Just a reminder that if you have received few or no residency interviews, it’s time to start getting ready for SOAP.
On March 14 SOAP begins, but you need to understand how it works and be prepared for its brisk schedule prior to that.
Here is an article on the history and basics of SOAP.
For those interested in a comprehensive explanation of the NRMP’s process for unmatched candidates,here is an article I wrote for Student Doctor Network with a step-by-step approach to theSupplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). Most residency applicants are hopeful about their Match prospects, but if you are not a strong candidate, it’s not a bad idea to understand SOAP early.
Here is my recent contribution to the Student Doctor Network blog…
In response to persistent concerns about the “Scramble,” the two-day process when unmatched residency applicants vie for unfilled residency positions, the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) have announced significant Match Week changes to start in 2012, thus affecting next year’s residency applicants. The new system, called the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), is an attempt to improve the Scramble after repeated complaints about disorganization and lack of transparency. SOAP will overhaul the Match Week calendar, so all applicants – both unmatched and, indirectly, matched candidates – will be affected by the reforms.
Read the full story here…
http://www.studentdoctor.net/2010/10/using-soap-to-clean-up-the-scramble/