Facts about the Match

Introduction

Prior to the mid 70’s, getting into a residency was “crazy”

Then the NIMP became the NRMP Programs were still quite variable so

getting into the “right place” was important (but still pyramidal)

The ACGME has “leveled the field” Today the “Match” really means

finding the program that matches the applicant

Caveats

Students get information from many sources (Student Affairs, current residents, other students, parents, family doctor, etc)

Much of the information is WRONG

NRMP 2007-2009 USF Data

  2007 - 2009 

 Characteristic   25th    50th    75th   

 Match Characteristics:  

 1. Number of matched seniors    247 312 342   442  

 2. Percentage of class matched    93.3 93.4 95.2   96.6  

 3. Mean number of programs ranked  8.0 8.3   9.2   10.0  

 4. Mean number of programs ranked in matched specialty 

6.2 6.4   7.4   8.1  

 Student Characteristics:  

 5. Mean number of work experiences  2.2 2.4   2.6   3.0  

 6. Mean number of volunteer experiences    5.3   6.1   6.9 7.4

 7. Mean number of research experiences    1.6 1.7 2.0   2.5  

 8. Mean number of publications    1.5 1.9 2.1   3.0  

 9. Percent AOA members  9.5 13.2   15.1   16.5  

 USMLE Step Scores:  

 10. Mean Step 1 score    207.0 219.4 223.0   237.0  

 11. Mean Step 2 Scores    212.0   229.0 234.9 244.0  

1. Percentile Distribution for All Matched Seniors: All Specialties Combined

  2007 - 2009 

 Characteristic   25th    50th    75th   

 Match Characteristics:  

 1. Number of matched seniors    11   17 22 24  

 2. Percentage of class    3.4   4.8 6.6 6.7  

 3. Mean number of programs ranked    5.0   5.8   6.8  

 4. Mean number of programs ranked in matched specialty 

--Does Not Apply for Unmatched Seniors --

 Student Characteristics:  

 5. Mean number of work experiences    2.1 2.4 2.5   2.9  

 6. Mean number of volunteer experiences 

  4.1   5.0   6.1 6.6

 7. Mean number of research experiences 

  1.6   2.1   2.7 2.8

 8. Mean number of publications    1.4   2.1 2.3 3.1  

 9. Percent AOA members    0.0   0.0 4.5 6.3  

 USMLE Step Scores:  

 10. Mean Step 1 score    194.0   207.0 219.1 224.0  

 11. Mean Step 2 scores    193.0   209.0   227.0 235.8

NRMP 2007-2009 USF Data25. Percentile Distribution for All Matched Seniors: Unmatched

ProgramP(match givenUS)

Family Medicine 0.98

Internal Medicine 0.98

Pediatrics 0.98

Neurology 0.97

Psychiatry 0.95

Anesthesiology 0.94

Emergency Medicine 0.94

Obstetrics/Gynecology 0.94

Pathology 0.94

Physical Medicine 0.94

All Programs 0.93

Radiology 0.88

General Surgery 0.88

Neurosurgery 0.82

Orthopedic Surgery 0.82

Otolaryngology 0.82

Dermatology 0.73

Plastic Surgery 0.71

Vascular Surgery (integrated) 0.67

• 111 (of 126) schools responded

• 14,623 seniors represented (NRMP = 16,070)

• 871 unmatched on Monday 3/15/10 (6.0%)

• 194 without a PGY-1 position on 3/29/10 (1.3%)

• 179 “ready to start” according to their student affairs deans (1.2%)

2010 Match-Scramble Survey

• Of those 179• 81 - not competitive for chosen field• 49 - USMLE issues• 28 - Rank order issues• 18 - Difficulty with the process• 16 - Geography• 13 - Overly Aggressive• 11 - Poor interviewing skills• 6 - Professionalism issues• 2 - Poor Letters of Recommendation• 1 - Poor advice

2010 Match-Scramble Survey

Things to consider How competitive is the student How competitive is the discipline How much help is the student going to

need, how do you help get it Alternate Plan, where indicated “What Color is Your Parachute-2010”

by Richard Bolles ($12.91 at Amazon)• Interviewing skills• Dress

Careers in Medicine (AAMC resource)

2010 NRMP Data for US Seniors

Matched US Seniors 93.3% %matched first choice 52.7% 52.7%%matched second choice 15.4% 68.1%%matched third choice 9.2% 77.3%%matched 4th choice 5.3% 82.6%%matched >4th choice 11.6% 94.2%%unmatched 5.9% 5.9%Couples match rate (N=808 couples) 93.4%

USF 2010 Class DataApplications Interviews Attended # ranked

first quartile 15 7 5 5

median 24 11 8 7

third quartile 36.5 15 11 10

Minimum 3 1 1 0

Maximum 100 51 24 24

Things to Address

Need to list at least 7 institutions that the student is willing to go to (or more)

Interviewing do’s and don’ts How to put together a match list.

Determining “risk”

Surgery example• risk of surgery is estimated by

• risk of operation x risk of patient

Match example• Risk of not matching is a combination of

• risk of “chosen field” x risk of student

Take home message• Understand how competitive your field is• Understand how competitive you are

Risk of Discipline

90+% 80-89% 70-79% 60-69% 50-59%

Anesthesiology 93% Emergency Med 88% Med Peds 77% Dermatology 69% Plastic Surgery 56%

Neurology 95% Family Med 87% Orthopedics 75%

Pathology 90% Internal Med 85% Otolaryngology 77%

Pediatrics 90% Neurosurgery 82% Radiation Onc 79%

Psychiatry 90% Obstetrics 88% Surgery 71%

Radiology Diagnostic 90% Physical Med 89%

Your Risk

Getting an interview• USMLE Step 1 Score• Rank in Class• Getting help

Getting ranked highly• AOA• “Audition Rotation” +/-• Rank in Class• Interview• Letter from someone KNOWN

Getting “GOOD” advice

Career Counselor/Master Trainers• Michael Flannery (IM)• Erika Abel (IM/Peds)• Lara Katzin (Neuro)• William Marshall (Surgery & Specialties)• Kelly O’Keefe (Emergency Medicine)• Eduardo Gonzalez (Family Medicine)

USF Faculty (sometimes wrong) Residents (often wrong, N=1) Other Students (often wrong, N=0) Family/friends (usually wrong, old)

USMLE Step 2 Exam

Required to be ranked? Delay in starting residency Score “decays” with time

Summary

Get good advice Understand the field and yourself Meet with USF Chair and/or PD Rank at least 7 programs Have a developed “Plan B” DON’T count on the scramble Take Step 2 early