<p>Good LUCK BRM</p>
<p>So where did you end up?</p>
<p>Sorry to keep everyone in the dark...it's been a long day with a lot a celebration. The pre-event festivities (and the beer) started flowing promptly at 8am, and pretty much continued unabated right through the rest of day. </p>
<p>YouTube</a> - Ice Cube-Today Was A Good Day</p>
<p>With that buildup...I'm happy to announce that I matched at the Arkansas Children's Hospital/University of Arkansas program in Little Rock. I'm very excited and quite thrilled to be ending up there. There are so many things I like about this program - the size is good, the hospital is amazing, the residents were extremely nice, the call schedule is pretty benign, and there are fellowship and research opportunities. More over, it felt like a place I could be happy at. I'll admit that it was my third choice, but I spent a lot of time after initially certifying my rank list wondering if I should move it up to #2...and I definitely felt that I was going to be more excited opening my envelope to see Arkansas than I was to see what I had in my #2 spot. So why didn't I move it up? I suppose that's a good question. Objectively, I can still say that my second ranked program is a better program. I also correctly ascertained that both it and my #1 program were somewhat of a reach for me. For those of you who have been CC for a significant length of time, you already understand the value of putting couple reaches on your list - if things fall right, you end up at a great program, if not, you still have great choices that fit you. (I do think that most HS students equate "reach" to "dream school" and spend an inordinate amount of time focusing there rather than at what should be their main focus which is unfortunate). </p>
<p>Now to be sure, Arkansas isn't perfect. Compared to Dallas or Columbus or SLC, Little Rock is a little small, and it doesn't have quite the charm of Winston Salem, nor do I know anyone there currently like I do with Tucson (especially not anyone who is one of my best friends like I have in AZ). There's also not as much elective time here as elsewhere. But it's not like my #1 choice was perfect either so I don't feel like I need to dwell on the imperfections. </p>
<p>I have heard from a number of my older friends that it's completely normal to feel some buyer's remorse in the time between Match Day and starting as an intern, so I fully expect to go through some of that - perhaps mostly tied to the program at Arizona since I did an away there and it's the program I know best other than my own. But at the same time, having fallen through the two programs at the top of my list helps remove a great deal of that issue. Maybe I'll end up wondering what I could have done differently to end up there, but that's really not my style.</p>
<p>In terms of my classmates, Match Day was a huge success. A huge number of my friends ended up in their first choice locations, all our couples match people got to stay together for their long term residencies (there is one couple that will have to be apart for a prelim year), and there were only a few placements that were truly surprising. We have a lot of people headed towards the Great Lakes region - lots of people going to Wisconsin and Ohio. We threw a number of people into Arizona, Oregon and Utah. But I'm one of the few in the South - one guy to Alabama, only 2 or 3 to Texas, one to South Carolina, North Carolina and Atlanta a piece.</p>
<p>That said there was some disappointment today and some people who very obviously had to scramble. Not many, less than what the national average is for sure, but enough to temper the excitement so many of us have. It's hard to know exactly what to say to these people, and in some cases it's very difficult because you know what they wanted to go into. It's these people who make me think that the way my school does our Match Ceremony is cruel and unusual...but at the same time so many people were ecstatic (including yours truly) that it seems like a great way to go about it.</p>
<p>Anyways, it really does feel like a door has been opened and I can now step into my future with certainty, and that - at least for me - might be the best feeling of all.</p>
<p>Congrats, BRM! Good to hear that you like where you're going.</p>
<p>I went to the handing-out-envelope festivities at my school, and as funny as this sounds, it was a moving experience - the atmosphere was charged with emotion. People at every level, from first-years to attendings, were there. I can only imagine what it was like for the fourth-years.</p>
<p>In some ways, it was a heartening experience. I'm sick of second year at this point, and I just want to be done with class and Step 1 and be a third-year already! Being at the match today made me feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel.</p>
<p>Congratulations BRM! </p>
<p>Glad to hear you got into one of your top choices and that you're planning on making it the best internship possible. In reading you post, I really like your style: realistic and compassionate. Those qualities shine through and they're ones I value in both friends and doctors.</p>
<p>Best of luck on your journey, EM</p>
<p>Hey, Brm. Many congrats on getting one of your favorites. </p>
<p>I don't know if you will have any free time but Arkansas is a beautiful state. Within two hours from LR you can be in wonderful trout-fishing, rafting, canoeing, hiking, MOTORCYCLE RIDING country ....it is an outdoor wonderland. I travel there two or three times a year by motorcycle. In fact, maybe next weekend to ride dirt roads in the Ouachita if I can get the nephews to go with me. </p>
<p>I know your days and probably nights will be full but bring your rods and your paddles....and buy a bike. ;)</p>
<p>Good luck!!!</p>
<p>BRM,</p>
<p>Congrats on getting in one of your top 3 choices.</p>
<p>Hope this doesn't mean the CC community looses you to arduous residency hours.</p>
<p>BRM. Congrats. Thank you for sharing your journey here at cc for all this time. You have given outsiders a keen view into life as a med student. You have also been and will continue to be a great source of info. for those following a similiar path. Good Luck and keep posting!</p>
<p>...................</p>
<p>Explain something for me, for those who want to specialize in Neurology, Cardio, GI, or renal - Do these folks have to complete 1st year in Internal medicine and then apply for their respective specialization again at the end of 1st year?</p>
<p>congratz.. now i understand what the match is lol..</p>
<p>Pharma</p>
<p>Neuro is it's own field, but requires a prelim year similar to anesthesia.</p>
<p>For the medical subspecialties (cards, pulm, critical care, renal, endo, GI, infectious diseases, etc), fellowships are applied for during the second year of a medicine or peds residency. Residents enter fellowship after finishing their third year. In peds all the fellowships (including adolescent) are three years. In medicine fellowships are of varying length. There is a match for most but not all the fellowships...but I don't if there is an application service similar to ERAS.</p>
<p>BRM.</p>
<p>Could you suggest a good source where we can find out all the basic requirements for each area of specialization? Many thanks!</p>
<p>The Careers in Medicine site from the AAMC is probably the best available, but the password protected portion is far superior to what's given away for free.</p>
<p>Thanks much!</p>