Match Process

Dan wanted to know why this website has become about my medical school instead of his travels so I have assured him that the next posts will all be about his travels :) But I would love to spend one blog describing the match process for all my family and friends because it is such a confusing process and very hard to explain....so here is my best shot!

The match process begins in July of a medical student's fourth and final year of medical school. At this time medical students can start entering information into their application on an online server. This is also the time when medical students have to decide which specialty to apply to. Then on September 1 applications can officially be sent to schools. The match website sends or submits the applications out to the different programs (selected by the applicant). Then in October and November the programs send out invitations for interviews. Programs are selective in granting interviews and therefore if an applicant doesn't get an interview they are out of the running for a spot. Medical students can choose to accept or deny these interviews but if they deny an interview, it takes them out of the running. Most of my interviews were in November and December with just a few in January. Interviews are a two day process; the first evening is a reception and the second day will include a tour and the actual interviews. 

The next step in the process is the rank list. Starting in January every student will rank the programs they interviewed with. Then, at the end of February (the 27th at midnight) the rank lists are officially due and must be submitted in the computer system. All programs will also submit a list ranking their candidates by order of preference. The match process is weighed in favor of the applicants in the sense that the match system will look at a student's list and look to their first pick, if their first pick has them ranked within the number of spots they have then they will match there (for example if their program takes six residents and they rank me in the top six then I will match there, if not, then the computer will move onto the next program I ranked). If a program has a student ranked number one but that student has them ranked five, the match process will first see if that student matches with their top four. This is why it is necessary for all applicants to make sure they rank their programs in order of their preference. All of the matching is done electronically or by computer and it tries to match students to their highest ranked program. Hypothetically the more places a student ranks should increase their chances of matching.

Then on March 12th students all across the country will receive an email informing them of whether or not that matched. Then that afternoon the match program will release what programs still have openings so that the students who did not initially match can "scramble match." This scrambling process happens in a matter of days and results in people matching at programs that they didn't apply to, interview with, or rank. This is not the process you want to go through. I know last year there were only 4 open residency spots in ObGyn across the country. This entails calling programs and basically begging them to take you. And if you don't get one of the few open spots available then you must either do a different specialty residency or just do a general rotating year and reapply the next year. 

Then later that week, on March 16th, most schools will host a match day reception where all the students will gather with friends and family. At the reception all students will be handed an envelope which contains their future. They have no idea what it is going to say, it could include any of the umteen (13 for me) programs they rank. And that's it... nine months of applying, interviewing and worrying and you find out where you are going for the next 4 years in an instant. 

If anyone has any questions I would be happy to answer them! 
Michelle