Match Question

[silvercholla]

I am pretty ffffaaaaaarrrrrr from that wonderfully stressfull day but I am curious, when you interview for residency programs can more than one program choose you, giving you a choice on where you can go or are you stuck with(depending on your prospective) what the match system gives you? In other words is it like applying for med school were you can get more than one acceptance and choose where you want to go or just one acceptance and have to go there because no one else wanted you?

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[redleft123]

Well....I was going to send you to the NRMP web page that specifically addresses that issue, but its down right now.

In concept, after all of your interviews, those programs will rank you based on how well they think you will fit in there and based on the others they want to join the program. It is possible, if you are THAT good, that several programs will rank you first on their list.

You also will rank the various programs you want to join. Obviously, you can only rank one first, then a second choice, and so on.

Then, the computer system will take all of the programs' ranking.....take the choices for all of the residents who are praticipating.....and do many runs thru the two lists.

When the match list comes out, it will rank you ... and that's where you will go.

There is a very good description of this complex procedure at <a href="http://nrmp.aamc.org/nrmp/" target="_blank">http://nrmp.aamc.org/nrmp/</a> ; however, right now I can not give you the actual page within the site.

Cheers

 

[silvercholla]

Okay so then that means that you can only go to the place that you are matched with. Which then brings me to my next question what happens if you don't match?

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

If you don't match, you "scramble" into a program that did not fill all of their spots. There are different percentages of different specialties that do not fill with more competitive residencies having very few spots (only 3 for ortho, 19 for radiology last year). Usually there are plenty of FP, internal medicine, and some other specialties open.

A couple days before the match, the NRMP will email you telling you if you did or did not match. The next day, they release a list of programs that did not fill and, with the help of their school (if US seniors) people who didn't match send applications to these programs and interview over the phone in a mad dash to grab these spots.

 

[md03]

Let me just add that, when you do match, you are obligated to go to that program. It's considered a violation of the match if you don't. May not seem like a big deal, but realize that many fellowships are also handled by the NRMP. So, if you violate the rules, and are banned from the NRMP, you may have a difficult time should you decide to do a fellowship. That's why you should be careful when you make out your rank-order list. Don't rank a place you'd be miserable at.

According to the explanation of the algorithm on the NRMP site, the biggest reason by far that people don't match is that they don't rank enough programs. Just be a little smart about how you go about it, and you should be fine

 

[Winged Scapula]

Moving to Rotations and Residencies...

 

[silvercholla]

How many are you allowed to rank? I went to the NRMP website and the information is vague. (I'm very detail oriented, sometimes to my detriment )I know I have a LLLLLLLLOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG way to go yet but I kind of want to satisfy my curiosity. Should you just apply to the specialty that you want to go into or should you diversify?

 

[Winged Scapula]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by silvercholla:
•How many are you allowed to rank? I went to the NRMP website and the information is vague. (I'm very detail oriented, sometimes to my detriment )I know I have a LLLLLLLLOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG way to go yet but I kind of want to satisfy my curiosity. Should you just apply to the specialty that you want to go into or should you diversify?•••••The only limit to the number of programs you rank is your pocket book. After the first 10 or so, the price starts to climb steeply.

The answer to your second question is more complicated. Students typically apply only to 1 specialty. However, there are 3 categories of applicants who apply to more than 1 specialty:

1) those applying to competitive fields and need a second field for "Plan B", ie, applicants to Integrated Plastic Surgery who also apply to General Surgery as a backup (me for example);

2) those who aren't sure what they want to do and figure they'll just take whatever they match to;

and 3) those who are required to apply for a Prelim year in Med or Surg and then for their PGY-2 in their chosen specialty (this is really a special case and not strictly applying to 2 specialties).

Be aware that applying for more than 1 specialty can create problems - you have to have 2 sets of letters, make sure that each program gets the right letter and if you apply to two separate residency programs at the same hospital, people may find out and question your commitment to one or the other fields.

Hope this helps.

 

[silvercholla]

WHOA!!! thanks for the info you have satiated my curiosity. So much so that I don't think that I want to think about the match until it is my turn. <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> Thanks again guys

 

[Crusher]

Kimberli,

I guess I am either quite naive or misread your statement about the number of programs you rank is based solely on the depth of your pocket book. I know that applying to programs and travel costs of interviewing will add up, but I was NOT aware that ranking programs cost money? You mean that after I spend all that money traveling and interviewing I have to pay MORE money just to put them down on my rank list?? Please say it aint so...

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Crusher,

Yep, you gotta pay just to apply. It is pretty cheap for up to 10 programs (I think $60 for anywhere from 1-10). Its a little more expensive for 10-20 (around $10 per program), then more for any above 20 ($25 per program). Thus, as a fearful radiology applicants who applied to 40 programs, I had to pay a LOT of money just to have the opportunity for an interview. They'll drain you of money, even if you have none.

 

[Jim Picotte]

And that's for ERAS, you also have to pay (I think it was $40 this year) the NRMP to go through the match and it's only $40 up to 15 programs, but if you rank more than 15, it costs even more.

 

[tedsadoc2002]

Remember when you applied to medical school and you had to pay for the application to be sent to each program? It is a similar process for application to residency. You pay a fee for each application that ERAS sends out to the programs where you would like to do your residency. This can be a very costly endeavor if you have to apply to more than 10 programs. I had a friend that applied to at least 46 programs (Emergency Med). After ERAS sends out the applications and your interviews start to roll in, then comes the real spending. Good luck with the process.

ted, D.O.
Emergency Medicine-PGY 1
somewhere in the city

 

[Hornet871]

Hey, tedsadoc2002 (Ted?), just curious about how your friend fared in the EM match. 46 apps, how many interviews, how many did he rank, and where on his rank list did he end up matching?

What was your application experience? (You don't have to give away the program you're at, but I'd like to know how many you applied to, etc.)

'ppreciate it.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Here's the info from the NRMP:

Rank Order List Fees

The fee schedule for the submission of the Rank Order Lists with programs ranked are:

Primary Rank Order Lists

1 to 15 programs ranked No Charge
Each additional program over 15 $30.00/program ranked

Supplemental Rank Order Lists

1 to 15 programs ranked No Charge
Each additional program over 15 $30.00/program ranked on all supplemental lists combined

Rank Order List fees are due at the time Rank Order Lists are certified. Payment is made electronically using a credit card or a checking account.

<a href="http://forums.studentdoctor.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=reply;f=11;t=002213" target="_blank">http://forums.studentdoctor.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=reply;f=11;t=002213</a>

Hope this helps.

 

[tedsadoc2002]

My friend got 6 interviews and matched her number one choice. I put in 35, interviewed at 8 of 11 and got my number 2 choice.

God is good!!!!

ted, DO
PGY-1 Emergency Medicine
somewhere in the city

 

[Future EM?]

Mind sharing approx board scores, credentials, etc? Where to apply? I'm very stressed about applying this year.. have pretty average scores and grades, and not sure where to apply. Thanks. oh.. and congrats on matching at one of your top picks!!!

 

[Future EM?]

Mind sharing approx board scores, credentials, etc? Where to apply? I'm very stressed about applying this year.. have pretty average scores and grades, and not sure where to apply. Thanks. oh.. and congrats on matching at one of your top picks!!!

 

[tedsadoc2002]

I only took COMLEX (which I feel limited the interviews) and got an above average score (not upper echelon but very good). I applied to ACGME programs only. I selected programs that fit criteria specific to me, geographic location, a hospital that was near my church, a hospital that had adequate and diverse patient population and pathology, opportunities to moonlight (some programs do not allow you to do it at all), etc. Another criteria that might not apply to you, I had to see if the programs were D.O. friendly (IOW, did the institution have any current or recent past DO residents).

My advice is this:

1. make a list of things that you think are important to you in a program and see if any come close to what you are looking for (researching is very important before the actual application process). See if you can get a hold of any of the current residents, ask them how they feel about the program, etc. Though they may be biased, read the program's website.

2. Aim to ace your EM rotation, then get a strong LOR. Try to do your rotation in the place that you think you would like to do your residency. It helps give you an edge over the competition especially if you did well and they liked you.

3. Apply to as many programs as you can afford to give yourself a bit more of a chance.

4. If your school has an EM director/dean, seek advice early and have him/her throw in some plugs for you at the various programs to which you applied.

Sorry for the length of the post,
Best of luck to you, it's normal to be apprehensive, this time last year I was a basket case and all I was doing was looking at programs <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />
What a difference a year makes!

ted, D.O.
PGY-1 Emergency Medicine
somewhere in the city