2015-2016 Derm

damn, it hurts me to see this. sorry that happened to you x10

<----- I am soooo sorry. I know what you are going through, I really do. Reapplicant success story here, if that makes you feel any better. There is hope. Sometimes it just takes longer to get there.

One thing I didn't realize is how connections and networking based this field is. I guess that's sort of what you have to go with if everyone has the scores and grades.

Even if you don't have the scores and grades. I felt like Derm has shifted to emphasizing medical school caliber and who you know a lot more. Or maybe it's always been that way.

Just saw the last 2 comments and I would reiterate them to future candidates. Sadly.

<--- yes, I think so.

yes you would know/It would say congratulations, you matched to a one year position!

i see 6 x2

some of the spots may not be taking people...like military positions

I only see 7 <- where are you guys seeing this data?

only people who didn't match can see it

Which programs are unmatched??

we aren't allowed to say

Are you allowed to say what TIER the programs are?

Based on what....doximity?} one is mid tier, rest are not great

What is "mid tier" ?

we will find out soon enough

stop it with your morbid curiosity

im looking at the PDF they emailed of unfilled programs participating in the SOAP....there are 7 and it doesn't separate between categorical and advanced

i think that's a match violation so I doubt anyone will be willing to. Someone can post the programs in this ANONYMOUS sheet

Yup, it's a match violation. The list will be released eventually after it's done though

qwhere will it be released?

on the NRMP website

You're immediately ineligible if you matched. Congrats!

Sorry. Is this true?

yes it is true. you don't need to be eligible for SOAP if you matched....

But does it automatically convert to make you INELIGIBLE?

yes. that's how they sort who to grant access to the SOAP application stuff to

You were previously eligible since you hadn't matched yet (I'm assuming now you matched for both internship and derm), now that you've matched fully, you are obviously SOAP ineligible, so you don't get access to the list.

use your common sense x 4

You do realize that Radiation Oncology is competitive specialty, right?

He/She is a Derm applicant, so I doubt he/she knows.

I don't think it is that unusual. I'm more surprised that there are so many derm spots this year. And sure, why not apply if that's something you are interested in. Good luck! Not surprised. A lot of these derm programs have shown to be overconfident and not interviewing enough people or too many of the sand people as other programs. The number of unmatched spots posted here is right in line with previous years

I don't think that's true....I've been applying since 2014 and I remember there being only a couple each year. last year was only kansas...| We'll see how many of those spots are actually "available"| <- what do you mean by "available"

ones that will actually fill authentically through SOAP as opposed to slyly through preexisting connections/cronyism

I'm not at all surprised that programs went unmatched more this year than any other year. They got overconfident and with all that phone call BS it was going to happen. No matter how fantastic a candidate you are you can only match to one place. Simple as that. Programs clearly thought certain people would head their way, they didn't, and the program didn't rank enough people below them. No sympathy for them (and in case people might accuse me, I matched, so I'm not bitter)

Talking with derm faculty, this year was DEFINITELY a fluke in terms of number of Derm programs available after the match. Don't expect it to happen again next year.

yes

There's only a few of those

The unfilled "PGY-1" is actually a physician ONLY spot - that's how NRMP files it

So Mayo Clinic didn't fill its spots?

where did you get that idea

It's my wild guess, I thought it was the only residency program offering a 1 track.

Cleveland Clinic also has that

Mayo Clinic of Jacksonville?

Mayo Jacksonville is all categorical. Mayo Rochester has categorical spots and advanced positions

17 spots PGY-1 South and 1 is unfilled? Other than Mayo Clinic Jacksonville what other program is a categorical in the south?

Memphis is categorical right?

I think so. What other programs are categorical in south - that's not 17

I can't think of any others and I interviewed at a good chunk of the southern programs

There are no categoricals in the soap. There are 6 A and 1 R

That's not what it shows on the list though? It shows 10 unfilled Derm PGY-2 and 1 unfilled PGY-1

not all unfilled programs choose to participate in SOAP

I don't know if any Derm program will actually do SOAP. They will take their sweet old time, and go beyond the end of the week. Trust me.

R means that it is for Physicians only, meaning usually people who have completed an internship. The R doesn't correlated with categorical or advanced, by itself.

R is usually physician only I Yes, that's correct

I absolutely love you Katie!!! I've seen how great you have been this entire cycle for applicants. Just wanted to let you know that your extra effort is truly appreciated by us.

Also tagging onto the Katie love fest, I really hope you stay in academic dermatology, medical students really need good, kind mentors, and you'd be awesome to have as a mentor for students going thru the process in the future (don't blame you if you didn't and decided to go to greener pastures in private practice, but just thought I'd put it out there).

Ive met katie on the interview trail. such a great person. so happy you matched

Also met her on the trail - Katie you are fantastic. I am so excited for you!

don't know u but props for putting yourself out there.

Aww thanks guys. Everyone has been so kind and supportive this year and I really appreciate it. I had a great time meeting all of you on the interview trail as well and can't wait to see who my coresidents will be. I would love to stay in academics and become an amazing mentor to students and fellows. I feel so lucky to have the best mentor ever this year (Alexa Kimball-- she actually just won Mentor of the Year at the WDS luncheon at the AAD and there is nobody more deserving!) and would love to be just like her someday. Life goals! ;-)

Oh, yes, Dr. Kimball is definitely #lifegoals. < love you for hashtagging that. i wanted to but got self conscious bahaha

Ha, either that and/or #YasQueen is appropriate (http://www.bustle.com/articles/91565-where-did-yas-queen-come-from-and-why-is-it-taking-over-pop-culture). Clearly you can see what I've been doing with my time since interviews ended -- Twitter, Memes, Gifs, and Netflix.

ROFL

I'm Netflixing also -- Fuller House FTW!

YES! and jane the virgin

what do you mean "intentionally unfilled"? wtf <- Yea, this is confusing and also offers false hope. I was a very good applicant that didn't match and didn't sniff one of the soap spots that year. Then, I found out that most of these are because the program got an extra spot, found their person before the match, but had to go through NRMP and purposefully didn't rank anybody and just took their selected resident after the match. This is called "going outside the match." That is also how I got my current residency position. Interviewed in January and the program took me so I withdrew from the match (though I had interviewed several other places) and signed a few weeks later with them. Not all soap spots are like that, but the year I didn't match, both were. Sorry, guys :/ I ok thank you for clarifying, so how many years off total is it if I reapply as a intern (prelim + up to 1 year with nothing to do right?) or as a research fellow? (Sorry confused and lacking sleep)

I did an intern year and focused on getting a good fellowship. I applied for 2 out of the match physician spots during intern year I did not get (had I gotten one, it would have been 0 years extra). I then got a productive fellowship and got the physician-only spot in January that began that June (1 extra year). Had I stayed in the match I could've matched at a few physician positions (again, 1 year extra) or advanced positions (2 extra years). If you really want to do derm, get cracking on finding a great fellowship and do great work. There are lots of opportunities that come up along the way, but they usually go to people that are dedicated to the field and are in fellowships.

what do you mean "intentionally unfilled"? wtf <- Yea, this is confusing and also offers false hope. I was a very good applicant that didn't match and didn't sniff one of the soap spots that year. Then, I found out that most of these are because the program got an extra spot, found their person before the match, but had to go through NRMP and purposefully didn't rank anybody and just took their selected resident after the match. This is called "going outside the match." That is also how I got my current residency position. Interviewed in January and the program took me so I withdrew from the match (though I had interviewed several other places) and signed a few weeks later with them. Not all soap spots are like that, but the year I didn't match, both were. Sorry, guys :/ I ok thank you for clarifying, so how many years off total is it if I reapply as a intern (prelim + up to 1 year with nothing to do right?) or as a research fellow? (Sorry confused and lacking sleep)

if you reapply as an intern, you have one gap year (fill it with research, personal recomendation). If you apply during your research year instead, you will have a total of 2 gap years (fill them with research). If you want to really pad you rapplication, do intern year, research year 1, and apply during research year 2, and have another gap year (total of 3 gap years, meaning intern, gap, gap, gap, derm). You may get lucky with an R spot but don't count on it.

I feel like in the past year or two there have been a LOT more ready to start positions that coming July that only research fellows or interns would be ready for.

there have been a lot but you'd be surprised how competitive they can be. I interviewed and narrowly missed out on quite a few last year. In addition to derm reapplicants, you also compete against people who are switching to derm from other specialties and have stellar stats. Also, a lot of places have their own internal reapplicant interns/fellows and they are prioritized. It's very possible to get one of these spots so definitely be on the look out and apply to all (the outside the match spots tend to pop up in the late spring/early summer, after the 2nd acgme meeting of the year which i believe is in April or May?), but don't rely on them. ie don't stray from the rigorous prelim/amazing fellowship path until you have an offer

OP --> I don't understand why a program would even participate in SOAP if they aren't open to receiving outside applications. What's the point? I would think the programs like the one you are describing would be those who have unfilled spots and choose to fill them outside of the match.

I think the unfilled positions in a particular match automatically go to SOAP at the beginning. but it doesn't mean they have to use the SOAP process timeline to fill within the week, if that makes sense. Kind of like before this SOAP mess when there was the Scramble.

they don't automatically go to the SOAP though. The unfilled programs that are participating and are not participating in SOAP are clearly listed

Are there really Derm programs participating in SOAP who will decide by Friday who they're taking?

Baylor x3

Nowhere obviously

I think the key being that you matched, what is the worse program you could match at? I agree with Baylor University, FWIW. x2

Why do this? To make yourself feel better at others expense?| Yeah everyone who didn't match already feels shitty. Now let's vote on who should feel shitty on Friday even though they MATCHED DERM.

I didn't take it as making others feel shitty. I took it as exposing bad/mean programs, but I can see now why it might hurt some people (not the OP, but responded).

It all depends if the Derm program wants to use SOAP, they likely won't use SOAP

Or maybe even a better question, which are the worst research fellowships?

Are you a 4th year or intern?

4th year

The best ones are the ones AFTER internship. Have you matched to an internship?

yup - I'm just curious about which programs i should really shoot for when i apply in the fall

Don't do the Skin Oncology fellowship at BU. I haven't seen even one of their fellows match into BU for Derm.

do they match elsewhere? or not at all

I mean honestly, I haven't seen if they've matched elsewhere. Usually your BEST chance to match is at the place you're doing a research fellowship, except of course for places like MGH, but that's pretty well known in advance. But she clearly has the ability to get you into other places, assuming you work hard and are productive. Kimball is very honest when she recruits her fellows on how much they're going to have to do to reach their goals. She doesn't recruit people just to fill up a spot like some others do.

I know. I am her fellow ;-) I think it is important when looking at fellowships to know their match rate overall and also their match rate at that institution. You only need one of these. For me, I didn't mind knowing in advance I wouldn't match at Harvard because I knew she had an amazing track record of matching her fellows elsewhere, especially in the region they are from. Also, there are other aspects of this fellowship that I think set it apart from other fellowships with similar match rates.

Yeah, her fellowship is great to get (as you well know from experience) because #1 - you know you've been vetted in some way by her in terms of your ERAS application, so you know you do indeed have a chance (she doesn't just take a person to be a warm body filling up a position- not that she needs to - so her track record in matching is excellent), #2 - the fellowship experience with her is so incredible in terms of what you do and learn, that it would probably be helpful once you enter Derm residency. It's not a dead-end fellowship where you're not publishing anything, lose motivation, and end up not matching. Another good one is Dr. Koo with UCSF.

I'm biased, but MGH all the way! Literally could not have had a better fellowship year.

Dr. Kimball is awesome! <--- truth