Are U.S. graduates required to go through match?

[EclecticMind]

Example: I will graduated at the end of this year (2006)... (had to take prior leave). I want to enter a residency at my medical school and was wondering if it is "legal" to apply to a residency outside of the match and then begin my intern year in Jan. 2007 as opposed to waiting until July?

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I too will graduate in December, and was hoping to do as you suggest. Unfortunately, the NRMP rules state that if you graduate after Sept 1 you are classified as a US senior for the application cycle, and therefore it is illegal for a program to offer you a position outside the match. Stinks, I know. I don't know how widely this rule is known/enforced among programs, however.

Feel free to add suggestions on what to do for six months on this thread:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=301121

 

[EclecticMind]

that does suck!!! I need to start making some $$$!

 

[Click Here!]

They pretty much have a monopoly unless you've been out longer than a year. Here are some relevant passages from the NRMP website:

A U.S. senior is a fourth-year medical student in an LCME-accredited U.S. allopathic school of medicine. A student with a graduation date after September 1 in the year before the match is considered a U.S. senior. U.S. seniors are sponsored by their medical schools in the NRMP Main Residency Match. Information about the results of the Match is sent to the U.S. senior's school of medicine.

If a senior student is withdrawn from the Matching Program because he/she will be ineligible to enter graduate medical education on July 1 in the year of the Match, the student may accept a position outside the Matching Program provided training will begin no later than February 1 in the year following the Match; however, if the student elects to participate in the Match, he/she will be a sponsored applicant.​

I'm a US senior in an allopathic medical school and I've been offered a position outside the Match. What should I do?

If any of a teaching hospital's graduate medical education programs participates in the NRMP's Main Match, all of the hospital's programs may accept US seniors in allopathic medical schools only through the NRMP or another national matching plan. Offering a contract outside the Match is a violation of the Match Participation Agreement. US allopathic seniors who obtain PGY-2 positions through another national matching plan must obtain their PGY-1 preliminary positions through the NRMP's Main Match.​

 

[spalatin]

there is a solution. If you can start off cycle, find a program that is NOT participating in the match or one that has a vacancy. Some specialties list some but not all their positions in the match. I say make yer calls angoforit. screwthematch. Make sure you know why they have a midyear vacancy and ask for the name of the person who left so you can make sure the stories jib. Malignant programs may have a higher proportion of midyear openings so be careful out there.

They pretty much have a monopoly unless you've been out longer than a year. Here are some relevant passages from the NRMP website:

A U.S. senior is a fourth-year medical student in an LCME-accredited U.S. allopathic school of medicine. A student with a graduation date after September 1 in the year before the match is considered a U.S. senior. U.S. seniors are sponsored by their medical schools in the NRMP Main Residency Match. Information about the results of the Match is sent to the U.S. senior's school of medicine.

If a senior student is withdrawn from the Matching Program because he/she will be ineligible to enter graduate medical education on July 1 in the year of the Match, the student may accept a position outside the Matching Program provided training will begin no later than February 1 in the year following the Match; however, if the student elects to participate in the Match, he/she will be a sponsored applicant.​

I'm a US senior in an allopathic medical school and I've been offered a position outside the Match. What should I do?

If any of a teaching hospital's graduate medical education programs participates in the NRMP's Main Match, all of the hospital's programs may accept US seniors in allopathic medical schools only through the NRMP or another national matching plan. Offering a contract outside the Match is a violation of the Match Participation Agreement. US allopathic seniors who obtain PGY-2 positions through another national matching plan must obtain their PGY-1 preliminary positions through
the NRMP's Main Match.​

 

[ultane123]

what happens if you're a competitive "independent applicant" (having a graduated 12 months before the match year), but do not want to enter the matching system? for example, if you took a year off after graduation for maternal leave. can a NRMP-matching program extend a contract to you outside their match?

there is a solution. If you can start off cycle, find a program that is NOT participating in the match or one that has a vacancy. Some specialties list some but not all their positions in the match. I say make yer calls angoforit. screwthematch. Make sure you know why they have a midyear vacancy and ask for the name of the person who left so you can make sure the stories jib. Malignant programs may have a higher proportion of midyear openings so be careful out there.

 

[Winged Scapula]

what happens if you're a competitive "independent applicant" (having a graduated 12 months before the match year), but do not want to enter the matching system? for example, if you took a year off after graduation for maternal leave. can a NRMP-matching program extend a contract to you outside their match?

Yes currently Independent applicants are allowed to take a position outside of the match. Programs with an NRMP contract only have to offer a certain percentage of their positions in the match - there are often positions which are available outside of the match. Some programs will not do so, but it doesn't hurt to call around and see what the responses are.

 

[mig26x]

I would be an Independent applicant (AMG) this next match, graduated last may but for personal/family reasons, had to withdraw from the match. So I can do as an IMG and accept an offer before the match if one comes up in the interview trail??

 

[Winged Scapula]

I would be an Independent applicant (AMG) this next match, graduated last may but for personal/family reasons, had to withdraw from the match. So I can do as an IMG and accept an offer before the match if one comes up in the interview trail??

As long as the NRMP still allows it. Please check their site for the latest info on this contentious issue (as far as the NRMP is concerned).