the sands of time before match day

[Leo Aquarius]

Every day feels like it's dragging by before next Friday. I'm a little nervous, a bit excited, and just plain ol' impatient. Anyone want to share in my commiseration as we hang in this collective limbo?

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[mkeguy]

being impatient is better than being inpatient.

i'm doing surgery this month and the chief attending told me... "you look like a shrink with your little glasses and your little beard." i just dont even care enough to argue at this point in my career.

 

[pingouin]

I'm dying here. I'm on a free month right now, but have a rotation in April- a combination of bad planning and inability to change it to what I wanted based on availability. I'm so bored. And so disinclined to do all the cleaning/clearing out that I need to do in preparation for moving...

And my rotation next month is with a surgical subspecialty. I can't imagine how thrilled they'll be to have an M4 already matched to psychiatry.

 

[whopper]

Easier said than done. It's out of your hands so take it easy.

But like I said, easier said than done, this is an important step in your future, and most of you have never done this before, all making this even more nerve-wracking.

 

[mkeguy]

my residents right now dont mind. they have to teach me a minimal amount, i dont pester them trying to be a gunner, and i'm still capable in the OR. they dont make me sew which is nice but i retract LIKE A BOSS

I'm dying here. I'm on a free month right now, but have a rotation in April- a combination of bad planning and inability to change it to what I wanted based on availability. I'm so bored. And so disinclined to do all the cleaning/clearing out that I need to do in preparation for moving...

And my rotation next month is with a surgical subspecialty. I can't imagine how thrilled they'll be to have an M4 already matched to psychiatry.

 

[psychphan]

I've also been putting off all the important things I should be doing. It's hard to plan (and much easier to procrastinate) when you don't know for certain where you'll be in a couple months.

The real question is, why does this limbo period last so long. Just for suspense? It's the 21st century and presumably the computer completes its match algorithm within minutes of RoL completion.

 

[Saluki]

I'm pretty miserable, partly because there's a huge drop off after number one and then again after number four of how much I like the programs. And I have no "ranked to match" emails to comfort me in this time of uncertainty.

I'm trying to save my anxiety for a few SDN worry periods per day with moderate success....

 

[psychphan]

I'm pretty miserable, partly because there's a huge drop off after number one and then again after number four of how much I like the programs. And I have no "ranked to match" emails to comfort me in this time of uncertainty.

I'm trying to save my anxiety for a few SDN worry periods per day with moderate success....

Don't stress too much. Not all programs even send out rank to match emails. Plus even if the program you are hoping for does send them out, just cause you didn't receive one certainly doesnt mean you don't have a chance to match there. Think about it. How many programs fill their residency with only their rank to match lists. I'd go out on a limb and say zero.

 

[notdeadyet]

I didn't hear boo from the program I matched at, despite a couple of love letters mailed to them through the process.

Don't sweat not getting much communication post-interview. You're not supposed to get much commnication post-interview.

Good luck with the waiting game, folks. It's annoying, but it will all be worth it in a week and a half or so...

 

[shrinktobe]

This wait is sooooooo unnecessary

 

[classof2011]

I didn't hear boo from the program I matched at, despite a couple of love letters mailed to them through the process.

Don't sweat not getting much communication post-interview. You're not supposed to get much commnication post-interview.

Good luck with the waiting game, folks. It's annoying, but it will all be worth it in a week and a half or so...

Well once you tell a program you are ranking them number 1, why should hear anything back from them? They know (at that point) that most of us are going to honor it once we divulge.

 

[digitlnoize]

The real question is, why does this limbo period last so long. Just for suspense? It's the 21st century and presumably the computer completes its match algorithm within minutes of RoL completion.

This wait is sooooooo unnecessary

I think there are many answers. Apparently, they check and re-check the algorithm multiple times to make sure it was done correctly. There have been some screwups in the past (leading to a RETRACTION OF MATCHES, OMG), where they've had to re-do the whole thing over, and they don't want that to happen again.

The other major reason, I think, is so they can generate all those pretty reports and data tables they post on match day...although why they can't give us our matches and THEN give us the data later is a mystery to me.

I hate the wait too, but if it truly helps ensure accuracy in the match, then I'm all for it.

How have I been killing time? Lots and lots of Skyrim.

 

[splik]

as far as im aware the NRMP has not retracted matches before that was for urology which is not part of NRMP. also those nice charts and things usually come out several months after match results. so none of those are relevant.

what is more interesting is how people get so frustrated because we are so use to getting everything instantaneously in a world where we can find out that celebrities have died before there family members even know, that we no longer have the patience to sit for a few weeks to find out. I think that it is just tradition more than anything else. It doesn't take 3 weeks to do quality control.

 

[digitlnoize]

as far as im aware the NRMP has not retracted matches before that was for urology which is not part of NRMP. also those nice charts and things usually come out several months after match results. so none of those are relevant.

what is more interesting is how people get so frustrated because we are so use to getting everything instantaneously in a world where we can find out that celebrities have died before there family members even know, that we no longer have the patience to sit for a few weeks to find out. I think that it is just tradition more than anything else. It doesn't take 3 weeks to do quality control.

Sorry, I didn't mean NRMP...but that was before the current system was implemented, so I think the current system added some checking. At least, that's been the accepted story around these parts...

Some charts are released on match day, just not the final report.

I agree that our instant gratification has kind of spoiled us. Still, it would be nice to know. My personal belief is that it would be nice to get a "tentative match" email a day or two after the ROL submission, then the final, confirmed one a month later.

 

[splik]

no urology is not part of the NRMP it is a separate matching service. various specialties have their own match (e.g. ophtho, urology) that aren't part of the NRMP. incidentally they find out in january.