Matched to advanced and SOAPing for prelim

[Axedall]

Hi all, I have been reading through the SOAP thread but have not found information that addresses this question I have.

I am an IMG who has matched to a Radiology position but not for a prelim and am trying to address that through SOAP right now. I have seen a lot of posts from people SOAPing for categorical positions talking about phone interviews, which is getting me a bit nervous as I have received none and being at a ~12 hour time difference to the US makes me think phone interviews are unlikely. Do programs generally do phone interviews for prelim positions or just make offers based on your application (I have seen some mention of this as well)? Also, are they aware if you have matched to an advanced position?

Also, I assume that we are permitted to look for positions outside of SOAP while it is still ongoing?

Any feedback would be appreciate... thanks!

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[Raryn]

Hi all, I have been reading through the SOAP thread but have not found information that addresses this question I have.

I am an IMG who has matched to a Radiology position but not for a prelim and am trying to address that through SOAP right now. I have seen a lot of posts from people SOAPing for categorical positions talking about phone interviews, which is getting me a bit nervous as I have received none and being at a ~12 hour time difference to the US makes me think phone interviews are unlikely. Do programs generally do phone interviews for prelim positions or just make offers based on your application (I have seen some mention of this as well)? Also, are they aware if you have matched to an advanced position?

People on SDN wondering notwithstanding, I've never heard of a program giving an actual offer in SOAP to someone who hadn't had a phone interview. It might have happened, but I would assume it was rare.

I hope you have access to a US phone number right now, via VoIP or something along those lines.

Also, I assume that we are permitted to look for positions outside of SOAP while it is still ongoing?

You assume wrong. If you are SOAP eligible, you are not allowed to contact any program inside or outside the SOAP except through ERAS until 5pm Eastern Time on Friday. Period.

All that said, there will surely be surgery prelims leftover after the SOAP, so worst case scenario you could do that for a year.

 

[hola27]

I think we can apply to programs that did not participate in ERAS or NRMP this week

 

[deathmerchant]

Hi all, I have been reading through the SOAP thread but have not found information that addresses this question I have.

I am an IMG who has matched to a Radiology position but not for a prelim and am trying to address that through SOAP right now. I have seen a lot of posts from people SOAPing for categorical positions talking about phone interviews, which is getting me a bit nervous as I have received none and being at a ~12 hour time difference to the US makes me think phone interviews are unlikely. Do programs generally do phone interviews for prelim positions or just make offers based on your application (I have seen some mention of this as well)? Also, are they aware if you have matched to an advanced position?

Also, I assume that we are permitted to look for positions outside of SOAP while it is still ongoing?

Any feedback would be appreciate... thanks!

I dont think its impossible to receive an offer widout an interview , this can happen esp on friday if there are spots available wen the programs don have much time/ choice.

And as rightly pointed out u are not allowed to communicate wid anyone in and/or out of SOAP till friday.The only benefit is u can find out where u matched by calling nrmp- theyll tell u .

 

[Axedall]

So then what is your plan if you don't get a prelim offer? Is your school helping you out much? From what I have been reading it sounds like there will not be much left over after SOAP so I'm kind of worried about how I would go about figuring stuff out from here since I have zilch support from my school.

 

[IMvrach]

There are 450+ surgery prelim spots unfilled. I think it is not that hard to get one even after SOAP.

So then what is your plan if you don't get a prelim offer? Is your school helping you out much? From what I have been reading it sounds like there will not be much left over after SOAP so I'm kind of worried about how I would go about figuring stuff out from here since I have zilch support from my school.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

I think we can apply to programs that did not participate in ERAS or NRMP this week

This is not correct. If you are eligible for SOAP, that's all you can do this week. I personally think that rule doesn't make much sense, but it's the rule. Some DO's last year didn't match and then went and took AOA TRI's during SOAP week, and the NRMP was not happy (rumors, I have no inside knowledge)

There are 450+ surgery prelim spots unfilled. I think it is not that hard to get one even after SOAP.

I wouldn't be that cavalier about it. Last year there were 462 prelim surgery spots in SOAP. At the end of SOAP, there were 98 total (all specialties) positions left -- and unclear if those would be filled at all (and how). No reason to think the same won't happen this year

So then what is your plan if you don't get a prelim offer? Is your school helping you out much? From what I have been reading it sounds like there will not be much left over after SOAP so I'm kind of worried about how I would go about figuring stuff out from here since I have zilch support from my school.

You should:

1. Certainly apply for any positions left after SOAP completes. I don't know why a program would wait until after SOAP to fill, but there's no harm in trying.

2. More importantly, you're going to contact your advanced PD. Remember that if you don't get a prelim spot, you will likely lose your advanced spot. This is a catastrophe for you, and a real pain for your future PD. So, there is a reasonable chance that they will be willing to help you. Sometimes the IM or GS programs at that institution can add an extra intern. Or they can help you look for a spot elsewhere.

3. Failing the above, you'll need to try and find a prelim, presumably when someone else drops out. Perhaps they fail to get a visa, or fail a drug test, or something else happens which prevents them from starting. There's no centralized list of spots like this, so it will simply be hard work contacting programs.

 

[deathmerchant]

So then what is your plan if you don't get a prelim offer? Is your school helping you out much? From what I have been reading it sounds like there will not be much left over after SOAP so I'm kind of worried about how I would go about figuring stuff out from here since I have zilch support from my school.

I agree on aProgramDirectors suggestions . And Im quite sure the program where u matched wil help you as best as they can.

 

[Axedall]

Thanks for the info and help guys.

I talked to my school deans today and they suggested the same thing about contacting the PD and am in the process of doing that now.

As far as finding surgey prelims after SOAP, is there any centralized way of doing this? I have looked at FREIDA, but it does not seem that reliable when crossreferencing with what is currently available on the SOAP list. Plus I am not sure how you would tell which ones might have unfilled positions. Are there ever medicine prelims as well?

Thanks again for the help so far!

 

[PENNYWISETHECLOWN]

This is not correct. If you are eligible for SOAP, that's all you can do this week. I personally think that rule doesn't make much sense, but it's the rule. Some DO's last year didn't match and then went and took AOA TRI's during SOAP week, and the NRMP was not happy (rumors, I have no inside knowledge)



I wouldn't be that cavalier about it. Last year there were 462 prelim surgery spots in SOAP. At the end of SOAP, there were 98 total (all specialties) positions left -- and unclear if those would be filled at all (and how). No reason to think the same won't happen this year



You should:

1. Certainly apply for any positions left after SOAP completes. I don't know why a program would wait until after SOAP to fill, but there's no harm in trying.

2. More importantly, you're going to contact your advanced PD. Remember that if you don't get a prelim spot, you will likely lose your advanced spot. This is a catastrophe for you, and a real pain for your future PD. So, there is a reasonable chance that they will be willing to help you. Sometimes the IM or GS programs at that institution can add an extra intern. Or they can help you look for a spot elsewhere.

3. Failing the above, you'll need to try and find a prelim, presumably when someone else drops out. Perhaps they fail to get a visa, or fail a drug test, or something else happens which prevents them from starting. There's no centralized list of spots like this, so it will simply be hard work contacting programs.

Hi,

I had a question regarding you second point. What if you matched to a top 3 academic radiology program without prelim and you are on visa? Is it harder to secure a prelim on visa as opposed to being on green card or US citizen? How likely is it to get prelim in their insitution? If a spot is created, does the rad department have to fund it? Also, until when does a person have to find a spot?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Hi,

I had a question regarding you second point. What if you matched to a top 3 academic radiology program without prelim and you are on visa? Is it harder to secure a prelim on visa as opposed to being on green card or US citizen? How likely is it to get prelim in their insitution? If a spot is created, does the rad department have to fund it? Also, until when does a person have to find a spot?

I don't think anyone here will be able to give you a useful response; it's entirely program-dependent. In general, yes it is probably harder to secure a prelim on visa. Whether or not your institution will create a spot, or how that spot would be funded, or how long your advanced program will give you to find a spot before they give your spot up--these are questions that only your program can answer.

As aPD said, you need to be in contact with your advanced program NOW and ask them these questions.