Tips to Prepare for the SOAP
Written by Morgan Pratt, MD
Three years ago, I found myself in the same position you do now. I remember the excitement and terror with each phone alert notifying me of the latest ERAS email. I also have a confession that is only whispered in the dark: I didn’t match the first cycle I applied into. However, let me clue you in on something very important…I survived and I’m thriving. My career and life as a doctor are not only on track but wonderful. There is light on the other side of the SOAP.
My goal in writing this is to empower you to be your own best advocate and ultimately have a successful SOAP. I hope you can ignore this advice and enjoy 'Match Week' celebrations, but in the case things don’t go your way, here are some tips to ease the pain with just a few simple steps.
1. Tag a friend. Pick someone who is your ride or die, ideally who lives in the same city as you are currently. They don’t need to be in medicine, but it’s helpful if they have an understanding of the basics of the Match process. They will be the first person you alert if you enter the SOAP, on-call to come find you in whatever boardroom your medical school has you holed up in after the news breaks.
2. Do a little soul searching. It’s not uncommon to have to pivot specialties during SOAP, so think of some other specialties that could help you achieve your goals. There are many approaches to picking programs during SOAP. Some prioritize specialties, choosing whatever spots are left in their desired specialty or adjacent specialties, while others are more geography driven choosing any and all programs in their ideal locations. Either way is legitimate, so think of your priorities beforehand because it can simplify the process.
3. Make sure your advisor or someone from your department is available. Whether you continue to apply into your original specialty, are making a plan to take a prelim year and reapply, having the perspective and guidance of a trusted faculty member is key.
4. Prepare a short paragraph that can be added to the top of your pre-existing personal statement acknowledging the event of going unmatched, and shows your resilience and dedication to your path, whatever that may be.
5. Delete your social media or at least take it off your phone for easy scrolling for a while. There’s no doubt your feed will be filled with celebratory posts from your friends and classmates. They don’t mean for it to be hurtful but watching other people breeze through match week can feel like salt on an open wound. So do yourself a favor and take it out of the equation.
And here’s the most important part- stay true to yourself. The narrative surrounding the SOAP and scramble is often to take whatever you’re offered and figure it out later; be grateful, don’t be a statistic, but this is a scare tactic. If it doesn’t feel right in your gut it’s ok to not accept an offer. This is your life. This is your path.
You will be a wonderful doctor. It may not be as you “planned,” but here’s your reminder to stay the course! We are all rooting for you and you’ll make some program very lucky one day soon!
