How many of you guys got first pick in the match????

I am just very curious to how many medical students got their first pick of residency locations through the match system???

If you did not get your first pick, did you get the second choice??? And, from what you guys have seen and heard, what gives you more leverage, if any in getting the residency of choice?



Looking forward to hearing from everyone!

[DCJenn]

My husband didn't go through the regular match because he's military and went to USUHS. He only had four choices as it was and got his third choice (my first choice though).



Jenn

[Amiens]

Matt is at the University of Washington doing an anesthesia residency, he is an R2. Matt didn't get his first choice, but now he is pretty glad that he didn't as he has learned that the Anesthesia program he is at is one of the best in the nation, and is learning this program is better suited for him that his first choice. Matt's first choice was Dartmouth, and Univ WA was his 3rd choice. The only reason Matt listed UW 3rd, was because he didn't want to live in a bigger city than Denver. Now that we are here, we think the layout and the traffic are better than Denver's.



And, from what you guys have seen and heard, what gives you more leverage, if any in getting the residency of choice?

Matt thinks it depends on the specialty, for example at Univ Colorado, they recommend to the med students interested in surgery to do lots of research, to do things to set them apart or make them unique from the rest of the applicants.



Crystal

We went outside of the match for residency as well...and the fellowship that my husband chose didn't go through the match....I wish that I could be of more help. The stories that I have heard have been pretty variable. I have heard of people whose programs promised them a spot and then they didn't match....other people match exactly where they want. You'll have to check back over the next week..as people get back from their vacations, I'm sure they'll be able to add their own stories to the mix!



Welcome to the group! If you get a chance, post an intro



Kris
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."
Douglas Adams

We got our first pick! So far, UC-Davis is very similar to U of Fla. (where Med School was done) so it seems to be a really good match so far. We basically just wanted out of the very conservative South. It was nice to find a program that offered all the same great qualities as U of Fla. but without the "good ole boys" mentality that still plagues the South.



I think something that gives you leverage is doing a rotation at one of the programs you are interested in. This way, the program gets to know you as well.



Oh yeah... what I think really helped? The program director here is a U of Fla. Gator Grad!! Us Gators tend to stick together!



=) Carey
Go Gators!

My hubby got his 2nd choice but we are very grateful for that. He made his first choice based on the prestige of the program and it paid better BUT he felt much more comfortable at his second choice so it worked out great for us.



I agree with Carey that doing a rotation at the program you are interested in would help. We didn't have that luxury so it was just having as strong of recommendations and doing the best that he could on the interview trail. After seeing where most of my husband's classmates ended up, it just all fit. I think most people go where they should be.



Robin

I wish that I could offer you some profound wisdom but I really think that it is completely unique for each person - dependent on specialty (obviously the more "popular" specialties are going to have more applicants meaning the chances of you getting your first choice are slim), where you apply to and how you "fit" their program (did you do a lot of research and are you applying to an academic program?), and how you did during the interview. There are just waaaaaaaaay too many factors that go into this that prevent me from saying hey, we got our first choice so I think most people did. I was hoping for our #2 and #3 choices and he got #1. While I don't think it's completely random - I wouldn't go out and buy a house where you *think* you're going to match!

I think I must second Claudia's opinion. My husband got his spot outside of the match as well (military).



Jennifer

[houseelf]

Hi Amy!



We are at our second choice. We thought that our first choice was an absolute "shoe in" because we knew that our second choice program REALLY wanted my hubby and it was much more prestigious than our first choice. We ranked our first choice merely because it was closer to family and friends. Lo and behold, we did not match at our first choice and moved several states away! All is well that ends well, however, and my dh is happier here.



Just be sure to that you know that you could match ANYWHERE on your list. In fact, if you interview at a program and hate it, you may not want to rank it at all. In some specialities, you would have a better shot at "scrambling" than just taking anything. Just a thought.



Kelly

We got our first pick and are really glad it worked out. Actually now (we're R4 as of this month, hooray!) I can't even remember the rank order we used, although at the time it was a topic we chewed to death. The match is such a weird and unpredictable beast, I agree with the person who said there are too many variables to try to understand how it works or what the results mean. Still, I suppose it's better than the old-boys-network that used to control the system before the match.

Actually, in many ways the "good old boys network" still exists in the match process - in fact, the modern match is just a refinement of that networking.



Jennifer