Match results for a specific school and program (i.e., how many people who listed the program as their top choice got it)?

[positivetension]

Basically the title, there are a lot of stats on the CaRMS site but I couldn't find a PDF that was as specific as number of people who listed program X at school Y as their first choice and got matched to it.

[JohnGrisham]

For many reasons, that is not published.  

[PurpleS]

Can you explain what insight into the match that stat would provide? I feel like a much better stat would be what % of students match to their first choice program and that is provided on the website.

[positivetension]

2 hours ago, JohnGrisham said:

For many reasons, that is not published.  

What are some of those reasons out of curiousity?

2 hours ago, BlueSpirit said:

Can you explain what insight into the match that stat would provide? I feel like a much better stat would be what % of students match to their first choice program and that is provided on the website.

It provides insight for people who are geographically constrained for various reasons (i.e., really want to be in a certain city) and also know what specialty they want. It would be nice to know how "desired" that specific program is in that city so that one can have a more realistic picture of the likelihood they'll get what they want.

[ralk]

9 hours ago, positivetension said:

What are some of those reasons out of curiousity?

It provides insight for people who are geographically constrained for various reasons (i.e., really want to be in a certain city) and also know what specialty they want. It would be nice to know how "desired" that specific program is in that city so that one can have a more realistic picture of the likelihood they'll get what they want.

That sort of data is too specific to maintain confidentiality for applicants, and is too open to inappropriate interpretations that could needlessly hurt programs' reputations. 

[Bambi]

You will obviously select program x at school y as your first choice, which is what I did. Then, you will select program a at school b as your 2nd choice etc. My first 2 choices were entirely different programs at different schools. All I knew was that we were 40 competitive applicants for each competitive program that was accepting less than a handful of candidates. I did not get my first choice, rather my second and I was overjoyed. There are so many variables to match.

[JohnGrisham]

It shouldn't change your ranking regardless. 

Sure it may help you feel less anxious in that "oh it seems like most people who wanted program A matched to it", you cant know that for sure anyways in a different cycle.

Just know that you arent gauranteed anything anyways, and exhaust your rank list with what you would foresee yourself being comfortable with in worst-case scenarios. Then just have hope that it doesn't go that far down the list.

Since the match system is applicant focused, weather you knew you were a statistical "lock" or not, shouldn't change your ranking choices. 

CAVEAT: If you are also parrallel applying to the US match, then I could see where there may be some utility in the information you're trying to get at, but thats a whole different story. 

[Tullius]

The OP asks a good question.

And I am confused by the suggestion that this would not be actionable information, or that it would not affect applicants' behaviour when preparing for CaRMS.

If you are trying for a competitive specialty that generally doesn't even consider applicants who have not rotated through their centre for at least two weeks, and you don't have enough elective time to rotate through every centre in Canada for at least two weeks, and you are flexible about location, and you don't think you are a superstar applicant who will be ranked 1st at every program they apply to, wouldn't it help to know which locations have more/less first choice applicants per place, so that you can make sure you do electives at centres where your chances of matching (due to first choice applicants/places ratio) is higher?  This could help plan your electives to maximize the benefit of limited elective time.

[JohnGrisham]

1 hour ago, Tullius said:

The OP asks a good question.

And I am confused by the suggestion that this would not be actionable information, or that it would not affect applicants' behaviour when preparing for CaRMS.

If you are trying for a competitive specialty that generally doesn't even consider applicants who have not rotated through their centre for at least two weeks, and you don't have enough elective time to rotate through every centre in Canada for at least two weeks, and you are flexible about location, and you don't think you are a superstar applicant who will be ranked 1st at every program they apply to, wouldn't it help to know which locations have more/less first choice applicants per place, so that you can make sure you do electives at centres where your chances of matching (due to first choice applicants/places ratio) is higher?  This could help plan your electives to maximize the benefit of limited elective time.

Yes, but if you did that, then so would other people, because everyone would feel the same way. So it would just cancel itself out.

And you dont know how other people will rank anyways in a given cycle. Every cycle is different. 

 

[Borborygmi]

One stat I do wish that CaRMS shared was 1st choice match rate when the 1st choice is not the home school.

[MDLaval]

On 25/10/2017 at 8:36 AM, ralk said:

That sort of data is too specific to maintain confidentiality for applicants, and is too open to inappropriate interpretations that could needlessly hurt programs' reputations. 

The data presently available already creates confidentiality issues. I'm aware of a few myself. So, I agree this kind of info shouldn't be made available.