Due to my job, I was able to attend a Match Day. What a neat experience. Match Day is a day where all 4th year medical students across the country find out, at the exact same time, where they matched for residency. Here is a little bit more information on the process...
During your fourth year as a medical student, you apply for your residency program. You spend a lot of the time researching your desired specialty and all of the different residency programs. All of them very different, some more laid back and viewed as a family, while others for prestigious and sought after. This is where my job description comes in... assisting students get ready professionally for their fourth year - choosing a specialty, creating their CVs, Personal Statements, interview skills, and so on). After students apply, they can get called for interview and then spend the next few weeks/months traveling the country. Some students can go on 50 interviews - which can get extremely costly on a student loan budget. Once interview 'season' is over, students rank (usually around 20-25) while all residency programs rank the students they interviewed as well. All info is sent, and after a magical algorythm, a match is created and this brings us to Match Day.
On Match Day, students receive their envelope and find out for the first time where they will be moving in a few months. Some are disappointed they didn't get their first choice and some are jumping up and down with excitement. Talk about an emotional day! To top it off, you are in a room with your graduating class (and everyones' family members) all opening your envelopes at the same time and your result is being displayed across the screen for all to see.
This is what our Match Day consisted of: as we are waiting for the clock to turn 11:00 to begin the passing out of the envelopes, the students perform perform a hilarious and well done flash mob to LMFAO Party Rock Anthem Shuffle. First, 5 students got up on stage and started dancing, interrupting another students speech. Than you have students sitting next to you who stand up and start doing the choreographed dance at their seat (in front of all of their families). We were all so impressed! Picture students dressed in their business clothes, some in heels, and the shuffle looked a little something like this (I found something similar on youtube). They all got pretty into it. After they were done, our Assistant Dean took the stage and said "Well, I know we have the most talentated class of 2012"; each student when they receive their envelope brings a dollar and puts it in a fish bowl, whoever is the last to be called - who had to wait the longest to receive their envelope - gets to take home the bowl (consisted of well over $100); when names were called the students chose their theme song to be played. These students were creative! Just a few songs included: "I can see clearly now" (he was applying to ophthalmology), the ER theme song, "tonight's going to be a good night," "don't worry be happy," "all I do is win," some superhero theme songs (captain planet, batman, superman), the TV show Scrubs theme song - "I can't do this on my own", Top Gun "Danger Zone", and the list goes on. I definitely had to hold back my hormonal tears when students walked up with their baby. A few walked up on stage with their 2 or 3 kids. All I could think of was my husband in 3 years walking up there with our baby. Uh, gets me everytime!
Nationwide here are the 2012 results:
38,377 medical students applying for residency
95% matched and do not have to scramble (the highest match rate in 30 years)
81.6% of students matched with their top 3 choices
56% of students matched with their number 1 choice
Check out this website for more statistics.
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