The Match

Since we keep getting a lot of questions about this crazy matching process that I have to go through, I figured I would go ahead and put up a summary of what goes on.

It all started back in September when I sent my application to several programs. Those programs reviewed my application and either decided to interview me, put me on a waiting list of sorts, or reject me.

Interviews for me start this week, although some people have already started interviewing. Interviewing continues until the end of February.

Rank order lists are due by 9pm eastern on February 25th. Applicants can rank all programs that they interviewed at or just the ones they like. Just so you know, I do not plan on telling anyone my rank order list. The schools also submit a list ranking applicants and a computer matches the applicants lists to the schools lists. If you really want to know the details of the matching algorithm, then you can check out this website: http://www.nrmp.org/res_match/about_res/algorithms.html

At noon eastern on March 16th, I can find out whether or not I matched, but not what program I matched into. For the people who do not match, they can "scramble" into open residency positions in any specialty starting at noon eastern on March 17th.

And on March 19th sometime between 11am and noon, I will find out where I matched. SIU invites all of the fourth years to a luncheon with their parents and whoever else they decide to invite and we open up envelopes to find out where we are going to be for the next 3-5 years, depending on specialty.

Graduation is Saturday, May 16th at the UIS auditorium. I had thought that they had changed the time to 2:00pm, but I cannot seem to find that e-mail and they have not updated the website since last year. For those who like to keep up to date on such things here is the graduation link: http://www.siumed.edu/studentaffairs/graduation.html
Although like I said previously, this has not been updated.
So while I was typing this blog, the secretary sent out an e-mail confirming that graduation is at 2pm and that is central time unlike pretty much every other time in this post.

Hope that answers some questions.