15 November 2011
Posted in
Pearls in Ophthalmology
By Kim Chan, MD
The American writer Richard Bach once wrote, “There is no disaster that can’t become a blessing, and no blessing that can’t become a disaster.” For some, not matching in the SF Match can be like a terrifying natural disaster. However, once you recover, it can lead to personal growth and an opportunity to expand your horizons. Having experienced this myself, I feel honored to share a few lessons learned which I hope can benefit fellow aspiring ophthalmologists:
Lesson 1: Be prepared with a Plan B. Even if you’re told by multiple program directors that you’re a rock star applicant, like Mother Nature, the Match has eaten stronger applicants than you for breakfast.
Lesson 2: Give yourself some time to get over the shock and grieve. I was advised to give myself a couple weeks before I made any big career decisions. This was some of the best advice I have received thus far.
Lesson 3: Know if you want to start intern year or not. With ophthalmology’s early match, you have about a month before you need to decide if you want to finalize your NMRP rank list or not.
Lesson 4: Decide on when you want to reapply. If you are going to reapply in the next match like I did, there is about half a year to bulk up your application. I’ve found the ability to improve your application depends on:
a) When you start internship, which will dictate how much time you have.
b) What opportunities are available to genuinely improve your application.
c) How strong of an applicant you were to begin with.
Lesson 5: I’ve found what helped me answer the 3 items in the previous lesson, was outside feedback. Hopefully you have cultivated a group of advisors and mentors over the course of your medical school career. They can help you figure out areas of improvement, advise you on opportunities, etc.
Lesson 6: A few ways to improve your CV: get those papers “in progress” on your CV published, do more research, consider a pre-residency ophthalmology residency or fellowship, etc. Notice how these things are not much different from the things you probably did in the first place – they’re just more.
Lesson 7: Regardless of the decision you made, know that you will be both praised and criticized for your choice. Trust me – I’ve heard both arguments for and against my decision. Life is too short and you’re going to be too busy to second-guess your decision. Make peace with your decision or make it work for you.
So what did I do? I decided to start intern year and immediately reapply. I was accepted for a research fellowship after intern year prior to starting my PGY2 position in ophthalmology. More knowledge and training in ophthalmology only makes you better. Although this is my plan, this experience has reminded me that life more often than not does not go as planned. Regardless of what the future may hold, I am thankful that I endured this. I have never felt so supported and validated in who I am. I know that I am a more mature person and will be a better doctor for facing this and moving forward.
Kim Chan, MD, is completing an internship at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She is currently enrolled in the SF Match for this year. If you have any questions, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
