If I want to scramble DO Traditional Rotating Intership

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
If I want to scramble DO traditional rotating internship
should I register to natmatch.com now?

Are you asking if you should register for the DO match now if you are planning on trying to scramble into a TRI? Without submitting a ROL?

November 1, 2012 is the deadline for registration: http://www.natmatch.com/aoairp/aboutdates.html

If it is anything like the NRMP process, you cannot participate in the Scramble unless you have registered for the match, so my answer is "yes", you should register before 11/1/12.
 
I am wondering about this too. Is it possible to register for the AOA match but not rank any programs and then go through the MD match? Lets assume you fail to match any MD programs. When you go to scramble can you apply to any open DO programs in addition to MD programs? Also is it true that you can apply to any speciality so you try for say IM or FM in the scramble/SOAP?


Finally it seems there are a decent number if AOA spots available even now in the oppurtunities website but I am not sure hiw accurate this is. Does anyone know if there are usually decent spots available? I believe this is b/c AOA spots usually fill only 50% if their spots? Thanks.
 
I am wondering about this too. Is it possible to register for the AOA match but not rank any programs and then go through the MD match?
Yes, there's no problem with choosing not to rank anything in the DO match and going through the MD match. Honestly, I'm not sure if you even need to be registered with the AOA match to scramble in the DO world (but definitely hope someone else can confirm that).

Lets assume you fail to match any MD programs. When you go to scramble can you apply to any open DO programs in addition to MD programs?
Yes, if you're a DO, both the MD and DO openings are fair game. Just don't expect a lot of really desirable DO spots to be left over by that point (see below).

Also is it true that you can apply to any speciality so you try for say IM or FM in the scramble/SOAP?
Yes, there are plenty of stories out there about people who scrambled into a different specialty, especially if the specialty you try to scramble for is less competitive than the one you tried to match in. Some programs prefer to take a strong candidate who didn't match in their preferred, more competitive specialty over a weaker candidate who has a professed interest in the scramble program's specialty. However, in many cases, I expect it probably is harder to get consideration from programs if your application doesn't show any indication of having an interest in the specialty you're trying to scramble into (LORs and such).

Finally it seems there are a decent number if AOA spots available even now in the oppurtunities website but I am not sure hiw accurate this is. Does anyone know if there are usually decent spots available? I believe this is b/c AOA spots usually fill only 50% if their spots? Thanks.
That probably isn't an up to date list I would expect. Remember that the DO scramble starts before the MD match. When I went through this process a few years ago, my experience was that by the time the MD match comes around, most of the really desirable AOA spots have been filled. I would expect that most of the spots leftover after the MD match will be TRIs and the next most common spots will be Family Medicine spots in locations that most people aren't interested in (for example, I remember seeing a good number of TRI or family med programs in rural Michigan) or that have some other kind of issue that caused applicants to not want to go there.
There's always the chance of finding a hidden gem, but don't count on it and prepare yourself for the possibility that you may have to be flexible and adapt to something that isn't really your ideal. Things may still turn out well though - I ended up being pretty happy with the place I scrambled into even though it wasn't what I originally wanted or expected.
Good luck to you!
 
Top