Unmatched
Written by Clementine Young, MD
“We are sorry, you did not match to any position.”
9:55AM Central Time, March 15th, 2021.
In that moment, my world was turned upside down.
Surely, it’s a mistake? There’s been a glitch and they accidentally sent this to me. Surely another email will follow saying it wasn’t real.
The next few minutes are a blur. I texted the most recent group text I could find that had my husband in it. He immediately excused himself from a work call and pulled up a chair next to my desk.
The SOAP (sometimes referred to as Scramble, which is an accurate description of the process) is painful in many ways:
1. There’s the sudden email letting you know you didn’t match. It was unlikely I would not match with my scores and the number of programs I had ranked, so I had entertained the thought of what I would do if I was unmatched but did not have a solid plan.
2. You must come up with a whole new application within just a few hours. This includes a new personal statement and new letters for each back-up specialty. I quickly decided I would re-apply to programs I had already interviewed at which still had preliminary positions open.
3. The NRMP website inevitably crashes, causing the deadlines to be modified multiple times. This ended up being a blessing for some of my friends who had decided to apply to different specialties, as they had more time to prepare application materials. Of course, even though it happens every year, you have to be ready on time just in case.
The good news is your people will come through for you. On that day, I felt so alone and yet so loved. Most of my close friends matched and I got to celebrate with them on Friday, March 19th, the day that should have been my Match Day.
In the end, I get to be a surgeon in a preliminary position this year, and I am now reapplying with even more certainty that I have chosen the right specialty. Last year didn’t work out, and while it’s a setback, it certainly is not the end. If anything, it’s made me stronger and more determined.
