The Successful Match 2017: Rules for Success in the Residency Match

Description

Please note that a new edition of this book was published in 2025. It is available for the KIndle on desertcart (you can find it by entering The Successful Match Katta or the book's ISBN # 9781937978136). Over 42,000 applicants registered for the 2016 NRMP Match, making it the largest Match on record. Competition is intense, and some applicants are unsuccessful. 9781 In competitive fields such as general surgery, dermatology, plastic surgery, and orthopedic surgery, over 25% of U.S. senior allopathic applicants failed to match. The numbers are significantly worse for osteopathic and international medical graduates (IMGs). As an applicant, your goal is to match into your preferred specialty, and ideally your preferred program. The evidence indicates that it has never been more difficult to reach these goals. Over a decade ago, in response to an anticipated physician manpower shortage, allopathic and osteopathic medical schools increased student enrollment. New schools were also established. However, the number of residency positions has not risen at a commensurate level. As more and more graduates have entered the Match, the competition for available residency positions has intensified. What does it take to match successfully in such a fiercely competitive environment? The first edition of this book was published in 2009, and while the core strategies for a successful match remain the same, some important changes have occurred. The most relevant is that the competition is more intense. This has translated to applicants applying more widely and extensively than ever before. The larger number of applications means more challenges for programs. Programs are finding it difficult to reduce this large group of applicants into a smaller, more manageable number who will receive interview invitations. With increased competition, it has become even more important to ensure that your application stands out from the hundreds or even thousands of applications that your dream program has received. What does it take to achieve a successful match? It takes the right strategy. In the 600 plus pages of this book, we answer the question of what it takes to match successfully. As with our previous edition, we provide specific evidence-based advice to maximize your chances of a successful match. Inside: Interviews with program directors and data from the recent literature reveal what programs value in the personal statement. Use this knowledge to develop a powerful and compelling personal statement. With 86% of programs citing LORs as a factor in selecting applicants to interview, it's critical that you have the best possible letters written on your behalf. Our resource will show you how to partner with your letter writers to achieve this goal. Audition electives are very important in many specialties. We review what factors to consider when choosing an elective and describe how to deliver an outstanding performance. The interview is the most important factor in the residency selection process. Our expanded interview section spanning 6 chapters will leave you thoroughly prepared, and ready to impress on the interview day. Our chapter "Interview Questions" will show you how to develop stand-out responses to commonly asked questions. Discover powerful techniques to make favorable impressions during the traditional, behavioral, panel, conversational, and stress interview. The Chapter "Couples Match" covers major errors which lead to suboptimal match outcomes, and shows you how to avoid them. Nearly 200 pages of incredibly detailed Specialty-Specific Information will allow you develop a success strategy for multiple specialties until your specialty choice becomes clear. Featuring discussion of these issues and more, this book will provide you with specific, concrete recommendations that will maximize your chances of achieving the ultimate goal: that of a successful match. Review: The best Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate a successful Match! - Is a successful Match your destination? Well, here is your map, compass and personal tour guide. “The Successful Match 2017: Rules for Success in the Residency Match” by Drs. Desai and Katta is a MUST read! It’s an excellent book for any student wishing to obtain a residency spot and even more so for those seeking a position in the program of their choice, U.S. students and IMGs alike. In my opinion, it should be a required book for ALL medical students in their preclinical years and even doubly so for IMGs. Up until now, all the resources I have encountered always lump the U.S. and Non-U.S. citizen IMGs together. From my perspective as a U.S. citizen IMG, the struggles we face in attaining our professional goals are greater than those faced by USMGs, but are also very different from the challenges Non-U.S. citizen IMGs face. The very idea that there are devoted chapters specifically addressing this IMG dichotomy speaks volumes about Drs. Desai and Katta’s expertise, knowledge and desire to help IMGs overcome obstacles to achieve their career goals and have a successful Match. The U.S. citizen IMG chapter is very useful in several different ways. Just to mention a few, it explicitly explains what we (U.S. citizen IMGs) are up against; giving a very realistic assessment of the situation at hand and the growing obstacles we will encounter moving forward. The chapter not only elucidates the important changes that have and are occurring, but also provides core strategies to deal with them effectively to achieve your Match goals. The authors spell out ways to demonstrate qualities that Program Directors find important and that are factored in when decisions are made to grant or not grant interviews. I was very fortunate to have had and seized the opportunity to become intimately involved with a community outreach health initiative program that I not only felt very strongly about but also had a great time while undertaking the work. I must have demonstrated some of the qualities that Program Directors find important and that are discussed in detail, as it not only gave way to receiving an unexpected outstanding LOR but more importantly fostered a meaningful relationship where the Director became very familiar with who I was as a person and thus became a very strong advocate for me. Another valuable aspect of this chapter is the information provided about awards that are available to IMGs; Drs. Desai and Katta’s work will save you countless hours of research. They give excellent strategies on how to stand out and become the most coveted applicant in a sea of fierce competition. My friend who is a Radiation Oncologist used “The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match” (the earlier edition of this book), during his residency application process and recommended it highly. Following his advice, I read the book and couldn’t imagine it being any better. It provided a step by step guide with all the essential information to address each component of the match process (and more), preparing you for a journey to achieve success. Like the earlier edition, it is organized in a friendly format with bolded “Rules”, nice simple charts, “Did you know?” and “Tip” boxes, making information easy to find and access. Also like its predecessor, the authors’ advice and guidance to maximize the chances of a successful Match are based on evidence (research, studies, surveys etc.). Drs. Desai and Katta’s book also gave me the priceless gift of time, as they have pooled together bountiful useful data in a clear and concise fashion, affording me insight in the shortest turnaround time possible. They have taken all the information you need to know about the Match process and have presented it in a well-written, easy to read book that serves as a portable mentor. In summary, there is no book comparable to “The Successful Match 2017: Rules for Success in the Residency Match” by Dr. Katta and Dr. Desai. It is the best resource to pave your path to a successful Match. Review: Helped my IMG wife match into a competitive program [highly recommend] - I bought this book for my wife, who is an international medical graduate (IMG), as she was preparing to continue her career in the U.S. It turned out to be one of the most helpful resources we found. The advice is clear, realistic, and very practical, especially for IMGs who often feel lost navigating the system. The step-by-step guidance on preparing a strong application, understanding the process, and handling interviews gave my wife the direction and confidence she needed. It helped her highlight her strengths and avoid common mistakes. Thanks to what she learned from this book, she successfully matched into a competitive residency program something we weren’t sure was even possible when she started. If you or your spouse is an IMG trying to match in the U.S., I highly recommend this book. It works if you follow the advice.