Med School Match! No more waitlist!

[sunnyjohn]

Instead of all this waitlist nonsense, how about a nation wide med school match?

Everyone finds out on the same day !

Discuss

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[Towelie]

That would be interesting. I prefer the current system. A match would allow schools to get away with not giving anyone merit based financial aid.

But it would be fun

 

[PeripateticMD]

I don't necessarily agree with med school match and getting in at only one place. BUT I do think everything should be non-rolling, and that we should find out from everywhere on March 15th. This would save us so much internet, checking mail, phone call and stress time.

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

I don't necessarily agree with med school match and getting in at only one place. BUT I do think everything should be non-rolling, and that we should find out from everywhere on March 15th. This would save us so much internet, checking mail, phone call and stress time.

 

[Lorienne7]

I don't necessarily agree with med school match and getting in at only one place. BUT I do think everything should be non-rolling, and that we should find out from everywhere on March 15th. This would save us so much internet, checking mail, phone call and stress time.

On the flip side, though, it's really such a comfort know early on in the season (ie before March 15) that you're definitely going to medical school. If you could only find out from March onwards, the uncertainty and anxiety of this process would just be prolonged for an unnecessarily long time! Knowing that you're in somewhere cuts down on the time/money/effort spent interviewing at schools that you're less interested in and gives you such peace of mind that I wouldn't trade it for anything. I definitely prefer constant email checking over going for months and months without any news!

 

[Towelie]

I don't necessarily agree with med school match and getting in at only one place. BUT I do think everything should be non-rolling, and that we should find out from everywhere on March 15th. This would save us so much internet, checking mail, phone call and stress time.

Screw that. I would rather hear from some schools in October and at least know something.

 

[Dookter]

I think a match process would be awful. I actually think the match process for residency is sort of awful. I am already scared that I will get really comfortable here in NC, my fiance [wife at that point] will have a job she likes, we'll have friends, etc., and then I'll have to move across the country. Yuck. I like getting into places and then getting to choose my fate.

 

[Anastasis]

From someone who actually DOES have a med school match... it's not all it's cracked up to be

 

[alwaysaangel]

Seriously - while I realize it sucks for those without early acceptances it was SOOO nice to know I had an acceptance before I went to my 2nd and 3rd interviews. It didn't matter as much and the stress was off. I much prefer rolling admission to the bull**** of just waiting like we did for colleges.

Also a match could not work for medical school admissions because it doesn't take financial aid packages into account. Most of us could not make a ranked list of schools because how much money they offered us would change that list considerably. It works for residency because most residencies pay pretty much the same amount. Med schools have such huge differences in cost that it could never work.

 

[swtiepie711]

I think a match process would be awful. I actually think the match process for residency is sort of awful. I am already scared that I will get really comfortable here in NC, my fiance [wife at that point] will have a job she likes, we'll have friends, etc., and then I'll have to move across the country. Yuck. I like getting into places and then getting to choose my fate.

I agree 100%! I was looking at some match info, and it was scaring the bejesus out of me! Once again, applying all over the country, but only getting accepted into one place (if that! there were some who didn't match!) - when it's just 1 person, that's not so bad - but when you have a SO or family....

 

[VandyXGirl]

If medical schools paid you to attend like they do with residency I think I would be okay with it (since then I wouldn't have to pay for medical school ). Seriously though residency match is just like sorority recruitment. Anyone hear how the law suit turned out where the students were suing because of residency matching/anti-trust stuff? Residency matching is definitely scary since you have no way to negotiate salary, benefits, hours, vacation, locations, etc.

 

[dr1day]

I don't think a med school match would work because there are more applicants than there are med school seats. For residency, the reverse is true. Sure, there are people who don't match, but they don't "not match" because there weren't enough positions available. Usually it has to do with the person not ranking enough places.

 

[DrBowtie]

If medical schools paid you to attend like they do with residency I think I would be okay with it (since then I wouldn't have to pay for medical school ). Seriously though residency match is just like sorority recruitment. Anyone hear how the law suit turned out where the students were suing because of residency matching/anti-trust stuff? Residency matching is definitely scary since you have no way to negotiate salary, benefits, hours, vacation, locations, etc.

You won't negotiate that stuff anyways in residency. The salary is set by the government, and they will tell you about the benefits on your interview.

 

[VandyXGirl]

You won't negotiate that stuff anyways in residency. The salary is set by the government, and they will tell you about the benefits on your interview.

Right, that's what I'm saying. What other group of professionals is unable to have at least some ability to negotiate their salaries, benefits, start dates, etc? It is definitely an interesting system that has been put in place.

 

[Funky]

medical residency is the only "job" that has that ridiculous match system. No other job do you have people listing their top choices and then everyone finds out the same day. It's one of those "always been done" practices in this crazy system of ours.
By the way, if you have match day for med schools, what about financial aid? People all over the country would be getting less financial aid packages because med schools have no more incentives to give you a financial aid package because they no longer have to lure you in once you are accepted.

 

[sunnyjohn]

After the horror last night of the Texas Match, this thread fits.

 

[ph8]

yo OP,
you seen the TX match thread? trust me, hearing nothing from a school for 7 months (except for the interview day correspondence), then only you matched/didn't match blows.

 

[CTtarheel]

There's also the problem of financial aid. What if you match at a school you can't afford? This eliminates the opportunity to factor in financial aid or possible scholarship offers by schools you might have ranked slightly lower in your match list into the equation. And another thought, if there's a straight up match system, schools no longer have a reason to even offer scholarships to attract top students!

 

[Darkshooter326]

I don't necessarily agree with med school match and getting in at only one place. BUT I do think everything should be non-rolling, and that we should find out from everywhere on March 15th. This would save us so much internet, checking mail, phone call and stress time.

I agree completely. Also, this way, people wouldn't be holding acceptances for months that in the end they wouldn't need. Also, Financial Aid info isn't available until Spring.

A match would suck.