confusion about if match advanced spot but no prelim.pls advise!!!!:)

[doc39]

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ok, this is slightly confusing to me....

lets say i match with an advanced position but not a prelim...
and i find this out on monday, yet i dont find out which exact program untill thursday.
i get the list on tuesday, and id like to call the advanced program where i matched to see if they can help out with a prelim spot at the same institution but i dont know what hospital that is untill thursday?
so how would i go about it, it's important to me to do prelim at same place.
ive read previously that PDs have helped in obtaining prelim spots if matched for advanced...how exactly did you all go about that? do you wait untill thursday and ask for help then....or is that too risky...and you just have to suck it up and scramble into a place somewhere else perhaps.

please please any advise would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Law2Doc]

...
so how would i go about it, it's important to me to do prelim at same place....

You aren't going to be able to. Presumably you used your supplemental lists to try and link up prelim programs with advanced at the same places. To the extent an advanced program PD could have weighed in, it was prior to the prelims submission of its rank order. If you don't match into a desired prelim and that program isn't in the scramble, you aren't getting that spot, period.

If you don't get into the prelim, then you generally aren't going to that prelim. That's all there is to it. So no, you don't get to somehow find out the advanced program's identity early to try and have them lobby for you. You grab something and hope it works out. That's why they call it a "scramble". It's last call at the bar; you don't get your pick -- you get what's left. ... If you have notions of places "making a spot" for you at the request of an advanced program's PD after the match, I wouldn't hold my breath. Perhaps your own school will work with you in this way, but the advanced residency program's hospital won't.

 

[EternalMD]

my understanding was that you could find out the general location of the advanced program to better allow you to focus your efforts?

 

[doc39]

how would anyone go about finding that out?

 

[EternalMD]

you might have to search for that because my memory is a bit foggy on the subject but I think you have to contact NRMP about the location. After all, you are allowed only a certain number of places to apply for to scramble (i think its 30?) and doesn't make sense to apply to the west coast if you end up in the east coast

 

[gutonc]

You can contact NRMP and find out the city where you matched for your advanced program if you went unmatched for prelim. Your Dean's office should help you with this as well. This is also true for people who couples match where one partner did not match. If you only applied to one program in that city, then, you know who to call. If you applied to, for example, 10 programs in NYC, you won't know which program you matched in but you can at least target your Scramble apps.

 

[medsRus]

You can contact NRMP and find out the city where you matched for your advanced program if you went unmatched for prelim. Your Dean's office should help you with this as well. This is also true for people who couples match where one partner did not match. If you only applied to one program in that city, then, you know who to call. If you applied to, for example, 10 programs in NYC, you won't know which program you matched in but you can at least target your Scramble apps.

When can you find this out?

 

[Law2Doc]

...If you only applied to one program in that city, then, you know who to call....

The call won't help if they passed you over in the match and don't have spots in the scramble, though.

Relocating twice isn't the end of the world, and it's the risk you likely will have to take if you end up scrambling. You grab something decent that's left, wherever it is, and make do for a year. You don't get what you "want" at that point. The match is about getting what you want. The scramble is about leftovers.

 

[gutonc]

When can you find this out?

When you get the "Did I Match" email, i.e., when the Scramble starts.

 

[guillanbarre]

You can contact NRMP and find out the city where you matched for your advanced program if you went unmatched for prelim. Your Dean's office should help you with this as well. This is also true for people who couples match where one partner did not match. If you only applied to one program in that city, then, you know who to call. If you applied to, for example, 10 programs in NYC, you won't know which program you matched in but you can at least target your Scramble apps.

This is good to know. However I cannot find information confirming this on the NRMP website? Does one just call them on match day and ask what city/state they matched for advanced?

 

[medsRus]

Can anyone confirm this -- that you can get the city, state of where you matched before the programs are announced...

 

[QofQuimica]

Out of curiosity (not planning to find out by experience!), what happens if you match into an advanced position, don't match a prelim year, and don't manage to scramble into a prelim year? I'm guessing you would lose your advanced residency and have to reapply for the match from scratch? Or are there enough prelims available that this never happens as long as you're willing to move anywhere that will take you?

I think the best thing to do is apply for prelims at your home school and other hospitals in the same city. That way, you won't have to move twice if you match in an advanced position somewhere else. You also can get to your prelim interviews easily instead of trying to interview for prelims all over the place and maybe flying to several other cities multiple times. That's my plan, anyway. 🙂

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Out of curiosity (not planning to find out by experience!), what happens if you match into an advanced position, don't match a prelim year, and don't manage to scramble into a prelim year? I'm guessing you would lose your advanced residency and have to reapply for the match from scratch? Or are there enough prelims available that this never happens as long as you're willing to move anywhere that will take you?

This. They may not be desirable, but you can ALWAYS find a Prelim med or surg position SOMEWHERE.

 

[QofQuimica]

This. They may not be desirable, but you can ALWAYS find a Prelim med or surg position SOMEWHERE.

Good to know, thanks. Of course, the optimal outcome IMHO would be to match into a categorical position and avoid this entire prelim hassle in the first place. 😉

 

[BigRedBeta]

Can anyone confirm this -- that you can get the city, state of where you matched before the programs are announced...

Yes, this is true. It happened to my roommates fiancee last year and I remember reading about it on one of the NRMP emails they've sent recently. But it only applies if you are couples matching or matched to an advanced program but not a prelim...and maybe if you matched to a prelim year but not an advanced program. That last little bit, I don't know about.

 

[Haole]

I was told by a couple of programs that I applied to that if I needed to get an internship that I should call them tuesday so that they can help me get a prelim med or surg spot if they have openings. I was also told not to wait until thursday as remaining prelims fill fast. Hoping I match to a categorical spot to not have this problem. I didn't apply to any prelims before because most of my programs I applied to were categorical. It turns out now the ones that had all advanced or half categorical/half advanced all ended up at the top of my list when it was all said and done. This could be a very real situation for me on tuesday. Luckily all programs are in different cities.

 

[datucatu]

I matched into an advanced position but not an intern position. I just called nrmp and they told me the city and state where I matched. I only applied to one program in that city so I know which program I got accepted to. I guess there's a bright side to scrambling for a prelim spot.

 

[dragonfly99]

I matched into an advanced position but not an intern position. I just called nrmp and they told me the city and state where I matched. I only applied to one program in that city so I know which program I got accepted to. I guess there's a bright side to scrambling for a prelim spot.

You should contact the PD at the advanced program where you matched,and see if he/she can do anything to help you find a prelim spot. They might have one at that hospital, or he/she might know someone.

 

[Terpskins99]

This. They may not be desirable, but you can ALWAYS find a Prelim med or surg position SOMEWHERE.

Absolutely NOT True. 😡

Do not bank on always being able to scramble into a pre-lim spot. This is never a guarantee.