Monday, March 15 starts Match Week 2021. For a comprehensive review of events, see the calendar here. Of note, SOAP starts at 11am EST and ends on March 18 at 3pm EST. On Friday, March 19 at noon EST, applicant Match results are available.
SOAP is somewhat complicated, so if you have questions about the process, make sure you read about it.
I’m wishing everyone good luck in the Match. If you are a current residency client, please email me with your results!
I’ve recently received some email asking about how Match rank order lists should be affected by positive feedback applicants receive from interviewers and/or program directors. The answer is not at all. Because of the way the Match algorithm works, what programs think of you should have zero bearing on how you make your rank order list. See this recent blog that covers mistakes to avoid when making your list.
It’s really impossible to know about the program’s interest in you anyway. Even if a program tells you straight up that you will be ranked to Match, that isn’t a promise. I’ve known applicants who were “promised” a ranking to Match that never happened.
Bottom line: It doesn’t matter what the programs think of you; it’s all about what you want. Here’s a good video about the Match algorithm if you’d like to understand the process more granularly.
The ECFMG® recently published 2019 Match statistics for International Medical Graduates (IMGs). In the 2019 Match, only 59.0% of U.S. citizen IMG participants were matched to first-year positions. Of those IMG participants who were not U.S. citizens, only 58.6% obtained first-year positions (Source: ECFMG®) While the percentage of IMGs matching was slightly better than last year, IMGs still face large challenges in the residency application process despite the US physician shortage.
For those first-, second-, and third-year medical students who are trying to pick a specialty, remember to start with the facts: The NRMP published Charting Outcomes of the Match to give applicants an idea of what characteristics successful 2018 Main Residency Match candidates had. While sobering (the mean Step 2 score for successful radiology U.S. senior applicants was 249), the information is valuable as you approach the decision-making process.
If you’re just starting medical school, you can strategically plan your candidacy for success. If you’re more senior, you can decide whether you have the characteristics necessary to pursue a successful Match process.
In their publication Impact of Length of Rank Order List on Main Residency Match Outcome:2002-2018, the NRMP reports that matched applicants consistently have longer rank order lists than unmatched applicants.
What that means to those approaching the residency application process is that candidates should throw a wide net in choosing programs at which to apply. Of course, there is a financial cost to this strategy, and that expense needs to be balanced. However, if you can afford it, starting out with more options usually will provide more opportunities to interview and thus, the ability to create a longer rank order list.
To create a plan for your residency candidacy, secure a Strategy Session with me here.
Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital. She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more
