After years of waiting, we’re less than a week away from one of the final milestones in medical school- Match Week! We’re often asked where we are in the process. Why not write about it? I mean what better way to deal with stress than talk about it right? Also, my full disclaimer is that I’m writing about our experience and I’m not quoting exact numbers. So when I say numbers below, it’s my general understanding and certainly not fact- it’s simply for the purpose of getting you to understand how this crazy process works. Also, I barely have time to relax much less look up sources and cite them in a blog I do for fun. Just saying….

Let’s talk Match. It’s the point in a future doctor’s career where you get “drafted” to a program to complete your residency. It’s what you’ve been working towards for the past 4+ years. It’s an annual process beginning in the fall every year. Fourth year medical students fill out the application, gather recommendation letters and complete a personal statement. Students select what programs they would like to apply to based on their desired specialty. For example, hubs is going into pediatrics so his focus is solely on locations that offer pediatric programs that meet the wants he has for his future career. The more competitive the specialty, the more programs people apply to. I know of people that applied to as little as 20 programs and some applied to over 100 programs. And yes, because everyone asks, you pay a flat fee for the initial application and then after a certain amount you pay per application. It can add up quick.

After the applications are submitted and reviewed, programs will reach out to applicants for interviews if interested. To give context, one of the programs hubs interviewed at has 20 openings but hundreds of applicants. Also, I know of people who apply to 75+ programs but have less than 20 interviews. There are varieties of reasons people do or do not get interviews. Test scores are certainly an easy, “objective” way to weed people out. Personal statements also play a role. It’s essentially your opportunity to sell yourself to the program and convince them that they should consider you. No pressure.

After all the interviews are completed- usually the end of January- students submit what they call their “rank list”. Basically, each student ranks all of the programs they interviewed at from most desired to least. The programs are also doing the same thing with their applicants. Then, in late February the entity that facilitates this process runs a super secretive algorithm to match applicants to their programs. So, some people may match their first choice and others may match their 7^th choice, or some may not match at all.

Where it gets really anxiety inducing is the week called “Match Week”. This year it is the week of March 11^th. On that morning, hubs will get an email telling him if he matched. If he matches one of the programs he ranked, we will find out what program that is on Friday, the 15^th. If he were to not match, students then spend the week mass interviewing at programs that still have openings to find a spot for residency. They basically push out as many applications as possible and phone and web interviews are conducted until a spot is filled. On the 15^th, all students who have matched somewhere- whether through the match or through the scramble, will gather and celebrate this next step. So basically, next Friday we find out if we stay here or if we will be moving in June. For a type-A personality like me, this whole “waiting to plan a major event until the last minute” is certainly not my jam.

So, for now, I’m practicing patience and, honestly, sitting in disbelief that we’re finally at this point. Some day I may write about all of the stories, but for now, I will relish the chance to celebrate and plan for the next chapter of this journey. Stay tuned for next week, I imagine we will have some updates!

In the meantime, if you want to understand more about this match process, visit the Married to Doctors blog and read the awesome write up for this topic.