Match violation or misunderstanding?

[lurker2013]

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Rule in question: "It is a violation of the Match Participation Agreement to contact programs other than using ERAS or to have any individual or entity contact programs on your behalf prior to the programs initiating contact with you."

Background: AMG-AMG, I'm couples matching, we matched everything except for my prelim year in the same city in MO. Currently, there are 4 surg-prelim spots in one unfilled program in that city. Next nearest opening is 5 surg-prelim spots about 125 miles away. After that, we're looking at 350+ miles. I've phone-interviewed with 2 surg-prelims in NYC (1000+ mi away); otherwise nothing.

To wholly abide by the rules this year, no individual or entity can contact any program on any individual's behalf prior to program-initiated contact. But technically, I think a third party can make a general inquiry along the lines of: "have you been getting unsolicited calls/emails on behalf of other applicants?" The problem is, if unsolicited contact is occurring, I wouldn't knowingly ask someone to make a match violation on my behalf. So what's the point of finding out?

On the other hand, if unsolicited contact is happening and generally tolerated, I feel that I am doing myself and my other half a huge disservice by "playing by the rules". It's further complicated because my understanding is that the unsolicited contact rule is a new one introduced this year. So it's not unreasonable for deans, advisors, and students across the country to think that third parties can reach out on our behalf and act accordingly.

To make matters worse, I have heard that at least one of my home institution's departments has been inundated with unsolicited contact. I don't have direct evidence, but I do trust my source.

When I try to rationalize this new rule, my thinking is that program directors last year decided SOAP wasn't giving them adequate time to review applications, so they requested that something be done to stem the influx of calls/emails/faxes. But if I were a program director, I would like to know if there are applicants out there that would accept an offer with 100% yield. I could be totally off in my rationalization, but if its remotely true, then in the spirit of the rule, I should be allowed to somehow convey that message. So is it me, or is this new rule subject to a lot of misunderstanding? And what on earth should I do?

Being risk averse, I am doing nothing. My dean, understandably, endorses this.

 

[mcl]

Rule in question: "It is a violation of the Match Participation Agreement to contact programs other than using ERAS or to have any individual or entity contact programs on your behalf prior to the programs initiating contact with you."

To wholly abide by the rules this year, no individual or entity can contact any program on any individual's behalf prior to program-initiated contact. But technically, I think a third party can make a general inquiry along the lines of: "have you been getting unsolicited calls/emails on behalf of other applicants?" The problem is, if unsolicited contact is occurring, I wouldn't knowingly ask someone to make a match violation on my behalf. So what's the point of finding out?

On the other hand, if unsolicited contact is happening and generally tolerated, I feel that I am doing myself and my other half a huge disservice by "playing by the rules". It's further complicated because my understanding is that the unsolicited contact rule is a new one introduced this year. So it's not unreasonable for deans, advisors, and students across the country to think that third parties can reach out on our behalf and act accordingly.

To make matters worse, I have heard that at least one of my home institution's departments has been inundated with unsolicited contact. I don't have direct evidence, but I do trust my source.

I remember the rule from last year, so it isn't new. I can't speak for other programs, but I know that our Dean and my dept faculty are ready to make calls on behalf of our students once a program makes contact, but not before. The repercussions of a violation are just too great to take the risk.

 

[dpmd]

I think your instinct not to do it is good. If you are talking about an open prelim spot at the institution where you matched advanced, I would think the program is used to things like that happening and will look for people in your situation to make offers to if they so desire. Programs aren't just looking for people who will 100% accept their offer, they are looking for people who will be good additions to their program. For prelim positions, someone moving on to an advanced position at their institution will most likely work hard so as not to start off on a bad foot. Seems like if they wanted they could check with the directors of whatever advanced programs there to get the names of the people they matched, then cross reference that with their list of who has applied in SOAP. If you are talking about different institutions I am not sure that there is anything that would make you more desirable just because you matched advanced in the same city, so I don't know what a phone call about that would accomplish.

 

[CPmustangs]

you could talk to your program that matched you to the advance and see what there advice is?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

This situation is a real problem.

The OP doesn't know what program they matched to (unless they only applied to a single program in that city). So they can't really call their advanced PD for help.

I'm not in SOAP, but if I was and I was looking at 500+ applications for a spot, there's no way for me to pick out the people who have advanced spots in my city, let alone those at my program itself. Other than reading the OP's personal statement (assuming he/she put this information in there), there would be no way to know.