Combined programs, couples matching: # of interviews.

[Nivens]

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[Random Anesthesiologist]

Generally, the magic interview number is 8 for an individual match. I can't tell you anything about couples since my spouse is not in medicine. Separately, it seems you both are qualified candidates and would match somewhere. I would just make sure you both have "safety nets" in there.

Sorry, kind of a generic response, but I think you're likely to match somewhere, but who knows if it's going to be Stanford.

 

[synecdoche]

Hi all- some application advice please!

So I'm staring down a rather unique situation: I will be applying to categorical/advanced anesthesia and combined general pediatrics/anesthesiology programs in the fall as part of a couples match (OB-GYN). How many of each- categorical, advanced and prelim- programs do you think I should apply to, roughly? My wife and I know we will be focusing on areas with multiple programs- New York, Boston, Chicago, Philly- as well as Houston, Michigan, North Carolina. I will also be applying to the 7 combined programs: Hopkins, Boston Childrens, UNC, U of Wisconsin, Pitt, UC Irvine and. Stanford.

Some stats:
-AMGs, middle tier med school
-Step 1-250, Step 2 pending. Wife's Step 1 230s.
-Top 25% of class (both of us), neither AOA
-Published in major anesthesia journal, 3rd author behind PI and PhD. Wife will likely have a case report by then.
-The usual mix of volunteering, teaching and leadership.

I really have no idea how to approach the anesthesia side of program list. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(I'll be in the corner giving thanks to every deity I can think of she isn't applying to Derm)

Cheers,
McTwisp

Bump - I'll be in a similar situation soon. Wondering if it's a bad idea to apply to categoricals only while couples matching (no geographic preference).

On the off chance that OP comes back - how did the match go for you?

 

[Nivens]

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[furosesonerolaquinox]

Bump - I'll be in a similar situation soon. Wondering if it's a bad idea to apply to categoricals only while couples matching (no geographic preference).

On the off chance that OP comes back - how did the match go for you?

Also, my wife switched last minute into anesthesiology herself, so we went from the situation you see above to (as far as I know) one of only two anesthesiology power-couples on the trail last year. The match went fantastic- far better than we dared to hope. We matched together at our first choice after applying and interviewing at WAY too many programs: roughly 30 applications and 22 interviews, not including prelims.

I also couples matched anesthesia/anesthesia last year and from what I heard on the trail, there were a handful of couples in this situation. We were thrilled with our match results as well and ended up at our first choice, which actually put us at two different programs in the same city that are nearly indistinguishable on paper but felt quite different on the interview days. We had wonderful, knowledgeable and insightful advising from our home chair and PD who had personal knowledge of the institutions we were most interested in, and the process was still very challenging. Situations can definitely come up where some strategy comes into play, especially when you start thinking about sending "love letters" to your top programs, and this situation isn't common enough that your advisors have concrete rules of thumb that have been thoroughly tested in the past.

bestcoast027 or anyone else who's going to be in this same situation - feel free to PM me if you have questions for someone who's been through this.

Also, remember that supplementary rank lists (for preliminary years) are not coupled! If you want to be guaranteed not to be apart for even one year and plan on applying to advanced programs, you'll need to find a geographic area with high density of PY/TY programs and concentrate your efforts there.