Question about the match process

[Jack Marcos]

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I have a few questions regarding the match process.

First, is there a minimum or limit of programs you can select? and could you select only one or two specialties or would you have to put in something less competitive to fall back on?

second, if you go unmatched due to only selecting specialties that are considered competitive would it be possible to apply to those specialties again the following year? or would most schools view you as a weaker applicant because you failed match the first time around.

thanks!

 

[CyrilFiggis]

I think you’re missing the whole step where you have to apply and be offered an interview first....

 

[differentiating]

There is no minimum or maximum limit of programs you can select. You can put in anywhere from zero to every program in every specialty in the country (aside from the fact that any program that didn't interview you, won't rank you, so it's no use ranking anywhere you didn't interview).

You can select as many or as few specialties if you like. Most people pick one, some people applying to competitive specialties or people who are undecided at the time of applications apply to two or more.

It would be possible to reapply to those specialties again the following year if you go unmatched. It would be more difficult to match, however. The further you are from graduating med school, the harder it gets to match. It is also generally more difficult to improve your residency app compared to your med school app - you can't change your step 1 score, your grades/evals, whether you're an IMG/FMG, etc. It can be done but it's obviously much better to match the first time around, and most people who end up reapplying have to apply much more broadly and to less competitive specialties.

Just to clarify- there is a limit on number of rankings allowed through NRMP. You’re only allowed a total of 300 ranks, which mostly comes up with people who are couples matching. Don’t think there’s a limit on applications beyond your wallet, though.

To the OP - I recommend looking into ERAS and NRMP info online. But basically, you choose which programs/specialties to apply to (each specialty has its own fees, plus costs for each program >10 of a given specialty). Keep in mind that your app should be tailored to any specialty you apply to, so double-dipping often means 2 personal statements, multiple LORs, etc. Then you go on interviews, the number dependent on multiple factors (how many you get, competitiveness of specialty, how many you can actually fit in, cost), and rank those programs you interviewed at in order of preference.

If you don’t match a competitive residency, you’d almost certainly need to have a plan to increase your competitiveness to have even a hope of matching into it the following year - think research year with delayed graduation, for example. But more likely you should just aim for something less competitive.

 

[Jack Marcos]

Just to clarify- there is a limit on number of rankings allowed through NRMP. You’re only allowed a total of 300 ranks, which mostly comes up with people who are couples matching. Don’t think there’s a limit on applications beyond your wallet, though.

To the OP - I recommend looking into ERAS and NRMP info online. But basically, you choose which programs/specialties to apply to (each specialty has its own fees, plus costs for each program >10 of a given specialty). Keep in mind that your app should be tailored to any specialty you apply to, so double-dipping often means 2 personal statements, multiple LORs, etc. Then you go on interviews, the number dependent on multiple factors (how many you get, competitiveness of specialty, how many you can actually fit in, cost), and rank those programs you interviewed at in order of preference.

If you don’t match a competitive residency, you’d almost certainly need to have a plan to increase your competitiveness to have even a hope of matching into it the following year - think research year with delayed graduation, for example. But more likely you should just aim for something less competitive.

Just to clarify- there is a limit on number of rankings allowed through NRMP. You’re only allowed a total of 300 ranks, which mostly comes up with people who are couples matching. Don’t think there’s a limit on applications beyond your wallet, though.

To the OP - I recommend looking into ERAS and NRMP info online. But basically, you choose which programs/specialties to apply to (each specialty has its own fees, plus costs for each program >10 of a given specialty). Keep in mind that your app should be tailored to any specialty you apply to, so double-dipping often means 2 personal statements, multiple LORs, etc. Then you go on interviews, the number dependent on multiple factors (how many you get, competitiveness of specialty, how many you can actually fit in, cost), and rank those programs you interviewed at in order of preference.

If you don’t match a competitive residency, you’d almost certainly need to have a plan to increase your competitiveness to have even a hope of matching into it the following year - think research year with delayed graduation, for example. But more likely you should just aim for something less competitive.

thanks everyone.

I was also reading that to be competitive it’s not just your scores and research. It has a lot to do with how your rotations went correct? How many rotations/placements are you eligible to apply for in 4th medical school? Do people generally apply to the major specialties they are considering or is it less choice and more broad.

thanks again for the informative response

 

[longhaul3]

thanks everyone.

I was also reading that to be competitive it’s not just your scores and research. It has a lot to do with how your rotations went correct? How many rotations/placements are you eligible to apply for in 4th medical school? Do people generally apply to the major specialties they are considering or is it less choice and more broad.

thanks again for the informative response

The main things that go into a residency application are board scores, school grades, research, letters of recommendation, and the MSPE (a standardized document from your dean's office which is probably less important than most people think). Different specialties tend to weigh these components differently. The most competitive specialties, which are mostly surgical sub-specialties plus dermatology, care the most about board scores and research. This is currently up in the air and will look different for you because the most important exam, Step 1, will be graded on a pass/fail basis starting soon. Competitive specialties also have unwritten requirements to do away rotations, and your performance on those is also pretty important.

The number of electives you can do in your 4th year varies by school. Some schools have longer 4th years than others, depending on how long the pre-clinical curriculum is. In general you can do one thing per month of your 4th year, but you have to do most of the relevant rotations by September, when residency applications are due. People generally settle on one specialty to apply to by early summer of 4th year. A small minority of people apply to two specialties, often one competitive one and the other a backup. This is not rare but not extremely common; for your purposes you should assume that you will be applying to one and only one specialty.

 

[differentiating]

thanks everyone.

I was also reading that to be competitive it’s not just your scores and research. It has a lot to do with how your rotations went correct? How many rotations/placements are you eligible to apply for in 4th medical school? Do people generally apply to the major specialties they are considering or is it less choice and more broad.

thanks again for the informative response

Rotations definitely play a large component- a fail is a major red flag, and not honoring the rotation for the specialty you want to go into can be one as well. Even in general, if you get more passes than honors, it can hold you back a bit.

I don’t understand your second question, but in general, 4th year requirements/etc. vary by school.