students away, not in my experience. Radiology remains a very hot specialty that can be quite challenging to match to.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[noncestvrai]

NCV,

 

Do you walk on water? You need to show me that sometime!

 

I'd love to, but then, I'd quit radiology for cirque du soleil...=)

 

noncestvrai

[hydes79]

I disagree! I don't think it's getting any easier to get into radiology residency .I am in my third year and I have seen an increasing number of students from my class who are interested in Radiology. I think the year 2010 will be tough one!!!

[fibroblast]

I applied to all Canadian radiology schools this year and only got 4 interviews. So I'm pretty sure the competition is still stiff. I believe there were 18 applicants from ubc alone applying to radiology.

[BlackJack]

The good residencies in the good fields fill up the fastest.

 

A good field is defined by lifestyle/pay balance and prestige, meaning competitiveness.

 

Some students are more in tune with this knowledge than others, and these are the ones who will be going for these fields from the start. It helps if you're one of them.

 

Radiology is a good field. It is getting no easier to secure a spot in it.

 

Get on it quick. Research. Network. Do well on rotations. Network. Did I mention network? Get to know radiologists; you'll need them to write references. Don't waste a second doing anything but getting in on things that will help your chances at landing a radiology spot.

 

If you're not doing it, someone else is. Time is limited.

[spaceprobe]

18 with radiology as first choice!!!? Did 2/3rd get unmatched at the end?

[cupofwater]

I applied to all Canadian radiology schools this year and only got 4 interviews. So I'm pretty sure the competition is still stiff. I believe there were 18 applicants from ubc alone applying to radiology.

 

that's funny. i heard a rumour that this year there were 30 applicants from ubc alone applying for anaesthesia, and 10-15 students from ubc alone applying for plastic surgery.

 

i don't know how big the ubc class is, but it adds up to a lot of students from one class wanting just a few select specialties.

 

DISCLAIMER: the rumours i heard were just in passing and likely highly exaggerated. i really have no idea if they are true or not. in fact, i doubt they're true. i just thought they were funny!

[UBCmed09]

Yeah, it was a fairly ROAD-heavy UBC class this year (the 'road' to happiness of course encompassing Rads, Ophtho, Anes, Derm). Looking at an informal list of where folks matched in our class (with ~20 people missing):

 

Plastic Surgery 4

Radiology 12

Anesthesia 19

Ophtholmalogy 5

Dermatology 3

Urology 5

ENT 3

[0nsp]

Yeah, it was a fairly ROAD-heavy UBC class this year (the 'road' to happiness of course encompassing Rads, Ophtho, Anes, Derm). Looking at an informal list of where folks matched in our class (with ~20 people missing):

 

Plastic Surgery 4

Radiology 12

Anesthesia 19

Ophtholmalogy 5

Dermatology 3

Urology 5

ENT 3

 

If only 12 matched to rads, did the other 6 not match, or get a back up?

 

And it seems like huge numbers, but remember, UBC is more than twice the size of most medical schools, with all campuses totalling ~250 students.

[UBCmed09]

Not sure how many applicants there actually were for Rads. Yeah, we are definitely a big class (although our year is ~220, not 250).

[0nsp]

Not sure how many applicants there actually were for Rads. Yeah, we are definitely a big class (although our year is ~220, not 250).

 

There were definitely 18 vying for rads. I met a lot of them.

[bugette]

According to friends who applied to radiology, the competition wasn't too bad this year. Of course it is competitive, but overall across Canada it wasn't "crazy" apparently. So maybe it has been worse in the past?

 

I know that is vague, but I find it is really hard to pinpoint the competitiveness of a specialty (either than low, moderate, and high) even after the carms stats have been published.

 

All you need is one acceptance / one school to rank you very highly.

[carebear15]

what i always tell rads hopefuls is, if you're willing to go anywhere in canada, you can land a radiology spot. yes it's competitive, but not impossible.

[NeuroEng]

If you are a strong applicant and flexible about where you go, you will most likely get a spot. If you decide late or apply to limited programs you chances are not as good but you can still get a spot. I know many people in the latter category who did just fine.

[bnface]

Would you say this is true of most competitive specialties? Perhaps not derm or plastics, but say ENT, anesthesiology, optho, etc?

[Lactic Folly]

Yes, if you are strong enough to be in the top xx of applicants (where xx = number of spots)

[0nsp]

Not for plastics, derm, optho or ENT.

 

for rads, anesthesia, emerg, uro if you are flexible in going anywhere and have done the appropriate electives/research/reference letters I would give you a 90% shot at matching without even knowing you. For the first 4 listed, you could do everything right, and still not get in because there are too many good people for too few spots.

[Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

All of this is a bit of conjecture. Why doesn't someone do the stats to see if there is a significant statistical difference between specialties and match rates over the years?

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[NLengr]

Not for plastics, derm, optho or ENT.

 

On a side note: I was talking to someone today who applied to Derm and they said that the # of applicants this year was insane. 100 vs. the normal 30 or so other years.

 

Mind you this isn't a solid fact from CARMS or anything.

[bnface]

Hopefully this is not true....because that would be a sad, sad day for medicine in Canada.

 

I remember reading an interesting editorial written by an ER doc a while back. One of the points he argued was that when half the class of Harvard goes into derm (which they do), there is a serious prevalence of "doctors not behaving as doctors" syndrome. Don't get me wrong, skin is important. But to be the most competitive residency in North America--sad, sad situation.

 

There are obviously people out there who enjoy working with skin. My problem is with the more ubiquitous derm hopeful who actually finds skin boring. I could never possibly believe that "genuine" interest in SKIN could be that high.