The Successful Match 2017: Rules for Success in the Residency Match Reprint Edition

Is a successful Match your destination? Well, here is your map, compass and personal tour guide. “The Successful Match 2017: Rules for Success in the Residency Match” by Drs. Desai and Katta is a MUST read! It’s an excellent book for any student wishing to obtain a residency spot and even more so for those seeking a position in the program of their choice, U.S. students and IMGs alike. In my opinion, it should be a required book for ALL medical students in their preclinical years and even doubly so for IMGs.Up until now, all the resources I have encountered always lump the U.S. and Non-U.S. citizen IMGs together. From my perspective as a U.S. citizen IMG, the struggles we face in attaining our professional goals are greater than those faced by USMGs, but are also very different from the challenges Non-U.S. citizen IMGs face. The very idea that there are devoted chapters specifically addressing this IMG dichotomy speaks volumes about Drs. Desai and Katta’s expertise, knowledge and desire to help IMGs overcome obstacles to achieve their career goals and have a successful Match.The U.S. citizen IMG chapter is very useful in several different ways. Just to mention a few, it explicitly explains what we (U.S. citizen IMGs) are up against; giving a very realistic assessment of the situation at hand and the growing obstacles we will encounter moving forward. The chapter not only elucidates the important changes that have and are occurring, but also provides core strategies to deal with them effectively to achieve your Match goals. The authors spell out ways to demonstrate qualities that Program Directors find important and that are factored in when decisions are made to grant or not grant interviews. I was very fortunate to have had and seized the opportunity to become intimately involved with a community outreach health initiative program that I not only felt very strongly about but also had a great time while undertaking the work. I must have demonstrated some of the qualities that Program Directors find important and that are discussed in detail, as it not only gave way to receiving an unexpected outstanding LOR but more importantly fostered a meaningful relationship where the Director became very familiar with who I was as a person and thus became a very strong advocate for me. Another valuable aspect of this chapter is the information provided about awards that are available to IMGs; Drs. Desai and Katta’s work will save you countless hours of research. They give excellent strategies on how to stand out and become the most coveted applicant in a sea of fierce competition.My friend who is a Radiation Oncologist used “The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match” (the earlier edition of this book), during his residency application process and recommended it highly. Following his advice, I read the book and couldn’t imagine it being any better. It provided a step by step guide with all the essential information to address each component of the match process (and more), preparing you for a journey to achieve success.Like the earlier edition, it is organized in a friendly format with bolded “Rules”, nice simple charts, “Did you know?” and “Tip” boxes, making information easy to find and access. Also like its predecessor, the authors’ advice and guidance to maximize the chances of a successful Match are based on evidence (research, studies, surveys etc.). Drs. Desai and Katta’s book also gave me the priceless gift of time, as they have pooled together bountiful useful data in a clear and concise fashion, affording me insight in the shortest turnaround time possible. They have taken all the information you need to know about the Match process and have presented it in a well-written, easy to read book that serves as a portable mentor.In summary, there is no book comparable to “The Successful Match 2017: Rules for Success in the Residency Match” by Dr. Katta and Dr. Desai. It is the best resource to pave your path to a successful Match.

I rarely write reviews for anything but I just had to for this book. Yesterday I found out that I matched into my number one program for residency, and it goes without saying that this book was monumental in my success. If you're considering buying it, just do it. I bought it in January of my 3rd year of med school because I wanted to start preparing well in advance. I'm so glad that I did. If you can get it earlier than that, even better. It may be a little pricey but it's well worth the investment. It takes you through every single step of the residency application process, from the personal statement to letters of rec to the interview, and it goes into such useful details that you won't find anywhere else. This book is invaluable.I purchased a couple of Dr. Samir Desai's other books because they are SO HELPFUL.BUY THIS BOOK.

5 stars for the information presented, but minus 1 star for an issue with the book's binding (see photo). With only ~2 months of use, several pages have already become separated from the binding. Frustrating issue as more pages will loosen and become detached over time and I'll have to invest resources to repair or re-bind the book myself.

Literally, answers every question I have... and there are sooo many. This book is essentially my bible.My only gripe is that the binding of the book kinda sucks, especially for how thick it is. I reference back to this book so often, and use it so much that my book is literally falling apart. The pages are coming out of the binding, and is starting to become a pain. I have to hold it in place, and be very gentle turning every page becasue they are starting to rip out of the book.YOU NEED GOOD BINDING FOR THE BIBLE OF RESIDENCY...OR ANY BIBLE IN GENERAL! lol

I bought this book for my brother who is an IMG. Although my brother got a great medical education, I was afraid his school might not have provided him with the best skills needed to excel in the match. So I bought several residency books and I personally read several of them. Compared with the rest of the books that I purchased, "The Successful Match 2017" stands out with its clear, straight forward strategy that is supported by data. We basically read and followed every point that applies to my brother.This is the only book that my brother read and the only one that he used as a reference throughout the whole process.Good Luck!

This book is phenomenal. I was initially hesitant to buy it because I wasn't the proudest of my medical school performance so I thought it would just make me feel bad. Quite the contrary. This guide emphasized a lot of things that were still in my control and it is very strict. By that, I mean it explains the process in great detail and explicitly says what you should or should not say or do in your PS, communications with Adcoms, the interview trail, and more. I'm a pretty laid back in person and didn't know many of these things so this book helped. Well worth the investment.

I am a US Citizen IMG and this book has essentially been my bible throughout the entire residency application process. It has helped tremendously and it will also teach you how to interact with colleagues and your attendings in order to get the maximum benefit possible. This is definitely a must-read.I agree with some of the other reviews that the binding in the book is a bit fragile so you have to be careful not to apply too much pressure when opening the book, but the quality content makes up for it.

I felt like most of the information is outdated even though this book was meant for 2017. Most of the information seems generic although there are quotes or excepts from various program directors or studies. I read the entire book, but I felt like it wasn't a good use of my time as I didn't feel like it didn't really educate me on things I didn't know.