A Post for the Unmatched (Match Day 2022)

From unmatched to matched! 

I’ve been slacking on posts this year, mainly due to busy rotations and studying for my most recent in-service exam, but today I felt compelled to write. For those who aren’t aware, today is Match Day where thousands of 4th year medical students and graduates find out if they have secured a residency position. For many, this is a joyous day filled with celebrations and sighs of relief, but for the unmatched, this can be one of the most depressing experiences of an entire medical school career.

Most of you reading this already know that I was previously one of those students who failed to match, but if you weren’t aware, I’ll post links to my original Match Day experiences at the end of this blog post. My story isn’t one of not matching one year and then going on to match the following year. I actually failed to match twice! I still vividly remember how gut-wrenching it felt opening a “You Did Not Match” email as I was sitting at a stoplight on the way to my rotation as a fourth-year medical student, and how hard it was to fake positivity during phone interviews that day when all I wanted to do was curl up in a corner and cry. The second time I didn’t match, I was in the middle of my original intern year on a busy surgery service. I was fortunate to know in advance I would not be matching, but having to manage patients and scrub into cases in between going through the process of applying to unfilled programs didn’t make things any better.

In the end, everything worked out perfectly in my favor, and I was shown that God’s timing is always perfect. After not matching the first time around, I was blessed with a position for a General Surgery based Traditional Rotating Internship. It was a grueling year, but I definitely came out stronger and it opened so many doors for me. After I didn’t match the second time, I had the benefit of having passed all my medical board exams and I was almost done with twelve months of post-graduate training which allowed me to obtain a medical license and start working. My two years spent working as an urgent care physician allowed me to become comfortable managing acute issues on my own, gave me the freedom to enjoy life on my own terms, and provided the financial means to apply to as many surgery programs as possible during my third application cycle.

Tomorrow marks exactly one year from when I found out I matched into Plastic Surgery. It was probably one of the happiest moments of my life, but to be honest, the whole match process still gives me a little PTSD. I remember the weeks leading up to receiving the “Congratulations, You Have Matched!” email and how incredibly stressed out and defeated I felt. I honestly didn’t even want to open the email when it came because I was sure it would be another year of disappointment, and I only did so because I wanted to be ready for the process of applying to unfilled positions.

For those who may not have matched today, I’m just going to keep it real with you. Not matching sucks, and unless someone has been in your shoes, they probably won’t understand your pain. You’ve busted your ass working towards your goal, have most likely spent an insane amount of money applying to residency programs, and sacrificed so much in the process. It’s also probably hard to envision your future right now. Trust me, I’ve been there. But please know that this is not the end of the road for you. This is just a minor setback for a major comeback. Take the time to grieve and experience your feelings, and afterwards, get ready to get back in the fight. It isn’t over yet. There is still time this week to secure one of the unfilled residency positions via the process known as SOAP. There may also be positions that open up until July, and if you’re someone who is going unmatched after completing a preliminary year, keep in mind there may be a chance to jump into an unfilled PGY2 position. As I’ve said before, delay does not equal denial, and chances are you will either get to where you want to be eventually or find something even better that you probably never could have imagined. Let my story inspire you to know that anything is possible.

My DMs are open and I’m rooting for you.

 

My Previous Match Day experiences:

2018 - Not matching as a 4th year medical student

2019 Part One: Not Matching for the 2nd time (Part one)

2019 Part Two: Not matching a 2nd time (Part Two)

2021 - I finally matched!