Scramble blues?

We've learned in the last few weeks that nothing has gone completely according to plans in the scramble.  It made sense to us that programs would want to see information from scramblers populate in their PhORCAS "inbox" starting on March 25th.  What happened instead is that perhaps programs were waiting to hear from those still interested in an effort to save students the time and expense of loading a bunch of stuff into PhORCAS without prior contact with the program.  We feel this is unfortunate and it may have put some students who were trying not to be a nuisance at a disadvantage over the "squeaky wheels."  We did hear of a few cases of programs responding with "don't email us" or "don't call us" so this was definitely not always the case.  We also wondered why students didn't seem to be given the opportunity to make changes to their pre-match application without forking over another $25 per program.  Dr. Sebranek spoke with Janet Teeters at ASHP last week and made her aware of this issue.  This is something they were definitely interested in hearing about.  Ms. Teeters couldn't confirm whether the cause of programs disappearing from PhORCAS before April 1 was the filling of positions or programs already receiving plenty of inquiries/applications.  She mentioned that the moratorium on offers before April 1 may become mandatory in the future.

What to do now?

Option 1: Keep your eyes peeled for new positions coming open in PhORCAS.  Since there is no cost to the programs, it would seem they would want to put their openings in there.  In case inertia is the issue, keep your eyes peeled in other places as well such as the pharmacy association email distribution lists and web sites which display openings (especially ACCP).  Continue to let people in your area and in your speciality (ex. managed care) know you are still looking.

Option 2: Start planning for next year.  Look for job openings in areas which are related to your practice site of interest.  Think about casting a wide geographic net and don't forget about rural areas where demand might be higher.  One Roseman student started working per diem for a hospital shortly after graduation.  This position eventually turned into a full-time night-shift position. That position eventually turned into a 9 - 5 M-F shift in a hospital in another city.

Hang in there and continue to feel free to reach out to Dr. Sebranek or myself for assistance.

How to select programs in the scramble

I know it's been a long and arduous process, but if you are scrambling, get ready for the final sprint.  By now you have probably at least browsed through the unmatched position list, but where to start?  Here are some steps which might help you break this down a little. 

1. Look for places for which you have already applied.  They might not be THE hospital you sent your original application to, but consider the possibility that they might be willing to consider you more seriously since you have already been vetted by their "sister" hospital.  Another reason I put this first is that you might be able to swing a rotation at the other hospital which first attracted you to the system.  This couldn't hurt if they have a PGY-2 you are interested in for next year as well.
2. Ask a few mentors for ideas.  They might know someone at one of the sites.  Make sure they know what you are looking for so they don't try to send you to a critical care place when you really want more of an ambulatory care place.  This means you need to give people copies of the unmatched list so that they can browse and do a little research.  As I was poking around, I found a former student from Henderson who is now in a completely different part of the country at a site with an unmatched slot.
3. Since you have a much smaller list than when you did this the first time around, consider a process of elimination vs. a process of adding sites to your list.  If you don't want home infusion, for example, you can cross off all of the "Critical Care Systems" slots.  If you are considering this program, give me a call, I know the director pretty well.
4. If you are thinking about a PGY-2 in an inpatient specialty, consider the benefits of a good solid well-rounded PGY-1 experience at a community hospital.  If they offer the basics like cardiology, critical care, pediatrics, internal medicine, administration, and infectious disease, you will have a good foundation for future specialization.  Some of these places might be in more rural areas, which might mean less competition from students at other schools.
5. Don't be afraid of programs in candidate status.  Like the regular application process, you want to apply broadly to more well-known and lesser-known to improve your chances.  EVERY program started in candidate status at some point.  There could be something in there with great potential as long as you will get the experiences you are looking for.

More updates to come!  Hang in there scramblers.  I have a long list of former Roseman students who started out in the scramble and now are gainfully employed in top-notch positions.

Upcoming Dates -- Residency Match 2013

March 22, 2013 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time

• Match results are released to applicants and program directors.
• The PhORCAS application portal will be reopened so that unmatched applicants may begin updating their information (CVs, letters of intent, letters of recommendation, etc.).  Previous information will be accessible in the system for students who used PhORCAS pre-match.
• The list of programs with openings will be preloaded into PhORCAS.
• New applicants may participate in the scramble however they must register for the match and PhORCAS and pay associated fees. 
• New programs and new positions for existing programs can be added.

March 25, 2013 (update: 12:00 PM Eastern Time)

• Designation portal is again open to applicants in PhORCAS. No distinction will be made between "in progress" and "complete" applications. The fees of $25 per application will again apply.
• Programs may designate a new application deadline or they may keep the default deadline of May 31, 2013.   April 1, 2013
• Available applicant list is posted for programs.

April 1, 2013

• The Commission on Credentialing has asked for a moratorium on position offers to applicants until this date in an effort to give programs and applicants sufficient time to make good decisions without the fear of competition with the best applicants/programs. This is non-binding but Dr. Sebranek and I believe this recommendation will be followed by the residency programs.
• Programs will begin to remove remaining unmatched positions as they are filled

April 22, 2013

• Matched applicants must sign and return their letter of confirmation to their residency program.

May 31, 2013

• PhORCAS closes for the post-match process.