M4s applying to residency: do NOT trust when PDs and/or faculty tell you “we would LOVE to see you here next year”

It’s a trap. Almost any given program has the same top priority: do NOT SOAP (except for the programs who match all of their residents this way.) Every year, people get crushed because they don’t match into a program that they were persuaded by faculty saying “we cannot wait to see you here next July :)” Or “dude/dudette, what can we say to you to come here?” I was one of those applicants last year.

It’s not because they’re all sociopaths. Hell, I’m sure 98% are saying it because they’d be happy for you to match there. You could have every conceivable reason to be at the program/in the city your number 1 program is (located.) But at the end of the day, just as you have to look out for yourself, programs are also doing that as well.

I’m hoping everyone matches where they should go. It can be an unfair system.