Congratulations on matching! I'll be applying for the 2024 match cycle and your advice above is already helpful. I have a few other questions.
1. Do you know anyone that didn't match and was there a reason they think they didn't match (low board scores, not great LORs, didn't cast a wide enough net, etc)? I'm a little intimidated by the 60-something % match rate for DOs into the specialty and just wanting to set myself up for success as best as possible. I feel like for every story I hear of someone not matching for a legitimate reason I hear another story of someone with an awesome application not matching, just wondering if obgyn tends to swing one way or the other in that arena.
2. When you were interviewing at programs, were there any questions you asked to assess the culture/"malignancy" at a program?
3. Any other interview tips for success?
4. I'm a male student - just wondering if anyone has any advice about being a male applicant to this specialty.
Thanks so much in advance!
I am male, and I believe
@PapaGuava is as well.
1. I think as a male, you are wanted in the field in general terms…but I also feel like there’s a slight stigma against males as well. It’s an interesting balance. They want males, but they want the right males. They want males that they believe can make women / patients feel comfortable with male presence in any scenario, and that you’re there for the right reasons. That’s at least how I felt. Another male in my class matched OB with a 46X and a 49X comlex score. He did 5 auditions and those were his only interviews, and he matched. I heard multiple times during interviews “it takes the right kind of male to be successful in this field.”
2. As far as not matching goes, I can only speak of the people in my class. One guy who didn’t match, simply didn’t have the board scores…he had a low 400s comlex level 1 but a 600+ level 2. He P’d USMLE step 1 and 240+ Step 2. The other girl in my class had good, good scores and she didn’t match. The only reason I think she didn’t match was because of her personality. She can be described as aggressive and straightforward / blunt. I think if this process has taught me anything, it’s that truly, your personality can make or break you.
3. I didn’t try to figure out malignant programs from non-malignant, honestly. Because it didn’t matter to me. Knowing OB for DOs has a lower match rate, I wanted to match. If I end up somewhere accidentally malignant, that’s fine. It’s only 4 years. I did ask questions like, “what’s a resource you don’t have that you wish you did” or “if I have a family emergency, how does this program handle it.” I think those two alone are really good, vague questions that can assess malignancy though. If a program says “they have all the resources” then that’s probably a bad sign or that they handle family emergencies in a horrible way, probably not a good sign. I had one program tell me that the resource they needed was an extra resident because of how much work there was and how their residents would probably appreciate more than one golden weekend off a month. To note, I didn’t love that response.
4. Interview tips: be yourself. I mean be your true self. I personally didn’t rehearse questions and answers and whatever whatever. I just answered truthfully the first thing that came to my mind. Sometimes you’ll need a minute to think, and it’s totally okay to ask for that minute. It shows that you’re thoughtful and reflective…just don’t take too long cause then it’s weird lol
