If I don't match

[RobbingReality]

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So, what should I do If I don't match and I wasn't able to get one of the scramble spots? Because my list is not as impressive as some on this forum and EM was extremely competitive this year, should I try the back door route (family/internal med and then EM fellowship), research year and reapply, or transitional year and reapply?

 

[lucky_deadman]

So, what should I do If I don't match and I wasn't able to get one of the scramble spots? Because my list is not as impressive as some on this forum and EM was extremely competitive this year, should I try the back door route (family/internal med and then EM fellowship), research year and reapply, or transitional year and reapply?

If your heart is really in EM, you get whatever job works best for you to pay the bills and reapply. (Transitional and Prelim years are best due to funding issues and they not counting towards your full residency time - as in the amount of funding alloted you for length of residency.)

 

[RxnMan]

So, what should I do If I don't match and I wasn't able to get one of the scramble spots? Because my list is not as impressive as some on this forum and EM was extremely competitive this year, should I try the back door route (family/internal med and then EM fellowship), research year and reapply, or transitional year and reapply?

There's also a really informative thread in the Gen Res forum on the Scramble.

 

[deleted109597]

My 2c as someone who didn't match.
One year of something you don't want to do is better than a lifetime of something you don't want to do.
I would rather remember when, than wonder what if.

 

[gman33]

Was there anything else you thought about besides EM?
If so, and it was a less competitive field, would you be happy getting a spot in that discipline?

If it's EM or bust, I'd try to secure a 1 year spot and work on strengthening your app for next year.

Hopefully this advice will be worthless after you match in EM next week.

 

[RobbingReality]

EM is the only thing I wanted to do and I do it well. I honored in all of my EM rotations and recieved amazing LOR/SLOR's but I am an osteopathic student with poor but passing USMLE scores (Dx extreme test anxiety and I refuse to take any medication). I was told by my school to take a research year but I didn't agree with the advice so I wanted to know what the ED forum thought. Should I contact prelim transition year programs that I am interested in now to just let them know I am out there or should I wait until the scramble to see what opens up? Because when it was apparent that I wasn't going to get the number of interviews needed to be safe my school said just wait and not to apply to prelim programs ,and yet another reason I am not going to take their advice this time.

 

[gman33]

So it sounds like people at your school are telling you that you won't match. Sorry if I'm reading too much into your post.

If that's the case, you need to figure out if you can make your app strong enough to match next year if this year doesn't pan out.

I can't really answer that question.

I'd still say it's probably worth while to match into a 1 year program and take your chances again next year. That's better than just giving up on what your really want.

 

[It'sElectric]

EM is the only thing I wanted to do and I do it well. I honored in all of my EM rotations and recieved amazing LOR/SLOR's but I am an osteopathic student with poor but passing USMLE scores (Dx extreme test anxiety and I refuse to take any medication). I was told by my school to take a research year but I didn't agree with the advice so I wanted to know what the ED forum thought. Should I contact prelim transition year programs that I am interested in now to just let them know I am out there or should I wait until the scramble to see what opens up? Because when it was apparent that I wasn't going to get the number of interviews needed to be safe my school said just wait and not to apply to prelim programs ,and yet another reason I am not going to take their advice this time.

How many interviews? Would you say you have a strong chance at the programs you rotated through?

 

[xaelia]

Was there anything else you thought about besides EM?

EM: back pain fired by pain clinic, asymptomatic HTN sent in by PMD 190/100, no insurance rationing insulin DKA, garbage atypical chest pain with 30 ACS risk factors, 9 weeks pregnant 19 yrs G3P1 +chlamydia vaginal bleeding does cocaine, seizures out of free seizure meds from last ED visit

Are you sure there was absolutely nothing else you thought about? 😉

 

[DeLaughterDO]

EM: back pain fired by pain clinic, asymptomatic HTN sent in by PMD 190/100, no insurance rationing insulin DKA, garbage atypical chest pain with 30 ACS risk factors, 9 weeks pregnant 19 yrs G3P1 +chlamydia vaginal bleeding does cocaine, seizures out of free seizure meds from last ED visit

All in the same patient? Man, and I thought our patients were f-ed up!!

sorry, nothing to add that hasn't been posted twice 🙂

good luck

 

[deleted109597]

EM: back pain fired by pain clinic, asymptomatic HTN sent in by PMD 190/100, no insurance rationing insulin DKA, garbage atypical chest pain with 30 ACS risk factors, 9 weeks pregnant 19 yrs G3P1 +chlamydia vaginal bleeding does cocaine, seizures out of free seizure meds from last ED visit

Are you sure there was absolutely nothing else you thought about? 😉

Shut up. You're on MICU this block.


Truthfully, to the OP, if you want EM, and your school thinks you won't match, then I would hedge and do a prelim only if you don't. A year of training shouldn't hurt anybody. You can always join the military and get some travel out of it too.

 

[DocCartman]

I would say that if you got interviews despite low board scores, then those programs that interviewed you must've been impressed by something on your app (likely the honors grades in EM and good letters). If you are a personable enough person to bust honors in EM/get good SLORs, then by all metrics you're probably a good enough dood to do well at interviews.

Long story short- don't sell yourself short...even if you only went on 3 interviews you still have better than a 2/3 chance of matching.

But if all goes to hell and you have to scramble, I would say do the prelim year. (A) it doesn't mess up your funding, and (B) it also lets you re-apply for EM, as well as PGY-2 spots in things like Anesthesia which are also sweet gigs. EM is awesome but I would say most people would be happy in at least 1 or 2 other specialties.

Good luck on Monday

 

[RobbingReality]

To ITSELECTRICS questions:
I had 5 interviews and was told by one program director that "If this is the place you want to go then the spot is mine". Honestly I don't belive the PD because so many people I know have been burned by those same words at other programs. I appreciate everyones advice and I hope for the best outcome but I guess I am looking at a prelim year and I am okay with it.

 

[It'sElectric]

To ITSELECTRICS questions:
I had 5 interviews and was told by one program director that "If this is the place you want to go then the spot is mine". Honestly I don't belive the PD because so many people I know have been burned by those same words at other programs. I appreciate everyones advice and I hope for the best outcome but I guess I am looking at a prelim year and I am okay with it.

I hear ya in regards to not trusting all of the sugar-coated words. Nevertheless, all it takes is one. You have 5 interviews - all likely at places you have a very realistic chance of matching with. I think the SLORs and EM grades will ultimately go a long way for you, so keep your head up.

Regardless, it never hurts to have a disaster plan in place. This whole match process is really too much...

Hope to hear good things from ya on Monday.

 

[RobbingReality]

I did not match but congrats to all that did!

 

[EM2BE]

I did not match but congrats to all that did!

Sorry to hear. Good luck tomorrow!

 

[HIJay]

i didnt match as well. now considering prelim med unless there will be open spots left in the scramble tomo

 

[EM2BE]

i didnt match as well. now considering prelim med unless there will be open spots left in the scramble tomo

Good luck to you as well

 

[24IdaFire]

To ITSELECTRICS questions:
"If this is the place you want to go then the spot is mine". Honestly I don't belive the PD because so many people I know have been burned by those same words at other programs.

I was.

 

[EM6771]

I didn't match either...hoping to scramble tomorrow. In anticipation of possible phone interviews I am trying to figure out why. In a nutshell:

US Grad- MD
Average grades 1st two years
All Honors 3rd year
Step1- 236; Step2-239
No EM research
Interviewed and ranked 12 programs
Took a personal year off (voluntary btw 2nd and 3rd year)- is this it?
I am a pretty down to earth guy and thought I interviewed well....guess not well enough.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[HIJay]

wow ranked 12 and didnt match? this "not matched" feeling is awful

 

[Richspiders07]

I didn't match either...hoping to scramble tomorrow. In anticipation of possible phone interviews I am trying to figure out why. In a nutshell:

US Grad- MD
Average grades 1st two years
All Honors 3rd year
Step1- 236; Step2-239
No EM research
Interviewed and ranked 12 programs
Took a personal year off (voluntary btw 2nd and 3rd year)- is this it?
I am a pretty down to earth guy and thought I interviewed well....guess not well enough.

Any advice would be appreciated.

how were your letters?
were you involved in any organizations/activities/volunteering during school?
what did u do on your year off?


your story makes me nervous for next year as my numbers/grades are similar

 

[opb]

I didn't match either...hoping to scramble tomorrow. In anticipation of possible phone interviews I am trying to figure out why. In a nutshell:

US Grad- MD
Average grades 1st two years
All Honors 3rd year
Step1- 236; Step2-239
No EM research
Interviewed and ranked 12 programs
Took a personal year off (voluntary btw 2nd and 3rd year)- is this it?
I am a pretty down to earth guy and thought I interviewed well....guess not well enough.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Did you do any away rotations? And as the above poster asked, what did you do during your year off?

 

[Disinence2]

I know! Me too!

 

[EM6771]

how were your letters?
were you involved in any organizations/activities/volunteering during school?
what did u do on your year off?


your story makes me nervous for next year as my numbers/grades are similar

I was a member of the EM group but not an officer. Worked as a tour guide in the admissions dept. Volunteered at a student run clinic.

I never read my SLORs but was told on my interviews that they were very good. Got them from the PDs at my away rotations (both at very competitive programs)- no home EM program

In my year off I worked as a long-term substitute teacher in public schools and did research in maternal fetal medicine (thought I was going to do that until I saw the light)

 

[Cerberus]

Sorry to hear that you guys didn't match. Good luck tommorrow!

 

[MobitzStrip]

I never read my SLORs but was told on my interviews that they were very good. Got them from the PDs at my away rotations (both at very competitive programs)- no home EM program

In my year off I worked as a long-term substitute teacher in public schools and did research in maternal fetal medicine (thought I was going to do that until I saw the light)

Since your letters were apparently good, and your stats solid, my guess is that the year off hurt you. As has been said before, unless you've got a rock-solid reason (death in the family, etc.) or research that is stellar in your field or in basic sci (NIH, etc.), a year off can hurt you bad. The last thing a PD wants is a resident who has a change of heart or leaves the program; your year off might have made you look like a risk to do so. (Not saying that you actually are, only that they PD won't have as much doubt about a non-year-off applicant.

Only other thing is wondering about where you applied? Were you strictly Cali/competitive programs?

 

[EM6771]

Since your letters were apparently goo. And your stats solid, my guess is that the year off hurt you. As has been said before, unless you've got a rock-solid reason (death in the family, etc.) or research that is stellar in your field or in basic sci (NIH, etc.), a year off can hurt you bad. The last thing a PD wants is a resident who has a change of heart or leaves the program. Your year off might have made you look like a risk to do so. (Not saying that you actually are, only that they PD won't have as much doubt about a non-year-off applicant.

Only other thing is wondering about where you applied? Were you strictly Cali/competitive programs?

I think youre right- the year off probably bumped me down a few lists. To answer your question, the programs I interviewed at were pretty diverse geographically- some ultra competitive and some not so much. I think jumping around geographically may have hurt and also not applying in NY (where my school is). Just gotta suck it up and hope for a long shot tomorrow.