Earlier this week, many of our classmates heard that they matched into an orthodontics residency. Also, it is less than two months until OMFS candidates will be greeted with the same news. Every year, there always seems to be some confusion about the match system and how it works. Someone will inevitably make a statement about how they know how to game the system or that they have a strategy to make match work in their favor. What should be known though, is that match is already designed to work in your favor.
The matching process was designed to be able to give candidates and programs a fair, transparent, and objective system for applicant placement. Prior to it being implemented, applicants were almost completely at the will of programs and their decisions. Often applicants were “forced” to accept a position at a less favored program because of the timetable placed on the offer and the uncertainty that another more desired program would make an offer within that time. In other words, “better to take any offer than risk no offer at all.” Match first began as a way to place medical students into residency in 1952, and then was adopted for oral and maxillofacial surgery applicants in 1985. Since its implementation, the match has standardized the selection process and shifted more selection power to the applicants.
The way the match works is very effective. In simplest terms, applicants rank programs numerically in order of desire, with programs doing the same. Then, the match system tentatively places you in your highest ranked program based off of your rank list. At this point, all of the applicants that ranked that program are then ordered based on the program’s rank list. An applicant remains in that program’s slot unless someone that ranked the same program is higher on the program’s rank list. If all the slots are filled, you then move to your second choice and the system repeats itself. If you are interested in the details of the “stable marriage problem” and Gale-Shapely algorithm, which the match is based on, you can find them here. Interesting to note that the Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded in 2012 based on this system. You can find a simpler explanation and visual tutorial here without as many math details.
Now that you understand how the match works, what should you do? Easy! Rank programs based on where you want to go! There is no point in ranking programs that you think you have a better chance of matching at higher than programs you would rather attend. In the end, the match works completely in applicants’ favor since it places applicants based off of their preferences first, followed by programs’ preferences. What this means is that if your seventh ranked program ranks you first, and you don’t match at the first six programs on your rank list, then you will match at the seventh program even if others have it ranked higher. What is encouraging is that nearly 80% of those that match, match into one of their first three choices. However, around 40% of applicants that submit a rank list don’t match at all. Don’t be discouraged though, work your hardest and be the best applicant you can. It’ll be worth it when you get that email on January 25th!