Black Monday 2009

Congratulations. Hope all of you that match (and those who did not) will find the time to start a new thread on Thursday about Scores, Schools ranked, and other experiences that can give some of us a realistic picture of our likely chances next year. Again congratulations to everyone.

I too would like to congratulate all those that matched and all those that did not, my strongest support. It sucks, but it is fleeting.

I did not match last year and matched this year.

I agree with the above poster about finding where you can improve your application.

I too decided on research, which is what was recommended to be my the majority of attendings I talked to.

You could go either way they said, but doing research, and postponing graduation by a year if you can, will open up a couple more doors.

The keys for picking a research spot are below:
1) Go somewhere where the people you work for will become your advocates. Find someone that will make calls, write an LOR, etc. and know what your goals are (to match into Ortho next year)

2) Find somewhere where you can at least get a poster to show on your interviews. There is not a lot of time between June and when the next application cycle starts, so make sure you can get something on your CV like a poster at ORS, etc.

The best projects are those by fellows or other lab members that have already had all of the basic planning out of the way and will yield results sooner rather than later.

3) Don't give up. Lots of people don't match the first time around. I heard it last year too, and it didn't make me feel any better, but things will work out.

I will add anything else I can think of but PM me in the meantime if you need some personal advice.

I am a first time applicant this year and I did not match. Your post helped me out today. Thank you. I have no research to my name so I think I am going to go that route as well. If there is any further advice you have for people like me let me know please!

Thanks again
Drew

Ditto. Are these research years you all did salaried positions, or did you just hook up with an ortho dept? I'm trying to decide whether I should hold out from scrambling tomorrow and look for a research spot. I don't have any research on my application. Thanks in advance for any advice, and congrats to those who did match.

Hey everybody,

Found out I didn't match this morning. I had a very strong application with >260 Step 1/Step 2 so I was very surprised. I'm leaning towards doing a general surgery prelim year and then re-applying next year. I have three publications currently as well as some other projects that I have worked on. Is there any huge disadvantage to going the gen surg prelim route? I really feel like I'm ready to get out onto the floors to start working at this point as opposed to doing research all year.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Its a tricky situation, with no right answer. In my mind I saw no advantage to doing a prelim year bc I didn’t feel like g-surg LOR were really going to help my cause. But people do match taking that route. With a research at least you are completely surrounded by people in orthopedics. You can get extremely strong LOR saying they have worked closely with you. They will be more likely to make calls and accept you into their own program. I was told many times during all my interviews that the research track was the right way to go. It shows dedication to ortho and you learn a lot along the way.

With your scores and pubs it was probably a total fluke you didn’t match. I know it doesn’t help, but I believe you will match either way next year. That's what I was told over and over again. You got completely screwed!!!So sorry!!!

Pm with any q's

Your chances are equal either way. Go with what you think will help you most.

I also agree that you can go either way. If you can put up with a year of research, though, I would do it.

I already had my name on 3 publications and still did research and it still helped.

The advantage of research is that you can focus on your apps again and will have time for interviews. I think its harder to get to interviews as an intern. Plus you are surrounded by ortho people rather than gen surg people.

But people match a second time for either route, so go with what will make you happy. You'll be able to talk about how your application is stronger the next time around with more passion. And they will ask you that at interviews.

Make the choice that you believe in, and if ortho is all you want to do, go for it. Most student affairs offices don't understand the ortho world and most ortho departments don't really care about you during the scramble period, so go with what your heart tells you to do!

I also got the bad news today that I did not match. However, my Step I score is only a 225, good grades, limited non-ortho research. Seeing as I can't change this, would you still recommend a research year?

Just wondering if I should give up on my dream and just settle for anything in the scramble at this point.

Bummer

Hey guys,

I also didn't match the first time around and I am very happy to say that I did match this year! I did a general surgery prelim year and actually all the people at my program recommended that over a research year. First of all it allows you to get to know that program really well (thus increasing your odds of matching there). Secondly it opens the door to PGY2 spots if they open up (though they are elusive).

Only you can know what the deficits are in your application and thus what is best for you.

If you do decide to do a prelim year these are my recommendations (and I had 25 interview offers so I think what I did worked out well):

1. get out of your region, most programs primarily have connections in that one area, so if you stay in that area then you are not making new connections. Personally I would also avoid the coasts as they tend to be more competitive. Additionally areas like the South (both east and west) and Midwest often tend to interview primarily applicants from that area because they think people from the coasts won't want to go there.

2. Call the ortho program at that school, find out if they have ever taken a prelim. If they haven't then that may not be a good choice. Often programs that have taken a prelim before like them because we start off with more experience (and work super hard cause we want to prove ourselves).

3. Ideally try and find a program that may be expanding next year because you can get that second year spot.

4. Make sure you get something in writing from the general surgery people that they will provide you with all the requirements for an ortho PGY1 year. And that they will give you time off for interviews. Make sure that they are aware of how many interviews that is going to be (be respectful email your upper levels far in advance so that they know this is going to happen and that you don't want to be a douche bag but you have to do it). Mine did, I met a lot of people that got screwed by their programs.

5. I did a mini sub-I in April last year after I didn't match. I just called around to programs to see if they would be amenable to me going there for a week or two. Most were. Most totally respected me for getting back on the ball so quickly. Don't do it if you can't muster up a good attitude.

6. Do a mini sub-I with your vacation time during your intern year. Same reasons as #5

7. Do research during your intern year. Contact the ortho peeps right away to set that up now! If you can get published during your intern year while doing gen surg you look like a stud.

8. No matter what contact the ortho peeps at that program right off the bat. Get in as much face time as possible. Take extra call with them. ABSOLUTELY get a letter of recommendation from them. Try to get this rotation in September, that is early enough that you can get a letter. But late enough that you have a fair amount of experience.

9. Work hard on every rotation. General Surgery and ortho people talk, you want them saying good things, not bad things.

Hope this helps.

Michelle

263 on Step I. Honors in everything! 4 Aways. 26 interviews. In the hole $20,000, and I DIDN"T MATCH!!
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This sucks. What do I do now?? Prelim year? Research? ARRGGHH. Why didn't I match? Upon reflection, I must be just a giant douche.

Hey guys, keep your head up. I know this will be little consolation today, but you will turn out OK. Today's numbers game didn't change who you are or your orthopaedic destiny, it's just a reflection of others' perceptions. Whether you decide to do a prelim or research, just keep your eye on the prize, work your @$$ off, and work on managing those perceptions.

That all sounds like a bunch of fluff, so here's something of substance: I heard through the grapevine that Kentucky will add another spot that will be filled outside the match, so keep your ear on the ground.

Good luck fellas!

Hey y'all.. I am in a similar situation.. great scores, the whole 9.. and uhhhh?

It makes me want to cry.. well, in fact, I already did. Just trying to figure out what's going on.

My world has been turned upside down.

I got a 269 on Step 1, 273 on Step 2, AOA, 3 first author JBJS pubs, #1 in my class in grades, bench press, and hog size. And I didn't match! This is some serious BS.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

just blame it on the a-a-a-a-alcohol.

It's been a rough day for a lot of super-qualified guys and gals... please keep the BS posts to a minimum (on this thread). If you matched and are celebrating, drink loudly and type softly.

Where did some of you guys do aways and end up getting interviews at. Just seems though a lot of you slipped through the cracks or a lot of people wanted ortho that had awesome stats, any red flags other than the research for some that came up at all?

I went on 11 interviews out of 30 applications. Interviewed at places like Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, Pitt, Case, etc. Not aware of any red flags in my app (except a mediocre grade in OB/Gyn). In fact, was told it was a very strong app with strong letters at several interviews. Received several phone calls from a program saying that they were going to rank me highly. In the end, I probably just managed to slip through the cracks somehow. Trying to decide now whether to do research or a prelim surg year and then I get to go through this whole process again next year.

Also, probably should have applied to more programs, but I thought my application was pretty damn strong and so did my advisors.

Wow dude!!!! Wow!!! That is all I can say. Good luck next time.