I did not match.

I applied to 25 anesthesiology, 40 pathology and 75 psychiatry and did not match. Third year in a row.

How many interviews?

What do you think is keeping you from matching? Do you think it's your step scores? Do you require some sort of visa?

I know someone that attended MUA that also didn't match this year. Not a single interview.

Best of luck to you.

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"The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth. It is obvious that man is himself a traveler; that the purpose of the world is not 'to have and to hold' but 'to give and to serve." - Sir Wilfred T. Grenfell

Wow that's a bummer man. Have you tried FM in previous years?

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The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be.

what did you do during ur time off?? also, if you don't mind me asking, what was ur step 1 score?

I had two interviews, both in psychiatry. Step one over 200. Barely passed step 2ck. Both on first attempt. Passed step 2cs

I am a U.S. citizen, so I have no VISA problems.

Last year, I only applied to pathology....81 programs, 3 interviews...no match.

How was your Dean's letter? Your clinical grades, CV, LORs and personal statement? Those go a long way in granting interviews.. I was told so from programs that would have automatically cut me off during my interview trail.

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Posterior Fornix.

Hey Jason,
I am very sorry to hear that. Reading this was like a moment of epiphany for me.
Do you think it is good idea to apply to more than 15 programs? Because from the programs prospective it does not look good when the applicant is thinking about 200 other places.
Do you rank the best programs first? Or did you include the ones you think you have a good chance at in the top 3 of your list.
Did most of your classmates or students you were rotating with matched? If yes, what do you think was the x-factor in your case?

Cast a Wide Net: It is a very good idea to apply widely. Programs have no idea how many applications you send out. Thus, you should apply widely.

Ranking strategy: You don't understand the matching algorithm. Your best strategy is to rank the programs in your order of preference. Ranking a most preferred program highly will not affect your chances at a less preferred program.

Number of Specialties: I would question whether it is a good idea to pursue 3 different specialties because it might suggest that the applicant is confused about what they want to do. On the other hand, the only way programs will find out is if you tell them. So, it might be reasonable to apply widely (see above) and then plan a strategy for interviews depending on the yield from applications. I would question whether one can really


I think the OP's approach was quite reasonable; however, given the problems with matching in the past, I think he/she should have applied to less competitive fields. In particular, the chances of matching in anesthesiology are going to be low. If you goal is to match somewhere, I would apply broadly to FP.

Obviously, I am not one to give advice on how to apply.

Although, since you asked....you don't need to apply broadly in FP....nobody wants it and many current FP's are leaving. I cannot stand OB/GYN and therefore was never part of my plans when becoming a doctor and never will be. If you want it great...apply to about 30...should be enough. If I just wanted to briefly help patients like FP's do, then I would have applied to become an NP or PA...whom are taking over that part of medicine anyway.

Program directors have no idea if you applied to more than one specialty unelss your dumb enough to tell them. So, don't tell them ever...always act like you totally love your "chosen" specialty even if you hate it (I just can't do it).

Bottom line is U.S. program directors DO NOT LIKE Caribbean graduates. When interviewing at WVU psychiatry, whom said he "liked" IMG's, admitted the hospital administrators were quite upset he had hired them in the past...and were quite angry with him. Programs that hire Caribbean graduates are looked down upon by other programs in the hospital and other programs in the same field...of course everyone should know this by the time they are at least a third year MD student from the Caribbean.

Residency programs like real FMG graduates better than Caribbean graduates....the numbers hired speak for themselves. Program Directors can hire any foreigner before a citizen even if there are hundreds or thousands of US citizen applications. There is no law broken. The real FMG graduate is looked upon as someone who went through the vetting process of the "normal" medical school channels in order to become a doctor....it is preferred. Caribbean graduates really are the red headed step child.

From my own assessment of my situation that has kept me from being hired, was a failed attempt at Step 3. I tried to pass Step 3 after not being matched last year, in order to bolster my application into fields I actually liked rather than taking the only field available...FP. I failed the Step 3 and it was transmitted to my ERAS application along with my other Step scores. I didn't realise the Step 3 would be on my application, as I was told by ERAS themselves it was not transmitted on the application. The fact is the phone rep at ERAS didn't know the answer and told me a line of B.S. rather than checking the facts with his superior. I found the truth after interviewing at a program that didn't know about the failure until I was right in front of him as he looked at my score report sheet from ERAS. He had such a mystified look on his face as he mentioned it under his breath. Basically, he quickly asked a few questions and let me go. He was quite bubbly with me prior to the knowledge of that Step 3 failure...afterwords he brushed me off the rest of the afternoon, completely disinterested.

Learn from me...do not attempt Step 3 until after matching if you can. I know many people try and do Step 3 after not matching the first year in an attempt to bolster their application. You run the risk of having your application thrown in the trash if they see you tried to pass and then failed without showing a pass later on.

In the meantime...I have no choice but to try and pass the Step 3 to correct the failure they will see again if I apply for next year.