Match rate below 89%

[Malcolm X]

Should a DO school with a match rate lower than 89% be avoided?

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[TopTomato]

What school is that? I thought COCA accreditation stated that the match rate had to be like 95% or something

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Match rate is not the same as placement rate. COCA requires a 98% placement rate.

 

[xBODOMx]

Should a DO school with a match rate lower than 89% be avoided?

Post the school.

 

[Malcolm X]

Match rate is not the same as placement rate. COCA requires a 98% placement rate.

please explain the difference
thnks

 

[hse]

name.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

please explain the difference
thnks

Match rate is the percentage of residency applicants who end up matched to the specialty and one of the programs they ranked. Placement rate is the percentage of med grads who eventually end up with a residency position, and it may not be in their specialty of interest.

After the official match takes place, unmatched applicants learn about the programs that still have open positions. Then the rat race begins to fill these unfilled spots. Historically, both MD and DO grads have a placement rate that is close to 100%. However, there still exists a significant gap between the match rate of USMD's and DO's (94% vs 80-85%, after considering ACGME and AOA matches). The gap is shrinking with each progressing year.

 

[Bea5T]

89% match rate isn't bad. Some MD schools are around 90%.

I'm sure the rest were able to scamble/soap somewhere.

 

[BrooklynBulls]

I think a considerable part of how poorly DOs match in the ACGME match at least is pisspoor advisement. i have had to advise many times to students who did not have the first clue, or even worse, were misled.

 

[xBODOMx]

I think a considerable part of how poorly DOs match in the ACGME match at least is pisspoor advisement. i have had to advise many times to students who did not have the first clue, or even worse, were misled.

Are we talking someone with 230 trying to match EM or someone with a 199 trying to match ENT

 

[BrooklynBulls]

Are we talking someone with 230 trying to match EM or someone with a 199 trying to match ENT

Im talking people trying to match acgme-anything-other-than-FM-or-PMR with only comlex, which is totally doable but also definitely suboptimal.

Im talking people only applying to 20 programs due to geographic preference and being upset about only getting 6 interviews, then ranking only 4.

Im talking people with a 210 step doing an away at BU for EM--totally useless.

Im talking people applying for Uro with a 460 level 1, with no particular backup plan.

I could really go on for days, but the truth is my school, and I know several others, do not give ANY advice about how to match thats actually useful. Without this website and my drive, I would be screwed. Thats why I try to pay it forward and advise those who ask for help here, and at my school.
I actually just edited a PS and a CV for two students not even from my school that I met on an away elective. I encourage those of you that know anything about matching to spread the knowledge to your DO colleagues. Ignorance of the process is a root cause of the low match rate. Even more than low board scores.

 

[DopaDO]

Im talking people trying to match acgme-anything-other-than-FM-or-PMR with only comlex, which is totally doable but also definitely suboptimal.

Im talking people only applying to 20 programs due to geographic preference and being upset about only getting 6 interviews, then ranking only 4.

Im talking people with a 210 step doing an away at BU for EM--totally useless.

Im talking people applying for Uro with a 460 level 1, with no particular backup plan.

I could really go on for days, but the truth is my school, and I know several others, do not give ANY advice about how to match thats actually useful. Without this website and my drive, I would be screwed. Thats why I try to pay it forward and advise those who ask for help here, and at my school.
I actually just edited a PS and a CV for two students not even from my school that I met on an away elective. I encourage those of you that know anything about matching to spread the knowledge to your DO colleagues. Ignorance of the process is a root cause of the low match rate. Even more than low board scores.

I can relate to this. I was successful in my match bc i worked hard, but you gotta have good advice and know what to do to achieve your goals. Even though SDN can be Grand Central Station of trolls at times, there is great advice on here if you look for it.

I too have come across grossly misinformed premeds and med students. Many trying to match ACGME without Step (Please just take both), some doing aways at places they have no prayer of matching, and others gunning for a competitive specialty with no research and letters from community no name physicians.

Just like BrooklynBulls, I am here trying to pay it forward as well and have helped some under classes at my school. All you future success stories reading this, don't forget to help the little guy when you are a big shot!

 

[sia_simba]

I believe most of the DOs match into programs overall, when you combine both ACGME and AOA programs.

When applying, one just have to be realistic. not about any specific scores because knowing someone on the inside, helps as well.

If there is a problem with the medical school placing its students, I would be concern about the education it provide and also site for clinical rotations.

 

[meliora27]

I would be more concerned with a board pass rate, then I would be their match rate. Although I'm sure there is a relationship between the two...

 

[hallowmann]

Should a DO school with a match rate lower than 89% be avoided?

That's roughly at or above the average for all DO schools, so I'd so no, it shouldn't be avoided. MD match rates are averaged at ~94%, so that most likely means that there are MD schools in the 89-99% range for match rates.

What school is that? I thought COCA accreditation stated that the match rate had to be like 95% or something

98% placement rate averaged over 3 years. It has nothing to do with match rate. Match rate is about matching into a program through one of the matching services. Placement means being placed into a GME either by match, "pre-matching", SOAP or scramble. Placement is about having a residency program to go to after you graduate period.

As people have said, one of the biggest obstacles to matching is the applicant not applying intelligently. Know your strengths, know your weaknesses, if you're aiming high have a backup, apply broadly - attend any interview your even remotely interested in, rank EVERY program that you would be OK going to, take the USMLE of you're planning to apply ACGME at all, etc.

DO schools are unfortunately not the best places to get advice and help from for matching. Take my school for example: we actively hear a lot of fear mongering about taking the USMLE, or statements like "70% of ACGME programs accept the COMLEX".

 

[GUH]

DO schools are unfortunately not the best places to get advice and help from for matching. Take my school for example: we actively hear a lot of fear mongering about taking the USMLE, or statements like "70% of ACGME programs accept the COMLEX".

That's interesting. My school encourages USMLE pretty much for most students except those who failed courses.

 

[hallowmann]

That's interesting. My school encourages USMLE pretty much for most students except those who failed courses.

I really have a feeling it has to do with 2 things: 1) almost all ACGME programs in my state and most in neighboring states (excluding the top tier) take DOs and don't require the USMLE, and 2) they clearly want to push people into their OPTI programs. In my state, there's already an incentive to go AOA due to the AOA intern year requirement.

This of course contrasts with your state where even most ACGME IM programs require the USMLE, and where, due probably to location, most of your OPTI spots fill in the match, with the exception of 2 or 3 hospitals with chronic openings.

I'm sure for most people in my school, its not a huge deal, but I'm aiming to end up in your state for residency, so it's weird to hear people asking me why I'm planning to take the USMLE.