What is happening with match/non-match in Ortho?

[gryffindor]

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I read on the 2019 thread that some programs will only interview you if are only applying to match schools?

Can someone explain what happened in the last 12 years that caused lots of schools to drop out of match? Which schools dropped out? I recall the application cycles in the mid-2000s had like 3 schools that were not in the match. Orthodontists who had applied before me in the 1990s told me tales of top applicants holding multiple acceptances until the last date which is what pushed schools into going to the match format.

 

[Munks]

Hi Gryff, long time no see (maybe?). Basically, less traditionally competitive schools like Colorado, Jacksonville, Roseman, etc, found they have the best chances of filling all 15 of their slots by choosing applicants beforehand, so they don't have to worry about having unmatched positions. Or, arrogant schools like UCLA just want who they believed to be the top students, so they force these applicants to accept their offers prior to match.. because realistically, it's a huge gamble for the applicant to pass on a non-match offer, so 9/10 a person is going to accept a pre-match offer.. and the programs know this, despite it being unfair to the applicant. Then over the years some match programs felt like they were being jipped by the non-match ones being able to fill their spots quickly and with whomever they want, so they also dropped out of match (believe UCSF is one? probably others) to be able to cherry pick their applicants as well.

So now the opposite effect is happening, where now the remaining match schools (still the majority of programs) don't like how they have extended interview invites to say 40 people, only for 5-10 of them to accept non-match offers (which could be pre-interview, after, and heck even during). And the applicants don't like being forced into accepting pre-match offers to programs that they may not have ranked higher than others.

Realistically, I'm in favor of the match, because it inherently favors the applicants. On both fronts, like you said, you don't have applicants holding onto multiple applications at once, but also it means that you don't have non-match programs cherry picking their applicants before the match date.

A lot of people don't understand how the match works, including some program directors. But overall, match is a good thing for applicants, and it's good to see match programs start to put their foot down. *Although it does definitely suck for current applicants that may want to get into both a match and non-match program.. but ultimately, the non-match programs are the ones to blame for it.

 

[gryffindor]

Thanks @Munks. I'm too far removed from the academic world to have much to contribute anymore. The former OEC schools were non-match from the start, but they also had the 7 year work contracts attached to an acceptance so at the time it wasn't exactly the same as an acceptance from a "traditional" school. I didn't realize these schools didn't join the match once the contract thing went away. That's a lot of non-match spots then.