Soap this year

[TheLoneWolf]

Know of a few applicants this year with excellent scores 240+ on both steps, research, good letters who only had 1-2 interviews this year. Sounds like most applicants applied broad and went to most if not all their interview invites. Thoughts on what the soap will be like this year for anesthesia applicants? Heard of MD/PHDs, real high scoring MD seniors getting interviews at new or IMG heavy programs as that's all they got this year. Sounds like a lot of IV hoarding with a lot of the uncertainty and virtual interviews. This season seems to be really weird overall and my guess is a lot more positions will go to the SOAP but match rates in SOAP are terrible overall given the results of the last few years. I wonder if they may change how interviewing and applying in the upcoming season will change in light of this season or will it be a return to preCOVID as most physicians and program staff would be vaccinated by the next application year.

Few specific questions if anyone knows the answers:

1) Any advantage to withdrawing from ERAS entirely and reapplying next year vs going for broke in the SOAP?

2) Does withdrawing from the match this year provide a "clean slate" with no prior history for the coming cycle?

3) Is going unmatched reported in next years ERAS cycle?

4) Does being unmatched hurt chances of matching next year or is it mostly time from graduation that matters? Any difference in trying SOAP, going unmatched vs withdrawing entirely and applying next year in terms of matching on 2nd attempt?

5) With all the uncertainty, any ideas of what will happen in the SOAP this year?

Would love to hear from PDs, admin, residents involved in the interview process, and current applicants. Any input appreciated.

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[deleted875186]

No sense in withdrawing, if your a year out of medical school every program will ask why you took a gap year, would need a good reason to do this.

As someone who interviewed for residency spots when I was a resident, my program tried to feel out if a resident actually was interested or just broadly applying, we rejected people that were too high scoring or bound for a top 10 program on paper, no sense wasting time. Prosgrams will have to really adjust their interview selection after this year if what you say is true. I think a limit to the number of applications per resident would even the playing field.

 

[okayplayer]

Dove.

 

[IMGASMD]

Few specific questions if anyone knows the answers:

Not sure anyone really knows, since it is once in a generation event....

1) Any advantage to withdrawing from ERAS entirely and reapplying next year vs going for broke in the SOAP?

Are you definitely graduating? That should be your first question. Can you stay for a “super senior year”. Is your school going to charge you tuition? Can you afford it? If you need to soap, can you at least get a prelim spot at your home institution and go from there?


2) Does withdrawing from the match this year provide a "clean slate" with no prior history for the coming cycle?
“Clean slate” on paper maybe. But if you’re interesting in the program again, they may remember.... what are you going to say, “if” they interview you again? But I seemed to remember they ask if you applied before? Or can they?


3) Is going unmatched reported in next years ERAS cycle?
Not sure.

4) Does being unmatched hurt chances of matching next year or is it mostly time from graduation that matters? Any difference in trying SOAP, going unmatched vs withdrawing entirely and applying next year in terms of matching on 2nd attempt?
So many questions.... are you competitive to begin with? Are you happy with your rank list? What will change and improve your prospects next year? Will anything?

5) With all the uncertainty, any ideas of what will happen in the SOAP this year?
Not sure if anyone knows.


Would love to hear from PDs, admin, residents involved in the interview process, and current applicants. Any input appreciated.
I am not any of those.

This almost feels like the conversation that happened a few weeks ago with that MS who didn’t match into ophthalmology.

There are many many moving parts. Without knowing your specifics, and even if you shared, there are no ways to predict.

If you have more than X interviews, you should be fine. If you are competitive before, you’re competitive now. Is your administration supportive? Does your med school have a in house program? Did you interview with them? Did you rank them?

I agree with other answers so far. You’ve come this far, unless you have no interviews, (which also means you’re not really competitive), do not quit now.

Good luck. Please let us know your decision and/or if you be our colleague in 4 years.

 

[abolt18]

Makes no sense to me to withdraw.

I agree that there will likely be more than average spots open due to stellar applicants hogging all the interviews.

Wild wild west this year is what I imagine.

 

[Katheudontas parateroumen]

Medicine is such a stressful field, isn’t it? Just so many unknowns sometimes and the competition is always there. I genuinely feel sorry for future trainees. Medicine is a great and noble field but the way it is now, it always feels like a rat race. Anyways, no way you should just withdraw. That’s giving up before giving yourself a shot. Your main goal is to have a job next year. If it’s not in the specialty you had hoped for, there are many unfilled other spots in other fields... including prelim spots. Is a gap research year really better than someone actually being the doctor they went to school to be even if it’s just a prelim program? I’m not sure but I would think it is, also pays you which is the important part of course.

good luck to you. And good luck to everyone applying this year. It’s been an especially crazy one for sure