Unmatched Graduates

[ftankle surgeon]

This letter is for the unmatched graduates. I was in your shoes for two years. God knows how I managed to cope with the stress and pain.
My message to you is to figure out why you did not match, fix that problem, and get a position next year. For some it was failure in board exams, lack of basic podiatric medical knowledge, poor GPA, low self-confidence and self esteem, or not ranking enough programs.
Also, do not blame anyone but yourself and get working on your goal to match next year.
-Be courageous, visit programs often, make presentations or help out with ongoing research projects for programs. Get in directors' faces and do anything necessary to stand out.
-Participate in a Preceptorship this year.
You have work cut out for you. If I could do it, so can you!

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[ftankle surgeon]

I ask that other residents who were previously unmatched also chime in. Please let us know why you did not match and what you did differently this year.

 

[podpal]

Unmatched for many years. What I did wrong was to go to podiatry school. There is no way to improve this profession. Why would a profession bother to graduate students prepared for residency and then not place them? My mistake was not knowing anyone in the field of podiatry and not having a close relative running a program or have other connections. Grades have very little to do with placement. Everyone thinks this but it isn't the truth. It's a popularity contest. Obviously I'm not popular. I'm done with podiatry and it's wonderful. I'm happy to never have to clip another toenail ever again, unless of course, they're my own toenails! Getting a good residency spot is like rolling a roulette wheel.

 

[dtrack22]

My mistake was not knowing anyone in the field of podiatry and not having a close relative running a program or have other connections...

...Grades have very little to do with placement...

...It's a popularity contest...

...Getting a good residency spot is like rolling a roulette wheel.

 

[Toadesque]

Unmatched for many years. What I did wrong was to go to podiatry school. There is no way to improve this profession. Why would a profession bother to graduate students prepared for residency and then not place them? My mistake was not knowing anyone in the field of podiatry and not having a close relative running a program or have other connections. Grades have very little to do with placement. Everyone thinks this but it isn't the truth. It's a popularity contest. Obviously I'm not popular. I'm done with podiatry and it's wonderful. I'm happy to never have to clip another toenail ever again, unless of course, they're my own toenails! Getting a good residency spot is like rolling a roulette wheel.

So everyone who matches has connections and didn't have to work for it. Of course

 

[Telekinesis]

Smh podpal...

 

[jellybean2020]

You can tell a lot about someone from how they deal with hardships.

 

[dyk343]

Grades mattered. Hard work mattered. Common sense mattered. Likeability mattered (so your popularity contest was somewhat true).

With that said... I do know a couple people who I believe should have a spot and do not. They are easy to get along with and overall decent candidates. So it is a scary world out there. I believe the shortage will close even more next year. This year there was pretty big steps in the right direction, but obviously there is still a huge problem.

Hopefully new spots open up in the next month....

 

[GSRaw]

Why would a profession bother to graduate students prepared for residency and then not place them?

There are THOUSANDS of unmatched allopathic graduates every year. Podiatry needs to pony up and stop whining about the 100 or so without a residency, most of who arguably should not have been accepted in the first place.

If schools didn't accept every person who applied we won't have this problem next year, problem solved. But pointing the finger seems to work, too.

 

[dyk343]

Those thousands have options though... like a transitional year.


And is it really "thousands"? That seems like a very very high number.

 

[dyk343]

I dunno. I agree some of the people without a spot shouldn't have one. But I do know some people who IMO do deserve a spot.

What is the number now? I remember one of them saying 72(ish) unmatched students but many of those were from prior years. It would be my worst nightmare to be in their shoes.

 

[podpal]

I dunno. I agree some of the people without a spot shouldn't have one. But I do know some people who IMO do deserve a spot.

What is the number now? I remember one of them saying 72(ish) unmatched students but many of those were from prior years. It would be my worst nightmare to be in their shoes.

Umm, who exactly are you to make a decision about who does and who doesn't deserve a spot?
You very well may be in those shoes someday, no pun intended.

 

[podpal]

YUP

Grades mattered. Hard work mattered. Common sense mattered. Likeability mattered (so your popularity contest was somewhat true).

With that said... I do know a couple people who I believe should have a spot and do not. They are easy to get along with and overall decent candidates. So it is a scary world out there. I believe the shortage will close even more next year. This year there was pretty big steps in the right direction, but obviously there is still a huge problem.

Hopefully new spots open up in the next month....

The next month? Wow. This is podiatry pal. Don't you mean, the next decade? There's been a shortage since the days of yore when cavemen first started chiropody.
Huge problem? Ya think?
I mean, come on people, wake up. Other professions have post graduate education on how to development residency programs. Podiatry blocks residency development. Hmmm let me count the ways. There's like 1 guy allegedly doing something about it. Yeah right?!
You people need to change the administration overseeing the establishment of residency programs in a big way. This is one major problem. There are so many ways that residency programs can be started but not with the current lack of education of those in charge. There is zero leadership on this front. It's very sad. After all these years, you would think that these people could get their **** together and figure it out. There should be an EXCESS of programs.
As I said before, food service is the way to go! If podiatry throws you out, leave and don't look back. It's a blessing in disguise.

 

[dtrack22]

...There's been a shortage since the days of yore when cavemen first started chiropody...

...Other professions have post graduate education on how to development residency programs. Podiatry blocks residency development....

...There's like 1 guy allegedly doing something about it....

...There is zero leadership on this front....There should be an EXCESS of programs.

Everything I quoted for your post is unequivocally false. There has not always been a shortage. There was once a time of surplus. Between seats going unfilled due to a lack of quality graduates and the shift to 3 years causing some programs to close down (because they couldn't meet what are already pathetic minimum numbers), there is now a shortage. You may be kind of correct in that there was previously a shortage, but it did not have the same effect as residency wasn't required for most state licensure.

Other medical professions cannot develop new programs due to GME funding caps. Outside of a few specialties (ie Derm) that are able to privately fund residency spots thanks to generation of revenue by residents, the allopathic world is also seeing a shortage. And yes, that's including transitional year spots. I don't know why I have to post the NRMP data so often, but the shortage of spots for even US graduates is clear.

The 1 guy doing something about helped generate a net positive of about 50 seats from last year's match.

The CPME has expedited the program approval process. More programs are filling the seats that had already been approved and were going unfilled, at the urging of the profession. There are some 80 new positions going through the application/approval process. I mean, how does a lack of leadership lead to nearly 50 seats being added in one year?

The only thing you have said that I, or really anyone else, would agree with is that we should have an excess of spots. Unfortunately that is not the reality, but the profession certainly is trending that way. I personally cannot wait for that day. The day that individuals who were unable to secure a program have nobody to blame but themselves.

 

[jellybean2020]

As I said before, food service is the way to go! If podiatry throws you out, leave and don't look back. It's a blessing in disguise.

Why are you still hanging around SDN? Doesn't that definitely count as 'looking back'?

 

[DPMace]

Being unmatched sucks. I heard Temple has 5 qualified graduates that did not match and KSUCPM has a crazy amount

 

[DPMace]

I feel bad for podpal and everyone else that graduated with insurmountable debt and have no way out.

 

[podpal]

QUOTE="jellybean2020, post: 15204223, member: 398391"]Why are you still hanging around SDN? Doesn't that definitely count as 'looking back'?[/QUOTE]
I'm helping out the others who feel as though they may be stuck in podiatry. You should be thanking me for showing them the light.

I feel bad for podpal and everyone else that graduated with insurmountable debt and have no way out.

Thank you so much for your tears of sorrow. This is a mournful field. One way out is by the handle of a spatula! Flip those burgers, pays more than cutting toenails!

 

[jellybean2020]

QUOTE="jellybean2020, post: 15204223, member: 398391"]
Thank you so much for your tears of sorrow. This is a mournful field. One way out is by the handle of a spatula! Flip those burgers, pays more than cutting toenails!

I'm sorry that you didn't match, but I hope nobody actually listens to your trolling/'advice'.

 

[dyk343]

Were back to creating accounts and commenting on our own status again?

 

[dtrack22]

Thank you so much for your tears of sorrow. This is a mournful field. One way out is by the handle of a spatula! Flip those burgers, pays more than cutting toenails!

Don't forget to advise others to move to Seattle in your PSA's. They'll get $15 /hr to flip the burgers. Can't get that kind of skrilla at any other McDs in this country.

 

[JimmerN]

Don't forget to advise others to move to Seattle in your PSA's. They'll get $15 /hr to flip the burgers. Can't get that kind of skrilla at any other McDs in this country.

dont forget, no income tax in WA helps podpal's cause. here in CA he would have to work overtime at In-N-Out to make ends meet.

 

[apollofx]

.

 

[gnrh11]

Is it a lie if I am being told the problem will be fixed by 2017 when I graduate?

 

[Gopherz]

It's a guess.

 

[newres64]

Is it a lie if I am being told the problem will be fixed by 2017 when I graduate?

No one really knows- there has been progress made over the last year- originally they were predicting a shortage of over 100 but it ended up only being around 50.

To leave you on a positive note, for the class of 2014, 90% of eligible students obtained a residency. So if you work hard, have a good attitude chances are you will find a spot.

 

[I post PRN]

Done

Unmatched for many years. What I did wrong was to go to podiatry school. There is no way to improve this profession. Why would a profession bother to graduate students prepared for residency and then not place them? My mistake was not knowing anyone in the field of podiatry and not having a close relative running a program or have other connections. Grades have very little to do with placement. Everyone thinks this but it isn't the truth. It's a popularity contest. Obviously I'm not popular. I'm done with podiatry and it's wonderful. I'm happy to never have to clip another toenail ever again, unless of course, they're my own toenails! Getting a good residency spot is like rolling a roulette wheel.

Done with podiatry...but still on podiatry forums...