Matched 2004!!

Congratulations to all those who have matched successfully!! I too have matched and will be counting the hours until March 18th. Question for Sciffee, isn't the "unmatched" info on the nrmp website unavailable to all those who did match??? Just curious. For all those who did not match, there is still time so keep your eyes and ears and minds open.

Congratulations to all that matched! Wow, it feels good! Will post credentials after the match, and after the beer, and the party and after another round of beer and party!!!

Great feeling! Lots of celebration going on. I wanted to reitterate my previous post from last week and ask all of us to try and refrain from scaring the hell out of the third years. Use some restraint and post something like "Step I >235" rather than "280". If you got a 280, first of all, don't talk to me, but secondly you are obviously smart and probably could have achieved the same result with a 230. Posting a bunch of high numbers just fuels the fire and gets the upcoming class freaked out about stats, which aren't everything. That being said, if you had a, uh, lower than average score, it might give some people a little extra hope so I won't get too pissed at you. That's my opinion, so you can obviously tell me to screw off. Best of luck to all and to those with trouble, keep your head up. It will all work out, and hell, you are still a doctor.

I disagree with busticate. Be honest and tell us your credentials. I would rather have a realistic expectation about the competitiveness of ortho than dumbed down numbers because someone didn't want to "freak me out." Of course, those with lower scores who matched can do a lot to boost the spirits of the current third years by posting their credentials, too.

I agree with Doc's assessment. Be honest be cruel to the 3rd years... you deserve it and congrats to those that matched. I was hoping that people could also add in where they rotated at for thier away rotations. Thanks.

gotta agree with Doc,
just be honest about your credentials (is anyone really that insecure/egotistical to inflate their credentials on an anonymous board anyway?!?). Also, when people post their post-match credentials, it will definitely be helpful to those following to cover the major parts of the application (ie USMLEs, research, +/- AOA, honors, etc., etc.) and be as thorough as possible without feeling like you may be giving away your anonimity. Just my 50 cents...
Skull

I understand your desire to see all of the numbers, as I was doing the same thing last year. Most of this is common sense. I will try to save you some time though:
1. If you can belive it, the higher your boards, the better. That being said, people on this board have matched with <200. I know people who were highly ranked/matched at places like HSS, Wash U, HJD with scores <230. I also have heard of people with scores >250 who haven't matched. In other words, look at your little USMLE slip. If it has a number that is higher than 182 (passing), then you can match. Yeah, if you have a higher number, it will probably help you get an interview, but does that change anything? Are you all of a sudden going to apply to 5 programs instead of 50 because you have a 245? No.
2. AOA helps. Seriously. But lots of people match without it.
3. Research - amazingly, it helps too. If you don't have it, try to get some. If you don't want to do it, you can still match.
4. Grades - these are obviously very useful. The more honors the better. People have matched at great places without honors in surgery.
5. Ortho rotation/clinical - this is the most important. You should probably try to do pretty well on this.
6. LOR - the more prestigious the writer, the better. The stronger the letter, the better. If your letter sucks, it is probably a reflection of #5.

Basically what I am trying to get at is that you are all smart and can figure this stuff out for yourselves. The more of the above that you can get, the better off you will be. If you are AOA, Step I 260, 5 pubs in ortho, Honors in all rotations, and got a LOR from the president of the AOA, you will probably get a lot of invites. That doesn't mean you will match. If you are AOA, Step I 260, 5 pubs, and the crappy letters because you slacked off, you will still get a few interviews but they will not be as strong. If you are not AOA, Step I 210, NO pubs, but ridiculous letters meaning that you rocked your rotations, then you will get interviews. So it would be useful if you fall lower on the spectrum to worry less about our scores on No. 1 and more about trying to attain better standing on #2-6.

My problem is not with listing things like +/- AOA, grades, research, LOR because those can SORT OF guide people (read: don't take as gospel)about expectations. But we get so hung up on board scores even though they really don't mean anything in the long run. I would love to hear somebody who is matching who can prove me wrong by saying that they had a 260 but nothing else and got all the interviews they wanted and matched at their No. 1, but chances are that they have some other stuff going for them. So, again, please don't get hung up on scores. I know the 3rd years out there want them, but all they will do is get you all worked up about whether you can match with a score of ___.

Again, my two cents. I am sure people will post their shit anyway.

I'll post my info.

Step I 300/99
Step II 300/99
Junior AOA
5 ortho publications in JBJS as first author
Awarded $5 mil NIH research grant starting in July
5 first degree relatives- all chairmen at different Ortho programs across the country
Professional Football player
Bench 1000 lbs.
Won worlds strongest man competition
Helped edit Rockwood & Green, and Campbell's
Developed the minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty technique as well as the DVR plate for distal radius fractures
Awarded Medal of Honor
Won Pulizer and Nobel Prize
Recently developed cold fusion
Signed middle east peace agreement as well as convince Osama to apologize and turn himself in.
Starred in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Recently asked by Bush and Kerry to run as their vice-president
Dating several playboy bunnies (not necessarily important for ortho)

STILL DID NOT MATCH ORTHO
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I recommend doing everything I did x 2

BRING ON THE REAL INFO. bring on the truth. screw that it might scare me or some people off, if you can't take the truth then maybe its not good to be on this website and find out what it takes to get into ortho.

i wish people could be even more specific. i have a feeling alot of people who are matching could be from top 50 schools, where as i am in a lower-tier school and would hope to know this. 3rd year grades
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some of ours are not so hot so it would be good to know how this really affects people. also it would be fair to mention if you have done extraordinary things - speaking from experience, you could have less than desirable scores but are an extraordinaire in something.

I'd have to agree with Busticate on some things. A lot of the stuff you can figure out for yourself. There is no magic number for boards, the higher the better. I've stated multiple times in the past that I only had one honor during third year (not in Medicine or Surgery), and I still matched. I had a good (not great) letter from a big name attending (let's say someone like the president of the academy or like rockwood big), yet I still didn't as many interviews as a lot of other people that I met on the trail. So there's no specific formula for matching in Ortho. You pretty much just have to decide whether Ortho is for you, and then go all out for it. Don't let the fact that you don't have >250 on Step 1, or that you're probably not gonna be AOA dissuade you. But decide for yourself if you're willing to put your all into it and whether you have a shot of matching. A good source is also your home school's program director or chairman. My school's chairman is not the program director, nor does he participate in the interview process, so he is always willing to talk to us and give us advice. I realize this is not the case at most places though.

However, when I was a third year, I did appreciate seeing the specific numbers and credentials of people who matched. For those third years out there, just sit tight. People (including me) WILL post their credentials after match day. Look at past posts titled Matched Credentials for now. Instead of having post after post of "give me specific numbers," just give us some time and people will post after match day when we're not sitting around wondering where we're gonna be for the next 5 years and things aren't as uncertain.

As far as matched applicants being from "top 50 med schools," I totally disagree. I do go to a "top 25 med school", but I met tons of people on the trail from a wide variety of med schools. I've seen the med schools of a lot of the residents at places where I interviewed, and it's all different. You're med school may make it easier for you to get some interviews, but in the end, it comes down to whether you're gonna be a good resident, and one of the best ways to tell is during away rotations because it gives programs a chance to see you, and when you're applying the LORs from those places shows other programs that people form other institutions also think that you're a strong applicant.

Shout out to all my future Ortho brethren and colleagues. Got the word that I matched and couldn't be more stoked! Congrats to everyone who did match yesterday...it's been a long a$s road and it's great to be where we are at. Best of luck to everyone on Match day...may everyone get a reasonable fit and one that best suits you. And remember to spill a little beer on thursday for our Ortho homies that did not match....best of luck next year or in whichever road you end up traveling. Peace!!!!

I agree with eta570. when i was applying i was unsatisfied with the credentials that matched applicants posted. i wanted more detail. i'll try to be as detailed as possible when i post my credentials and welcome any questions.

i am also curious where the nickname eta570 came from. can you tell me?

Does anyone know if programs find out who they've matched before we do? Just curious.

not sure if the "powers that be" at programs find out ahead of time.....but from what i've heard from residents they really don't know either until the list is released tomorrow

From NRMP match site Institutions and Programs section @


"On Wednesday at 2:00 PM eastern time of Match Week, the NRMP will post the Confidential Roster of Programs' Matched Applicants"

The Man knows right now, He just won't tell us. Nothing a few irish car bombs can't make you forget. Cheers! Brilliant!

Thanks for the post OT... that was news to me. Moreover, when I read on, I found more news unknown to me. On Friday, every program that ranked us knows where we matched.



On Wednesday at 2:00 PM eastern time of Match Week, the NRMP will post the Confidential Roster of Programs' Matched Applicants.

NOTE: This report is confidential and cannot be released until 1:00 PM eastern time on Match Day, the Thursday of Match Week. Please do not call or contact your matched applicants before that time. Applicants find out where they matched either at their school's Match Day ceremonies or on the web after 1:00 PM eastern time Thursday.

On the Friday after Match Day, institutional officials and program directors will have access to the Match Results by Ranked Applicant in the R3 System. Applicants are listed in the order of the program's rank order list. Displayed next to each applicant's name is the applicant's match status: the program to which the applicant matched, "unmatched," "withdrew" or "no ROL." The report helps program directors evaluate their programs. The policy of confidentiality, however, restricts the NRMP from releasing specific information about the ranking of programs by individual applicants.

yeah, I was in clinic with our chair today when he found out who we matched. He wouldn't tell us who we got, but was pleased. I really don't understand the delays the match makes students sit through. The computer algorithm can run in minutes and it makes zero sense to make people sit for a month wondering where they will be.