“We regret to inform you that you did not match”: Reflections on how to improve the match experience

There is increasing concern amongst stakeholders over the high numbers of unmatched Canadian Medical Graduates (CMGs), yet little is known from the perspective of those who go unmatched. We present an opinion-based narrative analysis examining the matching process by reflecting on the pre- and post-match period and provide suggestions related to the Canadian context from the unmatched perspective. The challenge in the pre-match period was a lack of transparency around elective availability, resident selection criteria, and what happens after going unmatched. For the post-matched period, we were challenged with decision-making during a time-sensitive period, scheduling post-match electives, handling our finances, and improving our future residency applications without feedback. We have tried to identify the most impactful issues we encountered as applicants and unmatched students, and offered suggestions to improve the applicant experience. In addition to sharing our reflection in going unmatched, we also highlight the positive side of this formative experience.