VIRMP 2026

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yan.banan99 said:
anyone got any interviews yet? i know its only early days, but people on Reddit have said that some programs have sent out invites already 😭 a girl is just stressin hahah
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I got an invitation from Midwestern. That's it so far
 
Did anyone else get the weird resiliency score email from Wheat Ridge (applied for SA rotating)
 
for residencies and specialty internships, do places usually email you that you are not getting an interview?
 
mashedpotatoes5459 said:
for residencies and specialty internships, do places usually email you that you are not getting an interview?
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Most will probably just not tell you anything. They keep you on the hook but don’t actually decline you in case they decide to interview more people later on or have to scramble. It’s better received by applicants to hear nothing than be told ‘thanks but no thanks’, as annoying as being ghosted is.

But for all we know, a place may stay silent because they already know they want you so there’s no point or maybe they just don’t interview. I didn’t interview where I matched for internship, but I did a four day visit earlier in the year so they already knew me.
 
JaynaAli said:
Most will probably just not tell you anything. They keep you on the hook but don’t actually decline you in case they decide to interview more people later on or have to scramble. It’s better received by applicants to hear nothing than be told ‘thanks but no thanks’, as annoying as being ghosted is.

But for all we know, a place may stay silent because they already know they want you so there’s no point or maybe they just don’t interview. I didn’t interview where I matched for internship, but I did a four day visit earlier in the year so they already knew me.
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This. And to Jayna's last point, this happens every year to at least 1 person on this forum, I feel like. Each year on Match Day, someone posts excitedly that they matched to a program they didn't think they were even being considered at because they'd never heard from them. It's why we tell people to rank wherever you want to go, regardless of if you've heard from them or not - because you won't hurt yourself by ranking somewhere that turns out didn't rank you back, but the opposite (not ranking somewhere you didn't hear from that did actually rank you) could keep you from matching somewhere you'd want to go.
 
supershorty said:
This. And to Jayna's last point, this happens every year to at least 1 person on this forum, I feel like. Each year on Match Day, someone posts excitedly that they matched to a program they didn't think they were even being considered at because they'd never heard from them. It's why we tell people to rank wherever you want to go, regardless of if you've heard from them or not - because you won't hurt yourself by ranking somewhere that turns out didn't rank you back, but the opposite (not ranking somewhere you didn't hear from that did actually rank you) could keep you from matching somewhere you'd want to go.
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I have to keep reminding myself of this when I don't hear from programs...
 
zenarcade said:
I have to keep reminding myself of this when I don't hear from programs...
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Last year, I did not interview for my top specialty internship and I matched to it.
 
Panicking a little bit since I haven't heard from a majority of places I applied to. I applied to six places total for SA rotating and have only heard from two (both were ones that interview all applicants). When should I actually start to panic? It just seems stressful coming on here and seeing folks have heard from AMC and knowing they only reach out for interviews until the 17th - and I haven't heard anything from them except for about their information session. Is it really that common for places to not interview but still match?
 
Alice18 said:
Panicking a little bit since I haven't heard from a majority of places I applied to. I applied to six places total for SA rotating and have only heard from two (both were ones that interview all applicants). When should I actually start to panic? It just seems stressful coming on here and seeing folks have heard from AMC and knowing they only reach out for interviews until the 17th - and I haven't heard anything from them except for about their information session. Is it really that common for places to not interview but still match?
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Where did you hear that they only reach out for interviews until 17th? Just curious!
 
Alice18 said:
Panicking a little bit since I haven't heard from a majority of places I applied to. I applied to six places total for SA rotating and have only heard from two (both were ones that interview all applicants). When should I actually start to panic? It just seems stressful coming on here and seeing folks have heard from AMC and knowing they only reach out for interviews until the 17th - and I haven't heard anything from them except for about their information session. Is it really that common for places to not interview but still match?
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im in the same boat as you, idk if i should panic or not, only 5/10 places i applied to interview & i havent heard anything (except for 1 wanting to confirm something on my app) 😭
 
Panicking won’t accomplish anything. You can’t control it, so just keep planning your rank order list how you want them and what happens will happen. I know that’s easier said than done, but working yourself up does nothing except make you miserable. You may match, you may have to scramble, you may even have to find a plan C…but having to scramble or do something else for a year isn’t the end of the world or the end of your career as a veterinarian, it’s just a bump in the road. But the road may not even be bumpy, you just have to wait and see.
 
(Let me know if I should put this in a different forum!)

I am not very positive about my chances in matching to a SA rotating internship this year - my GPA is low (I am definitely an average student), and I do not have research experience. I applied to 9/10 academic institutions and 1 private practice (my mentor suggested that I only apply to academic institutions so I have the chance to pursue research).

I may be interested in eventually specializing, but I also want to have financial independence as soon as possible. If I do not match this year, would it hurt my chances to eventually get into an academic rotating internship if I took a year off to work? My mentor told me I have to scramble, but tbh I don't know if I'm currently that motivated to "take a risk" if I don't match (if that makes sense). If I didn't scramble and worked for a year instead, is it hard to go back into academia? I am considering getting a masters in the meantime to boost my chances, but we'll see.

For further context, I am interested in Surgery (which is why my mentor told me to scramble) or ER - however, I do really like aspects of other specialties, so I did want to do a rotating internship to gain more experience/responsibility in each specialty to see how/if I fit. Additionally, I acknowledge that my GPA is going to hurt my chances of getting a surgery residency (or even an internship), but I am interested in a surgical internship and then go into practice if I can.

If anybody has experience taking a year off before a rotating internship, please let me know! I just want to see if this could be a backup plan before I decide whether or not to scramble.
 
I didn’t personally take a year off, but as someone who has reviewed app packets from people that have, I’d advise against it if you’re really wanting to specialize. So much of the emphasis is on letters of rec (even more so if you’re a lower GPA applicant, in my opinion), and once you leave that realm of school and specialty training, people naturally start to lose those relationships you had with faculty. Memories fade, and letters get less strong the more time that passes since someone worked with you. I’ve also heard surgery really wants new grads without lots of experience too, so they don’t have to unteach your bad habits, but that may just be rumor and not reality, idk.

It may still work out for you in the long run and I’m not saying a year off would be a death knell, but I would strongly suggest you go ahead and do the scramble if you don’t match if your ultimate goal is down the internship +/- residency route. You’d be making a difficult road an even more uphill battle adding in a lower GPA and time away from specialty med in a competitive specialty. If you did, really make a point to stay in contact with surgeons so they remember you.
 
cheesin121 said:
how did Ohio contact you/when did they contact you?
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Fwiw when I was interviewing with Ohio for a rotating internship a couple years ago, they'd emailed me to schedule it.
 
Opposumsareawesome98 said:
My mentor told me I have to scramble, but tbh I don't know if I'm currently that motivated to "take a risk" if I don't match (if that makes sense)
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I mean.... What kind of risk are you talking about here? In the residency pipeline, the purpose of an internship is to 1) expose you to specialties that may intrigue you and 2) connect you to specialists to write you letters and 3) teach you as much as possible as quickly as possible (compared to private practice). If you end up having to scramble and don't end up at any of the practices currently on your list, you're still accomplishing those 3 goals.

As far as leaving and going back, it would be hard. Going from a 40hr week schedule for high 5 figures to 6 figures to a 60-80hr week schedule for 30-60k on average would be a whiplash.
 
Opposumsareawesome98 said:
(Let me know if I should put this in a different forum!)

I am not very positive about my chances in matching to a SA rotating internship this year - my GPA is low (I am definitely an average student), and I do not have research experience. I applied to 9/10 academic institutions and 1 private practice (my mentor suggested that I only apply to academic institutions so I have the chance to pursue research).

I may be interested in eventually specializing, but I also want to have financial independence as soon as possible. If I do not match this year, would it hurt my chances to eventually get into an academic rotating internship if I took a year off to work? My mentor told me I have to scramble, but tbh I don't know if I'm currently that motivated to "take a risk" if I don't match (if that makes sense). If I didn't scramble and worked for a year instead, is it hard to go back into academia? I am considering getting a masters in the meantime to boost my chances, but we'll see.

For further context, I am interested in Surgery (which is why my mentor told me to scramble) or ER - however, I do really like aspects of other specialties, so I did want to do a rotating internship to gain more experience/responsibility in each specialty to see how/if I fit. Additionally, I acknowledge that my GPA is going to hurt my chances of getting a surgery residency (or even an internship), but I am interested in a surgical internship and then go into practice if I can.

If anybody has experience taking a year off before a rotating internship, please let me know! I just want to see if this could be a backup plan before I decide whether or not to scramble.
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Fellow UofI grad here - I matched to my top choice with a 2.5ish. UI's GPAs/grading system suck. There are typically more internship openings than applicants every year, so you will get something even if it's via scramble. Scrambling does not mean you weren't a good applicant, sometimes the algorithm just doesn't go your way. Even some of the most competitive programs end up in the scramble every year. You also get to actually choose your adventure in the scramble which is a bigger deal than people realize, you aren't forced to take an internship you don't want or feel sketchy about.

I will say that with you primarily applying to academic institutions with a low GPA...yeah that could mean higher chances of you scrambling. Idk if I would have made the same recommendation your mentor did. But again, that in no way means you won't end up with an internship this year. At this point you just see what happens and be ready to scramble that morning like everyone else.

I agree with not taking a year off and reapplying. If you know you want to specialize, or even have a decent feeling that you might want to, get the rotating over with. If I had to guess, I'd say very few people actually make it back into the specialty track after going to private practice.
 
Wondering if anyone has heard from Surgery Residencies?
 
Vetstudent3456 said:
Medicine residency checking in for offers for interviews?
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So far I've heard from Penn, Iowa state, Tennessee, UGA, Ohio state. Mizzou sent me an email saying they were reading through apps and would be sending out interview invites soon. I think some people have heard from Midwestern as well.
 
For SA rotating applicants, has anyone heard from Wisconsin, Illinois, Wheat Ridge, or Red Bank about scheduling interviews?
 
The UF Rotating Internship with ECC emphasis sent out a big email & an info sheet for the program. I am assuming they are sending it to everyone, but idk if they are even interviewing.
 
Hello all! Wondering if anyone has heard from any of these places - VCA Alameda East, Thrive North Scottsdale, Purdue, or Tufts?

Also wanted to see if anyone knows anything about Angell, I am hearing from a few clinicians it is not a good environment but then another said it was.

Additionally, I wanted to revisit a topic that was briefly discussed a few posts before this - if I DO NOT hear from a program that does interviews for invited applicants, should I expect that that is a no? Or should I still rank the program? One of these is one I externed at for four weeks, and I have talked with the intern director and overall believe that our interactions have been great and very positive, and got great feedback from the doctors I worked with, so I was wondering if they might not feel the need to interview me?

Finally, if I do not match anywhere, are all programs able to see my application packet if I decided to scramble? And can I go for any program, and not just the ones I applied for?

Thanks all for any input/advice/info, first time applying for SA rotating!
 
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Anyone here applying to zoo residencies this year?
 
Thank you all for the advice, I greatly appreciate it! I just needed to hear from other people that I need to scramble 🙂


Today I got an invite to interview at the University of Missouri and Veterinary Specialty Center (private practice in Bannockburn, IL) :3 makes me a bit more hopeful but, ofc, I'll make sure to be prepared to scramble! Thanks again, everyone!
 
Nephrite said:
For SA rotating applicants, has anyone heard from Wisconsin, Illinois, Wheat Ridge, or Red Bank about scheduling interviews?
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Red Bank you have to schedule yourself. in VIRMP they have the email address and date selections to send your preferences.
 
justdoingmybesttogetin said:
Additionally, I wanted to revisit a topic that was briefly discussed a few posts before this - if I DO NOT hear from a program that does interviews for invited applicants, should I expect that that is a no? Or should I still rank the program? One of these is one I externed at for four weeks, and I have talked with the intern director and overall believe that our interactions have been great and very positive, and got great feedback from the doctors I worked with, so I was wondering if they might not feel the need to interview me?
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This has been discussed fairly extensively throughout this thread. You have literally nothing to lose by ranking somewhere you want to go, regardless of whether you have heard from them or not.
 
justdoingmybesttogetin said:
should I expect that that is a no? Or should I still rank the program?

Finally, if I do not match anywhere, are all programs able to see my application packet if I decided to scramble? And can I go for any program, and not just the ones I applied for?

Thanks all for any input/advice/info, first time applying for SA rotating!
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Yes you should probably expect a no. But yes you should still rank them if you want to do there because there may still be a chance.

Like shorty and I have mentioned several times, if you don't rank them there's no way you'll possibly match there. If they decided they knew you well enough so they didn't bother interviewing you but they DID go ahead rank you, if you didn't rank them on your side because you didn't hear anything from them, you won't match there even if you were their #1 applicant and you've lost that opportunity. If you go ahead and rank them and they didn't rank you back, there's no 'punishment' or consequence for you, the system just moves on down your list and tries to match you to the next place down your list. Or maybe magic happens and you match. So even if it's a slim chance, you might as well rank them how you want them because you never know what a program is doing.


And yes, places can see the info for unmatched applicants after match day. You can reach out to or be contacted by any unmatched program.
If both you and a program you applied to/ranked go unmatched, that means they chose not to rank you initially...because if you both had each other on your respective lists, you should have matched. But places may reconsider their applicant pool and be willing to reconsider someone's packet, so no harm in reaching back out to places you applied if one has a spot unmatched. I'd say more commonly people are considering new programs though, but that's hard to quantify. That's what's harder about the scramble is you don't have as much time to research places and talk to folks, but it does give you choice to say no if you don't feel like its a good option.

Also, internships suck at baseline. So on one hand I'll say 'if there's smoke, there's fire' and be wary of bad reports because a lot is hidden or minimized, but also keep the greater picture in mind. I'm not saying we should tolerate poor treatment/abuse, but there is inherent suck to being an intern and you have to weed through to determine what is 'normal' and what is exploitative/abusive. And that's hard until you're in it and impressions vary person to person. Also programs can and do change over time...it's a much different world now than it was even 10 years ago when I was an intern. Even a year or two can drastically change a program, especially if there's new leadership.
 
Can anyone offer some insight into Cornell’s rotating internship program? I feel like it’s kind of a red flag that they won’t provide intern contacts and don’t have house officers posted on their hospital directory
 
Opposumsareawesome98 said:
(Let me know if I should put this in a different forum!)

I am not very positive about my chances in matching to a SA rotating internship this year - my GPA is low (I am definitely an average student), and I do not have research experience. I applied to 9/10 academic institutions and 1 private practice (my mentor suggested that I only apply to academic institutions so I have the chance to pursue research).

I may be interested in eventually specializing, but I also want to have financial independence as soon as possible. If I do not match this year, would it hurt my chances to eventually get into an academic rotating internship if I took a year off to work? My mentor told me I have to scramble, but tbh I don't know if I'm currently that motivated to "take a risk" if I don't match (if that makes sense). If I didn't scramble and worked for a year instead, is it hard to go back into academia? I am considering getting a masters in the meantime to boost my chances, but we'll see.

For further context, I am interested in Surgery (which is why my mentor told me to scramble) or ER - however, I do really like aspects of other specialties, so I did want to do a rotating internship to gain more experience/responsibility in each specialty to see how/if I fit. Additionally, I acknowledge that my GPA is going to hurt my chances of getting a surgery residency (or even an internship), but I am interested in a surgical internship and then go into practice if I can.

If anybody has experience taking a year off before a rotating internship, please let me know! I just want to see if this could be a backup plan before I decide whether or not to scramble.
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I'm a little late to the convo, but I would definitely recommend scrambling as it will be a lot harder to be competitive in the match going foward without an internship. My vet school grades were not good and I wasn't originally planning on specializing or doing an internship. Jump to the end of fourth year and I decided to do an internship to help me decide what I wanted to do... and I decided on surgery. I didn't have research experience and my grades weren't great so I knew I had a tough journey ahead of me. I'm now in my surgery residency 🙂

Going forward, you can't change your grades but you CAN help boost other parts of your application. Obviously reference letters are super important and lots of people are where they are because of who they know. Even if you end up in a private practice rotating internship where getting involved in research may challenging, even just writing a case report so you have something published looks better than nothing. If you can get some research done, presenting at the ACVS surgery summit or VOS conference looks good on a CV. Additionally, if your CE budget allows for it, attending an intro fracture course (like AO) also shows initiative.
I knew that most academic institutions were probably going to toss out my application based on grades alone. It sucked, but I worked to change what I could.
 
olivia0330 said:
Red Bank you have to schedule yourself. in VIRMP they have the email address and date selections to send your preferences.
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Is the self-scheduling option only for in-person interviews, or does it also apply to virtual interviews? The available dates appear to be for in-person interviews only, and I don’t see any information listed for virtual interviews.
olivia0330 said:
Red Bank you have to schedule yourself. in VIRMP they have the email address and date selections to send your preferences.
Click to expand...
 
Neuronerd18 said:
Is the self-scheduling option only for in-person interviews, or does it also apply to virtual interviews? The available dates appear to be for in-person interviews only, and I don’t see any information listed for virtual interviews.
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I would assume you still have to set it up by emailing them first.
 
justdoingmybesttogetin said:
Hello all! Wondering if anyone has heard from any of these places - VCA Alameda East, Thrive North Scottsdale, Purdue, or Tufts?

Also wanted to see if anyone knows anything about Angell, I am hearing from a few clinicians it is not a good environment but then another said it was.

Additionally, I wanted to revisit a topic that was briefly discussed a few posts before this - if I DO NOT hear from a program that does interviews for invited applicants, should I expect that that is a no? Or should I still rank the program? One of these is one I externed at for four weeks, and I have talked with the intern director and overall believe that our interactions have been great and very positive, and got great feedback from the doctors I worked with, so I was wondering if they might not feel the need to interview me?

Finally, if I do not match anywhere, are all programs able to see my application packet if I decided to scramble? And can I go for any program, and not just the ones I applied for?

Thanks all for any input/advice/info, first time applying for SA rotating!
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Not sure about the others but I have not yet heard from Alameda East!
 
justdoingmybesttogetin said:
Also wanted to see if anyone knows anything about Angell, I am hearing from a few clinicians it is not a good environment but then another said it was.
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You absolutely need to be having conversations with current interns to get the best/most up to date info here
 
theanomalywithflaxenhaire said:
Can someone explain how the scramble works?
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VIRMP gives programs a list of applicants who didn’t match. Applicants can see programs who still have openings that didn’t get filled. Craziness ensues as programs start going through the unmatched applicant list, reading app materials, and contacting people to offer them a position/sell their program. Simultaneously applicants are likely fielding calls and emails from programs but likely also reaching out to unmatched programs they’re interested in trying to get a position for themselves. You will have only a very short time to make a decision, but you’re free to accept or deny any position you’re offered in the scramble, you don’t have to take the position just because it’s offered to you. It’s a chaotic day where people are scrambling to find something, hence the name of “scramble”.

There isn’t really an official end or timeline to the scramble, but it starts essentially 8:01 match day. Most unmatched positions will get filled within a day or two. I was an intern at a private practice hospital and the intern director at my clinic always blocked off his appointment schedule the entire day on match day in case he needed to scramble and find someone for an unfilled position. Luckily the program usually didn’t need to scramble. If you’re a fourth year on rotations I’d be sure to tell your faculty what’s going on that day if you don’t match so you can give it attention.
 
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