Delaying med school graduation after not matching

[1Life]

I did not match into general surgery in the main match and SOAP. I did not even get a preliminary position.

My stats: AMG/220/203/CS-pass (all with first try). I failed 3 courses in first year and repeated first year. Did well on clinicals and excellent on a few rotations including surgery sub i. I got 3 great letters from the chairman of surgery, chief of surg onc and chief of general surgery/trauma-CC.

I don't want to take a year off and significantly reduce my chances of matching next year. I heard taking a year off from clinical work makes you a significantly less desirable candidate.

If I delay my graduation until next year and do clinical research/some clinical rotations in the mean time while applying broad and wide for the next match, will I have a better chance?

I'm saying this because as person who has yet to graduate, I will still be considered a student when I apply; I will be provided my school's resources and get new LORs; I haven't technically taken a "year off" after medschool.

I appreciate your advice

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[EMquest3]

I think the first thing you need to do is figure out what other red flags you have in your app. A couple of fails in first year should not have prevented you from matching, especially at a prelim spot. Did you apply to competitive places only? Once you figure out the problem it might make your decision easier.

 

[xrevision]

Apply to as many programs and go to as many interviews as you can afford. You limited yourself last time to geography, now you know not to. Also, General surgery was competitive this year, so you may want a back-up specialty.

 

[vjayk]

There are people at my school who did exactly what you are talking about (delaying graduation), so yes it is possible.

 

[Wordead]

How many programs did you interview at/rank?

Curious as to what held you back....Step 2?

 

[1Life]

Thanks for your input guys.

I realized my mistake a few weeks after applying. I initially applied to 10 places, half of which are in california, some in texas, and a few in my home state. I added 12 programs two weeks later. I only interviewed at 2 programs (in my home state)

I made the mistake of overestimating my chances. Geography was important to me. But now, I realize my career is...

 

[1Life]

There are people at my school who did exactly what you are talking about (delaying graduation), so yes it is possible.

Did they find it helpful

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

How many programs did you interview at/rank?

Curious as to what held you back....Step 2?

I'd guess it was the step 2. Thats a pretty decent drop and it was from an already below average Step 1 score.

 

[PrideNeverDie]

Thanks for your input guys.

I realized my mistake a few weeks after applying. I initially applied to 10 places, half of which are in california, some in texas, and a few in my home state. I added 12 programs two weeks later. I only interviewed at 2 programs (in my home state)

I made the mistake of overestimating my chances. Geography was important to me. But now, I realize my career is...

best of luck man

one day you are going to look back at this and laugh

 

[1Life]

best of luck man

one day you are going to look back at this and laugh

Thanks bro, I hope so.

 

[thefritz]

I'd guess it was the step 2. Thats a pretty decent drop and it was from an already below average Step 1 score.

220 is essentially an average step 1 score.
203 is a horrible step 2 score.

People on this forum WAY underestimate the importance of step 2.

 

[xrevision]

With a score of 220, you essentially threw away all of your applications into California. G. Surg used to be less competitive, but it has become more and more competitive. In addition to all of this, any residency position in California should be considered competitive. I think you should apply G. Surg very broadly to many community type programs, and in addition to this come up with a back-up specialty in a less competitive field if you want to practice medicine moreso than being a surgeon.

At this point it seems unlikely that an academic institution would rank you highly so I'm not sure research is the way to go with this one.

 

[Law2Doc]

I did not match into general surgery in the main match and SOAP. I did not even get a preliminary position.

My stats: AMG/220/203/CS-pass (all with first try). I failed 3 courses in first year and repeated first year. Did well on clinicals and excellent on a few rotations including surgery sub i. I got 3 great letters from the chairman of surgery, chief of surg onc and chief of general surgery/trauma-CC.

I don't want to take a year off and significantly reduce my chances of matching next year. I heard taking a year off from clinical work makes you a significantly less desirable candidate.

If I delay my graduation until next year and do clinical research/some clinical rotations in the mean time while applying broad and wide for the next match, will I have a better chance?

I'm saying this because as person who has yet to graduate, I will still be considered a student when I apply; I will be provided my school's resources and get new LORs; I haven't technically taken a "year off" after medschool.

I appreciate your advice

I'm sorry but a US med school senior with passing Steps couldn't SOAP even into a prelim surgery spot? There's more to the story you aren't telling us.

But as to your underlying question, yes, keep your US senior status another year. Sign on to do a year of research, not so much to get consideration at academic places, but because it looks a heck of a lot better than a gap on the CV. Maybe see if you can use your student status to set up an "away" rotation just to network at another program.

 

[vjayk]

Did they find it helpful

Yes, they all matched

 

[1Life]

Thanks for your advices guys. I will try to delay my graduation, do research or earn my MPH which I'm already halfway through, apply broadly predominantly to community programs and have a back up specialty.

I'm sorry but a US med school senior with passing Steps couldn't SOAP even into a prelim surgery spot? There's more to the story you aren't telling us.

But as to your underlying question, yes, keep your US senior status another year. Sign on to do a year of research, not so much to get consideration at academic places, but because it looks a heck of a lot better than a gap on the CV. Maybe see if you can use your student status to set up an "away" rotation just to network at another program.

There is nothing more I can think of that hurt me except not being a US citizen. I've been a permanent resident for more than a decade though. I'm thinking what hurt me with SOAP is that I could not contact programs unless they contacted me. They did not contact me. After SOAP I called, applied through ERAS and emailed the 14 spots that were left. They dwindled down to 8 to 4 to 2 and to 0 over the next 3 days.

My advisors did not vouch for me until 2 prelim spots were left because one was at a conference, the other on vacation and the third one "busy" and did not get my message.

With thousands of applications flooding the inboxes and answering machines, I had no chance.

 

[ophthope]

With thousands of applications flooding the inboxes and answering machines, I had no chance.

I heard that there were 900 spots open after the match for SOAP this year, and 1100 US seniors unmatched and 7900 other unmatched applicants applying in the SOAP (mostly IMGs I assume, with probably a few non-student US grads).

So, all that to say that even though you may have made some mistakes by applying too narrowly - I'm sure there are sadly a lot of people in this same boat with you and a few years ago you might have found a spot by scrambling. At least 200 US seniors have no residency to go to next year. The system is broken. I have a feeling IMGs will be finding it a lot harder to match at all next year, but being a US graduate I do not think that it was your non-citizen status hurt you.

Good luck and I hope you find something great to do for the next year and end up at a great program in the 2014 match!

 

[genswim24]

I'm sorry but a US med school senior with passing Steps couldn't SOAP even into a prelim surgery spot? There's more to the story you aren't telling us.

I know several AMG's with higher step scores, no fails, and decent clinical grades who applied to general surgery and are in the same exact boat. It looks like Gen Surgery was more difficult to match than normal. I am not saying that there may not be more to this guys story, but I have seen the same thing happen to people who I thought would have no problem matching or finding a SOAP spot.

 

[ophthope]

I know several AMG's with higher step scores, no fails, and decent clinical grades who applied to general surgery and are in the same exact boat. It looks like Gen Surgery was more difficult to match than normal. I am not saying that there may not be more to this guys story, but I have seen the same thing happen to people who I thought would have no problem matching or finding a SOAP spot.

I think you're right - in my class I had people who I thought would definitely match a categorical general surgery spot who ended up in a prelim spot, and another who didn't match even after SOAP. Gen Surg looks like it was rough this year.

 

[1Life]

Good luck and I hope you find something great to do for the next year and end up at a great program in the 2014 match!

Thanks. I'm assuming there is a great debate brewing for the upcoming months. My associate dean for the med school told me that aamc is coming up with a report on the downtrend in AMG match rate.

This issue is going to be in the back burner until all the other kinks in the new healthcare reform are worked out (with partial medicare funding of resident-training and all)