biting my fingernails until Match Day..

[avgjoe]

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Or I would if I had some. Seriously though, does it seem to anyone else that March 16th is incredibly far away? Everyday I go through the cycles of what if? with every program on my list. I rack my brain as to what else I could possibly do at this stage. And then procrastinate doing even the small things I can do, like send emails etc to programs.
any advice? Commiseration from others in the same boat?

 

[geekgirl]

Or I would if I had some. Seriously though, does it seem to anyone else that March 16th is incredibly far away? Everyday I go through the cycles of what if? with every program on my list. I rack my brain as to what else I could possibly do at this stage. And then procrastinate doing even the small things I can do, like send emails etc to programs.
any advice? Commiseration from others in the same boat?

i hear you! i wondered why everyone else was so silent.
i scan real estate in various cities, envisioning life in each one. 'cause i don't quite know where i'll end up. but i can't help but try and picture the what-ifs of each potential future. yes, life in limbo. interesting to experience, i guess, but not a fun place to linger.
best of luck to you and the others!
gg

 

[GoRedSox06]

Hi.....I am not a student myself but my wife is a 4th year and the entire interview and match process has been very hard on her. She too is just sitting around waiting to know where we will have to up and move to. I have been very involved in her 4 years of Med. School and we have tried to approach the Match as a team but ultimately it is her choice and I think that is very hard on her.
To the husbands/ wifes/ partners of these students that are about to embark on this all I can say is be there. Wheter you know it or not you are needed now more than ever. Supporting words, hugs, and reassurance that it's going to be OK are more important now that stressing about what if this or what if that. We all could leave friends and family but we should never leave each other.

Sorry this was a tad off topic but I thought it fit. Take care and congratulations to the Class of 2006!

 

[praying4MD]

I am already having difficulty sleeping and have lost around 8 pounds too. It's okay for about a week, but match is so far away, i think i will be exhausted from the stress of it all by the time it rolls around. Jeez. Whoever said fourth year is the best year of med school was lying.

 

[Skinny]

Word of advice to those waiting for match day, If your ROL is in then you have done your job. You went to your interviews, saw the programs and cities, met the residents and ultimately made a decision to the best of your ability about where you will be for five years. It is now out of your hands. All the worrying in the world will not change where you will end up. Just relax and enjoy this year because believe me you WILL miss it next year. Remember this is supposed to be an exciting part of your training, you are taking the next step in your journey and your part is complete. 🙂

 

[robotsonic]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one going through this. Every day I go over my rank list again and again, debating about switching #6 and #7, or maybe #7 and #8, or wait, maybe #8 should actually be #9, and #9 wouldn't be so bad as #7... Then I worry about how my career will be affected if I match at program #5 instead of #4, etc. Ah, I just want this to be over.

 

[AlexRusso]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one going through this. Every day I go over my rank list again and again, debating about switching #6 and #7, or maybe #7 and #8, or wait, maybe #8 should actually be #9, and #9 wouldn't be so bad as #7... Then I worry about how my career will be affected if I match at program #5 instead of #4, etc. Ah, I just want this to be over.

I think you've just described my typical thoughts while listening to morning report every morning and while listening to many of my recovering alcoholic patients launch into their drunkalogues at their group meetings and counceling sessions. The stress of the ROL added to the fact that I hate the psych clerkship has pretty much sent me into a depression. I eat way more and way less healthy. I sleep all the time and yet am always drained of energy. I have no interest in doing anything but obsessing over what place is gonna be number 8 and what place is gonna be number 9. I can't concentrate enough to get through three pages of BRS Psych without my mind wandering "what if I wound up at #8, would I be happy?" Hey at least I'm not suicidal. 👍 Only thing that keeps me going is that it'll all be over in about a month.


Ok,ok so I its not really as bad as make it seem, but yea this limbo period really sux. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one. Some of my classmates on my service now have the same exact feelings. What's wierd is that even the MS3 on our service is depressed. Hey, maybe it's the service. At least I still dress profesionally and groom myself, the others have stopped shaving and show up wearing jeans, sneakers and a sweater with their boxer shorts hanging out. 1 MORE WEEK!!!

Sorry for the rant, just hating the rotation and this whole ROL thing.

Oh wait, did I mention that I hate Psych?!?!?

 

[lovemydrhubby]

another spouse here. We're both right there with everyone else. It's really nice to see that this normal. March seems WAY too far away.

He ended up interviewing at 12 places (10 cities) and plans to rank 9 or 10.

My husband hasn't certified the rank list yet though. It sounds like a few of you are ahead of us. We're still working out the top few, but I think we're happy with the original gut feelings. Almost seems like we're making this hard on ourselves.

 

[avgjoe]

Thanks everyone for making me feel totally normal in being on edge through this time..

Four weeks from now all of us will know that we definitely matched (of course no one on this board will find out otherwise.. right? 🙂 ). The countdown begins!

 

[lapape]

So why does it take them so long to announce the match results if the computer can spit them out on Feb. 22nd?????? 😕

 

[avgjoe]

So why does it take them so long to announce the match results if the computer can spit them out on Feb. 22nd?????? 😕

I know! I don't get it at all..

 

[toxic-megacolon]

So why does it take them so long to announce the match results if the computer can spit them out on Feb. 22nd?????? 😕

The lame excuse from the NRMP:

Why does it take three weeks from rank order list deadline to Match Day?

During that time, NRMP takes a number of major steps to assure the accuracy of both the Match and the subsequent release of Match information. Those steps include:

* Checking the integrity and completeness of the data.
* Transferring the data to the algorithm module, checking it again, and running the Match.
* Verifying the results of the Match and transferring the data into the NRMP databases.
* Creating more than 60,000 individual reports for applicants, programs, and schools, and assuring confidentiality of the information. The reports are then posted to the Web in accordance with the Match Results schedule.
* In addition, time is allotted for unmatched applicants and unfilled programs to make decisions before Match Day.

 

[geekgirl]

The lame excuse from the NRMP:

Why does it take three weeks from rank order list deadline to Match Day?

During that time, NRMP takes a number of major steps to assure the accuracy of both the Match and the subsequent release of Match information. Those steps include:

* Checking the integrity and completeness of the data.
* Transferring the data to the algorithm module, checking it again, and running the Match.
* Verifying the results of the Match and transferring the data into the NRMP databases.
* Creating more than 60,000 individual reports for applicants, programs, and schools, and assuring confidentiality of the information. The reports are then posted to the Web in accordance with the Match Results schedule.
* In addition, time is allotted for unmatched applicants and unfilled programs to make decisions before Match Day.

so in essence, they're just killing time while we sweat.

 

[scrappy]

* Checking the integrity and completeness of the data.
* Transferring the data to the algorithm module, checking it again, and running the Match.
* Verifying the results of the Match and transferring the data into the NRMP databases.

and yet, it is somehow managed to be screwed up (passive voice=diplomacy). i'm assuming these are not new rules, since intervals have remained constant. did you guys hear about the early match last year? apparently some top programs like hopkins and mgh went unfilled so they figured surely the computer programs messed up and repeated results--changing the fates of many-a-frustrated (and some elated) m4s.
DISCLAIMER: all this is hearsay on my part, as i have never investigated press releases, etc. however, i do know the Early Match Day: Revisited to be historical fact.