2006 Match Thread

[GrandMasterB]

Hey! I thought we should get a meet and greet thread going for the match this year. Seems to be a tradition on this board... Well I'm declaring my intentions for Ophtho right here and now and hope a bunch of you guys are there with me! See you on the trail....GMB.

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[DilatedPeoples]

I'm right there with you. Though this upcoming year will undoubtedly provide me with innumberable ulcers, I'm also looking very forward to it. Good luck to everyone this year! I look forward to meeting you guys on the trail.

 

[JR]

I can't believe it is this time of year again. It's going to be a nerve racking period and I want you guys to remember that we are here for you! SDN helped me a great deal both with calming my nerves and also with navigating through this difficult process. Good luck everyone!

 

[basil]

I'm a 2006 match-hopeful too! I wish I could say I'm looking forward to it...mostly, I'm looking forward to it being over

How long is it until January 20th?

 

[OGT]

Count me in for the ophtho match. I'm a Dr. Doan Disciple here at Iowa. If anyone needs a couch to crash on come interview season, look me up.

 

[jfanman]

Count me in for the ophtho match. I'm a Dr. Doan Disciple here at Iowa. If anyone needs a couch to crash on come interview season, look me up.

Just a question to the people who matched this past year, how many Ophthalmology LORs did you submit for your application? I was told 1 by some and 2 by others. Just wondering if residency programs will care about other letters outside of their field. Thanks for any input.

 

[eyedr]

Just a question to the people who matched this past year, how many Ophthalmology LORs did you submit for your application? I was told 1 by some and 2 by others. Just wondering if residency programs will care about other letters outside of their field. Thanks for any input.

I submitted one ophtho letter, one medicine letter, and one letter from an internist with whom I had done extensive research in college and the first half of med school. I submitted a second ophtho letter after my August rotation for a total of four letters. Do not underestimate the power of letters from individuals outside of ophthalmology. Programs are probably looking for committed, sincere, hardworking, driven individuals with a passion for ophthalmology who are going to complete their program and be fun to work with in the process. You dont need to be an ophthalmologist to figure that out and make it show in a recommendation letter. Yes, ophtho letters count a ton, especially those from well known professors, but the other letters will carry their own weight and can hurt you if they are mediocre/weak.

On a side note, I had one interviewer list about 15 character traits about me (ie. diligent, intelligent, good hearted, etc) written throughout the four LORs, and then asked me which one I thought was most important for my career as an ophthalmologist and why.

 

[rubensan]

Do not underestimate the power of letters from individuals outside of ophthalmology. Programs are probably looking for committed, sincere, hardworking, driven individuals with a passion for ophthalmology who are going to complete their program and be fun to work with in the process.

 

[lilybriscoe]

Okay. Back to the meetings and greetings. I'm signing on for the Ophthalmology match crusade as well. So hello friends! Just one quick question, why do "We" (royal) say "Ophtho" and not "Ophtha"? :

Good luck everyone!

 

[JR]

I've noticed that east cost ophtho applicants say "ophthy". Ah, the regional differences...

Okay. Back to the meetings and greetings. I'm signing on for the Ophthalmology match crusade as well. So hello friends! Just one quick question, why do "We" (royal) say "Ophtho" and not "Ophtha"? :

Good luck everyone!

 

[rubensan]

Just a question to the people who matched this past year, how many Ophthalmology LORs did you submit for your application? I was told 1 by some and 2 by others. Just wondering if residency programs will care about other letters outside of their field. Thanks for any input.

Last year I submitted a total of 4 LORs. 3 were submitted with my CAS (1 GSurg, 1 IM, 1 ophtho) in August and the 4th (1 more ophtho) was submitted in Sept as a "late" LOR. Did anyone else submit this elusive 4th LOR? Is this still an option for the 2006 CAS?

 

[eyedr]

Last year I submitted a total of 4 LORs. 3 were submitted with my CAS (1 GSurg, 1 IM, 1 ophtho) in August and the 4th (1 more ophtho) was submitted in Sept as a "late" LOR. Did anyone else submit this elusive 4th LOR? Is this still an option for the 2006 CAS?

That's exactly what I did. But for those of you who may be unaware, the 4th letter can only be submitted after your CAS has been submitted and it must be from an individual with whom you worked during the month of initial CAS submission or thereafter. The rotation dates have to be noted by either the letter writer in the LOR or by the student. Not sure about what the 2006 rules say, but I cant imagine it would be different, I think the 4th letter option has been available for at least the last several years.

 

[Eleazar82]

Does anyone know the most popular means by which programs contact applicants to offer them interviews (i.e. e-mail, postal, phone)? I'm going to England for an ophthalmology elective for the whole month of September. I want to make sure I don't miss any offers!

Many thanks!

 

[eyedr]

Does anyone know the most popular means by which programs contact applicants to offer them interviews (i.e. e-mail, postal, phone)? I'm going to England for an ophthalmology elective for the whole month of September. I want to make sure I don't miss any offers!

Many thanks!

Interview offers came mostly by email, a handful by snail mail, and even fewer programs that called me personally. Being able to check all three - home mailbox, email, and voicemail several times per day will allow one to schedule the most preferred interview date, i.e. if a program interviews candidates on three separate dates, then the interviews are scheduled on those dates on a first come first served basis. I definitely had to decline one or two interviews because they conflicated with other interview dates and the dates that did not conflict were already filled by applicants who had called before me.

September was when my first few interview offers came in, but a majority came in October and November. You may be able to pull of the elective in September, but definitely do not do it in the following months.

 

[djk10]

How exciting! Good luck to everyone! See you in the near future (I'm a lowly second year medical student )

 

[rubensan]

How exciting! Good luck to everyone! See you in the near future (I'm a lowly second year medical student )

DJK, keep reading SDN! By the time you you are a 4th year and ready to apply, you will have soaked up enough advice to put together a very strong application. I wish I had know about SDN when I was at your stage of the game!

 

[djk10]

DJK, keep reading SDN! By the time you you are a 4th year and ready to apply, you will have soaked up enough advice to put together a very strong application. I wish I had know about SDN when I was at your stage of the game!

Hey Rubensan...maybe I will actually be seeing you sooner rather than later...I am originally from Las Vegas and would LOVE to go back near home (i.e. USC, UCLA)...I went to an east coast school for undergrad and am at a central time zone school for medical school...so I figure I'm slowly movin back west

 

[kassie]

me me...