GI Fellowship Match 2025-2026: Signaling & LOI Strategies

GI Fellowship Match 2025-2026: Signaling & LOI Strategies

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Match Day Details
• Rules & Community Guidelines
• Data & Statistics
• Programs & Interactions
• RoL, RTM & Pre-Match
• Interviews: Scheduling & Signals
• Appendix: Tally Sheets
• Conclusion

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Overview

GI Spreadsheet (2025-2026)

Made to build community around the crazy process that is applying into fellowship, tried to make it as easy to use as possible based on previous sheets. Your success is our success.

Remember your contribution to the sheet will not only help fellow applicants, but future applicants as well! There is very little data on fellowships that you only hear through the grapevine.

RULES:

1. Don’t be a jerk Please feel free to add columns or tabs you think would be helpful.

2. Do not edit other people's comments

3. Assume good intentions

MATCH DAY: DECEMBER 3RD, 12:00 PM EST; 11:00 AM CST; 9:00 AM PST DAYS UNTIL MATCH DAY: 20

Did any one also got email from TTUHSC Lubbock about decrease in the spots from 2 to 1?, yes Didn't interview there but suspect they pre-matched +3 Anyone heard anything about Ohio state's program? Is it as busy/workhorse as they made it sound? Trying to prioritize QoL in fellowship and it seems like fellows work extremely hard here. < Not sure if it's much busier, but the fellows did seem pretty burned out during my interview day especially on some services <- One of the busier programs for sure. With more beds coming up in the new hospital, I think the fellows will get slammed even more. Ranked lower than expected after the interview

Is it too late to send LOI emails? yes It is late- however that shouldnt stop you from sending one if you havent (sending it is better than not) Any insights about the training in MD Anderson?? Training should be good enough anywhere to give fellows a foundation for independent specialist practice. MD Anderson edges towards

teaching more niche skills, while likely being lacking when compared to other places for general GI. This is for the clinical thinking side. Scope skills shouldn't be an issue anywhere. Why does cornell make you rank their research spot back to back with their clinical spot if I only applied to be in the clinical

track? How do they "make you"? How would they know if you didn't? When is the deadline to apply for non-acgme hepatology/motility programs? NIH deadline was 10/31. 760/1230. ~61.8% match rate this year. Good luck.<-great < At least its up from last year! <- Last year was 727/1121 ~ 64.85% I'm projecting it to be DOWN compared to last year, and the lowest in recent years

?is there 760 spots and 1227 match applicants? --> how did you get 1227? <- My bad it's 1230 actually. Corrected. So the ERAS data is out and apparently 1367 people APPLIED via ERAS (https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/publication/eras-statistics). Last year 90% of total ERAS applicants (1121/1247 people) ended up participating in the match. 1367 x 0.9 = 1230. 760 spots is from the NRMP list of program/track IDs (see the tab for more details, updated today) 0.6178861789

11/10

nobody is going to comment if they got RTM email/call until after the match or rank list submission at the earliest. the pool of applicants and interviewees is already small and the number of RTM receptees is even smaller, a fraction of the

interview pool. so if they expose that they've received this they risk exposing their identity. i wouldn't hold your breath waiting for people to say they got RTM...though I can say there are more beyond Yale that have gone out Yeah imo most top programs send out RTM/ interest emails or make phone calls>like?

11/9 Did any program send rank to match emails? ---- Just Yale but not RTM, but you have been ranked and continued interest email <- That kind of email from Yale is far from a RTM, it's just good communication telling you they've done their ranking committee Most reach out usually a phone call or email but people won't say Did everybody get the Yale email?

11/8 Certify a preliminary ROL on NRMP ASAP. If you go into a coma and don't wake up until 11/20, you won't match. However, if you submit SOMETHING, even if not fully contemplated, you've at least given yourself a chance. Thanks I just certified my list. Now my mind is more at ease when I engage in erotic asphyxiation > lolll >ok Ed

I just noticed that for the question of are you authorized to work in the US on ERAS, I answered yes because I thought that since i'm on J1 visa then that means i'm authorized. I just noticed that when click no the J1 sponsorship pops up!!! omg I don't know how i missed this. all the programs I interviewed at sponsor j1 but should i do anything in that regard??? Dont panic , i did the same as you, we will need the continuation of j1, if you are applying outside the country then that option should be opted << I'm applying from inside the US I'm a PGY-3 resident you are fine << do I have to report that to the programs ? On the NRMP website it is stated clearly that I'm a non US/IMG but not sure if I should do something Does it mean anything if a program emails you saying they've completed their rank list meeting and are ranking you?

It means they've completed their rank list meeting and are ranking you.--> I meant is this a way for them to say ranked to match without saying it as they are technically not permitted to specify ranking intentions --> I know what you meant. Plenty of programs find ways to more directly communicate they are ranking certain indviduals to match so I don't think there is some hidden message in the email you recieved. It's definitely not a bad sign. It could be their way of saying that they will rank you high. Maybe we could make a tab that lists all the programs and do a tally of whether people are ranking number 1, top 3, or 4+

"Final Rank 2025-2026" > this doesn't have the programs listed on the side so that we can tally. The tally system keeps it more anonymous and so more people are likely to participate. I can try to do it tomorrow I just haven't had access to my personal computer. Sign the season's officially over is when noReply no longer gives me palpitations and I know it's a rejection. Now that the season is over please drop your interview impressions and name and shames!!! Let's get this party started U Conn, HCA Tampa citrus > what about them???

I have small hands, glove size 6. Am i going to have a hard time scoping? Like does this make GI hard field for me? You do not need sterile gloves to scope. Have you ever seen an Egd or colon? > I think you missed the point of the question my friend <lol I have long fingers so Ican really go in and assess the blood

It can be difficult (in terms of twisting the knobs and such), however if you can find a small handed mentor, they will definitely be able to show you tips and tricks to get around it, ie using more torque hand towels ect Can someone make a pre match offer tab, trying to find out the various offers, been offered 2 pre match offers and got a program to extend one. <the paperwork says you're not allowed to discuss terms, doing so makes them subject to

termination. How is it allowed for programs to do prematch offers? Does that mean they don't participate in the match?

I have so much name and shame for this cycle, it's insane. Did 17 interviews across community vs academic programs,

including coastal and flyover programs. No one is safe... 0-5: 25-50% match, 6-10: 50-75%, 11-15: 85%, 16-20: 90%, 20+: 95%+: —> where is this even from? Seems a bit harsh > and pulled out of his ass +1 Were there any outside the match spots for GI this year? Yes > which programs were they??? When is the actual deadline for fellowships to submit their rank list?

It's all the same Nov 9th. No it's Nov 19th right? <maybe it's different our program says 9th. Was under them impression it's Nov 19th for everyone. Some places have different deadlines-> not true, its nov 19th for everyone.

just curious cause my NRMP ID is not the same one back in for the residency. I noticed some people has same ID number. Am I screwed? How is Rochester as a city to live in? Is it as shitty as people make it out to be? < NY or MN? Ny or Mn?, both are shitty +2

What is he "safe" number of interviews for USMD, USDO, IMG? <- Do we have evidence that non-USMD typically need MORE interviews/ranks? I would assume the lower match rates are due to having less interviews, rather than needing more interviews to match (implying they are typically at the low end of rank lists) 15

Which programs have been sending RTM None Pre-match offer plus retention bonus $300K for 3 years to practice with the group after fellowship, starting salary to date is $550K. If I leave early, has to be paid back in full. Decision due by Monday 10am.

Does it have to be paid back if you decide to leave during residency. -> take it for sure, assuming your other interviews are similar/community so this is a good chance -> I know which program, do not take the offer I declined yesterday, 300K upfront now seems

like a lot but it's not when you're partner elsewhere making 1.5mil/yr. in an urban setting compared to a rural place.> Which program is doing this if you're able to share?

I am a visa requiring IMG who got 6 interviews, did well in all of them. What do you think my chances are for matching ? 50/50, do you have a home program << No Don’t you find it frustrating that many academic programs (even the average ones) seem to expect fellows to be primarily

interested in research or academic careers, while pursuing private practice or a purely clinical path is often viewed as less desirable or discourged? I don't think any program would like an applicant who say they are intersted in pure clinnica/private job in the future during an interivew. No this is normal Interviewed at 10 places, some pluses some minuses on my app, US MD. At the beginning of the season, my number 1 was a mid tier university program in a big city, known for my area of clinical interest. It sticks out because the remainder of my programs are low tier university, strictly community, and even an HCA. My initial reasoning was it was a good spot for dating as a single person and its a good name that I'd be a good fit at due to my clinical interests, but more recently I started thinking more about the big picture and while most the fellows and applicants seemed nice, I felt subtle type A energy emanating from lots of them based on style of humor/applicant questions. It's not that I'm not confident in my abilities, but if my interest is primarily private practice, would I be crazy to drop this place down to my bottom half if i dont

think id fit well? I already dropped it to #3, but thinking of putting a few more programs above it. Tl;dr if you're thinking private practice, does program name matter at all? I feel like quality of training for strictly general GI doesn't depend on the academic calibre of the program but don't want to be limited to bad jobs in the future because I didn't train at an academic center.

Private practices want an academic name to be able to plaster on their website under your profile. It attracts customers which is key. But since private practice is all clincial, you'll definitely want to make sure that that academic institution is decently clinical. NOT go to a place

that gives you no research time. If you don't do research time during your research time, hey - at least it's a free break or available time to work with a specific attending to learn speciifc skills which you might want to use in your private practice)

10/31

Someone sent this to me, wanted to post take-aways from ACG leadership panel for GI applicants. <- I did not go to this session but this occured at ACG. As far as rank lists go, look at if a program already finished interviews earlier based on

the available interview dates. They probably have worked on the rank list. Programs that interview through early november will have not worked on it yet. For example, Duke's last interview date listed was early October. Therefore they likely worked on their rank list already. There are some seriously arrogant motherfuckers on here this year <- There are every year. What exactly are you referring to?

10/31

1.) Each program is a bit different, each PD is a bit different. There are no hard rules, plenty of differences of opinion noted during the panel. 2.) Research accomplishments for 80% of programs is not so much a big deal as showing commitment. If you already have a manuscript, value added with fluff is minimal. 3.) You should highlight how your application is changed if you are a reapplicant. 4.) Signals seem to restrict opportunities at a few places, but others didn't even consider them. They were mainly used for interview invites, but are being thrown out for RoL.5.) Felt this wasn't said because it applied to 95% of people in the room, but stop doing fluff research, people are noticing and having the same names just reshuffled catches on pretty quick. That said, another PD told me at ACG you have to be able to "flip the page" on the ERAS PDF which to me means you need volume. 6.) Your personal statement should be honest and they actually read it carefully because in small fellowships, a fit is important. There shouldn't be a formula. 7.) Know your application cold and don't embellish. Interviews ask about these random things (i.e. 3rd author abstract, random experience from a decade ago, or a patient experience in your PS). If they ask you your role in a research experience from 5 years ago, some random activity, or about what happened to the patient in your PS that

that influenced your decision to do GI they shouldn't be met with blank stares. 8.) PDs seemed a bit irritated without giving examples of people who send emails outside the process. I met one after the session who told me his/her feeling was the hustle isn't appealing and comes off as expecting special treatment/pushy. 9.) RoL submissions have passed for more places than not. If a program's hosting a second look, generally the lists have already been submitted. 10.) Have an answer for back up plan if you don't match. 11.) Political climate is uncertain and maybe it has affected things, but no brave souls outright said it did. Several did say it didn't.

Networking/Conf Back Up Plans