LAUSR

The residency match process, culminating with the Match Day celebration, plays out in medical schools across the United States and Canada every year. The process may seem strange and mysterious for observers outside of medicine. The notion that each graduating student's employer for the next several years is first revealed to thousands of people, all at the same moment, through the opening of an envelope is surreal. The emotional reactions accompanying the process range from jubilance to deep disappointment. Much attention and care have been given to developing the algorithm underpinning the Match, and the process seems just: Optimization favors applicants over training programs. Witnessing students as they progress to their next stage of medical training is special for those involved in medical education. Faculty are filled with pride. But the process is far from perfect. The author of this Invited Commentary notes several concerns about the Match: the arduous process that students undergo to maximize their chances of success; the costs attendant to the travel and related expenses of multiple, geographically dispersed interviews; and the metrics that students and their medical schools use to judge the outcomes. The author worries that for some students, the "ideal" match may not be the one driven by their dreams and aspirations but, rather, by an amalgamation of those of many well-meaning friends, family members, and faculty. Medical students should seek advice and guidance, but the author hopes that, ultimately, students follow their own drumbeat and are true first to themselves.