My (pre)-match experience.

[BellKicker]

Hi all.

I've been following SDN daily for years now and feel I have received invaluable advice. I'm a nervous guy and I've literally worried about matching for years. I always wondered how it would pan out - and now I know. It wasn't at all like I had imagined.

So I'm at this fancy big name university. I feel totally out of place, like my suit is cheaper looking that all the other suits and I don't small-talk nearly as well as the other candidates. Everyone's friendly to everyone but there's serious competition to talk to the PD, chair etc. The whole day culminates with just a few minutes with the chair and PD each. I feel like it's been a total waste; maybe they invited me by mistake

Then it turns out the chair used to be a competitive runner like myself. We talk about web-sites and a few running stars of the past. I rock that interview much to my surprise. The same thing happens with the PD interview.

Then everyone gets together to wrap up the day and ask a few final questions. The PD shows up, which we didn't think he would. He walks up to me and asks if he can talk to me for five minutes. Suddenly I've got 50 eyes looking at me, while I talk to the PD at a desk 20 feet from the others. It was weird. He offers me a pre-match.

This was my number 2 or 3 program so I decide to take the pre-match - and this is where the story gets crazy.

Back in my home-country, I'm sitting in my underwear after a 20 K run watching biathlon on Eurosport. A few hours earlier I wrote to all the other programs I interviewed with that I was pulling out of the match. The phone rings and it's the PD from my other number 2 or 3 program. I try to sound like PDs call me all the time, which I don't think I pulled off well. Anyway, he offers me a pre-match on the spot. He said they could do a phone interview but he was certain they would be able to offer a pre-match. He gives me a few days to think it over.

I open my e-mail. There are five other offers similar to the one I just got over the phone. "We would like to match the pre-mathc offer"... "You would have been ranked in our top 10, so we can offer you a position out of the match". And so on. Jesus Christ!

The only program I didn't write to was my number one choice. I don't know why I waited with that program. So I write to them and cake on the "I would much rather have mathced with you but I don't feel like I can afford to turn this offer down for a slim chance of mathcing with your great program". An hour later they write back. They don't offer the pre-match straight out but heavily hint at it. We move up my interview till three days later.

I ended up signing with them. That's not how I had pictured it over the years, that's for sure.

My application, in short:

Mediocre application. No real research, no publications, no awards, no volunteer work. I'm about average for a grad in my country, which makes me really old compared to US grads. LORs that I had largely written myself. One LOR from a US doctor, the others from my home country. Almost no clinical experience in the US. Probably a very good personal statement (that's what people told me at the interview). Very high USMLE scores (high 99s in both steps) and grades.

Looking back, it was all so much easier than I thought it would be.

Now I worry about intern year, of course.

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[leorl]

Bellkicker, really, CONGRATS. That's absolutely fantastic. From someone who's been on SDN for a few years now and viewed your posts and probably have had questions answered by you, it's wonderful to see a "friend" so successful! Have fun partying, and best of luck at your program!

 

[neilc]

you are the bomb. well done bellkicker! i hope to god something like that works out for me....

 

[Arb]

Congrats! I'm sure the 99s on the Steps had something to do with it as well . Are you going with a H1b visa?

 

[Miklos]

Congrats!

 

[f_w]

Congrats, what specialty was that in ?

If I remember it correctly from a prior thread, you are from one of the few overseas schools even the most ignorant US PD's will know instantly. And apparently you put some effort into your USMLE's. Looks like hard work does pay off once in a while.

 

[Santiago]

Congrats RT,

You are right about one thing. You worry way too much.

With those scores, you need not have.

I am really happy for you. Its been more than two years since we first corresponded and its very heartening to see you at this position now.

All the best for your future.

 

[BellKicker]

Thanks guys. I applied to FP, IM and Med/Peds and turned out to have one of each in my "imaginary" top 5.

Congrats RT,

You are right about one thing. You worry way too much.

Ha ha, the only person that calls me RT. I suppose the initials may work as a back-up when no one can pronounce R______. "That's cool, just call me Artie".

And yeah, I worry too much. I think you've told me that for years and of course you're right.

 

[Santiago]

Hi Artie,

Before this thread ends..

1) Take step 3 and get it out of the way. Its a joke. I am saying from my own xp.
2) Do keep in touch. We won't be that far off. Check my PM.

PS Do you remember Prabhu, he matched at William Beaumont at Royal Oak.

GL..

 

[BellKicker]

Good for Prabhu. It seems like ages ago we all first talked about Step 2 and matching.

Step 3........ Oh god, something else to worry about. I had planned on taking it next year, though. Would it be wiser to try to take it now?

 

[Santiago]

Yeah, absolutely.
Take step 3 now before your residency starts. Thats if you are in US.
Don't do anything. Just practice the CCS software for a few hours.
Even Prabhu got his score back two days ago. He got a 93, also without any prep.
You are fresh from Step 2 CK. It will be a breeze for you.
If you need any materials for it, just drop a line. i will send all the stuff I had as email attachments.
GL

 

[El Duderino]

Congratulations! I was eager to hear what was going on, very happy to hear that it worked out to the best, even though the road there seems to have been a little bumpy... One thing has me a tad confused, though. In your first post, you said that you accepted the first pre-match offer that was extended to you - once you've done that, can you reneg?

Is there a good on-line guide to how the pre-match thing actually works? It seems a little shady to me...

Again, very happy to hear things worked out!

 

[BellKicker]

I "accepted" it but didn't get to sign it. Actually I called the coordinator and asked her something like this: "Okay, so this is a 100% sure, right? I'm supposed to cancel all my other interviews now and start celebrating?" Her answer was that if it made me feel better I could keep interviewing till I had signed the contract. At the time of talking to her, that was not my plan but then the offers started rolling in (it still seems so weird that not one of the other programs had offered it to me earlier; I probably would have taken it). I wrote and apologized for flaking out on them and I'm sure they weren't too impressed with me.

The actual "pre-match" (for me, at least) was just a little piece of paper where it says the applicant will drop out of the match and so on. I signed that the morning after the interview but normally they just send it to you, I think.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Be careful about taking Step 3 early.

I hadn't realized this, but was reviewing my BF's application for a new state license (a state he's never lived or trained in) for a job after fellowship to start in July. So he's required to list when he took the USMLEs, Surgery Boards, etc. and low and behold there's a notation on the application for this state (Nevada) that Step 3 be taken only after 1 year of GME.

Not sure what happens if you took it earlier (ie, would they deny you a medical license) but its worth checking out as each state may have different policies (and its worth checking out states where you might even possibly be considering doing a fellowship or working after graduation - that is, if you are interested in staying rather than returning home).

 

[Winged Scapula]

BTW, great story. Thanks for posting it for others to see that it can happen.

 

[brumdoc]

Bellkicker,
Congratulations and thanks for sharing your amazing experience. I'm a British graduate aiming for the 2006 match. You mentioned that you were told that your personal statement was very good. Can you give us any tips on how to write a strong personal statement?
Thanks,
brumdoc

 

[f_w]

Anybody reading this should bear in mind that this situation is most likely to occur in IM/FP or maybe Peds.
In most other specialties, pre-match offers are exceedingly uncommon and only few candidates will be in the cush situation of a 'bidding war' of this type.