Signal

The Applicant Led Residency Application Preference Signaling Platform #MedTwitter #MedEdTwitter #MedStudentTwitter #THECOVIDMATCH

[Signal @SignalTokens]

In light of the recently announced changes our team has decided to discontinue the project. See our full statement below.

[Signal @SignalTokens]

@jbcarmody @francisdeng @steve_pletcher Still remember the days when folks were adamant that 12 tokes was waaaay too many and would defeat the whole purpose. #signalflation

[Signal @SignalTokens]

@headmirror_com The ENT signaling system will be in a separate platform! We will make that clear and provide a link to that platform on our site in case any ENT applicants end up at https://t.co/PJwrFBmd7U

[Signal @SignalTokens]

Due to ongoing discussions with stakeholders we will be delaying applicant registration from Tuesday Sep. 1st to Monday Sep. 7th.

[Signal @SignalTokens]

@JamesBatesMD @jbcarmody That is a model we will be looking at after our pilot year. Given the constraint we have and the short timeline, we set up the system to give the best chance of success with our limitations. Please visit our FAQ for why we wont list individual programs: https://t.co/dQLIGWKKhk

[Bryan Carmody @jbcarmody]

Fun fact:

In 2018, the @AAMC reported total revenues of $166 million for their tax-exempt programs, vs. total expenses of $79 million.

Put another way...

If the AAMC sold ERAS, the MCAT, or AMCAS at their cost, the price would be LESS THAN HALF of what they actually charge.

[Bryan Carmody @jbcarmody]

My point:

Use preference signaling or don’t.

But don’t delude yourself into believing that you’re helping students financially by refusing to use a private service... while you simultaneously do nothing about the tax-exempt monopolies with their hands in students pockets.

[Bryan Carmody @jbcarmody]

“PREDATORY”

When an unregulated monopoly sells their products at whatever price they damn well please to customers who have no other choice.

—

Now which of those definitions applies to Signal Tokens - and which applies to ERAS?

[Bryan Carmody @jbcarmody]

“ENTREPRENEURIAL”

When someone sees an unmet need in the market, and works to fill it.

Customers vote with their wallets. If the new product doesn’t provide value to justify its cost - they don’t buy it.

Well-priced, good products succeed, and overpriced, bad ones fail.

[Bryan Carmody @jbcarmody]

Even beyond the APPD announcement, I’m seeing more and more Tweets claiming that @SignalTokens is “predatory.”

Look, I have no financial stake in Signal Tokens or any other entity with similar plans.

But I think we need to get some definitions straight.

[Bryan Carmody @jbcarmody]

To me, the claim that preference signaling puts “undue financial pressure” on applicants rings hollow.

The cost of @SignalTokens is $25.

The cost of *each* ERAS application >30 is $26.

The better question is whether signaling would allow applicants to apply to fewer programs.

[Signal @SignalTokens]

@KenOlivierMD @jbcarmody Thank you for getting this conversation started. One thought we would like to keep in mind going forward is, "Is the process so costly precisely because we have done nothing about it?" and "What will be the result of doing nothing for this upcoming cycle?"

[Bryan Carmody @jbcarmody]

Because residency applicants pay per application, the AAMC and ERAS have an incentive to encourage as many applications as possible... while simultaneously giving programs the tools to avoid having to read those applications.

[Signal @SignalTokens]

We have updated our FAQ page and will make it abundantly clear to applicants that NO ENT or UROLOGY programs are incorporated into the platform.

[Signal @SignalTokens]

We have made contact with @UroAcademic. Their leadership has requested to NOT be included in the Signal Tokens platform. We have REMOVED ALL Urology programs from our platform and will also make it clear to applicants signing up that NO Urology Programs are part of the platform.

[Erica Traxel @EJTraxel]

Society of Academic Urologists official position on preference signaling (PS) just posted: SAU does NOT endorse PS or @SignalTokens for the 2020-2021 Match. Whew. @Uro_Res @UroResidency @Uro_Stream

[Signal @SignalTokens]

@BillLevineMD We in no way see ourselves as competing against the ENT platform, and nor do we wish to. We want to support them and guide applicants to their platform that happen to come to the SignalTokens platform. It will be clear to ENT applicants to NOT sign up for SignalTokens.

[Signal @SignalTokens]

For the record, ENT will have their own platform separate from SignalTokens. We will make this abundantly clear to applicants that are registering on our website. We applaud them for taking the initiative to try to address the coming issues and challenges in this upcoming cycle.

[Dr. William Levine @BillLevineMD]

"Be aware, there is a competing commercial org. (https://t.co/Ky9tEdSeHQ) that is trying to bring signaling to all specialties. Please inform your faculty and students this is NOT the initiative that we have created and Otolaryngology will not be participating"

[Signal @SignalTokens]

@EricSecristMD @aoa1887 @OrthoFolks For the record, ENT will have their own platform separate from SignalTokens. We will make this abundantly clear to applicants that are registering on our website. We applaud them for taking the initiative to try to address the coming issues and challenges in this upcoming cycle.

[Bryan Carmody @jbcarmody]

BIG NEWS this week for residency applicants in otolaryngology...

This year’s applicants will have the option of sending a formal signal of interest to up to 5 programs.

So who wins - and who loses - when we implement formal preference signaling?

https://t.co/gI4Ygn1MI3

[Signal @SignalTokens]

@DrCWDavidChang @futureENTres @AAOHNS @headmirror_com @Sonyamcna @TheNRMP @AAMCtoday @ERASinfo We applaud you for the initiative and are really looking forward to seeing this implemented! Please let us know of any way we could help you succeed!