​The Anxiety of Not Getting a Residency Interview by ​Mid-October.

What should you do?
Many applicants panic if they don’t receive interviews in the first wave. You too may be stressed because you worry that your chances of matching ride on the number of early interview offers.
​
As of the most recent available data from the 2024 NRMP Program Director Survey, the median number of interviews for applicants who successfully matched into Internal Medicine was approximately 12 to 14 interviews. It certainly does help to have more interviews. ​However, there is no evidence that receiving interviews early in the season increases your match probability.

Over the last few years one of the major concerns for most applicants is exactly that - not receiving interviews early in the cycle. Many applicants become nervous and frustrated by the overwhelming number of rejections during the initial stage.
​
Remember, as an IMG if you have applied to over 150 programs, you should expect over a 100 rejections. Even for the most qualified IMGs, more than 30 interviews is rare. If the program does not select you for an interview it does not mean you are not qualified to Match, it just means the program has chosen another candidate for that position. It is not a cause for distress.

​As we say to our students at USMLESarthi, 

“You need to match only at one program and it may take only one interview.”
​

We understand the anxiety most applicants face, but don’t let it stress you out. Rather you should spend time on improving your profile (adding rotations, publications, or taking Step 3, etc.) or in program outreach.

Our own students’ experiences have shown that even applicants receiving their first interview in the third wave (December or later) have a similar chance of matching to those who receive the first interview during the first wave from the same program. You stand an equal chance of matching once you receive that interview, regardless of when you received the invite.  (With the exception of first come first served pre-match programs).

Remember that programs continuously review applications and send interviews through the Match cycle!

Post-Thanksgiving (end of November) there may be cancellations. By this time, many applicants will accept pre-match, While onsite interviews are still rare, some may cancel the onsite interviews due to logistics and financial reasons, and there may be weather related cancellations as well. Many applicants with a few or no interviews, stand a high chance of receiving interviews during this period on short notice.

Remember, even if you have a single interview you have an equal chance of matching. For such candidates we highly recommend honing in on your interview skills early so that you can be extensively prepared for a successful interview and Match!

The moral is there is no need to panic!
Keep up the hard work, and let us at Sarthi know how we can help you prepare for the interview season.
​Good Luck on a Successful Match!

 Useful Videos for IMGs & Caribbean applicants

Residency interview: PD tips
- Tell me something about yourself & other answers
Residency interview keywords tips:
​Which ones to use and how?
My residency interview experience: Telerotation, CV questions