Friday, April 8, 2016

Dr. Thinker: Rank order list (ROL)

-          You can start making the list from mid Jan until the last Wednesday of Feruary.
-          The deadline for ROL submission would be on the last Wednesday of Feb. The programs have the same deadline as you.
-          You can create a list and keep changing it until the deadline. But, everytime you edit the list make sure to certify it. You will get an email notification saying your ROL has been submitted succefully.
-          Start working on your list as soon as possible so that you can do enough research about the programs where you had an interivew.

Misconceptions and the way to rank:
1. Your match probability won't be affected by when you make your list. You can make it on the last day itself too. But, I would advice you not to do so to avoid panic or software related issues.
2. Can you rank programs that didn't offer you an interview? Yes, you can.
3. Does ranking programs which didn't offer you an interview increase your chances of matching? No, it doesn't. Let's say you wanted to marry Angelina Jolie and created your wedding invitations accordingly. On the day of the anticipated marriage you can suit up and go to the venue with friends and family, but Angelina Jolie wouldn't turn up. Because, she had no clue that you exist!
4. Should you rank based on where you want to match or based on where you think you have higher chances of matching? It's advised to rank programs based on where you want to match.
5. What is the difference between ranking based on where you want to match and based on where you think you have higher chances of matching? Either way, It won't affect your chances of matching overall. But, it decides where you would end up matching. So, rank the program you like the most at the top even if it is Harvard and you are an Img with bad scores.
More simplified explanation: Let's say you had 2 interviews, one from Harvard and another one from a community hospital. Scenario1: You love Harvard and so you ranked Harvard as 1st choice. If Harvard ranks you high enough then you will match there. If Harvard doesn't rank you, then the algorithm would check if the community hospital ranked you high enough. If you were ranked high, you will match or else you won't match at all.
Scenario2: You love Harvard but you ranked community hospital as 1st choice since you thought Harvard wouldn't rank you. Now, if the community program ranks you high enough then you will match there and you will lose an opportunity to match at Harvard even if Harvard ranks you number 1 on their list.
6. One of the program that offered an interview (Program D) tells you indirectly that they will rank you high or gives a vibe that they will take you. But, you were planning to rank Program A,B and C higher than Program D before they sent the email. You are worried about the match and all you want is to just match and it doesn’t matter where. What should you do now? Should you rank Program D as number 1? I would suggest still go in the order you earlier wanted to. If Program D  is really ranking you high enough, then you can feel happy that you will match no matter what. YOU will match most certainly, but where depends on you now just like I mentioned in the above example. Scenario1: If you ranked Program A,B and C higher than D, then you will match at either A,B or C if they rank you high enough. If they don’t rank you, then you will ultimately match at D if they rank you as they mentioned. Scenario2: You ranked Program D higher than A,B and C just because D said they are ranking you high. Now, if they really rank you high, then you will match at D even though program A, B or C rank you number 1 on their list. In this scenario you are missing an opportunity to match at your most wanted program.
                              
ROL as per the program:
-        Just like you the programs also rank its candidates as per their preference.
-        A program will have to rank more than 1 candidate per residency spot in order to fill all their spots. On an average they have to rank around 11 per one spot. This number varies from program to program depending on its competitiveness.

Just for explanation: A program like Harvard can fill all its 20(imaginary number) spots with top20 candidates on their list. A community hospital with good fellowships can fill all its 20 spots within their top50 on the list. A community hospital with no fellowships or resources might fill its 20 spots within their top 200.

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