Celebrating and Supporting Our Students During Match Madness
Published March 17, 2022
From the President
Robert A. Cain, DO
President and CEO
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
The second week in March is here. At colleges across the country, people are excited. Students are amped up and all the hard work they’ve put in is about to be tested in a national competition. Their fans, family and friends are waiting to watch the results live across all kinds of platforms. No, I’m not talking about the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament. I’m talking about “Match Madness” and the thousands of medical students who are going through the National Resident Matching Program’s 2022 Main Residency Match.
Just like the basketball players competing on the basketball court, our students have put in an incredible amount of work, both in the classroom and on rotations. They have sacrificed to make their dream of becoming a doctor of osteopathic medicine a reality. And like their peers, they have faced and overcome challenges that were unimaginable four years ago when they started their journey. It is a true accomplishment just to reach this milestone of Match Week, one they can all take pride in. We at AACOM certainly take pride in our graduating class and could not be more thrilled and excited for them as they begin this important chapter in their medical careers.
Like the student athletes in the big dance, these student doctors have a community and a team ready to support them through this stressful time. Not every DO student received an email this past Monday telling them they matched. Some are going through the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). To those, I reiterate, there is absolutely nothing about the SOAP process to be discouraged about. Thousands of very successful physicians went through the SOAP to find the residency program that best suited them. Whether or not you matched outright or are working on matching through the SOAP process, you can find guidance and assistance through AACOM’s Match Resource Center. Remember to keep checking the center even after tomorrow’s Match Day, as we will be posting residency positions from programs who still have openings.
This weekend is going to be a time of celebration for our students, our schools and the entire osteopathic medical education community. When the final numbers are in from all the matches, including SOAP and post-SOAP activity, I am confident that once again we will see an extremely high placement rate for our graduates. And I am equally confident that they will become outstanding physicians who I will be proud to call my colleagues. Here’s to another successful Match Madness!