the following week...

i'm finally [mostly] recovered, emotionally and physical, from the hell of last week's matching activities. i've gone through the denial, the anger, the bargaining, and depression, and am mostly toward acceptance of my fate. it's always nice, though, to get messages like this (scramble was on Tues 3/14):

Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 20:03:58
Subject: Regrets about the system and our tardiness

Dear [bonzo],

I regret I did not get back to you in time on scramble day.

ERAS ~ melted down on us and turned out to be the least good method of gathering information.

You would have been an excellent candidate for us.

Our loss.

I wish you well.

We thank you for applying to Vanderbilt.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXX, MD

Program Director

Vanderbilt

[note: "ERAS" is the "Electronic Residency Application Service," the software used to apply to residency initially. Some residency programs utilized this also during the scramble.]

it doesn't help that Vanderbilt was pretty much my top choice of the "plan B" list, and to see that i could have had a spot there. other offers included Loyola (Chicago) and Wayne State University (Detroit) - but i'm very happy with my choice of Rush.

still never heard from Iowa - and looks like they are still unfilled. figures. now just waiting to hear officially from Rush - to get my contract, and to find out how much i'll be making, etc. need to contact some current residents and get their opinions on places to live....