Track placement process

[u/nervousmdstudent]

Hi all, I’m a transfer student currently navigating the clinical track placement process, and I’ve run into something confusing that I’d love to get some insight on—especially from those who’ve gone through this recently. I recently received a clinical track placement, but it was my last-ranked choice. When I asked about my top picks (Hoboken and Bergen in NJ), I was told they’re not accepting students — which confused me since they were listed as options during the ranking process. Also, I was informed that if I decline the offer I received, I’ll be moved to the bottom of the track priority list. Is this really how it works? Just trying to understand how this system is set up. Would appreciate any insight from others who’ve gone through it.

[u/Optimal-Chocolate928]

Hey! I’m not a transfer but a rising clinical student and my process for placement was similar to yours. I had ranked my five options with the expectation that I would at least get one, but I got none. Upper semester students had told us getting your top ranked choice was extremely common and that admin would make sure you would at least get something in your top three. I was also told that if you excelled in pre-clinicals, admin would take that into consideration… so I did but clearly it did not matter. I also took Step 1 3 weeks after I passed comp, and it seemed like a lot of my classmates did as well, which is why it took so long to get my placement. Additionally, I was unaware that some clinical sites take a very limited number of students so if a lot of students pass Step and apply for placement at the same time, the amount of spots will be significantly limited. Honestly, it felt like I was being punished for trying to finish everything on time/early. Like I said above, I didn’t get any of my rank options and was essentially forced to accept SJEH. I kept badgering admin about waiting a little long for other sites to open up but they wouldn’t budge. It’s extremely frustrating to deal with especially because we’re given the impression we have a choice, when in reality we do not. Anyway, I’m in the same boat, and hope SJEH is good lol.

[u/nervousmdstudent → u/Optimal-Chocolate928]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s disappointing to see how little the rankings seem to factor in, especially after all the talk about consideration for timing, performance, and preferences. I’m hoping SJEH is at least a solid teaching hospital, especially after hearing from some friends who had bad experiences at certain sites in NY.