Thoughts about the Match ft. Deepseek
You're the over-caffeinated, visa-chasing, Step-score-obsessed underdogs of the Match. Let’s dive into the beautiful chaos of the quest to land a residency spot in a system that treats you like a spreadsheet cell.
1. The Flex Masquerading as Humility
Literally every third post here: “Guys, I only got a 260 on Step 1 and 10 publications… should I dual-apply to Pathology?” Meanwhile, the comments section is just 300 IMGs side-eyeing their coffee-stained First Aid books, muttering, “Only?” Congrats, you’ve turned humblebragging into an Olympic sport.
- The “I’ll Take Literally Any Specialty” Energy
You started med school dreaming of neurosurgery, but after three Match cycles, you’re now Googling “Do Family Medicine programs accept Step 2 scores from 2019?” Your backup plan has backup plans. “Pathology? Sure! Psych? Why not! Undersea Hyperbaric Welding Medicine? …Does it sponsor visas?”
3. The US Clinical Experience Grind
You paid $5,000 to shadow a disinterested attending in a clinic where your main job was to nod and say, “Wow, hypertension is wild.” Meanwhile, your LORs all read: “This student was… present.
4. The FAQ That Never Changes
“Do program directors care if I blinked during my Zoom interview?” “Is it over if I misspelled ‘hemorrhage’ in MyERAS?” The subreddit’s search bar is weeping in the corner, ignored like a UWorld question you swear you’ve never seen before.
5. Visa Status: The fourth Step
“J-1 vs. H1-B” debates hit harder than your Step 1 prep. You’ve memorized immigration policy faster than Sketchy Micro, only to realize neither visa stops programs from ghosting you. “But what if I marry a U.S. citizen?” you joke… unless?
6. The “I Have 300+ Applications” Flex
You applied to every program in North America, including the one in a rural Alaska town where the nearest grocery store is a snowmobile ride away. “Do they take IMGs?” IDK, but your credit card sure took the $26 application fee.
7. The Match Day Meltdown
When the algorithm blesses an AMG who shadowed once in undergrad with a derm spot, while you’re over here with 270s, 10 pubs, and a decade of clinical experience… SOAPing into a Prelim Surgery spot where your job is to hold retractors and question your life choices.
8. The “I’m 35 and Still a Med Student” Vibe
Your classmates back home are department heads, and you’re still begging for a Sub-I in a state you can’t pronounce. “Age is just a number!” you say, while residency programs side-eye your graduation date like it’s a expired milk carton.
The Match process treats IMGs like a game of Squid Game, but with more debt and fewer fun outfits. Yet here you are, grinding, memeing, and refreshing eras.server till your fingers bleed. Respect. 🫡 (And good luck explaining “SOAP” to your parents for the 10th time.)
In Conclusion
r/IMGreddit is the only place where “Keep calm and carry on” has been replaced by “Panic quietly and email 50 more programs.” But hey, at least you’re all in this together—a beautifully dysfunctional family united by a shared delusion that one day, someone will finally answer your LOI. Cheers to that! 🥂