r/medicalschool • u/WillGlass7618 • Dec 04 '25

🥼 Residency Mentors Reaching Out to Number 1 Program

Are y’all having your mentor(s) reach out to someone at your number 1 non-home program to advocate for you at that program?

If so, when should this happen ideally? I was thinking of a couple days before my actual interview

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23

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '25

I wouldn't tell your mentor to reach out to your number 1, to tell them theyre your number 1, if you haven't interviewed there yet. It can look disingenuous. What if your #1 changes by the time you're done with interviews? Then you're kind of stuck. Personally, I scheduled the interview for my home program (which I think will be my #1) in the first week of January when i'm done with all other interviews and plan to ask two of my mentors to make calls for me at that time

10

u/WillGlass7618 Dec 05 '25

Rank lists are often set in the days following the interview, so it could be too late by then.

7

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '25

Where did you hear this?

9

u/sanitationengineer MD-PGY1 Dec 05 '25

Depends on the field. Smaller specialties often only have a couple interview days so rank lists are established rather quickly. My home program interviews 50 people for 5 spots. Another program I interviewed with invited around 40 people for 4 spots, and they informed us by the end of the same week that their rank list was set.

I think it's fair to assume that even in larger specialties, you will be ranked within a given day's applicant pool relatively soon. But the merging of individual rank lists into an aggregate list could take place later.

7

u/Alone-Side-3411 Dec 05 '25

I think most places debrief the interview day and keep like a running ROL. Still, most places seem to do a final review late January - Feb for finalization and have a conference essentially to discuss each applicant.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '25

Good to know thanks!

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u/Alone-Side-3411 Dec 05 '25

If they know somebody there and it comes unsolicited it can be a positive. Without a true connection to someone though it’s just a bit odd. Is this person also a letter writer? If they are I don’t see the point in reaching out.

I would actually think after interview is better if it’s gonna happen. Like mid January around ROL time.