What Happens If I Don't Match?

Not eveyone goes straight to residency: SOAP vs Research Fellowship 

In 2023, 7% percent of senior medical graduates from US MD-granting schools did not match to a residency program [1]. These students are thrown into the frantic process that is the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). Some are thrown into the limbo that is not matching into a residency program at all. This process upends applicants' lives and is an incredibly stressful time. Some applicants may not be interested in the remaining specialties and may wonder whether they have to compromise on their goals for the future. The varying requirements of specialties and residency programs can leave them confused as to how to move forward. While SOAP may place applicants in a residency program they dislike, the idea of not matching would leave too much uncertainty for their future. 

Despite this uncertainty, with proper planning and a goal-oriented mindset, this period is simply a high-intensity transition to a fulfilling medical career. Here we hope to provide applicants struggling with these decisions a guide on how to approach this transition and get the most out of the process.