vipassana said:
This qn might not be pertinent to many on the forum, but how to best prepare for scramble positions.
Should we start calling programs to ask about their preferences on receiving applications via ERAS or FAX!.
4 days and counting!!
An important strategy in medicine is to learn from the experience of others... With that being said: I had to scramble last year in the match and had a great experience in that I ended up at a program much stronger than any of the ones I applied to and ranked. Here are some tips for the scramble if you end up going that route.
1. Have at least two copies of your ERAS application printed off and ready to fax.
2. Bring food. You may be scrambling until the late afternoon or even later. My Dean's office was nice enough to provide pizza for all us scramblers, but had they not done that I would have STARVED. For some reason prolonged anxiety makes hungry...
3. Bring a friend (who is NOT scrambling) and have a 2nd phone line. The "rule" is that you cannot make any phone calls to programs prior to 12:00 p.m. EST. My wife came with me to the Dean's office at my med school. At 12:00 p.m. on the dot we started calling (I began calling programs on the west coast, she began on the east coast and we worked toward each other, the key is to divide and conquer). You're going to get a lot of busy signals; so just like the MCAT, USMLE, etc... don't waste too much time on one program. Mark it and come back to it later. By having an assistant you can cover programs twice as fast.
4. Try to find a phone near a computer with internet access (but not a dial up line that will tie up your phone line). That way once you get through to a program you're not familiar with you can do some quick research on the spot.
5. Bring a fully charged cell phone. When a program asks for a number to call you back at give them your cell number as the first number to try and then the phone from which you're making you calls. That way if you have to take a quick 5min restroom break or something of that sort you can take your cell with you and not risk missing an important call. I kept a list of area codes of programs I had gotten through to, and I only answered my cell phone if I saw one those area codes on the ID or if I did not recognize the number.
6. Even though you will feel a little stressed, remember to be calm and polite when the secretary answers your call. After all, he/she is practically a filter for scramble applications which will make it onto the program director's desk for review. Chances are the secretary may be a little short or abrupt with you. Do not take it personally, just remember that they are receiving a large number of phone calls and faxes all at once and they too will be a little stressed.
7. Most importantly, DON'T GIVE UP! Some people matched with in 20 minutes. I did not match until after 4.5 hours, and like I said things could not have ended up better! Be persistent with your phone calls. If you've run out of numbers to call and have not heard anything back from the programs you've faxed you application to, then call them back and follow up on where they stand.
I hope this helps you in your endeavours. The scramble taught me a very important lesson... ALL THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON. I simply could not be happier with the way my future career is lining up.
