How do I get a medical residency in the city I want to live in?

[future_dr]

I know that planning so far into the future is not recommended but I'm asking this for future reference:

I know that when a person get's a medical residency (whether it is Internal medicine, radiology, ect.) they work for 4 or more years and then they are officially on a real doctors salary. They end up living ~close or around the hospital where they got their residency. So, in essence, your med-residency decides where you will live for a long time (WITHOUT complications that come with moving around).
Living in a Californian city would make me happy. So when I'm in medical school I will do what I can to get a residency in LA or San Diego or something like that because that's where I want to live.

I don't understand the system at all, and I doubt that such an arrangement is even possible.
That is where my questions come from: Is what I just described do-able? Or is there no possible way I could do that? (Also I would most likely go to college in Florida)

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[spyke570]

Don't even worry about gaining this info for future reference, it will do you no good.

But basically, after medical school you should pick a residency in a field that suits you. Location may play a factor, but after your residency, you can move to any part of the country and work anywhere in your given specialty. You are not linked to the region where you did your residency. Most people will geographically choose a residency if they are starting a family and want to be close to a spouse/SO.

Just worry about doing well in school and getting into medical school. Everything after that will fall into place

 

[superpom_7]

Honestly, don't worry about that right now.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I know that planning so far into the future is not recommended but I'm asking this for future reference:

I know that when a person get's a medical residency (whether it is Internal medicine, radiology, ect.) they work for 4 or more years and then they are officially on a real doctors salary. They end up living ~close or around the hospital where they got their residency. So, in essence, your med-residency decides where you will live for a long time (WITHOUT complications that come with moving around).
Living in a Californian city would make me happy. So when I'm in medical school I will do what I can to get a residency in LA or San Diego or something like that because that's where I want to live.

I don't understand the system at all, and I doubt that such an arrangement is even possible.
That is where my questions come from: Is what I just described do-able? Or is there no possible way I could do that? (Also I would most likely go to college in Florida)

Some people end up staying in practice in the town where they did residency. This may be because they enjoy the town or perhaps they made connections during residency which ended up with them receiving a job offer. Others may stay because of spouse or children.

Therefore, its a gross overstatement to say that "residency decides where you will live for a long time". Nothing could be further from the truth especially if you are in a highly in demand specialty. You may find jobs all over the country which appeal to you.

The issue is not that you cannot move to California during or after residency but that a lot of other people want to live there too. So residency positions and employed physician positions are at a premium. As a Californian who trained out of the state, I also found that a lot of jobs within the state were less well reimbursed than those elsewhere (medicine will pay you less to live in a popular, expensive place, not more); in addition, many of the jobs were not advertised but only available via word of mouth. So keep in mind that training (doing residency) and working in California, like any other geographically desirable place, is going to be more difficult due to the competition for those positions.

Finally, if you'll allow me a bit of advice: where you live isn't what makes you happy. Happiness comes from within. Its not about "stuff" (i.e., a car, new clothes, shoes), or where you live. A truly happy person may prefer to live in California (as an example) but it does not determine their happiness.

 

[future_dr]

Some people end up staying in practice in the town where they did residency. This may be because they enjoy the town or perhaps they made connections during residency which ended up with them receiving a job offer. Others may stay because of spouse or children.

Therefore, its a gross overstatement to say that "residency decides where you will live for a long time". Nothing could be further from the truth especially if you are in a highly in demand specialty. You may find jobs all over the country which appeal to you.

The issue is not that you cannot move to California during or after residency but that a lot of other people want to live there too. So residency positions and employed physician positions are at a premium. As a Californian who trained out of the state, I also found that a lot of jobs within the state were less well reimbursed than those elsewhere (medicine will pay you less to live in a popular, expensive place, not more); in addition, many of the jobs were not advertised but only available via word of mouth. So keep in mind that training (doing residency) and working in California, like any other geographically desirable place, is going to be more difficult due to the competition for those positions.

Finally, if you'll allow me a bit of advice: where you live isn't what makes you happy. Happiness comes from within. Its not about "stuff" (i.e., a car, new clothes, shoes), or where you live. A truly happy person may prefer to live in California (as an example) but it does not determine their happiness.

....I never thought of that. Back to the drawing board I suppose. Thank you, though. Seriously.

 

[Benjamin S. Edwards MD]

I would not sleep more than 10 hours worrying about it. There are 50 States...where to finally practice is your call

 

[Winged Scapula]

....I never thought of that. Back to the drawing board I suppose. Thank you, though. Seriously.

Just something to think about.

Things change. Life changes. You may find yourself in a position to prefer to live elsewhere; perhaps a better job somewhere else, or a partner who prefers not to live in California. OTOH, perhaps your dreams will come true and you will find a position there and it will live up to your expectations. Best of luck to you.