SOAP Mistakes to Avoid During Match Week

A calm, student-centered guide for navigating Match Week with clarity and poise instead of panic.

For many students, the moment they learn they didn’t match is one of the most emotionally jarring experiences of medical school. There’s the initial sting of shock, the sense of falling behind your peers, the sudden flood of “what now?”- all layered on top of the looming reality that SOAP begins in just a few hours. No other part of medical education moves as quickly, demands as much decisiveness, or occurs during such a vulnerable emotional state.

Because of that, students often stumble not because they’re unprepared or unqualified, but because the SOAP process is fundamentally counterintuitive. The timeline is fast. The stakes feel enormous. The “rules of engagement” aren’t always clear. And the combination of fear, urgency, and self-doubt can lead to mistakes that are entirely preventable with a little foresight and perspective.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the most common pitfalls students experience during SOAP – and more importantly, how to move through this process with clarity, confidence, and self-kindness.

First, a necessary reminder: SOAP does not define your worth as a future physician

Before talking strategy, you need to anchor yourself in one unshakeable truth: landing in SOAP says nothing about your intelligence, work ethic, or potential. Every year, brilliant and compassionate students end up here for countless reasons – program bottlenecks, increasing competitiveness in a specialty, applying broadly but narrowly missing several interviews, one imperfect letter, or simply the randomness of a process that is much more structured around systems than individual merit.

SOAP is not a verdict. It is a path. And thousands of physicians have walked this exact path before you and have gone on into thriving careers.

Mistake #1: Losing precious time in the emotional fog of Monday morning

When the Match status email arrives, most students experience a moment of paralysis. Some cry, some go numb, some immediately catastrophize, and some simply shut down. All of these reactions are normal – they are human. The only problem is that SOAP is not designed with humanity in mind. It offers very little time to process, regroup, or catch your breath.

This is why the first mistake most students make is unintentionally wasting the early hours of Monday trying to “get themselves together.” Unfortunately, those hours matter. That’s when students should be gathering documents, revising personal statements, contacting advisors, and preparing to review the unfilled programs list strategically.

To avoid being swept away by the overwhelm, the best preparation actually happens before Match Week. Students who feel they may be at risk of not matching and update their CVs, pre-write a general SOAP personal statement, clarify which alternate specialties they could realistically pursue, and talk to their deans early almost always navigate SOAP more smoothly. Preparing in advance isn’t pessimistic – it’s protective. It’s the academic equivalent of buying an umbrella before hurricane season.

Mistake #2: Making emotionally reactive, rather than strategic, application decisions

One of the most intense moments of SOAP is seeing the unfilled programs list for the first time. The emotional whiplash hits quickly: surprise at what appears, disappointment at what doesn’t, panic about choices that suddenly feel extremely limited. In that stress, many students make impulsive decisions – either submitting applications wildly across specialties they’re not aligned with, or clinging narrowly to one path that may no longer be viable.

Emotions tend to push students into extremes. Some apply everywhere out of fear, hoping something – anything – sticks. Others apply only to a handful of programs in their original specialty and unintentionally limit their chances.

The key is remembering that SOAP is not the time for emotionally driven decision-making. It’s the time for grounded, data-informed choices. Students do best when they start with specialties where their existing application already fits naturally. The more aligned your story, your experiences, and your letters are with a given specialty, the greater the chance of an interview.

Rather than approaching SOAP as a scramble, it’s more helpful to think of it as a rapid-fire strategic pivot.

Mistake #3: Reusing your original personal statement without revising it for SOAP

A surprisingly common mistake is sending the same personal statement written for Match applications – sometimes even with explicit references to the original specialty. A dermatology-focused essay sent to a pediatrics program is almost guaranteed to be dismissed. Program directors often read personal statements before they look at test scores, and they are quickly filtering for: Does this applicant make sense for us?

A SOAP personal statement should be concise, clear, clinically grounded, and specialty-appropriate. It should reflect why you’d be an asset to that field – not why you hoped to pursue another one. You don’t need to justify why you didn’t match or apologize for being in SOAP. The statement should simply highlight your strengths, your growth, and your genuine interest in the specialty to which you’re applying.

Having one or two alternate statements drafted ahead of time that maintain your original message but cater to other specialties can dramatically reduce stress and improve outcomes.

Mistake #4: Letting panic leak into communication with programs

Because SOAP is so compressed, every interaction with a program – whether by email, phone, or interview – carries extra weight. When students communicate while anxious, it often shows up as rambling, apologizing, oversharing, or sounding noticeably overwhelmed. This isn’t a character flaw; it’s a human reaction. But programs interpret communication during SOAP as a preview of how a resident might handle stress on the job.

Sometimes students unintentionally call programs repeatedly, respond curtly because they’re frazzled, or send informal emails that feel rushed or unprofessional. Maintaining composure in such an intense week is challenging, but incredibly important.

It helps to have someone – an advisor, classmate, friend – look over messages before you send them, especially during the first 24 hours. Those small checks can prevent miscommunication at a time when every impression matters.

Mistake #5: Not understanding how SOAP interviews differ from traditional ones

SOAP interviews are brief, direct, and often scheduled with very little notice. Many students go in expecting a traditional, conversational format and are caught off guard when interviews feel rapid and to-the-point.

Programs aren’t looking for long narratives during SOAP. They want clarity:

• Who are you?
• Why this specialty or program?
• What strengths will you bring starting day one?

Students sometimes struggle because they give long-winded answers, overly explain why they didn’t match, or wander into tangents about their feelings rather than their skills. The best SOAP interview answers are short enough to be memorable and anchored in clinical competence and teamwork.

Practicing a few foundational responses ahead of time can dramatically improve confidence and presence.

Mistake #6: Casting an application net that’s too narrow – or far too wide

Students often swing to one extreme or the other. Some apply to barely any programs, holding tightly to their original specialty even if their application cannot realistically support it. Others submit to every program that exists, hoping quantity will outweigh best fit.

Both approaches dilute your chances in different ways. A very narrow list increases the risk of zero interviews. An excessively broad list makes it impossible to tailor your application materials in a way that feels sincere, and programs can sense when an applicant is simply “casting a net” without real interest.

The strongest SOAP strategies involve thoughtful breadth – two or three closely related specialties where you can credibly present your experiences and goals.

Mistake #7: Trying to navigate SOAP without support

SOAP is emotionally heavy. It is also incredibly technical – with rules about allowable contact, rapid turnaround times, last-minute interviews, and a strict structure that students often misunderstand. Many students attempt to handle the process alone out of embarrassment, shame, or a belief that asking for help will draw attention to their situation.

Trying to navigate SOAP alone is one of the most draining and risky mistakes. Students who involve advisors, deans, mentors, or tutors early almost always fare better. These supporters provide not only strategic guidance but essential reassurance that your future is still very much intact.

Leaning on others is not weakness. It is wisdom in motion.

Mistake #8: Underestimating the emotional rollercoaster of SOAP week

There is a reason many students describe SOAP as the most psychologically intense week of their training. The sudden dip from the high of Match anticipation into SOAP reality can cause a rush of panic and shame. Then, within hours, students must flip into high-functioning decisiveness. Interviews pile up suddenly. Hope rises and falls. Offers come at unexpected times. Sleep is spotty. Adrenaline runs the show.

The emotional turbulence can interfere with judgment, communication, and self-confidence. Being mindful of this mental strain – and making space for calm moments, self care, meals, movement, and human connection – can make a meaningful difference in how grounded you feel.

Taking care of yourself during SOAP is not optional; it is necessary for success. 

Mistake #9: Forgetting that you still have agency – even in SOAP

When students feel vulnerable, they often adopt a mindset of powerlessness, believing they “must take anything” that comes their way. While SOAP does require flexibility, it should not require ignoring your boundaries, personal circumstances, or long-term goals.

You are allowed to think critically about geographic constraints, program fit, or training environment. Accepting an offer should not feel like surrender – it should feel like the next step in your path. Some students forget that declining an offer that isn’t right for them is still an option, though one that should be considered thoughtfully and with advisor input.

Even in SOAP, your voice matters.

Mistake #10: Carrying shame far beyond Match Week

The most enduring mistake students make is letting their SOAP experience shape their identity as a physician. Some quietly carry embarrassment into residency. Others worry their colleagues will judge them. Many never fully move past the narrative that being unmatched once somehow predicts future struggle.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Research, anecdotal experience, and residency director perspectives consistently show that SOAPed residents often perform extremely well. They enter residency with humility, grit, resilience, and a strong sense of purpose – qualities far more predictive of success than any Match outcome.

SOAP is not the final page of your story. It is a moment. A difficult one, yes, but also one that countless exceptional physicians have faced and overcome.

Final Thoughts: You will get through this – one hour at a time

SOAP may be one of the toughest weeks of medical school, but it is far from insurmountable. Thousands of students navigate it successfully every year, and many look back on it later as a moment of unexpected growth, clarity, and resilience.

Avoiding the common pitfalls doesn’t require perfection. It just requires awareness, preparation, and a willingness to lean on people who care about your success.

You are still on your way to becoming a physician. This week may alter the route, but you will still arrive at your destination.