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WELCOME TO CLASS OF 2025 QUESTIONS
This space is for you to ask questions from current applicants so hopefully we can use our recent experience of going through VSLO/aways/ERAS/interviews to help guide you!
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Date: Comment: Comment: Comment: Comment: Comment:
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9/19Is there a doc that lists the cutoffs for Step 1 and Step 2 for interview? i.e. if you pass step 1 but get a 230 step 2 vs fail step 1 but get a 230 step 2, do they screen and is there a list somewhere?NEW SHEET SINCE OG KEEPS GOING INTO TRASH^^link plz
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9/19Is it okay to include experiences from colleges/programs before attending medical school?yes if they're significant
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9/19if we present a poster at two separate conferences, do we put it twice in the presentations section? I did!
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9/18If we have to SOAP, will it only be OBGYN or will submitting to ResidencyCAS allow you to participate and apply to other specialties? only obgyn - you need to prep an ERAS application if you want to soap into another specialty
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9/16is "accepted" the final status for your MSPE? Other things say "complete" or "received"?
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9/16The publication format is terrible for everyone else right? Splitting every detail into "answer: ..."?
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9/16In residency cas USMLE scores are complete when it says "received" right? We won't actually see our scores?
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8/17what is the vibe on adding experiences to your app from undergrad if you are a "traditional" student? Ive gotten mixed reviews!If it is important and doesn't take the place of more recent high-quality experiences, you should add it.I am including 2-3 undergrad but one will be blended with similar med school experience! One was a major reason for me confirming my interests in medicine, and another was a major four year experience that is a significant part of who I am and exemplifies numerous traits of a "good resident"
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8/15this question has been asked so many times but i am still confused lol, how do i know what is a reach vs safety aside from just board scores?? +2I've been using a combo of scores, %AOA/GHHS (you can see if somwhere has like 70% GHHS that is maybe something they care about more), looking at the schools they are matching from, and then also considering the region you are in and applying to as some programs seem to prefer/take more "locals" It helps to read the bios of the current residents on the website if they have that to get a feel for what non-score qualifications they might be looking for
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8/15I know the consensus is to keep PS to a page (despite the huge word count limit in RCAS), how do we know if it's a page? Is there a way to get a pdf preview of your application? I haven't been able to find one obviously in the appi figured out how to get a pdf preview! If you click on "my programs", then click on the ">" on any of your programs (not the arrow, but the one to the right of that), then there will be a button on the top right that says PDF, and you can preview how things will look!omg youre an angel ive been wondering the same thingDoes the ordering of the PDF seem mixed up for others? > idk that the order is necessarily wrong on mine but the formatting is pretty atrocious and made my application # of pages crazy long...that's such a hilariously ridiculous way to do it LOL thank you so much for finding that out!!!
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8/11For 2024 applicants, how often did you get an invite from a program you didn't signal? I know APGO/CREOG reported that interviews were extended to 3% of people that did not send a signal of any sort; just trying to figure out how many programs to apply to I think this depends a lot on WHERE you apply. One of our best applicants got 2 outside of her signals, but they were low tier programs compared to the high tiers she signaled. Half my interviews (5) came from places I didn't signal but 4 were community programs and 2 of those 4 were new. Only 1 was from an academic program.
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8/7i have an abstract accepted to a conference and am presenting a poster in october. they will publish the abstracts in a version of their online journal. do i put this under abstracts/poster presentations or under publications? or both? under pubs it says you can mention Submitted or Accepted Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles/Abstracts which i guess this is? I think i wouldnt put it under publications, but I would definetly put it under presentations if you presented at the conference. I feel like the publication section is really supossed to be for full published articles not really abstracts, but for sure somone else should correct me if Im wrong because I have some abstracts that have been published in conference journals that I'm not planning on putting under the publication section. I was told both but this might be one of those things where there isn't 100% consensus I was also told to put it under bothFirst person who responded here: I just looked at the app today and l saw that it does say "Peer reviewed abstracts and articles" so I have been corrected. I would put it for both, I also looked up some of my abstracts that have been published and I could find them online so I think it would be safe to put it as both publications and presentations, love to be corrected! It does seem redudent to me though, do you think it reflects badly to have the same thing in multiple place on my app? like it makes it look like you are tying to pad your acheivments?
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8/4I am doing an away in a region I'm interested in but it's after the application deadline, so won't have the chance to mention it in my MSPE or a LOR. Is there any way for me to demonstrate interest to other programs in that region besides signaling?I also have this situation - I don't think there is a way outside of signaling them and/or sending a LOinterest. (Unless your school puts the name of the away program in your transcript)
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7/31is it weird if there is overlap between the activities/activity descriptions mentioned noteworthy characteristics for MSPE and in your experiences section? obviously there will be some similarities in what i've participated in but not sure how much overlap is acceptableI think there should be! I tried to frame the MSPE descriptions as a summary of specific themes (with reference to relevant experiences) I want readers to get out of my overall application
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7/29i just got rejected from UCLA for an elective bc of lack of obgyn research and activities. Am i screwed for matching? Seriously freaking out. I only decided to pursue obgyn after my rotation and so I don't have any volunteering in obgyn or relatedAcademic programs prefer research, but you should be fine to match at a community program.
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7/24For experiences, is it supposed to be resume/cv like? or make it personal and meaningful? Do we use I statements? I've been doing bullet points like on a CV. Idk if that's correct thoughMine is paragraph but not "fluffy" paragraph - its still very objective/CV stylish. I kept the personal/meaningful stuff for PSA mentor of mine mentioned keeping bulletpoints for my activities/experiences and paragraph for my important/meaningful ones!
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7/22residencyCAS limits the number of characters that you can include in the authors section for publications. Any suggestions on how to shorten this? Is it ok to leave people out/say et al? I'm one of 3 first authors but I'm waaaay over the character limit to include everybody else :(I ran into same problem. I would list the first three authors (or to wherever your name comes up on the pub list), followed by "...", then followed by the senior author. this is what I have done and my advisor said that's what she would recommend.
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7/22Is there a 2024-2025 OBGYN match google sheet/page? 2025 Spreadsheet link: this is just a starter, again if someone has already made one please feel free to deletethank you so much for making this!!!is this sheet going to be made editable soon? +1< please make this editable so people can contribute!!!THANK YOUIt keeps saying it's in the trash. and will be deleted soon. When will we figure this out?
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7/20How long is everyone trying to make their personal statement? Is the recommendation still a page? With the new system, i'm not sure how things will be formatted when we submitOn the webinar, they recommended the P.S. still be one page. Although the character count is much more on ResidencyCAS, it is not recommended to go over one page.
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7/12On the new residency CAS application, do we still have to write extra about our most meaningful experiences (similar to ERAS)? I don't see it anywherei dont think we have the option to expand unfortunately
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7/9sorry if this is a dumb question but on the experience section when it asks when the experience was conducted it says before/during/after undergraduate as options- is undergrad like actual undergrad college or does this mean med school?undergrad = college
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How is everyone approaching the experience domain and experience competency sections on the new app? If we have activities that could easily count for multiple do we think it's better to be well-rounded (as many different domains as possible) or prove your strength in a certain area (try to focus on a few domains)?we had a session at school and they were talking in regard to ERAS domains/competencies (but this is basically synonymous) and said try to hit each if it makes sense and you can, otherwise just do what fits best. I personally will have a spread, but will have a couple that are doubled/tripled up in areas that are strenghts/major interests. bv vbnm,/
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7/3How TF do I request LOR through RCAS?From Home Page go to Program materials (bottom right section) > Evaluations > scroll down to where it says "narrative letter of evaluation" and "standardized letter of evaluation" and then hit the blue "+" button next to the letter type you want to request and fill in the details with your letter writers info > hit request! (you do NOT have to assign the letters to programs yet). You also have to have at least one program on your program list before you can request letters, so make sure you have done that first.
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7/3does anyone else not have anywhere close to 12 experiences to add... i have maybe 7 and am a little stressy that i should've done more in med school nowIt's better to have a few strong ones than a ton of weak experiences.
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6/25why have i not gotten any VSLO's? i applied to 7 programs pretty early onLike you're waiting to hear back or have been rejected? I wouldn't read too much into it either way! I asked my advisor the same thing and she said it's super dependent on availability (ex if home students are signed up etc.)
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6/22ACOG District 8 is holding a residency showcase with a number of programs in their region on August 4th! Link to register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSddmXT_JIjW852UYqZvQqWo4FSWJ1Fx8btE9L5ISvuXYiVTbg/viewform
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6/19Anyone have tips for writing experience descriptions with the 600 character limit? It makes it very hard to explain what you've done, especially for experiences that have been multiple years. Best to be very objective and do bullets? Not sure how to include any takeaways/why things were meaningful with the limit.Totally agree with you. On the webinar, they mentioned doing bullet points. you can do bullets or paragraph form. You shouldn't worry about detailing every single thing you did. Just focus on the main points and how they helped/prepared you for residency. For example if it is SGA, speak about your actual role and then provide context in regards to what you learned from the experience (leadership. mentorship, etc.)anyone had advice on talking about experiences in the experience section when you're already planning on talking about htem in your PS? don't want to be repetitive< if its also in PS, it should be very objective in experiences, while PS should be more about why meaningful/lessons learned etc. Does that make sense? yes!! that is a helpful way to think about it :) thank you!
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6/1910 likes and Ill make a new sheet for this match cycle lol +11 lol2025 Spreadsheet link: this is just a starter, again if someone has already made one please feel free to delete
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6/18Does anyone have reccomendations for resources to study/learn topics (in MFM, GynOnc, or FP in particular) for sub-i's? I've been listening to creog's over coffee but wondeirng if there are student orienteted books or Qbanks! Thanks :) +2on my MFM rotation I read the SMFM Consult Series/Clinical Guidelines (similar to ACOG Practice Bulletins) https://www.smfm.org/news/publications-and-guidelines Williams gynecology for surgical atlas and the gyn onc section :)
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6/8Is anyone concerned that there is no equivalent of the "hometowns" section on ERAS, in addition to the no geo signaling this year? It seems like theres no way for programs to know if you have any sort of geographic ties (outside of your current address/med school location/undergrad location)I'm not as concerned about this because it gives everyone an equal opportunity to interview at any program in the country! An alumni suggested to me to reach out with a letter of interest if there's a program in a particular region you're wanting to be in!You can put your hometown address as your permanent one, and the one you live at now as your local
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6/6How many programs are people planning to apply to this year? It seems like the average is dropping (72 down to 63 ish for 2023 cycle and 2024 cycle respectively), and that programs are increasingly moving towards interviewing almost only applicants who signaled. Just seems like a waste to apply to that many more than the number of signals < I am struggling to make a program list for this reason. I would *love* to only apply to like 30At the ACOG conference this year they had a few workshops and almost all of the workshop leaders have said the avg number of applications is downtrending for each applicant due to signalling. I'm neurotic so I'll probably still apply to a lot lol +1Advisor told me 30-40! This is really dependent on the type of applicant you are. If you have solid scores, good letters, good ECs, etc. you can get away w. less. I felt I was an avg applicant last year so I applied to 60 and received 15 interviews.
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6/6I had to take a brief LOA for some family medical concerns involving repeat hospitalizations and my school made me briefly withdraw. I know this will likely screen me out of really top tier programs, but is this a dead end for me, or do I still have a shot at lower tier programs? I'd be so happy to match anywhere for OBGYN.Your personal statment is a great place to explain any "red flags" and how you overcame them. There is also a place in R-CAS that asks about LOAMy school advises us to not discuss LOA in personal statements. I know there is a place to talk about it, I'm just wondering how it will affect my matching outcomes.
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6/6How do you ask letter writers? Do you ask via email, is it better to ask in person? Not sure what the etiquette isI would usually ask them in person on the last day of the rotation, but I'm sure text/email is fine too if you are no longer on the rotation!I ask in person ahead of time, then email a while later.
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6/5Are there specific requirements for who can fill out a SLOE? Would I be able to get one of my preceptors from 3rd year obgyn clerkship to do it?https://cdn.ymaws.com/apgo.org/resource/resmgr/rrr/Frequently_Asked_Questions_2.pdf
These are the options they writer will have to select for themselves
OB/GYN Department Chair
☐OB/GYN Clerkship Director
☐OB/GYN Residency Program Director
☐OB/GYN Faculty
☐Non-OB/GYN Faculty
☐Vice-Chair of Education
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6/5My school told us that all interview invites for the upcoming match will be sent out on 10/29/24. Has anyone else heard this or know this to be true?10/29 is the "universal release day" but some programs will release before and some trickle in after, you can see in the tab what it looked like last year (release day was 10/24 but interviews didnt only come out that day)
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6/3Anyone hear back from Rush, Northwestern? Have been waiting and I submitted these back in March and still haven't heard anything for aways. Already have one away and I'm just guessing at this point it's the only one I'm going to get (?), have people heard back from their aways? I thought applying to 10-12 programs was going to give me a decent shot but now I'm second guessing itIdk about Rush and Northwestern, but I applied to about 15 aways and heard back from all of them. I have heard some programs will ghost you though.<- I applied to 7, heard from half (either spots full or acceptances). NW had all been spots full for half of my dates by the time I dropped the rest I was waiting on. Most people at my school are still waiting to hear back from OBGYN aways! It's definitely institution dependent - dont count yourself out yet
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5/30I know this has already been discussed, but is 1 audition enough to have a good chance at matching? As a DO student I was hoping to have 2-4 auditions, but at this point I'm so tired of the VSLO process and am honestly relieved I even have 1. I think it is great to have 1! I am also DO and was late deciding and am sitting at zero rn for auditions. I think programs have been slow to respond, are only taking their own students so are limited, or the new application is influencing programs decisons as well? not totally sure, but every program that has declined me said it is not because of my application, it is because they are full. I am sure it'll be fine and it is not the end all be all with audition rotations. It's mostly first-come first served, so don't feel bad if you only have 1! That gives you good odds still!
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5/22Does anyone have any advice on how to excel on an audition rotation? I've heard be nice, be normal, but are there anythings I can study or do to perform well?If you encounter something about one of your patients (disease, treatment, etc) that you don't know about, go home and read about it. The following day on rounds, say to your attending: "I wasn't sure about X so I read about it last night. Can you explain..." And ask a question about it in relation to that patient. ALSO ask to present on a topic/practice bulletin to your team on rounds one day. Other than that, just be really kind/empathetic and look out for your patients. Consider them YOUR patients and take responsibility for everything that they need even if technically it's not your responsibility (aka take initiative without crossing any lines).
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5/22How big of a negative is it to have all my auditions after ERAS submission day? Those were the only dates I could get, so it is what it is, but I'm worried this will be a big disadvantage.I think it will still be beneficial to do those away rotations at that time because the programs are still reviewing applications and if they see your performance on the away rotation, then they may be more inclined to give you an interview (if they haven't already).I also have my auditions during interview season... I'm nervous about coordinating time to interview while on the sub-i :( I hope programs are understanding.
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5/21Does anyone have an updated list of DO friendly programs nationwide? Thank you!! +5
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5/16Is there a 2025 OBGYN match sheets yet? Not yet. Seems previous spreadsheets are created around August, might be too early?2025 Spreadsheet link: this is just a starter, again if someone has already made one please feel free to delete
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5/15For those who got accepted at UChicago (or I guess any school), after you accepted the offer did the offer disapear from the portal? When I accepted my other aways, they went to the "awaiting further action" section but UChicago did notOne of mine is awaiting futher action because I have post acceptance requirements to submit, the other did not have any of these and I can see it under "My application history" - awesome thank you! i was worried something happenedyes for one of mine it disappeared and went into history like the last person commented bc I didnt have additional documents they need.
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5/8Should I kms if I don't get the Step score I need for OBGYN? I can't imagine doing another specialty AT ALL. < what is considered a competitive step 2 score?
< What score are your advisors recommending you get?

https://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Charting-Outcomes-MD-Seniors-2022_Final.pdf
^pg 130 gives a good range of what is considered competitive 		Can someone provide a recommendation?My plan if i dont get a good enough step score is to still apply (super broadly) and consider soaping into a gen surg prelim (if any are open) or do a research year and take step 3 to show I can improve my scores --- also this is just a reminder that no career is worth losing yourself over. Go spend time with your friends/family and remember what is truly important in life. You can always take an extra year or two to get to your desired path, and those years wont be wasted! You've got this!!No, you shouldn't. I can't imagine myself doing another specialty at all either and the thought of it makes be VERY depressed but happiness can be found despite that. Genuinely adding: seek some therapy. Sounds like if there is only one thing(albeit big) standing in the way of you wanting to live or die then the issues seem deeper than just that.
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5/8When is it appropriate to send letters of interest to programs? Now that personal statements cannot be personalized / program, I want to also send a letter to my #1 program letting them know I'm highly interested. Already planning to give them a gold signal. Can't do away rotations for financial reasons.Would say August or early septemeber
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5/8This process is horrible, especially studying for Step 2. I've never felt more stressed in my life, especially being a bad test taker. Will my application be screened out if I don't hit a good Step 2 score? TexasStar data suggests so.... Should I just give up now? I'm also ORM.Friend, you are not alone. Dont give up. +2Studying as well and I'm losing a lot of steam. Taking both Level and Step. It Blows and is killing my soul. +1So difficult esp as an average student +3
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5/7Taking Step2, did anyone do less than average and still match well? +1 would love to hear some stories about anyone with under 240!! it feels intimidating to get a great score!yes, you can. still match at phenomenal progrms even with a very low step score, or even if you failed a prior step. holistic review is helpful for this, particularly if your other extracurriculars/research are far above and beyond your fellow applicants
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5/6If anyone from Class of 2025 is interested in moderating next year's page, pls message me on discord or email me at obgynmatch2024@gmail.com. TY! :) -Blossom
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5/6Piggy-backing off this last question 🔽, should I send letters of interest to the programs I applied for aways since I haven't heard anything from them yet? +1n=1 here but I sent some LOI about a month ago and nothing but crickets :/ (n=2 sadly--same here)

n also 1 here, but I sent emails and ended up getting accepted to two programs in the weeks after (only one coordinator got back to me saying they had received it)		what do you guys include in those emails? Do you just express interest and ask what the status of your application is? +1

I usually included a line about how I'd spoken to x resident, and learned about how great the program was. Also shared around the date when I submitted my application, and reaffirmed how I had strong interest in attending the program if selected. - thank you!		did this and got the R the next day lol<< Do you send to coordinator or PD? - sent to the visiting student email!I've gotten mixed response from these. Sometimes they say thanks for interest and wish me luck and sometimes they seem annoyed
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5/3Anyone else absolutely panicking about not having any Sub-I's? This process makes me wanna rip my hair out +7I am! Im panicked that i didnt apply to enough even though i applied to 6 programs all with multiple electives I had this same convo with my PD who said that aways can be so capricious--some of it is timing (i.e. when you apply), some of it is rolling acceptances (i.e., getting an offer 3 weeks before the actual away), and some of it can just be the way the program works (a large administration may just filter through applications differently). She said she feels historically people can not get aways and do just fine during interview season! I don't think it changed my neuroticism but it did help me sleep at night :) < Thank you for sharing, helpful to hear some encouragment!! I think with the new application and no more geographic signals, etc., hard to stay level headed with not a ton of guidance <3 I've been getting nervous too! I applied as early as february and haven't heard anything yet, applied to 11 programsI applied to 30+ and didn't get any but still matched at my number 1, keep the faith :) -LOVE, thank you for the hope!
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5/1Theres the ACOG conference, which now has a student panel. Anyone know if you have to somehow sign up for the student sessions separately? I'm already registered for the conference but can't figure out how to make sure I can go to the student events. (+1 to this question!)for the one who asked the question I am gonna try to look into this too because I was wondering the same thing, if you find out or just want to connect with others before the conference can you DM me on reddit? @ MillieBeansMom_MD25 Hi! Attended last year and by registering for the conference as a student I was already registered for the student events! Thank you!is there somewhere the schedule of student events is listed?
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5/1Has anyone heard back from University of Minnesota??
Also applied on VSLO MONTHs ago (in febuary) and nothing yet
Also still waiting and applied the day it opened I got an email from their director today saying they haven't even began reviewing apps yet for a lot of the dates I applied to Still nothing on my end from them, ended up withdrawling all my open apps today because I filled my all my dates, good luck to everyone still waiting!
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4/25Reminder of the ResidencyCAS Webinar tonight!

ResidencyCAS: Applicants and Advisors Webinar
April 25th, 2024 at 6:00 PM ET
Please click here to register for the webinar. 		Thank you !!Seems that they are overwhelmed already with people asking questions lol < !!!Helpful links from session:
https://apgo.org/page/rrrapplicant
Changes to Application 24-25 		It seemed like they contradicted themselves in the live chat vs the chat. I know max submission is 4 but the amount you can upload/request they said was 4 but at a different time said it wasn't limited to 4 for requests.
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4/25Studying for Step 2 - what score is considered competitive? I'm so nervous, especially being an average student but wanting to match at an academic program. +1Use Texas Star data, NRMP reports, and Freida to see what USMLE targets are and determine what the range of scores that is usually selected for interviews vs matched +1. This question is asked almost every year lol.I agree, check Texas star, but also the average for OBGYN is around 248 so I would try your best to aim around there! Competitive is all relative to where you are trying to go and the rest of your application.
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4/23Has anyone heard back from Northwestern and/or the URM scholarship?Not yet
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4/20Has anyone heard back from UChicago for Complex Family planning away?Not yet :/ < Update 5/6, I've been rejected for all the months I applied to (Jan-Mar) 5/1 I just received a few rejections for this rotation, but still have 3 pending... so maybe I'm still being considered? +1
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4/19If you match at a program that doesn't offer robotic training, is there a way to go about getting trained after residency? One of my favorite things about OBGYN are the robotic surgeries, so I would obviously prefer a residency that offers the training, but just wondering for worst case scenario if I match at one that does not offer it.I think you can do a MIGS fellowship. I also know some programs will work with you ans have you do "away" rotations during residency if possible to get exposure to things you want. Like my school doesnt have in house REI but you can work with them to do things externally
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4/19Anyone else submit a LOT of away applications? My school didn't give us any guidance, so I went very broad with the number... Hoping I'm not the only one lolyea I applied to 13 programs. Was not sure how many to do. and was really hoping for 2-3 away rotations-- thank you!yes also applied to a ton - my school obgyn advisor said obgyn aways can be more capricious than other specialties, esp if you're applying to a popular geographic area - tysmI was told 3-5 applications per away rotation yes I applied to 18 different spots at like 5 programs I believe
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4/17Wondering when people started hearing back from their away rotations? Getting a little nervous because a lot of people in my class in different specialties have their aways squared away and the OB students haven't heard anything.

Update: got offered an away this week! (5/10)		Started hearing things last weekIt seems to be program dependent. I have beard back within days to weeks from my programs. I have a few that I applied to that either told me via email or on their visiting student page that stated they don't give decisions til May.Only one OB student at my school that I know of has heard back at this point. I think majority of decisions only just started to come out, and will continue throughout May and June +2from a class of '24 student: I didnt get an acceptance until the first week of May! I checked the spreadsheet from last year and it looks like several programs told people on may first so I'm hoping for thati've only heard from one program, others nothing yet and I applied for like 7 programs I've gotten accepted at 2 and denied from one. Movement is picking up now. +1
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4/15Any thoughts on getting a SLOE vs a trad letter from away rotations? especially when we don't necessarily know the attending structure ahead of time (ie different attending every shift vs working with same attendings consistently). I've seen a few places require a SLOE, but seems like the majority don't.my school has us get a SLOE from our home program and trad letters for all the restI had 2 trad letters and two SLOE, one from my home program and one from my away rotation. The away rotation only offered a SLOE (finished mid sept) so I just went for it and submitted that way
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4/12Has anyone heard back from WashU aways specfically? I've never seen a program require a prescreening before applying in VSLO, and their timeline for a response doesn't seem that condusive to consider other opportunities. If there are home students or people who've gone through this before, I'd appreciate the insightOR heard from Emory?
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4/11Does getting denied from an away rotation hinder your chances at getting an interview once the app season starts? I'm just trying to figure out if it would even be worth it to apply still I'm just trying to figure out if it would even be worth it to apply stilldefinitely still apply! a lot of time, away rotations are really just a first come first served acceptance so getting denies usually doesn't mean they don't like your app, just probably already have enough rotators. Classmates that got rejected from certain programs on VSLO still interviewed with those same programs during ERAS season. Don't count yourself out! appy broadly Many schools have the away rotations apps reviewed by someone other than the PD/APDs anyway! For example the clerkship director etc. who doesn't even play a role in the residency admissions interview selection so definitely don't let it deter youI got denied for away rotations at a a few programs that sent me interviews! I truly think aways are just first come first serve.
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4/11Does it help to get an away spot if you email an program and tell them you are very intersted and ask the status of your application? I haven't done this personally but from what I've heard from others, yes this definitely helps.Just make sure they don't explicitly discourage communication on their website, some do
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4/10couples matching with gen surg- has anyone tried to get away rotations at the same institution for the same block and if so, how?IM/OBGYN couples matcher here: I truly think that you should both try to do aways at different institutions to maximize your ability to get interviews. If you rock their socks off on an away, they WILL contact gen surg about your partner. I didn't realize how many programs value couples but there are a lot. << thanks so much, this is so helpful!!!I got an away with my S/O who is doing EM. I emailed a program that wasnt on VSLO and asked about aways, they said they had openings so I told them I was couples matching and asked if they happened to have any EM rotations available that wre at the same time as the OB ones and sent them the info needed for my SO. The rest of our rotations are at different institutions in the same city!
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4/10how does everyone find out about virtual program showcases? I don't really want to rely on happening to catch it on programs' instagram profilesUpcoming Residency Program Virtual Meet and Greets - Association of Professors of Gynecology & Obstetrics - APGOAlso check ACOG, some have district specific sessions. More were posted to ACOG than APGO last year
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4/8I was given an acceptance for an away, but not for the time I idelaly wanted (applied to 2 slots just in case). I won't hear back from the "reach" program until June that it conflicts with, and I don't know if it's better to accept the one I have, or risk it for the reach program that would tell me in a few months.I think if the program is decent, I would accept it. You don't want to end up without one. < I agree and would also accept it since it is risky and a long wait to hear back from the other program. < < I think it's important to be flexible because away spots are very competitive. If the "less desired" one is still in a good time period, I would take it.
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4/8I haven't heard from any away programs yet. Should I be worried? +6in the same boat - if anyone has heard pretty please add to the aways 2024 tab! If you don't want to include the month or other details for privacy totally understand but just knowing which institutions have had movement would be so helpful +3
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4/8Anyone heard from UChicago or Northwestern yet for aways?I haven't heard anything yet either from Northwestern! Didn't apply to UChicago. [Edit: right after writing this was rejected from one of their months lol, my other apps are still in limbo]
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4/6Recommendations on getting aways/sub-is at this point? I just fully committed and really want to become an obgyn but feel like I am already behind.I don't have any recommendations for getting aways but I will say that NOT doing aways will not make or break an application. It can help if you wow a program during an away but aways by no means guarantee an interview invite either.Some programs dont even open up their vslo applications until mid-April! Not too lateNot too late at all! +2
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4/6How truly important is research for getting interviews/matching? I'll only have 5 experiences, 3-4 posters/abstracts, likely 0 pubs by app time. MD student, not planning on doing research past residency, not necessarily trying to go to an academic program, want to be a generalist I would say research is only one part of an application and there are many ways to set yourself apart as a residency applicant. If you want to go to a powerhouse academic program, robust research would absolutely help (but what you have listed is already pretty good for the field at this point in your training), but advocacy, mentoring/teaching, other passions matter as well. Especially if you aren't committed to academics, there are wonderful community programs and academic-affiliated community programs that would place much less weight on research--your school obgyn advisors should be able to provide some insight on quality programs. +1 > completely agree with this response. Depends on the program. Where I matched, research was huge so I feel like my research experience is what thre me over the edge on ROL. MD MS4 with good interview invites here - I barely had any research on my app (and actually forgot to put any on my ERAS app LOL). I had only 1 poster presentation corresponding to 1 project, and then 1 other research experience. no pubs, no submitted abstracts. What matters most is that you have at least done something meaningful with your time!
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4/4I recieved an away offer from a great program, but not in the state im trying to end up in for residency. I have another application under review for the same block, but may not hear back in time before I have to respond. Which is more important (in your opinion) for aways, program volume/training opportunities or location you want to end up? I'll be applying to both of them for residency anyway.IMO, it's kind of a wash in terms of importance. Progras with high volume/training opportunities provide you the chance to really shine and show you can function at the level of an intern but rotating at a location where you would like to end up obviously allows you to envision what your future would be like there. I think if you don't get the away you are waiting to hear from, you will be perfectly fine with the away you have. I will say it's more important you don't burn any bridges and back out once you've committed to an away.Not sure what your geographic info is, but if you're doing an away to show that you're willing to go out of state for residency (and especially if all of your education has been in one state), I think it could be worth it!
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4/2For anyone who failed a shelf and had to remediate and successfully matched OBGYN, how often did that get brought up? Was there a way to address it you found helpful?? Thanks!
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3/19Is it worth doing a sub-i during the months of November, December, or January at a program you really like? I am worried about interviewing for other programs while on a sub-i.I did sub-I's in both November and January. November was good- these programs know that you're interviewing, and unless it's a very toxic program they totally understand/expect you to need some time off for interviews. I wouldn't do January again if I could re-do the year. I was so exhausted by that point, and the vibe was really like the interview/application cycle was over. It felt really late and unneccessary. I wish I had just chilled that month like most of my classmates.As someone who also did a sub-I in January, I wouldn't do it again either. Use the time to do something more chill and finish up any interviews you might have then.agreed in my experience a november sub-i was awesome at a place i was very interested in. Only caveat is that I purposefully scheduled as many IV as I could after it was over, so I was intervewing into februrary which wasn't great. I did a sub-i from end of Oct-nov and got royally screwed b/c 7 of my interviews got scheduled during that time (most programs only had 1-2 dates available, and they were both in november), and the person evaluating me / in charge of my rotation said i wouldn't be able to get credit since I was missing so many days and then proceeded to absolutely roast me in my eval after i made up those days on the weekends (i essentially only had 1 weekend off the entire 4 week rotation)
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3/18LIST IMG FRIENDLY PROGRAMS HERE: UMKC, morehouse, brooklyn hospital centerArrowhead
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3/18DO student here, I recently was offered a Sub-I at Metro Health in Cleveland but it's for February. Is it still worth it that late in the application period? Also has anyone rotated through here and could speak on their experience?In February, you could always sign up for it and drop later if not offered an IV. Could always use it as a reason to reach out and inquire about the possibility of interview if not offered one on IV release day. +1
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3/17did anyone use the ACI alignment index for the 2023-2024 app cycle? what did you think of it? did you feel like you got interviews from programs you aligned with using the tool?<It's worthless, especially if you are a DO or IMG. As a DO, even with "DO Friendly Programs" it didn't align with where I got interviews. Until it adds functions for selecting geographic location and MD/DO/IMG, take everything that it says with a grain of salt. I do think it can help you understand your general competitiveness though. If the percentages as overall high, you might be on the more competitive side vs if your highest match is >60%. +1I used it but since ERAS changed for our applications cycle with a limit on the # of activites, it wasn't as helpful as it would have be for the c/o 2023. With the application changing to that new system for 24-25 application, it may be more predictive if there's no limit on the # of activities applicants can addCompletely worthless 100% even for MD, did not align with programs I was offered IVs at. Discussed it with class of 2023 & class of 2024 and it was just as unhelpful then. But APGO seems to be doubling down and emphasizing it for holistic review for the new app. I haven't heard anything about increasing #activities up from 10, but I sincerely hope they do. Feel like a lot of wasted effort not able to put on paper. +1Honestly I think if I had taken any consideration of what the ACI said I would have not matched +2I deeply regret ever using this tool, if that says anything about it lol
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3/16I know away rotations are usually rolling, but what's a generally reasonable time to apply? Should I be rushing to get an application out this week for a summer rotation or do I have some time? Mainly asking because I'm not sure how much time to give letter writers.Generally, ASAP... Although some programs are selective about who they have for visiting electives, many programs function more like a first come, first serve process.The sooner the better, now is great time if you havent already, while a good number are rolling there is also some that will culminate applications after a certain date and start offers
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3/16Did anyone try to make connections with programs before applying? If so, how? Main way would be through away rotations (either at that program or express interest in area by doing one in that region). Some do research years at places, but those are expensive and require taking a year
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3/16Is it better to do one 4week away rotation, or two 2week away rotations?one 4 week rotation. you need time to get acclimated, build rapport with the residents, and also show off your clinical skill/fund of knowledge +34 week aways are exhausting.
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3/16Just curious, did anyone match where they did their away rotation? +1No, they didn't want me after the interview and I fell below them on match day, pretty sad about it tbh +5away rotations can shoot you in the footYes and I don't think I would have matched there without it!Yes! Honestly I think aways really helped me and made me competitiveSame here! Really bonded with residents. So thankful to have matched there. At one of my aways I heard very good comments about my group of sub-Is from residents and faculty, but none of us matched there :'(
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3/15For next year, is there any idea if we "have" to throw an app into ERAS in order to SOAP (God forbid) or will it be fine since they will still be utilizing the NRMP Match?Went to the APGO/CREOG conference and they discussed this - you'll be able to SOAP into open OB/GYN positions (if there are any) through the new app platform, but if Oct-Nov rolls around and it's clear you don't have a lot of interviews, they're encouraging you to fill out an ERAS app so that you're prepared to SOAP into other specialties. Otherwise you'll have like 2 hours to fill it out that Monday morning which sounds like a nightmare lol. This was a big point of contention that a lot of advisors spoke strongly against bc there are plenty of people for whom not matching is a surprise day of, and the panelists in charge of the new app basically said eh it's a small group of people so they can deal. Bc of feedback they said they're now exploring avenues to be able to easily/automatically transfer your app from the new platform to ERAS, but we'll see if that actually gets doneWTF, not the news I was hoping for but good info. I suggest applying to your home institution programs in either prelim surg, IM, Peds, TY or Family medicine on ERAS so that you can make an ERAS CV and have it in case you have to SOAP.
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3/15Some comments on Program HQ tab about this but what programs are "must signals" to get considered for interview?Someone please answer this one! Also very interested. +1You have to do the "legwork" to find out. Usually at the open houses over the summer people will directly ask the question and PDs are more than happy to be frank with you if you have to signal to get considered.< Thank you! figured this may be the case. i know some places say it outright on their website but only a coupleHofstra/Northwell, GW, Michigan, Georgetown, UMKC, loyola, WashU< NOT WashU, look at their program on this spreadsheet, MANY no signal interviews
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3/15Congrats everyone! Does anyone know what happened with UTSW? Only 5 OBGYN matches in the class and no one matched to the home program
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3/15Congrats to everyone! Did anyone match with a redflag on their app?i had a low step 2 (22X) ; received 13 iV, went to 12, matched at #2 in competitive program in the midwest.
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3/14What is CASPR and when do we have to do it? Is it required for all programs?Required for a small amount of programs (10ish?). i didnt apply to any programs that required CASPERI will say Washington made it optional this year and I still received an invite without having done it. Additionally, I'll point out that sometimes programs have supplemental application questions on their website that you will not be made aware of until you go to their website and find them. Make sure you look at the application info webpage for all programs you apply to!
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3/13I have the NHSC scholarship. Does anyone know if I next year I don't match into a categorical OBGYN spot if I can to a prelim year and match into like.. a PGY2 spot? Or am I stuck going into FM or pediatrics?NSHC scholoar and I matched OB/GYN, but there is an activity we have to complete by May 1st called "Initial Training Request" where you're able to select from all the accepted specialities' residency programs. You just search for the program name then pick the appropriate residency. There is an option for internship, but prelim isn't an option to choose from. I would message them and ask for specific instructons on thatThank you!
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3/13I don't know if this is too soon to write but I would love some advice from anyone willing to help. I'm a US-IMG that applied in the 2024 cycle and matched to a prelim general surgery program. I really want Ob/Gyn but don't know if the prelim year will be a strong enough addition to my application. Does anyone have any tips on how to maximize this year? TYIAit is strong enough. do rotation with home OB program if you can. Being a US IMG is hard to match OBGYN. apply to IMG friendly OB programs
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3/13From a current DO MS4 who matched, here is some unsolicited advice: You can absolutely match as a DO. But for a lot of programs (pretty much all programs that are not former AOA prior to the merger), if you and an MD applicant have the same stats and similar extracurriculars, they are going to pick the MD candidate to interview. As a DO, your application needs to stand out. Get involved, and work hard. I've heard from multiple residents that all of the applications look exactly the same. Find something that can make you stand out - a unique voluntering experience you can talk about, or research you are passionate about. That doesn't mean you have to spend 100 hours doing it, just try to find something your interested in and get involved. Use your signals strategically. And, if you are interested in a historically MD program, do an away rotation there. In general, aways are more important for DO applicants, so plan to go to as many as your school allows. +1
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3/12How important do you think your research experiences were in your application process? I am a DO student and I am concerned that my lack of research will make me less desirable but I'm just not sure by how much.I think it depends on the program! If you're looking at more academic programs, it's in your favor to be research heavy. But I definitely came across plenty of programs that didn’t care about research. Do you research (lol) before applying and it should set you up well! Agree with previous comment and will also add that research for the sake of research isn't what makes someone competitive. I have met a bunch of current obgyn residents who had little to no research but were passionate about other things (i.e., advocacy around reproductive choice, sexual health education for teenagers, DEI initatives in women's health, being a concert-level musician, etc.) who ended up at "elite" academic institutions. How you develop a narrative of who you are as an applicant matters.I did not have a lot of "traditional" research, but I had enough to theoretically not get screened out for lack of pubs/research activities and to talk about in interviews. I still managed to get a lot of great interviews at places I had assumed where more research heavy (caveat being that I am an MD student, which unfortunately still seems to matter). My 2c is that more than just research for the sake of research, obgyn programs want to see you complete a project. So if you do a lot of community or advocacy work, a QI project, or literally anything else (even not related to medicine) think of what your "deliverable" is from that experience. It can be a non-research pub or highlighting an important event you hosted or something else that required time and effort.
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3/12I've noticed that many programs have listed several different rotations in the various sub-specialities for ob/gyn (gyn-onc, MFM, family planning, etc.) on VSLO. Do you recommend applying to all of the available rotations for a program that we're very interested in? If you apply for one, will they consider you for the others?I would generally recommend applying to all sub-specialties if you are really intrested in said program as it gives you a better chance. They only consider you for the sub speciality you apply for. +3Our advisor recommended that we apply to an away sub-I thhat corresponded to the sub-speciality we did at our home sub-I (we didn't have a general L&D or general GYN sub-i option)
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3/11Although you all haven't actually started residency yet, is there anything that in hindsight you wish you had weighed more when considering programs/signals? (off service rotations, # residents, location etc)What "holistic review" means to a program. Some programs will still use step scores as an initial cutoff for determining interviews and other programs will read ALL applications prior to sending invites. You can find alot of this information out during the open houses programs host over the summer. Listen when they tell you what they do with signaling and scores/grades/class rank. If I paid more attention to what some programs said I would have adjusted some of my signals.I did 5 away rotations and that landed me 5 interviews. I think it can be very beneficial to do away rotations especially as a DO student/IMG or if you have lower board scores/other areas of weakness in your appsUsing Texas Star data to see if you are competitve/fit a programs metrics. There is also data on signaling that you can use to your advantage +2< Respectfully disagree, Texas star has limited data input for who was offered interviews at programs. it has all programs step range as basically the same, etc. < for those programs with higher # of applicants surveyed in TStar, can we assume the step scores are somewhat correct? do they tend to skew higher or lower? This was my only method of determining "targets" based on stats haha< while I agree Texas star was basically useless in terms of step scores, I found it very valuable when choosing where to apply by looking at other stats like if they interviewed people that didn't signal them or if they preferred in state students. < Do this!!!I would do so much differently. I think in 'holistic' review step scores mean much less at more programs. would have actually spent time seeing which programs matriculants come from (ie, 'upper tier's or not) and how many of their own they usually take (meaning less spots for outside students and signals not going as far). Everyone is competitive in some way. apply broadly even if you're competitive. apply to red states too.personal statements DO matter! +100texas star is crap; PS MATTERS
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2/6Is Resurrection the same thing as Ascension? My school had alums from resurrection but I cannot find a program website. You may have to be more specific regarding location, but there is an Ascension Resurrection hospital in Chicago which is a site for the Ascension St Alexius program. The program has previously been known by other names as well; maybe Resurrection was one.
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2/5What kind of applicants would benefit from an away rotation? Did people mostly do them if they were trying to go to a specific geographic location/had a dream program? That's what I felt! I was trying to match to a specific region, so I did rotations in that area. I also did some of them at established institutions early on for the benefit of a strong LOR, especially since I came from a newer programAs someone coming from a medical school w/o a home program it was very helpful. I also believe that showing that you are able to adapt to a new space and work well at a different program shows PDs/programs you can be a good fit at many programs. +1What I have always heard is that aways are really just for that specific institution (unlike in other specialties). in my experience the away was soooo important because you learn NOTHING about the institutions through interviews so aways are really the only way to know what the vibe is like +1i was told to do it if you have a program you LOVE and want them to know you or want to experience a hospital setting different than your own (ex: youre at an academic center and want to see a community setting). An away rotation doesn't guarantee an IV. After doing 3 aways i v highly second this advice
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2/2For people who are couples matching, how did you decide where to send your signals? Did you have any luck getting interviews with programs where your partner got interviews if you didn't signal those programs? (any other couples match advice would also be welcome :) thank you!)My partner and I decided to focus on big cities and close to our support systems. Its a good thing to think about these things early because there is a lot to decide. My partner's speciality had more signals than OBGYN so I emailed places that he signaled that I didnt and I cannot say with certainty but the interviews I did get from my non-signal list were all places I had emailed. Once interviews came out we would email on each other's behalf and always emphasize in thank you notes as well that the location was optimal for both. I would reccomend thinking about what either of you would do if you didnt match (ie SOAP, research and reaply) and in that scenario what would you peramteters be for progams (same coast, drive away, flight away, time zone etc) then apply to schools accordingly. These parameters will likely change once you see where you both get interviews but I think its a helpful exercise to make sure you are both on the same page and prioritizing programs vs relationship similarlyMy partner and I both want to do fellowship, so we did some hardcore research prior to even applying for aways to figure out where would be best for us. Regarding signals, he had 7 and we obvi have 18. We made sure that our gold signals overlapped, and then his other signals were off of my silver. Every single signal we discussed. For regional signals, we signaled the regions that had the most programs. We mostly got love from the mdiwest (we go to school in the south) and I do think our regional signal played into that. His interviews came out on a rolling basis. The moment he received an interview, he would contact their program coordinator and I would do the same on my end. He had 5 interview invites that I did not get, 4 of which I did not signal. On release day, we actually coordinated that he scheduled my interviews and I contacted program coordinators immediately for interviews I got and he didn't. This really worked in our favor, and he got most of the interviews from the plaes we contacted in about 24 hours. If the program has a general email and not a coordinator email, I would recommend copying the program director on. We did not do this for one of ours, but he ended up contacting the PD about a month after he emailed the general email and got the VERY last spot. I think it's really important to have frank, honest discussions on the front end about your competitiveness. Also, my partner dilly-dallied around and wouldn't tell me programs he was interested in and I had to make moves first -- don't be afraid to do this. <For this response, my partner is EM (I just assumed from the signal number it is the same for you please correct me if I am wrong) and we are being as proactive as we can, including the hardcore research for aways haha. This response was HUGELY helpful so I wanted to thank you! I was wondering, how many programs did you apply to overall? I want to not limit myself but I am not sure if 100 is even enough if I am couples matching!< My partner is IM. We both applied to about 45 programs each. I think with signals you need to think about the fact that you have a less than 5% chance of getting an interview to programs you did not signal. I had a friend who applied to 80 and ended up with less interviews than I did so I think applying to a billion programs is a waste of money. I got 11 interviews from signals, 3 from places I did not signal. Feel free to message me on discord if you want to chat at any point! Couples matching is really hard and the only resource you have is another applicant. dietcokeaddict1979 is my username (I think) I don't check often just a heads up lol.
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1/29How did you decide if you were competitive enough for certain away rotations without a step 1 score/before step 2 scores were out? What specific factors did you look at?"Competitiveness" matters much less in away rotation apps than in actual residency applications. The key in applying to aways is to apply ASAP since acceptances are typically rolling. If they require an essay, just make sure you're giving a convincing reason for why you want to go there. You can also reach out to the contact person of your top choice aways to let them know they're your first choice.
It's very achievable to get an away rotation at highly ranked program even coming from a low ranked school (although actually matching at the program is a whole different story)		I agree - I think the only thing that makes aways competitive is the "first come first serve" nature. I applied as a "competitve" applicant and got 5 acceptances out of 45 programs I applied to. One rotation I got, I was actually rejected for at first b/c a home student took the spot, but then I got it b/c the home student dropped it. It's worth reaching out if you get a rejection and emphasizing your interest and that you'd be open to other dates!I think being honest with yourself about your ECs, research, etc is important. Also, how you do on your shelves is pretty indicative of how you do on test day. Apply to a mix of mid/low/and high tier programs and see what happens. I think the big thing is don't apply willy nilly -actually apply to places you want to go.
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1/23Got some advice from faculty to only consider programs with 5+ residents - lower resident # correlates with patient load (and thus education/ability to see variety of cases) and when one resident is gone (ex parent leave) it affects the other people more. Has anyone had similar concerns/ had it address during an interview?I think the concerns about volume/call schedules is valid, and I did take this into consideration when applying/ranking. However, I feel like there are a ton of programs with just 4 residents per class and a lot of them are good, and it would be shortsighted to just not consider any of them. There's also other factors that go into how much call residents have (eg. If they cover multiple hospitals), and plenty of other aspects in a program that would make a smaller program more desirable than a larger one > agree, the programs that stand out to me during interviews as having the worst call schedule were bigger programs with 7-12 residents that cover 4-5 hospitals & require lots of commuting. Also consider that a smaller community program may not have fellows so you have more autonomy in the OR & may be the only teaching/tertiary hospital in the area so you do see a large volume and acuity of interesting stuff. Volume matters but to a point. 5k vs 10k deliveries for the hospital a year may not matter considering that's way more than you will do as an individual resident no matter what. I would ask about things like robotic volume (enough cases for the whole class to get certified?) or other gyn cases likes vag hyst that historically have been more variable to get vs. nearly every program will get you your OB numbers easily.
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PLEASE ADD NEW CHAT ENTRIES AT THE TOP THANK YOU :)
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