LAST FEW MONTHS BEFORE MATCH: SOME TIPS

By Mid-January, a major bulk of the residency interviews will be over. A few places may still trickle out a few interviews, but things are pretty much wrapping up for the final 'Rank-order-list' preparation meetings of the resident selection committees across the participating programs.

This post applies more to the candidates who have had interviews and now start the waiting game. Would not apply to the fortunate ones who pre-matched either into the programs they wanted or did not mind getting into, besides the unfortunate ones who did not land any interviews this time.


Nothing is sure about the match - ten interviews and more in a specialty may have a larger mathematical possibility, whereas a single great interview can still be game ! As for the prematches part, we did see in the 2005-2006 season how even a prematch is not a surety (Forest Park Residency Program shut down for financial reasons before the match - even after giving out prematches to IMGs!) ...not that I wanna scare anyone, just mentioned some facts.


"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure." - that was not me, it was Ophrah Winfrey who said so. She is surely right about the surety part, but we are not ready for 'let go' part yet...Not until the Rank-order-lists are finally submitted by the programs he he ;-)


Here are a few things to do to improve chances for those who have had interviews (especially the ones with few interviews):


1. Have you updated the programs about what you are doing lately ? It's a good time to right that with the new year wishes, if you have not already :-)


2. How about proposing to all your interviewed programs that you would not mind observing in the program for 2 to 4 weeks prior to the start date ?


3. If you have had interviews, starting any new US Clinical Experience or Research work now could still be of some help in improving your rating before the program directors submit their rank order lists.


4. If you are particularly very very very very keen on some program you interviewed at, you may ask for a second visit yourself (coz not all programs have a habit of giving out second-looks on their own)

5. A resident told me how he send personal paper greeting cards by post to all the programs that he had interviewed at, before February, thanking them again for the interview and expressing how badly he wanted to be with them - I leave that open to debate and personal choices, not commenting on that ....just mentioning !


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