What Happens When You Don’t Match?

Match Day is an exciting time for residents and residency programs across the country. However, the reality is that some radiologists go unmatched and are faced with career-defining decisions that they are required to make in a few days.

Being unmatched is stressful for students and their loved ones, and nuanced, clear advice on next steps can either vary or be difficult to find. Recognizing the gap in immediate structured opportunities for individuals seeking advice after going unmatched in radiology, TheRadRoom designed a webinar for unmatched students who are looking for immediate advice as they choose to navigate the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) or explore other opportunities. 

The Unmatched in Radiology: Exploring Next Steps webinar provided support for students who have gone unmatched and presented options that students have over the next several days as they navigate the SOAP and beyond. The session was an informative, safe forum for students to ask questions, destigmatize going unmatched, and find mentors to assist them to navigate a challenging week.

 

By partnering TheRadRoom’s student network of over 100 medical schools with MRI Online’s well-established hosting platform and radiologist network, we were able to provide prompt and meaningful information to unmatched radiology applicants. 

The panelists included TheRadRoom (Ashley Lau, Sahil Patel, and Arun Murugesan), Dr. Carol Geer, Diagnostic Radiology Program Director at Wake Forest University, Dr. Lulu Zhang, Interventional Radiology Program Director and Diagnostic Radiology Associate Program Director at the University of Cincinnati, and Connie Ge and Erina Quinn, two medical students who went unmatched last year and navigated it differently.

Panelists offered advice for applicants on evaluating reasons why they may have gone unmatched, how and when to garner feedback from program directors, and why it’s important to find a mentor. Additionally, there was a great discussion on how to address going unmatched in personal statements in the next application, breaking down the use of signals, and how re-applicants can increase their likelihood of being re-interviewed in the next cycle. 

Finally, TheRadRoom launched a mentorship program to help students who go unmatched in radiology and to help students prepare for Match 2024. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please sign up here.