Frequently Asked Questions About the Match
1) Suppose I match, but later I decide to seek a position
offered in another match, can I drop this match and continue with the other
match?
Answer: No. certification of your rank
list indicates that you agree to withdraw from all competing matches.
2) Can I obtain a position without an interview?
Answer: Generally not, unless the program
director waived the interview requirement.
3) A program director seems to solicit a commitment before
the match. What should I tell him?
Answer: You may say anything you are
comfortable with. When you complete your confidential rank list, you
must remember that any statements you may have made do not constitute
binding commitments. You are free to change your preference at any
time. By the same rule, program directors are also free to change their
preference after interviewing more applicants.
4) If I rank a program as #10 and another applicant rank
it as #1, who will get that program?
Answer: When two applicants compete for
the same program, the program’s list decides.
5) One program director tells me that he likes me very
much. Some better programs are noncommittal. Which program should I rank
first?
Answer: By all means, list the more desirable
program first. Your request will first go to the program you ranked
highest. Skipping (or downgrading) the better program eliminates your
chance of being considered there, while it does not improve the chance
that others will accept you. There is no risk in listing high on your
list programs that you like well, but for which you may have little
chance.
6) A program director told me that he would “rank
me high” does that mean a guaranteed position?
Answer: Certainly not. If you are #8
of 50 or 80 applicants, you are certainly “ranked high”.
Yet, if that program fills at #7, you are still out of luck. It is
always wise to list additional programs as a safeguard, as long as
you would rather go there than remain unmatched.
7) Can I withdraw from the position I accepted through
the Match?
Answer: No. Your signature on your rank
list makes the match result a binding commitment. Withdrawal is possible
only in exceptional circumstances and requires written approval from
your program director.
8) Can I end up being matched to a program I do not really
like?
Answer: No. Your placement request will
go only to programs you have listed. If you do not like a program,
you should not list it. The Matching Program processes your rank list
like a stockbroker processing written orders from a client. In doing
so, the stockbroker does not question the client’s judgment and
obviously cannot guarantee that the client will be satisfied with the
stock’s performance over the next several years. Similarly, the
Matching Program does not question your judgments and cannot, in any
way, guarantee that you or the program director will remain satisfied
with each other’s performance. Indeed, in the years between your
interview and the completion of your residency, changes in their faculty,
in funding, or even in accreditation. The Matching Program promises
you diligence processing your rank list, but neither it nor its sponsoring
organization can accept any responsibility whatsoever for any such
changes or for their consequences.
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