Somethings Just Aren't Your Fault--Columbia CT Match Mess

[AttemptingScholar]

So the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City missed the cardiothoracic surgery match due to an "administrative error." I heard they also declined to match through SOAP. Columbia just won't be training heart surgeons this year. I think it's an important reminder that no matter how hard we try, how qualified we are, some things are just outside of our control. Basing your self-esteem on external validation isn't a good idea, be proud of what you accomplish even if it doesn't immediately get you where you want to go.

Medscape: Medscape Access
can't find a source more recent talking about failure to SOAP tho

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[WedgeDawg]

you're a little late to the party

Columbia CT forgot their rank list

Columbia CT surgery forgot to submit their rank list

 

[efle]

Wait I don't get how the story connects to the moral at the end
It def was 100% within their control, they had total power over whether they submitted by the deadline

 

[WedgeDawg]

Wait I don't get how the story connects to the moral at the end
It def was 100% within their control, they had total power over whether they submitted by the deadline

I think he meant for people who wanted to match there

 

[efle]

I think he meant for people who wanted to match there

What like their self-worth was tied to matching specifically to this one program in the specialty?

 

[WedgeDawg]

What like their self-worth was tied to matching specifically to this one program in the specialty?

You never know

 

[deleted838145]

What like their self-worth was tied to matching specifically to this one program in the specialty?

not a med student, but I could imagine many med students spending 4-8+ years working and giving their all in the hopes of matching to their dream specialty. I would be heartbroken if something as arbitrary as "admin error" is what deterred my opportunity at a particular residency after all my years of work, even if there's next year or second-best match or whatever. And a lot of people on this path find motivation in the external incentives--status, reputation, money, etc. and certain specialties are tied to these things.

 

[efle]

not a med student, but I could imagine many med students spending 4-8+ years working and giving their all in the hopes of matching to their dream specialty. I would be heartbroken if something as arbitrary as "admin error" is what deterred my opportunity at a particular residency after all my years of work, even if there's next year or second-best match or whatever. And a lot of people on this path find motivation in the external incentives--status, reputation, money, etc. and certain specialties are tied to these things.

I mean sure, if a bunch of these CT surg residencies went unfilled I'd be upset. But this is one place, and I doubt the people normally able to match CT surg at Columbia instead were unable to match CT surg overall

 

[tarheelpenner]

Couldn't this also mean that it caused someone to not match? Like if someone ranked Colombia #1, then they might have had to take their #2 or #3 choice, thus taking that spot from someone else, thus taking that spot from someone else, on and on until an unlucky person(s) as a result didn't get to match at all? Or am I understanding the match process wrong?

EDIT: does this mean these spots are available for SOAP?

 

[efle]

^ Very possible yes, if normally all spots get filled then one closing for a year means someone somewhere will not be a CT surgeon now.

But, it still doesn't make sense to me how this would destroy someone's self esteem. It would be like if Stanford medical school had to close for a year and someone said that devastated their self-esteem. Like, if you had a shot at Stanford you're still gonna get into great med schools, the people this might eventually screw out of a spot are not the ones that care about Stanford

 

[tarheelpenner]

^ Very possible yes, if normally all spots get filled then one closing for a year means someone somewhere will not be a CT surgeon now.

But, it still doesn't make sense to me how this would destroy someone's self esteem. It would be like if Stanford medical school had to close for a year and someone said that devastated their self-esteem. Like, if you had a shot at Stanford you're still gonna get into great med schools, the people this might eventually screw out of a spot are not the ones that care about Stanford

But it might destroy the self-esteem of the person who didn't match then.

 

[efle]

But it might destroy the self-esteem of the person who didn't match then.

haha I suppose, though it's not like they'd ever know for certain it was because of this screwup. Odds that a few more spots at Columbia would have saved a particular unmatched applicant are very slim. I just can't see anybody reasonably blaming Columbia for it

 

[PTPoeny]

haha I suppose, though it's not like they'd ever know for certain it was because of this screwup. Odds that a few more spots at Columbia would have saved a particular unmatched applicant are very slim. I just can't see anybody reasonably blaming Columbia for it

I actually bet that every single applicant who didn't match into CT surg this year has managed to convince themselves that if this hadn't happened, they would have been the one to match into one of the spots left over by domino effect.

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