I may not been able to match this year... what to do next?

[atethesun]

How bad is it to take a year off and re-apply next year if you were considered a strong canadidate in this cycle?
It's a very long and stupid story. Just a horrible mistake on my part with regards to ranklists....

I have no red flag in my application. Passed all required steps to graduate within first attempt (Step1: 22x, Step 2: 22x, CS passed, top 25 school, honors in all psych electives, scheduled to graduate in May, received medical student award in psychiatry, etc)
There were even programs who told me that I am ranked to match.......

I am willing to do a year of research and more extracurricular activities (ie. already working to create a new psychotherapy course for MS1-2 at my school, etc)

What would the program directors think?



PS: this is NOT a joke. I just spoke with my mentors too and there might not be a lot of things I can do at this point.........

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[whopper]

Do they still have the scramble? If so I'd get my sights ready on programs just in case.

 

[Bartelby]

Taking a year off to do research and the applying would probably not be bad, but it sounds like you are talking about failing to match and being forced to fill a year with relevant activities. Explaining why you didn't match this cycle (which is not apparent to me) will probably be a part of each interview next year.

Regardless, you sound like a really strong candidate for psychiatry. I think you would match somewhere, and I would not be surprised if it is somewhere highly competitive. I think if you make the best of your time with meaningful psychiatry or medicine related work and are ready to explain why not matching this year should not be a red flag to programs, I can't imagine that this will matter very much.

I am just another applying MS-IV though, hopefully someone higher up will chime in (although I am not sure how useful their advice will be given that your reasons for not matching are so unclear).

And in the end, maybe you will match this cycle anyway? Try to stay optimistic, things will probably work out well for you in the long run.

 

[atethesun]

Is it too late to re-enter the match if I am in good standing?

It's kind of a funny yet tragic story but I might just have to bite the bullet.

 

[Bartelby]

Good question, the certification deadline has passed but maybe you could contact them about entering the match for the SOAP.

 

[peppy]

Is it too late to re-enter the match if I am in good standing?

It's kind of a funny yet tragic story but I might just have to bite the bullet.

Sorry to hear that you're in a bad situation. Are you saying that you withdrew from the match?
Even though a lot of people say that your first year in the match is your best chance to match, I think the reason you didn't match has a lot of bearing in whether your chances the next year are hurt.
If you don't match because you withdrew or didn't submit a ROL, then I think you probably do stand a good chance of matching next year as long as you can come up with a positive spin to put on the explanation for why you withdrew.

If you're a strong applicant who didn't match for reasons that don't reflect badly on you, many programs will still be interested in you next year (even though there is a chance that individual programs might be suspicious that there is something "wrong" if you didn't match the first year).

 

[whopper]

Agree. I think it could add a notch but not a particularly bad blemish. In reality I don't think it's fair to hold it against you but bear in mind that most programs have a dozen to hundreds of applicants for a spot and some will find anything to widdle down the group of applicants to those that will be given an interview. Despite the numbers I mentioned, don't let that phase you because most people apply to too many programs (and for good reason, better to do that than take the risk of not getting in)--most people do end up getting a program and a good one at that.

People will likely ask why you took a year from joining residency, and what you did in the meantime. If I were you, I'd pass Step III if you already haven't because having that over your head while in residency is like a monkey on the back. Further, if you passed it, you'll look like a better candidate.

 

[digitlnoize]

I agree...what happened with the match? Did you certify a list? Withdraw? What? We might be able to help if we know more...

I would start with trying to "SOAP" into a spot, whether psych or transitional year, or EM/FM/IM/Neuro...If you can SOAP that is...

And, as everyone has said, you might still match...

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I'm curious, too, what happened with your rank list, but you certainly don't have to share. Anyway, it sounds like a crappy situation. I guess the first question would be the whole can you participate in the scramble or SOAP or whatever the hell it's called these days. I'm thinking you should probably figure that out now because it sounds like you'd have a good shot in that assuming whatever you're worried about happens and you don't match. If that's a no go, I'd focus next on trying to find a spot outside of the match. Spots do open up, so it's a possibility, although maybe unlikely.

After all that stuff is exhausted, then I guess something like research would be the way to go, although I don't think you'll be as screwed as you think you will be. Also I'd check into postponing graduation if possible, so you can apply as a medical student again next year.

 

[BobA]

Considering doing a medical internship at your home institution and then matching PGY2 next year.

 

[psychattending]

You indicated that you talked with your mentor. Is that the administrative person in charge of you and the Match? If not, then you should be talking to that specific advisor. I suspect that you will not have a lot of luck in getting back into the Match. It will depend on really what happened and why. If you are not allowed back into the Match, then from my understanding of the rules you will not be allowed to participate in SOAP. You will be able, though, to apply for any slots that are still open after the SOAP process is complete on Friday of Match week.

If you end up applying for a PGY1 spot next year, it will be important to address up front in your application what happened this year. If the situation is just an unfortunate one, then most programs will probably give you the benefit of the doubt and extend an interview offer. Saying nothing about it will just lead to programs declining to interview you because they will assume the worse.