Match Explanation

I think that I need to explain this whole matching process. It is kind of crazy, so stick with me.

First, each med student chooses a specialty. Some choose two (like a fall back one). Once they have chosen a specialty (for Josh it is radiology) they then have to apply for programs at either a community program (ie: hospital) or a university program (ie: University of Washington).

They fill out TONS of paperwork (or in Josh's case, I fill out tons of paperwork), write a personal statement, prepare a CV (a lot like a resume), get their transcripts, and ask for around 5 letters of recommendation from professors/doctors. They upload everything into an Internet database that each program can access and download their information. This part is very convenient. I can only imagine how annoying it would be to mail everything to every program. Horrid.

Okay, so once the programs that Josh applied to downloads his information, we just wait. They review and decide if the applicant (Josh) would fit their program. They then offer an interview or write a short (and often blunt) rejection letter.

If the program wants to interview Josh, that is a good thing. Any program that he interview at, he can rank. Now ranking is where this all gets very complicated.

So far Josh has nine interviews, so he can rank nine programs. Basically, he will make a list of where he wants to go based on lots of factors (that is another subject). At the same time that Josh is ranking programs, the programs are ranking the med students that they interviewed.

One one random day in March, all of this information is entered into a super-computer on a remote island (okay, I made that up). The computer matches each student with a program based on how it was ranked by the student.

Example: Josh ranks Virgina Mason number one and Rochester General Hospital number two. If Virgina Mason does not want Josh, they will not rank him, thus the computer by-passes Josh's choice for VM (since he did not make their list) and automatically goes to his second choice, RGH. If RGH ranks Josh, the computing is done and Josh is sent to beautiful Rochester, NY where his wife promptly purchases a beautiful house with five bedrooms and three bathrooms and a large yard. Levi and Claire then get a dog.

The weird thing is that EVERY medical student in the country get their marching orders on the same day, at the same time. Since we are west coast time, ours are around 1 in the afternoon. They all head to some dark office and are handed an envelope with their assignments inside.

I suppose this is useful, as he is guaranteed a job after med school... I have these eerie images of the Match Day. I imagine sobbing students, enthusiastic partners and confused looks (did I really rank North Dakota so high??)

So Josh thinks that he needs to interview at 12 places, thus having 12 places to rank him, thus creating a high probability that he will match.

The really scary thing??? If you don't match. Apparently, on the Monday before Match Day, any student that did not match is sent an email. I know I will be logging on every two minutes on this day... Me and every other med student and med student spouse.

So if you get that awful email, you have that Monday and Tuesday to research programs and find out which programs actually have openings. Then, on the Wednesday before Match Day, you can contact those programs and see if they will change their minds and let you work for them. Kind of crappy. I really hope we don't get that email. But, on the bright side, only three more interview till we get to that magic number!