ThereIsAFracture Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 So I'm reading the latest e-mail from CaRMS, and they bascially say that if you submit a rank list and you go unmatched, they will send you an e-mail, before match day, with details on how to proceed. "If you submit a rank order list and do not get matched, you will be automatically moved to the second iteration of the match, and will receive a detailed communiqué on how to proceed on match day. If you do not submit a rank order list, you will not be automatically moved to the second iteration. If you want to participate in the second iteration only, e-mail CaRMS in advance of the rank order list deadline and advise us that you prefer to be moved to the second iteration." I'm wondering if anyone knows how close to match-day this communication has gone out in past years. Two days before? A week? It would be nice to have a date where if you haven't gotten an e-mail by that time, you can assume that you've matched. Would be a huge stress reliever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 That sentence could also be read as "you will receive a detailed communique...on match day," which is when our year found out. Not what you were hoping to hear, I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThereIsAFracture Posted February 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 That sentence could also be read as "you will receive a detailed comminique...on match day," which is when our year found out. Not what you were hoping to hear, I know. Ah, I see. Actually, reading it again I don't know how I read it the other way. This process is making me crazy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 I think it's quite easy to read it the other way. Certainly would be nice if CaRMS gave us detailed instructions on how to survive being unmatched Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJack Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 You find out on match day. Then you proceed to avoid everyone for the rest of the school year. What can I say? I'm easily embarrassed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 You find out on match day. Then you proceed to avoid everyone for the rest of the school year. What can I say? I'm easily embarrassed. What about breaking things and burning stuff down? Is that legit too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darla Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 From what I understood from previous years, the unmatched get their email the night before match day (but that may be hokum). The number of students who ends up in the scramble post 2nd iteration is few and usually limited to: 1. students who were incredibly limited in the programs they ranked (e.g. just derm) 2. students who effed up their original app Not a lot. UWO had one last year, but from what I understand it was an odd situation and nothing to get too stressed about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entkeener Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 actually 3 went unmatched for uwo last year: 1 for neurology (matched 2nd round) 1 for general surgery (matched to family 2nd round) 1 for ortho (got family in the scramble) that's pretty good for a class of 139, but obviously it totally blows if you're one of the 3. from what i understand they are all pretty happy. keep in mind 10% of residents (according to carms) switch specialties during residency, so if you go unmatched it's not the end of the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darla Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 actually 3 went unmatched for uwo last year: My apologies - I was referring to just the one that went into the scramble since the 2nd iteration is not as bad as people tend to think. Should have been more explicit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 How do you eff up your application? Is this due to a blatant red flag? Ie unprofessionalism in a rotation, that kinda thing? And what exactly is the scramble. If you don't even match in the 2nd round, then how do you go about securing a residency position? Is there a "secret/unofficial" third round? AFter the second round you are outside of CARMS - you contact the schools directly if I understand the process correctly based on unfilled positions still left. Obviously it is pretty rare for things to get that extreme but last year there were a couple of people on the forum going through it. Not sure about the first question - a horrible reference letter perhaps(?) I suppose if one of your key people indicated you are terrible it probably won't go over well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entkeener Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 My apologies - I was referring to just the one that went into the scramble since the 2nd iteration is not as bad as people tend to think. Should have been more explicit. Ya, that's right, and that was a strange and incredibly unfortunate situation. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darla Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 How do you eff up your application? Is this due to a blatant red flag? Ie unprofessionalism in a rotation, that kinda thing? You can eff up your app by doing some incredibly dumb but easy to understand things - not having your reference letters in on time but not noticing (it's something you can track online, and certainly easy enough to add a few to ensure that you have the minimum amount for the app); sending your 'obs-gyn' letter to the 'family' programs; poor grammar and spelling in the personal letter; you're right about seeing things such as unprofessionalism in the reference letters. Messing up your interview can be another way to push yourself into the second iteration. Saying dumb things, not showing up etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Messing up your interview can be another way to push yourself into the second iteration. Saying dumb things, not showing up etc. Punching one of the interview panel in the face, puking on the program directors shoes during the social night etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Punching one of the interview panel in the face, puking on the program directors shoes during the social night etc. ha! has that ever actually happened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 ha! has that ever actually happened? I have heard rumours that someone got so loaded at a social night that they pissed in a corner, but haven't seen anything first hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostintime Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 You can eff up your app by doing some incredibly dumb but easy to understand things - not having your reference letters in on time but not noticing (it's something you can track online, and certainly easy enough to add a few to ensure that you have the minimum amount for the app); sending your 'obs-gyn' letter to the 'family' programs; poor grammar and spelling in the personal letter; you're right about seeing things such as unprofessionalism in the reference letters. Messing up your interview can be another way to push yourself into the second iteration. Saying dumb things, not showing up etc. Saying dumb things haha...I hope there's some sympathy for people being nervous. Of course no excuse to give a ****ty interview, but everyone's been there, done that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kook Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 If left unmatched, can you apply again next cycle? That way you can get the specialty you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Yes, but no guarantee you will be successful. Having gone unmatched the year before leaves a bit of a mark on your application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThereIsAFracture Posted February 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 So is it safe to say that you get some sort of e-mail from CaRMS perhaps earlier in the day, on match day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Not 100% sure. I think you log in to the CaRMS results website and it tells you. Students were told that they had to be in town on match day in case they went unmatched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJack Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 When I went unmatched I found out at the same time everyone else found out about their match. It's not like the american match where the unmatched applicants find out that they didnt have what it takes a few days before everyone else gets their results. I hate this time of year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrKhiladi Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 hey black jack, if u dont mind me asking, in what speciality did u go unmatched in.Do you know why u went unmatched thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachy Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 How do you eff up your application? Is this due to a blatant red flag? Ie unprofessionalism in a rotation, that kinda thing?More often I think it's not about having a cruddy application, it's about having an average application and how you play the CaRMS game. The vast, vast majority of people will match if they are willing to rank a family medicine program in an undesirable location. So the people who go unmatched are more often the folks who have applied to competitive specialties, had an average application, were unlucky in the matching process, and didn't back up with a 'safe' program. The people in my class who went unmatched were great people, people who I would without hesitation send my family members to as patients. To put it another way -- most med students are pretty similar, and there are a finite number of spots in each specialty. An example with entirely made-up numbers: If 50 students apply for the 40 spots in ObGyn, say, then 10 aren't going to get in. Maybe some of those ten have "red flags" but most just weren't the ones who got picked for whatever reason -- they didn't have a reference letter from the right person, they had a bad day on their interview, they didn't do an elective at that school, someone flipped a coin, whatever. If they didn't choose to back up with something other than ObGyn, they are out of luck. Imho there's a lot of lip service during CaRMS about how almost everybody is happy with what they get. I knew an awful lot of people in my graduating class who were unhappy. If you aren't applying to family medicine there are way fewer spots than people who want your specialty. Unless you really don't care what city you live in, that makes for a hard game with lots of unhappy people at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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