Question for those who have Scrambled before: What if you get >1 offer?

[VanDude]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I hope someone with prior Scrambling experience could shed some light on this.

This may be wishful thinking, but what if one gets 2 or more offers in the Scramble? How long does one typically have to accept/decline an offer during scramble?

I am asking this because I remember having read here that some people received 2 or more offers during the scramble in the past.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

It certainly can happen, but often timelines for signing a contract in the scramble are short. Remember that as a program, if I give you a long time and then you turn me down, I still have an open slot and other applicants that I might have offered to will have signed elsewhere.

On the rare occasions where I have scrambled a spot, I usually give the applicant 30 minutes to return a signed contract. However, programs with larger numbers of open spots might give you more time.

 

[ekydrd]

I had about an hour to make a decision between two programs. I chose the one I knew more about.

 

[neuroticchica]

I would say you are likely not to get more than an hour (and that is if you are lucky). Remember, there are more scramblers than vacancies, so you have to do your research tomorrow and be ready to accept Wednesday. I scrambled 2 years ago. I had one place give me 5 minutes to make a decision. At some places, you will talk to the PDs and at others a coordinator will have the power to say yes/no. I declined it (much to my Dean's chagrin because it was a great place), but ended up 1 hr later being able to talk to another PD (at another place I preferred) who accepted me.

 

[DadofDr2B]

My feeling would be that if I did not get the location I wanted I may wait a year especially if I could do so financially. Making a decision in five minutes that will be for three or more years seems totally unfair.

As an MD you can do other things if the right situation is not there at match time. Do research. Take a sales job with drug company or with a surgerical device company. Six figures can be yours while you wait until next time.

This idea that the match is the only way to get through to hospitals smacks of monopolistic behavior. I know this has gone before the courts but it is a fact that the match in unfair to the interns. JMO