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ow that the match season is over, I'd like share a couple of thought about this – nerve-wrecking – experience! This information is collected from many sources, including various websites and people.

You can find a lot of information about ERAS and how to get your application through into the system, but here's a few things you won't find on the AAMC or residency programs websites.
Forget about websites and PDFs. Imagine we're at a dinner at one of our friends place. It's now post-dinner tea time -being Sudanese and all! What thoughts do you think we'll be sharing regarding the residency match?

Apply early
But you probably knew that. Early means all documents ready and available in ERAS by the first week of Sep.

In many instances (far too many) the good information is not on the website.
Programs may offer observerships, offer H visas, hand you HIPAA forms and allow interaction with patients, or even give you a chance for a hospital visit and a chance to meet some people. But you need to talk to whoever is in-charge (go there physically). You won't be able to verify all the information about all programs, but for the ones you're really interested in, diversifying your search methods is worth a while. Sometimes the info on the website is actually misleading, which brings us to the next point…

“Minimum criteria” are not set in stone.
Yes you see these criteria on program websites, but [thankfully] , on many occasions you can be exempted. To do that you need to “bypass the filter”. More on that below.

Calling the number can help, but it seldom does.
Out of the 100+ phone calls I made for the match, 2 calls were actually helpful. And even then, that was with the help of some good friends (Thanks. You know who you are!). So you gotta keep those phones ringing and expect a lot of “sorries” and answer machines, but you will need some help if you wanted some answers.

A word about observerships
Many programs say they don't accept observerships as USCE because they don't count as hands-on experience with patients. Well, guess what? Au contraire, they DO count. Observerships allow you to be more oriented to the US system, you can make connections, and you'll learn to interact better in the interview and during hospital visits. AND, although some programs indicate that they don't count them as USCE, they prefer applicants with observerships for interviews.

Selection starts with ERAS filters and the program co-ordinator. Both are non-medicos.
Yep. Programs receive 2000+ applicants each year. No one will go through them one by one. Just as you can see your information through myERAS, programs have theirERAS too, and it they use it to filter applicants. The co-ordinator gets the criteria for filtration from the director (e.g. only scores above 95, with USCE). If you don't meet the criteria you'll be filtered out automatically. No one notices that you even applied!

To bypass the filter, get a connection.
Unfortunately, that's true. Connections don't always guarantee a match or even an IV, but think about it this way: There are hundreds of applicants with the same credentials. Programs would rather employ someone they at least feel that they know.
That said, a connection could be someone you worked with or known in a clerkship, observership, externship, or research experience. Or it could be a resident or a worker that you know there.

Most of the time the LoR is useless for selection, but critical in the IV.
Residency directors are busy, There is no time to read 500 LoRs and selecting candidates according to that.
However, make sure you know what you wrote on your application very very well before the IV.

Back up with prelim
Programs sometimes beg for candidate to apply for prelim medicine and surgery. Many of the empty spots in the post match scramble are in prelim medicine and surgery. So applying is a good idea if you don't mind spending an extra year gaining experience and $$$ just in case you don't match (which I guess is better than spending year unmatched).

Nail the freakin' IV
Remember: Good candidate + bad IV = no match. But Bad candidate + good IV = match

Relax!
No one's going to bite you. Even if you don't know the answer to that clinical question. Just try no to look jittery and hesitant.

Never lie, but emphasize … à la Steve Jobs.
CEOs and marketing people in general are very successful. They don't lie, but they emphasize (almost exaggerate) their positives. Try to sound enthusiastic, but don't over do it. Check YouTube videos of CEO keynotes… or the shamwow guy!

The answer to “Do you have any question?”
… is “Yes. A lot of questions!”…

Ask smart questions, even if you don't care about the answers!
You really like the program, you're desperate to get a match. You don't care if 2 residents left the program last year, but you still ask “why”. Ask around during the hospital tour with the resident as well. Don't just drag behind and seem uninterested. Your behavior will be relayed to the director. Just ask…”where do you move the chronic patients?”, “what about dialysis?, “what is the team composed of?”

Don't be irritating, Avoid clichés!
“I am a workaholic” sounds very cheesy. Clichés make the interviewer want to slap you. Make your own answers. You have 6 months to come up with something (at time of writing).

Know thy CV.
You need to know your CV inside out before the interview. If you have a relatively late interview, then go back to MyERAS and review your CV, personal statement and LoRs.  Rest assured, you will be asked about them. Oh, and those “interests” you mentioned are not merely place-holders. They can make or break an interview. “So, you like photography? What DSLR are you using?”

Please feel free to add / change these tip. I hope this helps someone out there, and good luck in September.