Northwestern McGaw/NMH/VA-IL

even if you sent a LOI? I wasn't aware of this. Thanks

Nope (Med-Derm) x3

No (derm) x 3

no

Thank you <3 this is helpful. I recently made the decision to do similarly and I've been feeling conflicted. < could you elaborate a bit on what part of Harvard or Northwestern you didn't jive with? Facing the same (happy) problem right now.

everyone gunning for MGH and posting "i ranked it last" to convince others to do the same. only way to game the system, kudos.

<it's derm, you can do anything you want with training at most places. Go with what makes you and your SO happy x2

Current PGY-1. Ranked places closer to family ahead of top tier programs because ultimatelymy SO and I decided that we would be happier at those programs and they would be more supportive of any career path. Make your ranklist however YOU want to and dont let people on a spreadsheet, Doximity rankings, prestige, etc tell you how to rank places. WWYD really doesnt matter because everyone and every situation is different

i really want to believe in the positivity of these messages but the cynic in me says it's just applicants fucking other applicants over.

OP: really not my intention. I just want to admit that I personally struggled and it feels WEIRD to look at these top programs lower on my list but it works for me and just wanted to put it out there because I know a lot of people are struggling with the same thought process.

also posted about this and definitely not trying to screw anyone over. I wanna be close to family

Also, on the flip side, I would argue that if name/prestige DOES matter to you, then rank it that way! This makes it seem like it's black and white, that you're sacrificing something to rank the top programs higher. But sometimes there's a reason why top programs are top!

Please don't rank NYU, thats my top.. kthxbi

Who actually considers northwestern top 5 is my question

< do you mean no academic dermatologists out of those who did Mohs or those who did not?

i heard mayo matched all outside residents this year and none of their residents that applied matched....idk if true or a rumor.

Having had a few interactions with Dr Alam, i wouldnt say he’s overtly arrogant. He is very direct but also has a sense of humor. Not sure how he compares with other mohs attendings in terms of how he treats his fellows though

Don't overthink it. I would dress they way they suggest in the email.

< no, the ratio is about the same if not a little less -- let's say IM has 30 spots, they usually interview 300 candidates; derm has 1-8 spots, they interview around 40 candidates. so it's about the same odds if not better odds in derm

< unless you're northwestern and you interview 70+ people for 4 spots

i was told northwestern is interviewin 32. <- there were 24ish at internal day so no way they only interview 32 total unless you're saying 32 externals

They said 32 “interview slots” so yes maybe. I’ll take 56 VS 70+

According to the self-reported data on Freida, it's 70+, and that's from the program itself.

qAM + 1/2 day/week ... do you know what time?

7:30 typically, occasionally 8. Source: I rotated there

is there any academic time worked in the schedule?

Oops, it was 73, not 63 (fixed). And its expanded listing specify 4 positions per year, so I have a feeling that it's only for the derm spots. What's the point of interviewing so many people -_-

how do we access this information?? x2

Other interesting facts: accoriding to program information, UTSW interviewed 65 for 9-11 spots, Mayo Rochester interviewed 55 for 8 spots...

<Northwestern may have been really high last year b/c they had A TON (I think 12?) of internal applicants (not including rotators - though rotators don't all get intervews).

I'm also surprised that their step i is slig lu below average for the general population of derm applicants.

look at other programs on there. They all have crazy low step scores reported. No way is the average for NW less than 250. I think programs lie.

<- as a reference, there were about 24-26 interviewees at the nu internal day (home students, away rotators, re applicants, and research fellows)

Mayo Clinic in Rochester?

yes. They seem like they are of comparable rank. NW is in the top 10. Definitely can't compare NW with Rochester or UTSW. < You can't go wrong with any of these. I feel like you're splitting hairs with regard to quality of training and should be basing your decision off of location. x2

UTSW is known to be INTENSE you will be HIGHLY trained. Northwestern AMAZING Pediatric dermatology exposure & Mohs. Mayo = Great COMPLEX med derm and research support (you get dedicated research assistants etc.) Depends on your career goals. ALL will prepare you for Academic Medicine. If you want to do Mohs I would say UTSW>NW>Mayo If you want PEDS NW>Mayo>UTSW

Go to Northwestern. You'll be glad you did.

False completely. If mohs, go to Mayo, they have 3 internal spots, and in recent recent years, they have matched 5-6 residents yearly to mohs. However, they are not well known to churning out academic derm (last 3 years, no one is going to academic). They really care about fits more than score, medical school reputation and research

<even with name, they have TREMENDOUS difficulty attracting actual top tier applicants, Rochester is just... you know

Northwestern. It's a better program in every aspect, and Chicago is a way better place to live than Sacramento, if you are okay with snow

Obviously northwestern is an objectively much better proram. The only way I could see picking Davis is if youre almost certain you want to stay in CA long term or if you have zero interest in academics and dont want to deal with all the extra pressure to publish youd probably experience at NW

Could I ask a similar question about USC vs Northwestern?

Northwestern. It is a fantastic program. USC is fantastic too, but Northwestern has way better opporunities in almost anything you can think of. Only thing USC has over Northwestern is weather. << well, that and nicer faculty

Northwestern is a top 15 program. Davis and USC are both not top 30

what about people interested in Mohs? Per comments in the older spreadsheet, even the PD admitted that NW is not the best training site for people interested in going into Mohs

USC's big-name Mohs surgeon left recently to be Chair elsewhere

Derm programs are ranked into the 30s?

if you ended up picking northwestern, i will start praying to the trickle gods

i heard shit things about northwestern so maybe not there << What is the problem? << Overpromise and underdeliver. They talk up their projects, tell you you'll get x number of publications by whatever time, tell you they'll mentor you through the application process - and at the end of the day you'll maybe see your PI once a month << and then they don't interview all their research year people lmao << ya fml << Def heard avoid northwestern for research fellowship. They use you for free labor.

<< That sounds terrible. Anybody with experience at Harvard or UCSF? Even Upenn but that would hard for my SO << I have had several friends at Harvard who swear by their expeirences there << wherever you go, def pick clinical research over basic science research (more pubs). also don't just go for the fancy names, look into places that would actually match you after spending a research year there (not to say that you're not good enough for harvard/ucsf/penn, but also top programs historically don't give a crap if you spent time with them)

I don't know if I agree about a place that takes their fellows. It's not a bad strategy but also a mentor who fights for you can go really far!

Are there any specific people or groups that are worth reaching out to? How did you guys find where to go? << I have heard of people having success with Kroshinsky at Harvard, Koo at UCSF, Rosenbach at Penn, and Mostaghimi at Brigham

I did research with Mostaghimi. He wasn't around most of the time and I didn't find the experience that fulfilling tbh << Not sure why comment was deleted. Seems like someone has an agenda. I worked with Mostaghimi and thought he was really dedicated to me and his other students. If you are thinking about working with him he will put you in touch with people who have actually worked with him and you can get a sense of what their experience was like. Don't believe everything you read on these boards.

I found my research year by talking to just about every upperclassman who had done one in the 1-3 years before me. Really variable year to year and I agree that big name places can be a let down. There's just no way Harvard cares when they have so many research fellows. heck, they a least a few of their own med students didn't match last year so don't expect an interview.

<< Can't speak for insitution at large but both at Harvard and other institutions the specific individual that you work with is the most important part. Look at the people who have worked with these attendings in the past, they've genreally done well. Do your homework, find a person and talk to peple who have worked with them before

i think it went out on monday? << for everyone or internals?

seemed like there were externals too Also, it seems Kansas went out? Is 1/16 interview date confirmed?

What are the odds of a Miami trickle?

Not horrible odds since many places like Northwestern, UCSF, Hopkins, and others overlpa with their dates

< I tried to creep and I think last year they had 2 invite dates in december, I'm wondering if that might mean they had those 2 in addition to the internal date in late october, so maybe they would have another date to release invites!!!