Q and help: ADVANCED programs on the supplemental list

[suuuunny]

Hi, wish everything is going well with you all, the 2018 match candidates.

I am tortured by a dilemma recently... so I am here for some advice.
I am just wondering if I can put PRELIM on primary ROL with ADVANCED programs on the supplemental list if I think the possibility of matching to prelim is low but matching into an advanced program is high? The goal here is NOT to go into SOAP. I interviewed at some categorical programs but I don't really like them, so If I put the prelim on my primary ROL but don't match to them(together with the advanced program on the supplemental list), at least the system can go down my primary list and find a categorical spot for me.
Anyone any insight? How does it affect my chances of getting into an advanced program VS if I put the advanced programs o the primary list?

Thank you very much. Wish you all good luck.

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[NotAProgDirector]

If I understand your question correctly, your concern is that although you interviewed at some Cat programs, you really liked the Adv programs better, but you're worried you won't match into a prelim. Therefore, what you want is an Adv+prelim match, but if you match to an Adv only, you'd rather have a Cat match to avoid SOAP.

If that's what you meant, you're out of luck. The match doesn't work that way. You'll either have to rank the Cat's first and match into them, or the Adv first and try for a prelim. There's no way to "let go" of an Adv match if you don't match to a prelim -- the NRMP assumes you'd keep the Adv program and SOAP for a prelim.

 

[rokshana]

If I understand your question correctly, your concern is that although you interviewed at some Cat programs, you really liked the Adv programs better, but you're worried you won't match into a prelim. Therefore, what you want is an Adv+prelim match, but if you match to an Adv only, you'd rather have a Cat match to avoid SOAP.

If that's what you meant, you're out of luck. The match doesn't work that way. You'll either have to rank the Cat's first and match into them, or the Adv first and try for a prelim. There's no way to "let go" of an Adv match if you don't match to a prelim -- the NRMP assumes you'd keep the Adv program and SOAP for a prelim.

so you don't have a position that is is adv + no prelim as part of the ROL?

1. Adv 1 + prelim 1
2. Adv 1 + prelim 2
3. Cat 1
4. Cat 2
5. Adv 1 + no prelim

would that not allow for a person to match a cat position before having to risk an adv w/o a prelim

I did IM residency so didn't have to deal with this adv/prelim thing

 

[NotAProgDirector]

so you don't have a position that is is adv + no prelim as part of the ROL?

1. Adv 1 + prelim 1
2. Adv 1 + prelim 2
3. Cat 1
4. Cat 2
5. Adv 1 + no prelim

would that not allow for a person to match a cat position before having to risk an adv w/o a prelim

I did IM residency so didn't have to deal with this adv/prelim thing

It doesn't work that way.

The OP would submit a single main rank list. Let's say they had 3 Adv spots and 2 Cat spots. It could be:

1. Adv 1
2. Adv 2
3. Adv 3
4. Cat 1
5. Cat 2

Then, let's say there were only 2 prelims. And, let's say that Prelim 1 was the same institution as Adv 1, and Prelim 2 was the same as Adv 2, and Adv 3 was somewhere else. And let's say that the OP wants the prelim at the same place, if possible. They would then create two supplemental lists:

Supp List #1:
1. Prelim 1
2. Prelim 2

Supp List #2:
1. Prelim 2
2. Prelim 1

And then their match list would look like this:
1. Adv 1 --> Supp List #1
2. Adv 2 --> Suppl List #2
3. Adv 3 --> (Pick one of the Supp lists, whichever they prefer)
4. Cat 1
5. Cat 2

The key issue here is that if you fail to match on one of your Supp lists, you don't move to the next choice on your main list. You keep your Adv match and enter SOAP.