Unmatched DO looking for some advice

[mocheese]

Hey guys,
Unfortunately I came up short in the AOA match this year and I am looking for some advice on how to proceed next. I know my prognosis is poor, but I feel ortho is my calling and I really owe it to myself to try again next year. I was planning on entering a traditional internship, but I'm not sure what to do after that. Do people typically reapply with the 4th years or do they try to slide into a PGY2 spot? If anyone out there has been through this or can put me in touch with someone who has, I would appreciate a PM. I am pretty bummed right now, so any success story, even if anecdotal, would really be welcomed.

Just quickly about me: I had board scores in the top 3%, non-ortho research, publications/posters, good grades, and solid letters; overall I thought a pretty solid application. I feel I am a nice guy, with no glaring social deficiencies, who works hard. I think I just had some bad luck in this crazy game of musical chairs.

Thanks in advance guys!

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[ChiDO]

Although I'm not a 3rd/4th year nor have I gone through the match, I woudl be calling the programs with the 3 unfilled spots. For what you say, you are a VERY solid applicant and very competitive, but didn't match.

By not matching, what that tell me (kind of making assumptions), is that you either didn't apply to enough programs and put you eggs in one basket, or there is something you are not telling us. You state that you are in the top 3% (I'm guessing that is like 650+ at least), have great grades, ect.

What did your home ortho director tell you? Did he say you had a good chance to match? Any red flags?

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't match, but when you are a solid candidate like you say you are, I tend to find it hard to believe that there isin't some underlying problem or red flag. Anyways, call the unfilled programs to find out if they'll take you, call the programs that didn't take you and find out why, and talk to your home ortho pd/dean and find out why you didn't match.

 

[mocheese]

Although I'm not a 3rd/4th year nor have I gone through the match, I woudl be calling the programs with the 3 unfilled spots. For what you say, you are a VERY solid applicant and very competitive, but didn't match.

By not matching, what that tell me (kind of making assumptions), is that you either didn't apply to enough programs and put you eggs in one basket, or there is something you are not telling us. You state that you are in the top 3% (I'm guessing that is like 650+ at least), have great grades, ect.

What did your home ortho director tell you? Did he say you had a good chance to match? Any red flags?

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't match, but when you are a solid candidate like you say you are, I tend to find it hard to believe that there isin't some underlying problem or red flag. Anyways, call the unfilled programs to find out if they'll take you, call the programs that didn't take you and find out why, and talk to your home ortho pd/dean and find out why you didn't match.

No offense buddy, but I was really asking for the advice of residents or people who knew somebody that went through this. I know you mean well, but it is a little on the insulting side to be called out by a pre-clinical student about the match process. But, I was once in your shoes and I realize it probablly stems from your curiousity about the whole process, and doing what you can do to not end up without a spot.

So... no I didn't have any red flags ( no felonies, no flunked classes, ect). I am in the process of trying to scramble into the one spot thats left at Genesys ( the other two are filled). There will be a whole interview process for that one, in March, so I am just chilling and waiting for that to happen. I didn't put all my eggs in one basket either. I was only able to do 2.5 months of Ortho, so I didn't quite get the exposure I would have like to get.

One thing I will stress to the future gunners is how critical face time is. It is HUGE. Much, much more important then scores. You have to rotate at programs to get spots no matter what your scores are, and two week stints don't cut it either. I did get some interviews at places that I didnt rotate, based off my scores, but ultimately spots always go to people who rotated. Thats just how it is, for better or for worse. The first month I did, I didn't really click with the program. The residents weren't really that happy and the PD was not all that approachable of a guy. I actually reconsidered Ortho after that rotation. The second month was totally different. I loved the program, the residents were awesome and PD was an great guy as well. But, this was also a gunner hell. There were consistently 5-6 guys showing up in morning lectures and on weekends, that weren't on service. I will say, the gunners were all nice guys. It is hard to walk into a place like that for a month and take a spot from them when they have built such a repertoire, no matter whats on your application. All the spots ended up going to them. The third place I was at I also loved, but I only got to spend 2 weeks there. I still almost got a spot and I wonder if I had done a month if it would have worked out differently. Who knows. Water under the bridge at this point.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

On the flip side, if two weeks is all you can do, then do it. I didnt get an interview at EITHER of the places I spent three weeks at but I matched at the place I spent two weeks at. I spent my vacation studying for boards, in hindsight, that was dumb...I could have gone to two more places.

 

[cuddlepuppy]

the above posters mentioned a great point about DO ortho programs. an audition rotation is VERY VERY necessary.

when i was applying, i did a 2 week rotation at one program and applied to 5 DO programs. i only got 2 interview offers. one from the place i spent 2 weeks at and from Grandview. it wasn't because my application wasn't adequate.

DO programs definitely like to know the type of applicant they are taking. the notion of DO programs only taking rotators is well known, so MANY students are doing away rotations at their favorite programs (20 for 2-4 spots). i guarantee that all of the residents in DO programs did a rotation at their current program.

my suggestion is to do a full 4 weeks at your favorite program, try for another 4 week'r elsewhere. then, do another away rotation at another hospital that you are interested, but in a different specialty. ER, FP, etc. most residents know how hard the match is, so if you show up to your rotation, work hard, but tell them you're interested in ortho and would like some face time with the program there...they will let you go to board rounds, weekend stuff, scrub in on cases.