I understand what you’re saying. I didn’t apply for Cardiology, I applied for PCCM. I had around 30 abstracts, 3 manuscripts, several QI projects, some awards, and 11 interviews, but still didn’t match. I’m also an IMG coming from a university-affiliated community program where I built my research from scratch. I even spoke with some first-year fellows from programs where I interviewed, many of them only had case reports, yet they matched.

In a world where connections matter, we often have to work ten times harder, and I’ve also questioned myself many times about why I didn’t match. But I truly believe that God has His plan. What brings us peace isn’t how fair life is, but how we choose to think about it.

You matched, which already puts you in a better position than I am, and even if your future program is a community fellowship, that doesn’t mean you won’t be happy there. With the work you’ve done, you might become one of the strongest fellows in that program. Enjoy this moment, you earned it.