It’s Match Day and you just received the horrible news that you didn’t match, even after the stressful and tedious SOAP process. All your years of hard work have led to this… and you didn’t match. All of your hopes and dreams, everything you worked for, it’s all just fallen out from under you. It can feel like the end of the world if you don’t match for residency after SOAP. But all is not lost, and in some cases, not matching can be an incredible opportunity that sets you on a path you hadn’t considered before.
In this guide, we’ll cover what to do if you don’t match on Match Day, including how to handle the first few days when emotions are high, how to assess what went wrong, and how to make an effective plan to move forward.
Keep in mind that this post will focus on what happens if you do not match through SOAP, the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program. If you find out you don’t have a match at the beginning of Match Week, you have the opportunity to give it one last shot through SOAP.
Student Story: Curve Ball! Here’s What Happened the Day I Didn’t Match.
The Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) gives unmatched students another shot at matching with a residency program in a whirlwind week of new applications and interviews. It’s the channel through which qualified unmatched applicants in the Main Residency Match apply for and are offered the positions that weren’t filled during the initial matching algorithm.
We cover that full process in our SOAP Match Guide.
So, whether you applied through SOAP or not, it’s now the end of Match Week, and after all that hard work, no match. Here’s what to do in the days, weeks, and months following not matching.
1 | Don’t React Immediately
While this is easier said than done, be careful not to react too quickly. Take a deep breath. We’re not going to sugarcoat it: Not matching can feel like an Earth-shattering cataclysmic catastrophe. It can feel like your entire professional career—and therefore, life—has been completely derailed. Code Blue.
Of course, factually, this is not even remotely the case, but it’s going to feel near-impossible to see the forest for the trees when you find out you didn’t match. Not matching is like a dog whistle for all of your insecurities. Why did I think I could ever be a doctor? What was I thinking? All of that money, time, and energy wasted. I’m an imposter. I should give up. I’m a failure.
These feelings are sure to well up in you. And that’s perfectly okay. This is a major disappointment, and, however minor it may end up being, it is a professional setback. It is imperative you give yourself the space to feel these feelings.
Do not unleash your emotions on the world through social media, online networks, or any other forum. Do not contact your peers or mentors right away. Do not make any immediate decisions. Do not get behind the wheel of your car, even. Don’t do anything other than process this new and undeniably unfortunate information.
2 | Acknowledge Your Emotions
Take a moment to acknowledge your grief. After all, that’s what you’re feeling. Your dream of matching on your first try is dead, and you need to give yourself time to process this loss.
It’s important to take this time as you will soon need to decide on your next steps, and you do not want to make any irrational, emotionally-charged decisions.
If you’re not alone when you find out, find a space to be alone, at least initially. You do not want to take out your shock and frustration on people you care about. Find a private space where you can process these super-charged emotions.
However, taking a moment for yourself doesn’t mean you have to remain alone. We all process difficult emotions in our own way. Some of us prefer to be alone and some of us prefer to be surrounded and comforted by our loved ones. Do whatever feels right to you, but make sure you acknowledge how you are feeling. Bottling up these emotions will only mean they are unleashed at an inopportune time.
3 | Avoid Social Media
You must absolutely avoid social media during this time. You do not need the comparison right now. Acquaintances and friends are likely taking to social media to express their happiness and excitement that they matched. Obviously, this is not in any way helpful to you. Also, their situation is completely different from your own. There is nothing valuable to be gleaned from social media on or after Match Day, especially if you didn’t match.
Don’t open social media. Take time to process these powerful and difficult emotions alone and with trusted friends and family. Vent your feelings into a journal. Work out your frustration through exercise. Blow off some steam in the gym instead of on Reddit, TikTok, or what have you.
Spending time on social media after you find out you didn’t match is like a bride who was just left at the altar spending her days in a bridal shop helping other women pick out a wedding dress. It’s not healthy.
4 | When You’re Ready, Let People Know
Do not lock yourself away in your room for days on end. You’ll likely feel embarrassed or even ashamed of this setback, and it’s very easy to withdraw into ourselves and avoid people when we feel this way. But you have nothing to be ashamed of. Every year, thousands of qualified applicants do not match. The NRMP Match Algorithm is very complex, and it can work for or against you as it sorts out the best possibility for both applicants and programs.
Feelings of embarrassment or shame fester when we’re alone. Take a moment to yourself, then spend some time processing your emotions with trusted friends, family, and mentors.
When you’re ready (and don’t wait too long!), reach out and let the important people in your life and career know that you didn’t match. Residency positions open up all of the time outside of The Match, so it’s important that your mentors and key contacts know about your current predicament.
Telling other people can be an incredibly difficult task to overcome, but it’s one you have to face, and it could result in future opportunities.
Remember—not matching is not the end of the world, and many other students are in a similar position. Show your strength by greeting this setback with grace and maturity. Acknowledge the setback, be open and honest with the people around you, and begin putting the pieces in place to move forward.
5 | Assess Your Application
Once you’ve given yourself time to process your emotions, acknowledge the reality of your situation, and reset your mindset, it’s time to assess your application.
What went wrong? Are there weak areas? Did you have low board scores? Were your letters of recommendation not quite strong enough? Does your personal statement need a more compelling narrative? Did your residency interviews not go as smoothly as you planned? How did USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK go? Did you include enough programs in your Rank Order List?
Almost every piece of your application can be refined and improved for next time, but you won’t have time to improve it all. It is critical that you pinpoint areas of weakness so that you can make the necessary improvements in the little time you have to reapply.
If you are planning on applying for the following cycle, you only have mere months to make improvements to your application. If you determine that you need to make drastic changes, such as gaining notable research experience, you may not be able to accomplish this in time to apply again in the same year.
It’s not uncommon for those who don’t match to take a gap year between medical school and residency to improve upon skills, experience, and application materials.
6 | Seek Unbiased Feedback
It’s difficult to objectively assess your own application. Obviously, you didn’t submit something you thought was lackluster. This is why it’s so important to seek objective, unbiased feedback from experts intimately familiar with residency admissions and The Match.
You need to make smart, calculated decisions on what you need to improve and focus on before applying for residency again, or you may end up in the exact position you are now. You tried it once your way, and it didn’t work. It’s time to seek unbiased feedback from people who know the ins and outs of The Match process.
Reach out to your Dean, your academic advisors, faculty members, your letter writers, current residents you know, or anyone you trust to give you reliable, objective advice. While it may be challenging to let these people know you were unsuccessful, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Reaching out shows maturity; it shows you understand the value of feedback.
However, seeking advice from anyone you have a personal relationship with is risky, as their judgment may be clouded. Additionally, the mentors you have around you may not have direct experience assessing residency applications. While these people may be eager to share their thoughts and opinions, they do not understand the ins and outs of the ERAS application process, what schools are looking for, and how to best refine your application for success.
If you don’t know someone who has direct experience with the residency decision making process, it’s a good idea to also seek advice from professionals who can assess your application strategically and objectively.
Unbiased advice will help you pinpoint the areas that will make the greatest improvement to your overall application.
7 | Build a Plan for Moving Forward
Once you have assessed your application with unbiased feedback from experts on the residency admissions process, it’s time to implement that feedback and determine your next steps.
If you are applying right away, you have about six months before you will need to apply again. How can you use that time most effectively? If you are taking an extra year to reapply, how can you make sure you use that time wisely and don’t lose momentum? Do you need to cultivate meaningful relationships for stronger letters of recommendation?
Would taking USMLE Step 3 before residency make you a more compelling candidate? For example, if your main weakness is your Step scores, then crushing Step 3 before you reapply to residency may make sense for you.
Would a research fellowship enhance your qualifications? NRMP data shows that lack of research is a common limiting factor for highly competitive specialties. You might choose to take a full year to complete research, but if you hope to make notable achievements in research in only 6 months, you’re going to have your work cut out for you. It’s possible to crank out a number of publications in this time, but only if you put in intense hours, such as 70-100 hour weeks.
Keep in mind research positions aren’t always paid. Especially if your timeline is tight for reapplying in the same year, remember that your priority is getting publications and experience, not making money. Be willing to do the work for free.
Program directors and other advisors will often say you need at least a full extra year before applying again because, between Match Week and applications, there’s not enough time to get what you need done. While this advice does apply to most people, it can be done in 6 months with the right strategy and commitment. At Med School Insiders, we’ve helped students make a successful match into a competitive specialty after not matching the first time around.
No matter your timeline for applying, be proactive. Look for mentors at your school who are working in the field of medicine you’re interested in pursuing and volunteer. Get involved in a research project if you can. It’s also possible you could use this small setback to serve as a medical consultant for a Silicon Valley startup or explore other exciting opportunities in medical technology.
You have plenty of options and opportunities, but you must narrow your focus and make decisions that will best help you achieve your overall goal—matching into residency in a future cycle. Create a comprehensive plan for how you will tackle the next 6 to 18 months based on all that you learned from your previous application.
8 | Utilize Your Time Effectively
If you intend to apply for residency during the next cycle, you only have about six months to improve your application. It’s not a lot of time, especially if you determine you need to cultivate another relationship for a strong letter of recommendation or need more research experience.
Your limited time is why it’s so important to deduce which areas of your application to focus on to make the greatest impact. Once you know the area or two to focus on, dedicate your time to improving those areas.
If you try to improve a little bit everywhere, you will run out of time without showing significant improvements anywhere. It’s much better to focus on one or two areas where you can make a drastic improvement, as this is much more likely to get you noticed by your top choice residency programs.
9 | Be on the Lookout for Opportunities
Stay in touch with your Dean, faculty, advisors, residents in the field, and letter writers, as residency positions open up all the time and may not come through formal channels.
There are many different reasons why residency positions open up. It’s possible that applicants who were accepted could have visa issues that prevent them from being able to fulfill their position. Some residency programs could receive additional funding for another residency position that’s available outside of The Match. Accepted residents, for whatever reason, may face personal issues that prevent them from being able to start their residency.
There are numerous reasons why new residency positions can open up outside of The Match, which is why it’s essential that you’re always on the lookout for opportunities and you stay in contact with professionals who believe in you. You never know what will open up.
Continue Moving Forward
If you didn’t match into a residency program this year, it is vital that you reassess your application for weak areas so that you can make the necessary drastic improvements for next year.
Med School Insiders can help you prepare a stand out residency application. Our team includes the best in the industry. Each physician advisor on the Med School Insiders team has passed our exceedingly rigorous 5 step application process and excelled in their own careers as doctors. We can help—just take a look at our results.
We offer a number of Residency Admissions Consulting Services tailored to your needs, including personal statement editing, USMLE tutoring, interview prep and mock interviews, and overall application editing.
