2005 UN-MATCHED Credentials

I wasn't in the match so I can't give you the info you're looking for but I will say this- it's about way more than the numbers. Go over to the plastic surgery applicants website and you'll see this same question and there is no shortage of people with board scores>250 and publications, AOA, etc that didn't match. If you're a jerk, looking good on paper will only get you an interview but your personality determines where you are on the rank list. It may seem like knowing stats of people that did not make the cut would be really helpful but it will really only serve to discourage people that could match despite less than stellar numbers. And if you think about it, who's going to want to respond to this question? Probably some person who is especially bitter about not making it despite looking great on paper. Some dude that got 205 from a crappy school won't bother.

I agree, OOOboy, that no one will probably post thier unmatched stats. And yeah, unmatched people with great numbers might just discourage people from applying. I realize that it's not all about the numbers. I just think that the more information available, the better, and come what may. But you're right, very few will probably post, and that's fine.

Unfortunately some very nice people i know did not match either. hope i'm not a jerk, but here it goes cuz i wish i had known.

Mid-tier east-coast school
StepI- 250+
StepII-don't know
non-AOA
Offered 25 interviews
Took 15- Pitt, UCLA, Columbia, Case, Arizona, Mayo, UCI, Stanford, NYU-HJD, UCSD, etc
Mostly Honors
Research+
extracurriculars++

"Sorry, you did not match to any programs this year"

Advice to others:
-Would advise anyone with similar standings to interview at a wide range of programs, everything from community, low desirable location, to higher tier or highly desirable locations. Don't submit your rank list with only programs that are likely to be more difficulty to receive placement.

-Sometimes you may not want to be TOO honest (or mention) certain things during interviews. But DO NOT LIE ABOUT YOUR CREDENTIALS!! However, if someone asks you a silly questions like what kind of diet you have is - better to avoid saying you're a "diabetic vegan with a soy and gluten-free diet"... you're interview WILL be cut short.

-Try to get good boards scores. Yes, people with higher boards score get more interviews. If you see a 201 board score matching-yes maybe you can do it to-but that's not the rule. Many places have cut-offs at 230. Do more Sub-I's selectively if you're under this.

-Be careful of what the competitive orthopod community might consider a red flag, even if you don't think there are any in your app. Ex, if you are a pro-skier from Colorado, your app might get trashed at the big-city programs if your entire PS is on skiing.

-Personality is very important. But careful, just because your buddies say you've got an awesome personality doesn't mean the Ortho community is going to love you to.

-Don't believe what they tell you. "We want to have you in our program" doesn't mean anything until match day. I heard it 3-4 times and so have other unmatched applicants, even up to the point when ROLs are due.

This may sound easy and it's not. But then again, what the hell do I know anyways???
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As pointed out, people with great stats do not always match. I am sure serammik will match if he applies next year. The key is to find a program where you will "fit"..... He/she is to be commended for his willingness to post his story here. Best of luck for next time. I had a friend in a similar situation and he matched his second attempt.....

serammik was on the money for the most part...

i didn't match before, finally did....

my stats were good >230 on step 1, 2 top 20% class etc.... low tier midwest school....
research +
personality +/- ( no one is neutral toward me, but i swear i don't rub people the wrong way, too often)

what i have noticed though....

AOA- i wasn;t, but i haven't heard of any AOA people scrambling.

med school rep is huge... UNFORTUNATELY.. i have met too many tools from sweet schools, and was tired to having to tell people what state my medical school was in...

Away rotations... UNBELIEVABLY important at that place. Furthermore, when you tell someone where you did an away at, you know they are gonna read between the lines. If you do your aways at a community place, don't tell Joe Harvard during your interview that you wanna be an academic MD.

LETTERS. unfortunately very important. I would go with Rep over Quality. IT SUCKS>..

FIT THE MOLD... i hate that too... REALITY. Everyone is playing a game, not playing along will only hurt you.

Finally, all of the above mentioned BS Conjecture i have provided may or may not be truth... Still, i would put my money on it. Be aware that as people have been saying all year, numbers get you in the door, or keep you out, but cuts are made beyond this... I think some of the variables i mentioned are really helpful to be cognizant (sp).

Finally, Finally, i definitely argree with SEramikk about applying to a huge degree of stregnths of ortho programs. go on at least 5 interviews of what seems like weaker programs (there are no WEAK ortho programs).

Trust no Program Directors if they say they will match you. IF they ask you where they will be ranked by you. LIE. They shouldn't ask, but will.

All in all, though, i believe with stubborn perseverance, you will eventually get in... alot of my interviews, i impressed people with my disregard for cynacism, and ignorant supply of hope... it works eventually.

Hats off to serammik for posting. I had never intended to post my experience, but am compelled to now.

Mid-tier East coast school
Step I 256
Step II 245
Preclinical grades: 75% honors, rest HP and 1 pass.
Clinical grades: 3rd year all honors, 4th year all honors except 1 pass in
forensic pathology (who cares).
AOA+
Aways: Did two aways and got honors at each.
Research: 1 Ortho review article--published.
In 2003-4: Applied to 38, offered 18 interviews (Mayo, U Mich, Loyola, U Wisc, MCoW, Pitt, CWRU, U Minn, MCV, U Wash, UC Davis, UCLA, USC, UCLA Harbor, UCSD, Maricopa, U Nebraska) Went on 15. Ranked 14 (didn't rank UCLA).
...didn't match
Scrambled to Gen Surg prelim spot (some good posts on this site as to pros and cons of that versus research, etc).

Interviewed for 3 PGY2 spots during prelim year...didn't get any. One institution didn't offer its spots to anyone last I knew.

2004-5: Applied to 18 PGY1 spots, got 8 interviews (Mayo, U Wisc, MCoW, Loyola, UC Davis, OHSU, U Oklahoma, Pitt). Turned down UC Davis and Pitt (due mostly to internship scheduling problems...definite con of prelim year). Ranked 6.
...didn't match.

Happily scrambled to a top program in another specialty that I know I will be happy doing and with a great lifestyle and nice income. Hard to say if I feel bitter or not, mostly I'm just happy and relieved that it's over and I am moving on.

Some advice that I heard over and over throughout med school is "If you can see yourself doing anything else (besides surgery) and being happy, do it." It seems more true than ever to me at this point. Just the mere thought of a non-surgery lifestyle has done wonders for my outlook. Seems like a contradiction to some that I was very willing to match in ortho but talk like this. Fact is I would have been thrilled to match into ortho but inherent in that is certain tradeoffs one of which is a greater overall time commitment professionally. Perhaps among surgery specialties ortho is a relative 'lifestyle specialty,' but outside of that I don't think many would consider it that. Ortho is a great field and rivals any surgical field in terms of variety and 'cool cases.' But, after having done almost a year of general surgery I can also say it's pretty cool despite all of the denigration it receives on this site.

Why didn't I match? Not really sure. I've been down every road in terms of analyzing this one. Some will post that "you must be a tool" or freak or something. I guess that's for others to ultimately decide but as far as I'm concerned it doesn't stick. I remember in my pre match years of frequenting this site being judgemental of people who didn't match, or posted 'stupid' questions. Anyway, I think serammik makes many points I would second in terms of aways, numbers, etc. I am convinced that numbers are but a piece of the puzzle. 'Fit' (whatever that is) and connectedness (ie letters of rec and who they are from, what school you hail from, regionalism, etc) seem to be a large but unexpected (for many?) piece of the puzzle. Perhaps it's the 'glass ceiling' of ortho; ie no matter how good you are on paper and in the interview, if you don't have the complete package it doesn't matter. Maybe it's about the 'Kwan' Cuba Gooding shouts to Tom Cruise about in Jerry Maguire?

Please PM me if you want to know more or whatever. Those who didn't match and still can't see themselves doing anything else but ortho, best of luck to you. As you can see on this site it's obviously possible to match your second or even third time. To those who really like ortho but also can see themselves being happy elsewhere, be honest with yourself and think long and hard about your priorities in life. In the end, as someone astutely recently posted, it's just a job.

OF

Hey Orthofixation-

I'm happy for you that you found a career you'll be happy in- let me guess- is it anesthesiology?? That's probably what I would have done if I didn't do ortho. Anyway, your story is the type of horror story that kept me in fear of not matching for so long. It just goes to show that no one is safe in the ortho match- no matter what your grades, board scores, publications, AOA status or even the number of interviews you get. Like so many people have said before, no matter how good you think you are, it is still a very tough and random process. I would advise even the most confident applicants to apply (and interview) at a wide variety of programs- from the academic places with great reps to the community programs that no one has ever heard of. Luckily for me, everything worked out and I matched on my first try, but some of my friends were not so lucky. And the scary part is, I have no idea why they didn't match. Good luck to next year's group and to everyone who will be reapplying or looking for something else.