Kristi Hargiss from The Med School Wife shares her family's shocking experience of going unmatched in orthopedic surgery despite a stellar application, and how they pivoted to find success in general surgery.

• After being told not to worry about matching, Christy's husband received the devastating "we regret to inform you" email on Match Monday
• Instead of accepting a position through SOAP that didn't feel right, they made the bold choice to delay graduation and set up six away rotations
• Through these rotations, they discovered general surgery was actually a better fit than their original orthopedics plan
• For those facing the unmatched experience, Christy recommends: grieve later, find mentors, broaden your approach, get to work, and write out your story
• Going unmatched is more common than most realize – in their match cycle, over 8,400 applicants didn't match to categorical positions
• Two key pieces of advice for medical families: embrace mutuality in your medical marriage and start preparing financially for residency during medical school

• The AMA Road To Residency Guide

Connect with Kristi on Instagram @themedschoolwife_kristi or at TheMedSchoolWife.com to learn more about navigating the medical journey together.