should i scramble?

[snickels]

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I would like to know how the scramble works out for people who are not FMG/IMG. I did not match for my early match position (ophthalmology) and am thinking about scrambling into categorical internal medicine. i did apply to preliminary year programs and would be willing to go to some of them if they offered me a categorical spot. however, many of the categorical scramble spots were at very attractive places last year (much more so than the places i interviewed at, including my home institution).

i would like to know how easy it was for american grads to scramble into positions (specifically internal medicine) in the past. if anyone who does not want to reveal to everyone exactly where they scrambled into but is willing to tell me, please contact me privately. this is a huge decision for me that could potentially leave me jobless. any help is appreciated.

 

[KaiserSven]

I am a US graduate and I did not match last year and tried to scramble. It was a complete cluster-f*ck.

I would not recommend it to anyone for any reason. I also think that you should go for your dream. You'd be better off, in my opinion, taking a preliminary and kicking ass - then applying again... or doing a year of something to improve your application.

The follow up is that I got a position this year. 🙂

 

[KaiserSven]

I should also add that most programs were saving their preliminary spots in the scramble for people that did match into advanced spots. So, it was nearly impossible to get the programs that didn't fill to respond even.

Sorry for your headache of not making it into your chosen field. I would recommend regrouping and reapplying to what you really want to do. Looking forward it looks like a long time. Looking back, it seems like a very short time. At least that is how my life has been.

 

[peppy]

I agree with everything the kaiser said. In the scramble there is a very high risk you'll end up with something you don't like as much as any of the places you interviewed at, if you get anything at all. There is nothing more depressing than trying for a decent sounding spot in the scramble only to find out when you finally get through to them on the phone "We decided we did not want to fill that position in the scramble" or "We're taking someone from the local med school to fill that spot".
The scramble should be truly a last resort. A prelim med spot somewhere will set you up well to try again next year for something better (even if you end up switching fields, you'll be better off going through the match than scrambling into it probably). Good luck!

 

[turquoiseblue]

i know if you were an fmg it is expected that you won't match.I didnt expect a US grad to not match. How many programs did you apply to?
Maybe take a year off and do research in your desired field maybe at a desired hospital that has the residency program you want to get into. that should boost your chances of getting residency again as an american grad. Next time apply to programs that aren't as competitive and apply to more programs to increase your chances of getting an interview.

maybe just scramble and see what happens if you see a desirable program. there are tons of prelim programs in the scramble. that couldn't hurt. if you don't find anything you like, don't apply.

good luck!

 

[Law2Doc]

...It was a complete cluster-f*ck.

I would not recommend it to anyone for any reason. ...

I think this is the general view of the folks who had to scramble. From what I have heard, it's basically 8,000+ people trying to snare a couple hundred spots, some significantly more desirable than others, using phone, fax and email. The program's switchboards get overloaded within a minute after the scramble starts and folks have trouble getting through for days, only to find out that by then the spots are filled. (Picture the scene in Jerry MaGuire where Tom Cruise can't get through to any of his old clients, who are being rapidly snared by the Jay Moore character; Scramble jobs go faster than this). Fax machines at programs have been known to crash/jam by mid-day due to overuse. Basically if you don't have the help of your local faculty with backdoor phone numbers to programs, you won't reach them in time for any of the choice jobs. Doesn't matter if you are a US grad or an IMG/FMG -- your ability to get through a monopolized phone line or broken fax is pretty limited. You'd have an easier time winning concert tickets as the 100th caller at a local radio station. Which is why nobody wants to gamble with the scramble if they have alternatives.

And KaiserSven is right -- a lot of prelim programs prefer the folks who already have matched into advanced programs (aka "designated prelims"), because the prelims won't need time off to interview down the road, and the programs won't have to feel guilty about their not providing any career placement help. If everybody is on the same page that this is a one year gig with no help thereafter, it works out better for the programs. Not to mention that folks with something waiting at the other end are less likely to do something that would screw it up.