Match Day: Tips on the match process from newly matched students

Across the country Friday, graduating medical students learned where they would be spending the next several years pursuing residency training.

Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine held a Match party in Chicago, where many students opened envelopes to learn where they matched.

These students celebrated alongside students who participated in earlier matches, such as the DO Match and the Military Match.

After going through the Match process and coming out on the other side, here are the tips on the match process six students shared with The DO Friday.

Nistha Rawal, OMS IV, matched in internal medicine at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee, Illinois.

“My biggest tip would be to do a bunch of audition rotations. Really get a feel for if that’s what you want to do, if you can see yourself as a resident there in the future. And treat each rotation as if you are going to pursue that specialty in the future.”

Robert Campbell, OMS IV, matched in family medicine at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois.

“Apply broadly. It’s always easier to apply more and whittle it down than it is to try to get more interviews. Go with your gut. You could make a bunch of pros and cons lists, but in the end, if you get a good feeling, and if you like the faculty and the residents, go for it!”

Megan Potilechio, OMS IV, and Andrew Wenger, OMS IV, participated in the couples match. Both will be going to residency programs at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Here are their tips on the couples match:

Potilechio: The couples match is awesome because you know you have an increased chance of getting to be with each other. If i could go back, the one thing I would do differently is, after you go and see a place, make sure that you are honest with each other about whether you really like the place. Sometimes you pretend like you like it because you don’t want to disappoint the other person if they really liked it.

Wenger: You have to be open and ready to compromise. You’re not just matching into a program, you’re matching as a couple, as a family. You have to take into account, is this a good place for us as a couple?”

Bushra Alam, OMS IV, matched in internal medicine at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee, Illinois.

“Try to visit as many different kinds of programs as you can to see what is the best match for you, whether it’s based on the residents who are there or the location or the program director or the curriculum. It’s really important to think about all of the different factors that go into finding the right match for you.”

Ben Ferrel, OMS IV, matched in general surgery at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa.

“Work hard, do the best that you can every day. Remember that this is four years of your life, where you have an opportunity to do great things, and it’s setting you up for your future, so work hard every day, and you’ll get where you want to go.”