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Hey this is for everyone that unfortunately did not match this year. I figure that I've had the opportunity to browse this site for a year and take advantage of the advice given, so I decided to give back. After not matching in ob/gyn last year, I know that scrambling is a nerve wrecking task. However, there's more hope this year considering there are 12 spots as opposed to 6 last year. I must start off by saying that i ultimately decided to do IM because it was the second field i was most interest in. I scrambled succesfully 15 minutes after the scramble began.
Tonight i would get a game plan ready for tomorrow. Literally sit down and write down all of your options in order from 1 to whatever. Determine if you're willing to go anywhere in the nation to practice ob or if you're going to concentrate on one region. Determine if you're willing to pursue another field that you will have a better chance of getting into and that you'll be happy in - IM >100 spots FM >100 spots. Determine if you're willing to do a prelim year in IM/FM/or surgery. Doing a prelim year will give you the option of continuing on in IM/fm/surgery next year or you could reapply for ob/gyn. Please note that if you reapply for ob/gyn next year YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGHT THE MATCH AGAIN. The match is only for graduating us seniors - peolpe who scrambled or foreign grads have the option of accpeting prematch positions and positions outside of the match. Also, if you do a prelim and an ob/gyn position becomes available during the year (and they will) your program may not be as opposed to you breaking your contract to leave than if you were a categorical resident. (I scrambled into a categorical position and was offerend an ob/gyn position in December and my program wouldn't let me out of my contract) There are also prelim ob/gyn positions that are currently posting on www.acog.org - mostly in new york. If you take one of these positions you could accept a pgy2 position in ob/gyn next year - just check out the website, plenty will become available. This way you dont even lose a year.
Once you have your game plan ready, review your application and try to determine whatever your flaws are - grades, experience, poor LOR, or poor rank list. When you call programs tomorrow they may ask - have a ready comeback.
Designate a computer at your institution that you will use to send applications. Make sure there's a phone nearby. Once i got the list at 11:30 and determined that i was going to do IM instead of scramble into North Carolina, I left the group of scramblers and went to my designated computer and started uploading the programs i wanted to apply to. At 12:00pm I hit the send button and ran over to my IM department. I was the first there and got the position. Its first come first serve.
I suggest that you go to your OB/GYN department and let your pd know what programs you're interested in scrambling into and have him/her call on your behalf - definitely has more weight. A lot of pd's are affiliated with other pd's. Have a printed copy of you application, and lor, and cv just in case you have to fax something - just in case eras crashes.
Also another note - if you want to scramble into a categorical 3 year spot and then decide that you want to reapply to ob/gyn next year, you will have cme funding issues. You are only granted funding for the amount of years of the first position you accept. If you go from a 3 year to a 4 year spot the program will receive less funding for you for the last year. However, if you go from a 5 yr -surgery to ob/gyn you'll be fine. But dont let that hinder you since programs are usually able to eat that cost.
Just go in with a game plan. Discuss everything with your spouse before hand because having them there may slow you down. I believe last year was a fluke - but fortunately there are more spots this year.
Best of luck to everyone - and remember if you accept a position and still want to do ob next year theres always hope. I actually just matched after reapplying for ob/gyn. So there's hope!!
Tonight i would get a game plan ready for tomorrow. Literally sit down and write down all of your options in order from 1 to whatever. Determine if you're willing to go anywhere in the nation to practice ob or if you're going to concentrate on one region. Determine if you're willing to pursue another field that you will have a better chance of getting into and that you'll be happy in - IM >100 spots FM >100 spots. Determine if you're willing to do a prelim year in IM/FM/or surgery. Doing a prelim year will give you the option of continuing on in IM/fm/surgery next year or you could reapply for ob/gyn. Please note that if you reapply for ob/gyn next year YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGHT THE MATCH AGAIN. The match is only for graduating us seniors - peolpe who scrambled or foreign grads have the option of accpeting prematch positions and positions outside of the match. Also, if you do a prelim and an ob/gyn position becomes available during the year (and they will) your program may not be as opposed to you breaking your contract to leave than if you were a categorical resident. (I scrambled into a categorical position and was offerend an ob/gyn position in December and my program wouldn't let me out of my contract) There are also prelim ob/gyn positions that are currently posting on www.acog.org - mostly in new york. If you take one of these positions you could accept a pgy2 position in ob/gyn next year - just check out the website, plenty will become available. This way you dont even lose a year.
Once you have your game plan ready, review your application and try to determine whatever your flaws are - grades, experience, poor LOR, or poor rank list. When you call programs tomorrow they may ask - have a ready comeback.
Designate a computer at your institution that you will use to send applications. Make sure there's a phone nearby. Once i got the list at 11:30 and determined that i was going to do IM instead of scramble into North Carolina, I left the group of scramblers and went to my designated computer and started uploading the programs i wanted to apply to. At 12:00pm I hit the send button and ran over to my IM department. I was the first there and got the position. Its first come first serve.
I suggest that you go to your OB/GYN department and let your pd know what programs you're interested in scrambling into and have him/her call on your behalf - definitely has more weight. A lot of pd's are affiliated with other pd's. Have a printed copy of you application, and lor, and cv just in case you have to fax something - just in case eras crashes.
Also another note - if you want to scramble into a categorical 3 year spot and then decide that you want to reapply to ob/gyn next year, you will have cme funding issues. You are only granted funding for the amount of years of the first position you accept. If you go from a 3 year to a 4 year spot the program will receive less funding for you for the last year. However, if you go from a 5 yr -surgery to ob/gyn you'll be fine. But dont let that hinder you since programs are usually able to eat that cost.
Just go in with a game plan. Discuss everything with your spouse before hand because having them there may slow you down. I believe last year was a fluke - but fortunately there are more spots this year.
Best of luck to everyone - and remember if you accept a position and still want to do ob next year theres always hope. I actually just matched after reapplying for ob/gyn. So there's hope!!
