How to formulate your rank list!

The best way to formulate your rank list is as follows:

1) Identify what you want from a Residency Program:
Ex: Location, Probability of Obtaining Fellowship, Quality of Life during Residency, Quality of Residency Training, Ability to Stand Out amongst other Residents at that program, Reputation of the Institution, Reputation of the Leadership in the Department you are applying to, etc...

2) Assign a scale to your customized criteria:
Ex: On a Scale of 0 to 5, with 5 being the highest score any particular program can acheive on any single priority/criterion you have identified. Thus, if a program is in a terrible location, it would get a 0 out of 5, etc.

3) Assign weights to each criterion:
Ex: If Location matters the most to you, then let it weigh heavier on the final outcome than Quality of Life for instance. Therefore, as an example one could devise a weight system where 2=High Priority and and anything less would be for lower priorities....So a weight system could go something like this...Location (1), Reputation of Institution (2), Probability of Obtaining Fellowship (1.5), Quality of Life at Program (0.5), etc....

4) Now calculate a weighted average for each program you are comparing and the highest calculated average should correspond to the highest ranked program on your Rank Order List (ROL).

Final Example:
Program ABCD
Criteria: Location, Probability of Getting Fellowship, Reputation of Institution, Feedback from the Program to you as an applicant, Quality of Life During Residency
Scaling: Location of Program ABCD=5
Chance of Fellowship at ABCD or Outside=2
Reputation of Institution ABCD=5
Quality of Life During Residency at ABCD=1
Feedback from the Program on chances of matching at ABCD=5
Weighting System: Location=1
Chance of Fellowship=2
Reputation of ABCD=1.5
Quality of Life=0.5
Feedback from Program Director on Chances=1.5
Final Formula:
[5(1) + 2(2) + 5(1.5) + 1(0.5) + 5(1.5)] / 5

Final Weighted Average=4.9
Now compare this average to the weighted average of other programs you are considering, and any program higher ought to be ranked higher, and any program with a lower average ought to be ranked lower.

Best of Luck to any 4th Year Med Students/Interns who are applying/re-applying for their preferred residency program....and I hope this formula can be of some assistance. Please also keep in mind that it can be tailored and further customized to fit your personal preferences or judgments, but I believe that the framework is a reliable method to rank programs.