So, do errors ever occur in the match?

[napoleondynamite]

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When programs rank applicants, don't they use our AAMC ID number? I'm just curious if anyone has ever heard of errors occurring because of this? it seems like it would be possible that a PD may accidentally enter a number incorrectly..all of the sudden the #1 ranked person, who concievably also ranked the program #1, wouldn't even be in the running and slot would go to #2. Is this possible? Has it ever happened?

Just curious. I'd rather torture myself with these worst-case scenarios than study for step 2 right now..

 

[Wrigleyville]

I'd assume when they put in your number that your name comes up, just as the program's name comes up when you type in the program number. It likely wouldn't recognize invalid numbers. Relax

 

[amyl]

happened at the anes dept at UKentucky last year...they submitted their first year list as second and vice versa. only time i have heard of it happening.

 

[StitchEM]

two years ago the uro-match was all messed up, they do thier own not the main match, you could prob. search thier site for more info. It all worked out in the end though.- mostly.

 

[deleted109597]

There is an urban legend that the reason Duke had to scramble their first EM class was because of mismanagement of their ROL.
But this wasn't the match's fault, only that of the program. I don't know what kind of fix you could do with that.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

As the above poster mentioned, when programs rank applicants (by AAMC numbers), the list is confirmed with names attached to ID numbers. In addition, programs can create rank lists directly from ERAS, or from an excel spreadsheet, both of which make an AAMC ID number error unlikely. This does not prevent a program from screwing up their lists (as the examples above attest), but it's rare and not something to worry much about.

 

[gutonc]

two years ago the uro-match was all messed up, they do thier own not the main match, you could prob. search thier site for more info. It all worked out in the end though.- mostly.

Oh man...that was some good times. I had 3 friends matching into Uro that year. One did all his Uro and Gen Surg rotations and electives like a good boy but otherwise completely blew off his 3rd and 4th years and matched a top 10 program. The other 2, one MD/PhD, one AOA, both w/ all honors/high pass in clinicals and both w/ research failed to match. 2 days later of course they all matched. Guy #1 went a little further down on his ROL while the other 2 matched to 10 programs as expected.

So to answer the OP's questions, no, nothing every goes wrong with the Match. It's Unpossible.