Strolling Through the Match Guidebook

About Strolling Through the Match

With practical tips and expert advice to lean on every step of the way, Strolling Through the Match has been helping students for decades in the dash to match.

As a comprehensive guide to the match, this booklet provides reliable insight on professional development for all osteopathic and allopathic med students, guidance on choosing a specialty, and a deep look into the process of choosing and matching into a family medicine residency.

Each year, Strolling Through the Match is updated with the latest statistics and information to ensure students have everything they need to successfully navigate the journey to residency.

Features of the Guide

• How to use signaling, past experience, and geographic preference in residency applications
• ERAS updates
• Residency requirements
• Side-by-side comparison of residency training experiences in the primary care specialties
• Match statistics and strategies for successful match into family medicine
• Events and conferences with residency fairs
• Interview question lists on a variety of subjects
• Guidance for international medical graduates
• Tips on interviewing and writing CVs and personal statements
• Residency selection steps and program evaluation advice
• Real stories from students who have matched into family medicine
• Virtual interview advice
• Updated statistics on the SOAP

Additional Match Resources

Family Medicine Residency Directory
Discover the right family medicine residency program for you by searching the AAFP's residency directory. 

AAFP App
Research family medicine residencies, generate an interview question list, take notes on programs, and customize a scorecard to rank your favorite programs.

Residency Interview Guide
The guide features tips for planning your trips and preparing for interviews - including sample questions - as well as advice regarding virtual interviews.

National Conference
It's never to early to start considering your options. Come to National Conference each summer and meet more than 400 residency programs and experience what family medicine can do.

AAMC's Apply Smart data
This data can help you determine how many programs to apply to and avoid over- or under-applying.

Get familiar with the NRMP Match calendar
The NRMP, which conducts the Main Residency Match, provides updated calendars each year, and serves as a resource for Match rules, yearly trends, and more.