Scheduling Process
The scheduling process will take place over the course of several distinct phases, during which certain courses will be scheduled. The phases are as follows:
- Phase 1 – Required Neurology
- Phase 2 – Required Sub-Internship
- Phase 3 – Required Anesthesiology
- Phase 4 – Required Emergency Medicine
- Phases 5-7: Elective scheduling phases (more details below)
Each individual scheduling phase will have the same general flow. Once the phase is open, you will receive an email notification that you should log in to the MedCat system to make your selections from the available offerings of the courses being scheduled in that phase. All students will have a limited time window (generally at least 24 hours) in which you can enter your selections for the current phase. Once that time window is closed, the MedCat system will run an automated process to schedule courses for the current phase, based on all of the various selections students have entered.
Important note: Please pay close attention to MedCat-related email messages throughout the scheduling process to avoid missing deadlines for entering choices during a scheduling phase. If you do miss a deadline, you will need to choose from remaining courses left after that phase has been scheduled (based on other students’ selections)!
When you enter your selections, you will rank them in order of desirability; this ranking is very important because the MedCat system will try to assign students their most highly ranked selections. For popular courses, it is crucial that you specify and rank a number of alternatives, as there simply are not enough spots available for all students to get their top choice. In particular, for Required Neurology, the MedCat system will require you to rank at least 15 choices.
Please note: Because each of the first four phases is used to schedule a required course, the process cannot move forward to the next phase until everyone has been slotted for that phase. As a result, after the MedCat system has run the scheduling process for each of these phases, if you have still not been assigned a slot for that phase you will need to get in touch with Beth Griffis so you can be placed in one of the remaining open classes.
Preparing to Match
Residency
Mock Interviews
The office of Alumni Affairs coordinates alumni volunteers to help prepare you for residency interviews. You will be matched based on specialty and/or desired geographic location of your top-choice program.
Help our students travel
H.O.S.T Program
The H.O.S.T. program connects you with a UF alumni who provide a free place to stay during interview trips as well as advice about residency training and the prospective medical center in which you are interviewing.
ERAS
Electronic Residency Application Service
The ERAS is a service provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges. ERAS provides a standard application for most residency and fellowship programs that also participate in the Match.
NRMP
National Resident Matching Program
The NRMP (AKA The Match) is separate from ERAS. After applying to programs and interviewing, the Match provides programs and applicants the ability to submit their training preferences through rank order lists.
NRMP Match
Couples Matches
Participating in an NRMP Match as a couple allows two applicants to link their rank order lists, usually for purposes of obtaining positions in the same geographic location.
SOAP
Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program
The SOAP is a vehicle through which eligible unmatched applicants in the Main Residency Match apply for and are offered positions that were not filled when the matching algorithm was initially processed