The residency matching program, which occurred in March 1976, was for me and for many of my medical school compatriots a very traumatic experience, one that will be remembered for many years. The process begins a full year before the actual selection of residents is made. During that year, it occupies a considerable amount of the student's time, costs a significant amount of money, and produces an extensive amount of emotional anguish for those involved.
PROBLEMS WITH MATCHING PROGRAM
What is really taking place, and why is it such a harrowing experience? From my viewpoint, the matching program is in many ways, a high-level sophisticated version of consumer America. The process involves a marketplace of very highly qualified medical school graduates who are competing for a limited number of quality positions in residency programs. On one hand, we have the residency training programs that essentially rely on the surgical resident