Managing Match Day Expectations
Pharmacy Residency Match Day is an exciting and scary day. While it may seem like there are countless ways that match day can go, there are really four options on how your match day will end:
You match at your top program
You match somewhere in the middle
You match at the last program on your list
You don’t match
Going into match day with the right expectations on what the possibilities are and how you can proceed once they happen is an important part of your match day prep. Here’s a few ways to manage your match day expectations…
First, you have to allow yourself to feel whatever feelings you need to and let those emotions out. These emotions could be happiness, anger, confusion, jealousy, disappointment, or a combination of all these. If you aren’t happy with your results, don’t force yourself to put on a happy face on match day. Give yourself time to process the results before sharing them publicly. (Or don’t share them publicly if it makes your uncomfortable. It’s okay to keep some things private.)
Second, don’t start comparing yourself to others. It is important to remember that the match is a computer algorithm that is designed to match residency programs with residency candidates. Nothing more. No algorithm is perfect so if you don’t get the results you want, don’t take it personally. Comparing your results to someone else’s will only lead to frustration. Remember, you are on separate paths and that’s okay. There’s room for everyone to become a great pharmacist regardless of their match results.
Lastly, avoid overthinking the results. Whatever your results are, it can be tempting to go back and analyze your interview experience to understand why the results ended up the way they did. There are a variety of factors that influence the match rankings and results. Most of those factors are out of your control. Instead, focus on the positives about the program you did match at, or if you didn’t match, focus on coming up with a plan for your next steps (i.e. phase II, job search, fellowships).
Overall, match day can be an emotional day. If you allow yourself to feel the feelings you need to, don’t compare yourself to others, and avoid overthinking your results, you can make it through match day and move on to the next phase of your journey, whatever it might be!
P.S. If you want to share your results, get advice on next steps, or enjoyed this article and want to say hi, you can send me an email (sierrarichard@happypharmlife.com) and I can share some support on match day!
