Navigating Match Day Emotions
Written by Rachana Raghupathy
As someone who is newly matched, I can attest to the fact that Match Week is truly a whirlwind. A sense of security on Match Monday after reading that desperately awaited email is quickly followed by the anxiety of not knowing which city you could end up in. And then comes Match Day itself—full of smiles, excitement, and celebration—that is, until you realize you currently have nowhere to live, may need to buy all new furniture, learn about a whole new city, start pages on pages of onboarding, and, oh yeah, figure out how to be a doctor.
Now, if you add in the reality that the Match algorithm may place you outside your top programs, hearts begin to race. Letting it sink in that an algorithm will be deciding your fate and your trajectory? Terrifying!
The week leading up to Match, I recall feeling nervous to disclose my rank list when asked where I wanted to end up. I worried about what people would think about me as an applicant and the added pressure it imposed on me to control something I had no control of. What I learned throughout the season was that this sentiment is extremely prevalent amongst applicants. So, let’s talk about it and what you can do about it.
I was speaking with a friend who had her heart set on her #1 program and ended up matching at her #5. When I checked in with her weeks after finding out the news, she told me something that stuck with me, something that I want to pass on to anyone anxious about the upcoming Match season. She told me that her way of coping with the disappointment was realizing that she had a lot of things going for her—great grades, fantastic scores, excellent feedback on rotations—and this news, even though it wasn’t the news she had hoped for, could not take any of that success away from her. At the end of the day, she was going to be a psychiatrist and would get to spend the rest of her career supporting others on their mental health journeys. Matching at her #1 program would have been great, but regardless of where she ended up, she would carry with her an innate drive and charisma. Knowing that, she realized she could get where she wanted to go from any starting point, and she wasn’t going to let an email change that.
If nothing else, I hope to leave you with a proposal: the weeks leading up to Match Week are hard and filled with emotional hills and valleys. Let’s start talking about how we can support each other through it, and let’s start beating down the pressure to get the “perfect” outcome or match at your “#1” program. Let’s replace that pressure with a global understanding that no matter what pops up in your email inbox, it does not take away from the gravity of your accomplishments. Your reaching this moment is a testament to years of motivation, dedication, and perseverance—traits that don’t just crumble because of an algorithm.
