Are you stuck in the same location as where you go to med school for residency?

[hopetobeadoc75]

Hi all,
I'm really fortunate to be accepted to an amazing school in the southeast. However, it would be very difficult for my SO to get a job in the area. While I'm hoping we can survive long distance for med school, I'd like to ideally do my residency somewhere in the northeast or in California so we can live in the same location.

I've looked at the match list for my school and other top med schools. It seems that ~1/3 do residency in the same institution or city as their med school, but of course it doesn't say whether they wanted to stay in the same location or it was their last option. In general, is it very difficult to get into a residency in a different location?

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[FalconSlice]

Hi all,
I'm really fortunate to be accepted to an amazing school in the southeast. However, it would be very difficult for my SO to get a job in the area. While I'm hoping we can survive long distance for med school, I'd like to ideally do my residency somewhere in the northeast or in California so we can live in the same location.

I've looked at the match list for my school and other top med schools. It seems that ~1/3 do residency in the same institution or city as their med school, but of course it doesn't say whether they wanted to stay in the same location or it was their last option. In general, is it very difficult to get into a residency in a different location?

Most people do residency in the same place because they want to (be if for family reasons, program reasons, etc.). Even if it wasn't their first choices, it was likely because they ranked it and knew they were okay with matching there (unless of course you are talking about the SOAP horror). If you really want to match in a certain part of the country, the best you can do is do well in medical school and apply to all the programs possible in that area. Given that, there are no guarantees in life.

Btw, medical school is four years (if you don't take any extra time, obviously) and a LOT of things change in four years. Worry about crossing that bridge when it actually comes.

 

[BillrothI]

Hi all,
I'm really fortunate to be accepted to an amazing school in the southeast. However, it would be very difficult for my SO to get a job in the area. While I'm hoping we can survive long distance for med school, I'd like to ideally do my residency somewhere in the northeast or in California so we can live in the same location.

I've looked at the match list for my school and other top med schools. It seems that ~1/3 do residency in the same institution or city as their med school, but of course it doesn't say whether they wanted to stay in the same location or it was their last option. In general, is it very difficult to get into a residency in a different location?

Very difficult? Not necessarily. But you will have to outperform applicants from the affiliated med schools.

Your best bet is to try to line up audition rotations at the hospital(s) where you ultimately want to end up. Impress the attendings and residents and you will certainly be considered for a spot.

-Bill

 

[Winged Scapula]

This is why match lists aren't very helpful in the abstract: you have no idea if the students didn't match elsewhere because they weren't interested or weren't competitive.

While California might be a stretch without a documented reason to be there (i.e., family), there are loads of residencies in the NE. Some may prefer those who do audition rotations with them; some may not.

I frankly wouldn't worry about it now because lots of things change in 4 years.

 

[Hospitalized]

Hi all,
I'm really fortunate to be accepted to an amazing school in the southeast. However, it would be very difficult for my SO to get a job in the area. While I'm hoping we can survive long distance for med school, I'd like to ideally do my residency somewhere in the northeast or in California so we can live in the same location.

I frankly wouldn't worry about it now because lots of things change in 4 years.

Btw, medical school is four years (if you don't take any extra time, obviously) and a LOT of things change in four years.

Eek.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Eek.

I wasn't necessarily referring to your relationship but rather you don't know where your SO will want to be in 4 years, what specialty you'll be applying for and where the programs you'd be competitive will be.

 

[Hospitalized]

I wasn't necessarily referring to your relationship but rather you don't know where your SO will want to be in 4 years, what specialty you'll be applying for and where the programs you'd be competitive will be.

I understand. My interpretation was that OP's language does not make it sound like he has a distinct plan for his relationship during medical school, and I wanted to remind him of this. I think OP should focus on making a good plan for his relationship now instead of worrying about residency. We agree in different ways

 

[WingedOx]

[Residency -> the rest of your life] tends to be more significant than [med school -> residency] in terms of geography.

 

[sazerac]

I think the poster above me is trying to say that doctors tend to practice near where they do residency, which is true. Geographical inertia sets in during residency. Residents tend to build up a patient base, and it's convenient to keep them as you transition to being an attending.

I am not from the south east. I go to med school in the south east. And I would like to do residency / practice in the south east now, because I married a local girl with a huge family. I'm not stuck here, this is by choice.

For my specialty, peds, only one one student from the class of 2015 at my school is staying here, and it's because she wants to. She matched to her #1. Everybody else is going away, where they want to be.

Also, the advice about doing an away rotation in the location you want to end up, is very specialty dependent. Many specialties, like peds, actively discourage this - as an away student, you can only harm yourself because you are new to the area, new to the hospital, new to the EMR computer system, etc. Best to stay home, get good grades and LORs, and then impress on the interview trail. Other specialties like EM do basically require aways, though, so like I said it is very specialty dependent.