There are no stats that letters of intent (LOI) do or don’t work. (Programs do not tend to be transparent about how their ranking processes are handled.) However, because many programs do not want to go far down their rank list (mostly for reasons related to ego), they are eager to highly rank candidates who want to be at their programs. So I advise my clients to do whatever they can, including a LOI, to let a program know it is their first.
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This week a client emailed me to say that he recently received a new academic award and wanted to let program directors know. He asked me if there was a way to update his ERAS. Unfortunately, once you have submitted your ERAS it cannot be edited. You can send a letter to the programs or you can un-assign and assign a new personal statement at any time. (The latter option has its disadvantages at this late date.)
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Please see my recent blog entries on the Scramble.
Certain companies will fax or email your information to residencies with unfilled positions. Although I cannot comment on all companies with Scramble services, generally I think it’s better not to hire these businesses. You have the greatest incentive to be assertive about getting your background sent. Furthermore, the Scramble is a fast-paced system; you don’t need a middleman to slow you down.
Contact me for help with your residency application. I’m conducting Mock Interviews every day of the week.
I’m starting a series of entries on the Scramble because I receive a lot of questions about the topic.
First, the basics: The Scramble is a process used to fill unfilled residency positions. Some residency programs will have available residency positions even after the NRMP has completed the Match. These positions become available during the Scramble period so that those applicants who did not get a residency position can vie for them.
The calendar (for 2010) is as follows:
On Monday, March 15 applicant matched and unmatched information is posted to the NRMP website at noon EST. Residency candidates can log in with their AAMC ID number and password to find out if they have matched but not where. (The list of residencies that have not filled is not yet available.)
On Tuesday, March 16 at noon EST the Scramble starts when the list of residency programs with unfilled positions is posted onto the NRMP website. This means that unmatched applicants (who submitted a certified rank order list for the Match) will be given access to the NRMP’s “Dynamic List of Unfilled Programs.” The list is dynamic because it is updated by the NRMP every hour to demonstrate the number of remaining positions at each residency program.
On Thursday, March 18 the Scramble ends at noon EST and the Match results are available at 1pm EST.
The Scramble is a huge and confusing topic. Please see my next entry regarding how an applicant actually scrambles. (Warning: How it’s done is not pretty.)
Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital. She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more
