MatchPal FAQ

MatchPal Residency Advising is a residency application advising and board prep company for medical students. We pair MD and DO students one-on-one with resident physicians in their target specialty for residency application advising, personal statement and ERAS editing, mock interviews, USMLE tutoring, and COMLEX tutoring. Since 2022, we've guided 1,000+ students through the Match. See all services.

MatchPal's team is 80+ resident physicians who recently matched in the specialty you're applying to, most with admissions committee experience. We cover anesthesiology, dermatology, diagnostic and interventional radiology, emergency medicine, ENT, family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, OB/GYN, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, pathology, pediatrics, PM&R, plastic surgery, psychiatry, and urology. Board exam tutors scored in the 90th percentile or higher. Meet the team.

99.3% of MatchPal students match into a categorical position in their preferred specialty, and 84% match at one of their top 3 ranked programs. For comparison, the national match rate for DO seniors in the 2026 NRMP Match was 93.2%. Read student testimonials and Google reviews.

Yes. MatchPal was co-founded by a DO, and many of our advisors and tutors are DOs. We know COMLEX, OMM, and the challenges DO applicants face, including how to improve your COMLEX score, whether to also take the USMLE, and how to match into a competitive specialty as a DO. Explore our COMLEX tutoring and OMM Bootcamp resources!

The best time to start is MS2 or early MS3, before you choose away rotations and start your personal statement. MS1 and MS2 students can start with our Competitive Specialty Accelerator Program (see all MS1/MS2 services). MS3s and MS4s can start with residency application advising (see all MS3/MS4 services), and MS4s who've already submitted get the most from interview prep and rank list strategy.

MatchPal's residency application advising is one-on-one mentorship from a resident in your target specialty through the full cycle: specialty choice, program list, away rotations and VSLO, letters of recommendation, ERAS experiences, personal statement, program signaling, interview prep, and your rank list. Packages range from single à la carte sessions to unlimited advising through Match Day.

Yes. MatchPal's personal statement and ERAS editing is done by residents in your specialty, not general writing editors. They sharpen your story, make sure your experiences and most meaningful entries read the way program directors in that field expect, and catch red flags generic editors miss. Writing your first draft? Start with our free Residency Personal Statement Guide.

Yes. Many MatchPal students apply to competitive specialties like dermatology, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, ENT, and anesthesiology. Your advisor builds a realistic program list from your scores, research, and rotations, then helps you close the gaps. Starting early with the Competitive Specialty Accelerator Program gives you the most room to strengthen your application.

Start with MatchPal's free Specialty Selector quiz, which matches your interests and priorities to specialties. Then talk it through with residents in the fields you're considering. A free strategy call is the fastest way to check whether your scores, research, and experiences line up with the specialty you want.

Start with our free Ultimate VSLO Guide for applying through VSLO, and read real student reviews in the VSLO Rotation Review Database before you pick programs. Then walk in prepared with a sub-internship bootcamp built by residents in your specialty.

You do live mock interviews with a resident in your target specialty who has admissions committee experience. They tailor questions to your story, CV, and ERAS application, coach your answers, and give specific feedback so you walk into interview day confident and ready to sell your experiences as an asset to programs. For a head start, read our free Comprehensive Interview Preparation Guide.

Do your first mock interview 1 to 2 weeks before your first real interview, then another after your first few interviews to refine your answers. Residency interview season runs from about October through January, so most students book as soon as their first invites arrive. It's not too late mid-season: a mock before your next interview still helps.

Use MatchPal's free Rank List Generator to score programs on what matters most to you, then pressure-test your list with an advisor who has been through the Match in your specialty. Rank list support is included in our mock interview and rank list packages.

Yes. MatchPal's one-on-one USMLE tutoring covers Step 1, Step 2 CK, Step 3, and shelf exams, with resident tutors who scored in the 90th percentile or higher. Tutoring clients have a 99.7% first-attempt pass rate and an average Step 2 CK score of 252. You start with an intro session and a custom study plan, and most students are paired with a tutor within 48 hours. Studying on your own? Use our free Step 2/Level 2 Dedicated Study Plan.

Yes. MatchPal's dedicated COMLEX tutoring covers Level 1, Level 2-CE, Level 3, and COMATs, taught by DO residents who scored in the 90th percentile or higher. OMM is a core strength: 10 and 20+ hour bundles include free access to our OMM Bootcamp, and our free OMM Review Guide for COMLEX is a good place to start. Clients average a 592 on Level 2-CE.

It depends on your specialty and program list. Many residency programs accept COMLEX alone, but some competitive specialties and academic programs still favor applicants who also have a USMLE score. A free strategy call with a DO resident in your field will help you decide, and we offer both COMLEX tutoring and USMLE tutoring if you sit for both.

MatchPal's sub-internship bootcamps are self-paced courses that prepare you for audition rotations, built by residents in each field. Choose from Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, and PM&R, plus an OMM Bootcamp for COMLEX.

Self-paced bootcamps start at $99. USMLE and COMLEX tutoring starts at $225 for a single session, with 5, 10, and 20 to 30 hour bundles from $999 to $3,499. Editing and mock interviews are priced per service, and our comprehensive advising package is $1,599. Every price is listed on the website, and a free strategy call will tell you which option fits before you buy anything.

Yes. All MatchPal advising, editing, mock interviews, and tutoring happen virtually over video, so we work with students at MD and DO schools across the United States. Sessions are scheduled around your rotations.

MatchPal offers free tools and guides, all in our resource library: the Specialty Selector quiz, Rank List Generator, VSLO Rotation Review Database, Ultimate VSLO Guide, Residency Personal Statement Guide, Interview Preparation Guide, OMM Review Guide for COMLEX, Step 2/Level 2 Dedicated Study Plan, and The Ultimate Residency Playbook, plus free webinars and the MatchPal blog.

Book a free strategy call. You'll talk through your specialty, timeline, and application, and we'll recommend the right service and pair you with an advisor in your field. If you already know what you need, purchase any service directly on the website.