SOAP 2020 Thread

Webinar on May 21: Transitioning to Residency
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gabroojawan said:
People saying COVID-19 is slowing things down. That makes NO sense. lol
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There were people asking why the match and soap were not postponed...
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Haris11206 said:
Guys Im a DO student and losing a lot of hope. @theosteoblasts would love your advice. So I applied IM had 7 IV's but due to a delayed Comlex Level 2-CE (STEP 2 CK Equivalent) due to a family medical emergency I did not have an exam score prior to the ranking deadline. I ended up taking the exam in February wierd enough it was voided because of a testing site issue but luckily found an exam date within a week and got a 585. I have a complete application for the SOAP 453/585 Level 2: PE Pass. Step 1: 219. No failures just one dumb void score, even have 2 publications I haven't gotten even a call just spam. Anyone with any advice I applied mostly IM in soap to a few reasonably competitive programs, some DO mostly programs other than that 4-5 FM but really really confused. would love to hear someone's input
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It looks like you definitely have the stats for a solid residency. Did you use up all 45 applications? If not, do that as quickly as possible in the earliest round you can.

Just remember that even if you don't find a program through SOAP that it isnt the end of the world. I'll divided my post for what you do POST-SOAP and for what you should do if that doesn't work out:

A. I actually called a friend from last year to get his advice for POST-SOAP if I had to do it this year. Last year he had to SOAP and did not find a position but ended up getting a surgery prelim afterward (he is a gen surg PGY1 now). Here it is below:

1) Check the unfilled programs list on the NRMP. You can contact them all. I don't know how commited you are to IM but go all out if you can or go for the prelims(med/surg) if nothing else is possible.

2) Call/Email everyone. Keep a spreadsheet or a list of the programs you contacted The best way to say it is to express your interest, ask them how you can apply for them, and thank them for their time. Simple formula.

3) If at this point they get back to you that they are interested great. If not, you have to keep at it and use those websites like Frieda who tell you when new spots open up. There might be a tragic issue for residencies to deal with FMGS and their visas in this political/pandemic climate so residencies will open up before June. Just a matter of being in the hunt.



B. If you have no luck, remember its not the end of your path. There are many ways to improve your application if need be as well as the type of program you apply to. Would you be opposed to IM at a community hospital?

Your stats are good and through an unfortunate circumstance you got held up in the ranking order. I think as long as you end up doing something in an off year that is clinically oriented you can reapply to many programs(to be safe) and get interviews. Practicing ways to improve your interview technique will also help here.


Just keep the faith.
 
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Ogbuefi said:
What do you think about prelim programs? I'm 7YOG with 240s and a visa requirement. I know a prelim program is almost a dead-end but there isn't much else I qualify for. Looking at the SOAP programs, I can see many IMG-friendly NYC programs with prelim vacancies in internal medicine; including some i interviewed at. Is it worth it to try to get a prelim spot and work hard for a categorical next year? What are the odds? I'm trying to know whether to roll the dice one last time or just pursue a new career
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The odds are going to be difficult if you've been out of school for 7 years. It's true that most prelim surgery spots are dead-ends, but they still provide the opportunity to get a year of training with the potential for becoming licensed.
 
Maxultimate said:
Quick question guys, with regards to the SOAP process, does not getting a call or email equate to no possible offers for someone that applied to Internal medicine and IM-combined, Neurology and Family medicine (all categorical) or do programs extend offers to applicants without reaching out to them prior to the offer rounds?

I applied to only IM programs during the main app season (Less than 140 programs total but 115 programs at the start between September to November/December of last year (2019).
Non-US IMG (Low-tier Caribbean School)
YOG: 2018
Step 1: 235+(first attempt)
Step 2ck: 235+ (first attempt)
Step 2CS: Pass(second attempt)>>Red flag....
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Due to programs getting hit with 3,000+ applications for their 5 to 15 spots. The first thing many programs do is eliminate anyone who failed any USMLE exam, and anyone with a step 1 below a certain point value. They're seeing the CS failure and moving on most likely.
 
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Any IMG getting interview calls ?
Also is there any possibility that they offer positions without an IV esp when an applicant is an IMG?
 
Haris11206 said:
Guys Im a DO student and losing a lot of hope. @theosteoblasts would love your advice. So I applied IM had 7 IV's but due to a delayed Comlex Level 2-CE (STEP 2 CK Equivalent) due to a family medical emergency I did not have an exam score prior to the ranking deadline. I ended up taking the exam in February wierd enough it was voided because of a testing site issue but luckily found an exam date within a week and got a 585. I have a complete application for the SOAP 453/585 Level 2: PE Pass. Step 1: 219. No failures just one dumb void score, even have 2 publications I haven't gotten even a call just spam. Anyone with any advice I applied mostly IM in soap to a few reasonably competitive programs, some DO mostly programs other than that 4-5 FM but really really confused. would love to hear someone's input
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You probably did not match because almost all programs don't rank w/o CK. However, it's strange that programs have not reached out to you yet for the SOAP...

If you don't match this year, apply to at least 100 IM or FM programs next cycle. You most likely will match with no issue...
 
I was in the scramble last year and got 8 calls and this year (unfortunately here again after gambling) and have gotten zero calls. No red flags with all good stats. Is it because I graduated last year? That's messed up.
 
Ironheme said:
Have any programs reached out to you? If not, it's not looking great at this point, as most of the calls/contact would have been yesterday and today. The late scores would hurt you but not be a killer as an AMG. 7 Interviews mean you look good on paper but you the fact you're soaping means you didn't impress in person as much. It's possible that you ended up in the middle of a rank list at multiple places or did not rank at all. Did any of the places you applied to end up soaping for spots? If yes, that means you ended up on a DNR (do not rank) list. Realistically, I'd be looking at your interview skills and have someone you trust to give you brutally honest feedback. Have your ducks in a row next year, beef up your application, apply broadly next year and you should be fine. Figure out IM or FM, and if you decide to apply to both, make sure you tailor your FM app to FM.
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I can understand that this is an extremely anxiety provoking time for all of you who have not gotten a position as of yet. However, please be reminded that we are also in a never before seen type of national emergency as well, were as providers we are navigating strange waters, the healthcare system is benig stressed to the extreme, we are learning as providers how to deal with the pandemic of corona virus, many patients are being affected, and i have no doubt that next year positions are not at the top of the list for many PDs/programs.

While it might be a priority for all of you, it likely is not for them. Doesn't mean you won't get a spot, just the process is slow and likely delayed. Hang in there. Try to not lose your mind (I know easier said than done!)
 
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Brudz said:
YOG 2012; 228, 233, CS Pass (2nd
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ARDS987 said:
US DO, previous applied to categorical IM.

Is it bad if I haven't received any e-mails and phone calls yet for SOAP programs? Submitted all 45 SOAP apps at 3pm EST yesterday.
Half to FM, and half to a mix of IM and prelim. step 1 ~230, step 2 ~ 220 , passed PE after failing

I'm extremely anxious about all of this.
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Piebaldi said:
I can understand that this is an extremely anxiety provoking time for all of you who have not gotten a position as of yet. However, please be reminded that we are also in a never before seen type of national emergency as well, were as providers we are navigating strange waters, the healthcare system is benig stressed to the extreme, we are learning as providers how to deal with the pandemic of corona virus, many patients are being affected, and i have no doubt that next year positions are not at the top of the list for many PDs/programs.

While it might be a priority for all of you, it likely is not for them. Doesn't mean you won't get a spot, just the process is slow and likely delayed. Hang in there. Try to not lose your mind (I know easier said than done!)
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very well said. It is indeed very immature of us who selfishly want to have the opportunity to be part of the healthcare system that is swarmed in and overwhelmed right now. I am sure a lot of us also feel helpless despite the national medical emergency, us qualified doctors are not getting the opportunity to serve when the country needs us the most.
 
Maxultimate said:
Big no!..
Unless there are multiple offers to choose from, which is less likely for a non-US IMG like me lol
As a matter of fact, my fingers are on stand by for anything that enters my "offers" section:)
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samac said:
It does make a little since. A lot of people are not congregating to review applications like they would normally.
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Not to mention program directors (the people SOAP candidates are hoping to hear from) are in meetings trying to determine what to do with their residents who are either doing telehealth or are on the front lines.

Good luck to you all. Hope you get something you like!
 
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Ironheme said:
Have any programs reached out to you? If not, it's not looking great at this point, as most of the calls/contact would have been yesterday and today. The late scores would hurt you but not be a killer as an AMG. 7 Interviews mean you look good on paper but you the fact you're soaping means you didn't impress in person as much.
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Actually, many places will not rank you without a Step 2 score. My guess is that's what happened to this poster. You likely weren't ranked by the 7 places you interviewed and now it's SOAP time in the middle of a pandemic and things are slow.
 
Mass Effect said:
Actually, many places will not rank you without a Step 2 score. My guess is that's what happened to this poster. You likely weren't ranked by the 7 places you interviewed and now it's SOAP time in the middle of a pandemic and things are slow.
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Well particularly for anyone who needs an advanced position, clearly that's well over a year in advance (1.5 years?), so in the midst of a pandemic, it's highly unlikely that PDs are going to worry about that currently. It sucks for sure, but when most PDs are trying to figure out even what to do with their own current residents, it's not going to be a top priority, not to mention with the uncertainty of the pandemic,etc.

Additionally it's a mess as someone pointed out, and it's sooo unclear whether IMGs/FMGs who may have matched and might nto be able to make it - if borders continue being closed and no one is allowed into the country from Europe, Middle East, South/Central America that might mean that foreign grads that were meant to start in July might not - and that might in andout of itself open up spots. And it's unclear whether things will improve in the next few weeks, with cases dropping as they have in China, or things continue to worsen. Uncertain times for sure.
 
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Good Luck to you all. 15 mins more for round 1 to start( as a reminder for those who are not in EST).
 
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Listen2Savage said:
i know people say dont trust anyone but can I assume ill have an offer on Wednesday?
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The email you received doesn't guarantee anything. But it;s possible.

Listen2Savage said:
i thought there were always surg prelims that go unfilled, even after scramble
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Most of the prelim surgery spots are filled by the end of SOAP. I think there are some stats on this, which I will hunt for.
Maxultimate said:
Quick question guys, if we don't get a call or email today, does that necessarily equate to no possible offers on Wednesday and Thursday or do programs extend offers during the rounds without interviewing or reaching out to applicants?

Any input will be much appreciated
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There are rare reports of people getting offers without any communication. But it's super rare.
 
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That surgical prelims getting filled makes sense. I’m guessing part of the goal on the part of the programs is to just get them filled.

Opposed to categorical spots where the resident will be there significantly longer. When I scrambled into my advanced spot back in the day, I had to actually go for an in person interview at the program ( I believe end of April). I didn’t get a call from the PD with my offer until the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend. So that was over a 2 month wait.
 
aProgDirector said:
The email you received doesn't guarantee anything. But it;s possible.


Most of the prelim surgery spots are filled by the end of SOAP. I think there are some stats on this, which I will hunt for.

There are rare reports of people getting offers without any communication. But it's super rare.
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I am waiting for the miracle now
 
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Mr. Smith_Jones said:
I am waiting for the miracle now
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Given that the world is in shambles, people are losing their jobs, clinics are closing, med students are staying home, residents are being shifted to work whenever/wherever needed, I think many PDs might opt to hold at this time. I could be wrong but just so that you have reasonable expectations.
A lot sucks right now.
For us for example, our clinic schedule today has shifted down dramatically.
Our oral boards that were schedueld for May have been changed to Sept. Lots of change.
So hold on tight kids. We might be in for a bumpy ride.

I am praying and hoping that once the warmer weather comes, this virus issue will decrease and things particularly with the summer months go more back to normal. We will see.
 
Do you guys know anyone who quit medicine after multiple match attempts ?
 
1584547422656.png


Last year, 559 open prelim GS spots, 430 were filled in SOAP.
 
Is anyone applying for any SOAP IM programs in Texas? Any calls?
 
dr.emelian said:
Do you guys know anyone who quit medicine after multiple match attempts ?
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different people do different things. don't lose your mind just yet. i'm sure we have seen different people do different things in all sorts of ways. it's irerlevant to you or what you will do - just hang in there, it's tough for everyone right now. lots of uncertainties, chaos confusion.
 
Regarding leaving medicine: I have seen people leave, transfer, change career direction... Just about every option. Everyone has had some type of regret if they were concerned by the "what if I had...?"
You can't control the past, just own the present and craft your future as best as possible.
 
I used all my 45 applications in the first round. No contact. Does that mean I am done for this year?
 
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Mr. Smith_Jones said:
I used all my 45 applications in the first round. No contact. Does that mean I am done for this year?
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No even after the soap, there are programs still infilled. We can also reach out to PDs regardless of NRMP wesbsite.
 
wysdoc said:
Review the timetable and rules:
I believe you are free to contact the remaining unmatched programs yourself only after 11 AM ET on Thursday
SOAP 2020 information
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Yep, we received a 1-hour online lecture that essentially said that: You or your proxies can only contact programs after SOAP ends which is on Thursday after 3rd round (11AM). Though you will need to know which programs are still unfilled which only happens around 3PM on Thursday.

The school even warned us that even then this list NRMP sends out might not be reflective of the realities. Programs still need cool-down time to work all their moving part. This is even more so this year as residencies need to work in the middle of pandemic
 
Don't lose hope guys! Got an offer in round 1 and accepted.
 
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Don't give up the fight people! Just accepted a round 1 offer a while ago.
 
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I am so sorry that you guys have to go through all of these during this chaotic time!!! My heart goes to all of you! For those who just got a position, congrats! For those who have not, please don't lose hope yet. There are still round 2 and 3 and then scramble and then next year.

Also this may be cold comfort to you guys right now! But this year might be the year that scramble might be viable! Programs are being overwhelmed right now with the pandemic that they might not give this process their all. This, however, is my speculation.

Though I have been in talk with my seniors and chief residents, they all mentioned that due to the pandemic the PDs at home programs are really worried about their rank list. Many of them have ranked Non-US IMG and it is possible that they might not get their visa on-time due to what's going on. So, positions might be on the offer again when the time coms. This is especially true for Internal medicine traditionally have many non-US IMG. So, for USIMG and AMG, there are still many things to look forward.

Regardless, I wish you all the best! You are all brilliant people; you were just dealt a horrible deck!
 
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Lilyhopeless said:
I am so sorry that you guys have to go through all of these during this chaotic time!!! My heart goes to all of you! For those who just got a position, congrats! For those who have not, please don't lose hope yet. There are still round 2 and 3 and then scramble and then next year.

Also this may be cold comfort to you guys right now! But this year might be the year that scramble might be viable! Programs are being overwhelmed right now with the pandemic that they might not give this process their all. This, however, is my speculation.

Though I have been in talk with my seniors and chief residents, they all mentioned that due to the pandemic the PDs at home programs are really worried about their rank list. Many of them have ranked Non-US IMG and it is possible that they might not get their visa on-time due to what's going on. So, positions might be on the offer again when the time coms. This is especially true for Internal medicine traditionally have many non-US IMG. So, for USIMG and AMG, there are still many things to look forward.

Regardless, I wish you all the best! You are all brilliant people; you were just dealt a horrible deck!
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Yeah, if travel restrictions and visa office closures run for over 1 month, there might be hundreds or even thousands of spots opening up for US-IMG and AMGs who don't need visa sponsorship as the CDC is already predicting this to last till August last I saw a news article this morning.

So don't lose hope if you fit into that category.
 
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Do we apply to the unfilled spots tomorrow through myeras if i do not have a spot secured by tomorrow?
 
That's a lot of spots left open even after round 1 in IM-C. I am kind of surprised.
 
vibrantcascade said:
Yeah, if travel restrictions and visa office closures run for over 1 month, there might be hundreds or even thousands of spots opening up for US-IMG and AMGs who don't need visa sponsorship as the CDC is already predicting this to last till August last I saw a news article this morning.

So don't lose hope if you fit into that category.
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If visa office closures run over a month, what will happen even to all applicants who need visa and are in the US?

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