I'll be applying to the ophtho match next year. My fiance will be applying to a regular match residency. I was wondering if anybody out there had gone through this process and had any advice on how to proceed (e.g. when/how to let programs know that we're trying to end up together). Thanks in advance.
Advice on couples matching
- Thread starter OGT
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OGT said:
My husband and I did ophtho/derm and it worked out well. If your spouse is doing something less competitive like med or peds don't worry about it too much, it will all depend on your match, just make sure they are happy with every school on your rank list. specific things that helped:
1. husband did away rotation at good derm program and talked about me a lot to them.
2. as opthho I got all the interviews first and I talked about him at every interview and e-mailed the program director afterward with his name.
3. Ranked the places where we had great vibes and made sure to call/e-mail the Derm program at the school I matched at.
4. Had chairmen or advisors call on our behalf to various schools of interest (around 3).
5. Both of us were strong applicants.
We were very positive throughout the process and obviously very proactive, since SF match is useless to couples.
One last thing, you cannot couples match your intern year either if your spouse is doing a prelim/transitional year, which we found out almost too late. Make sure you indicate couples match on your ERAS app and you should be OK, but call all the programs before rank lists are due and remind them.
Good Luck and let me know if you have any other questions!
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mbc said:
If both are doing prelim/transitional years, you can can couples match your intern year, correct? I don't know...just asking.
rubensan said:
not exactly. so since we early match with SF match (pgy2) we only have a primary rank list (pgy1) with ERAS, if your spouse is ranking both pgy1 and pgy2 programs he/she will have a primary and secondary list. The primary is the pgy2 spot and the secondary is the pgy1 spot. You can't couples match a primary list to a secondary list. We called the NRMP and their words.... "Oh yeah, you people are screwed, no you can't have a refund of your couples matching fee."
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mbc said:
MBC, it's good to find someone that's already gone through the process. I've heard it can be a nightmare. I'm sure it wasn't easy with an Ophtho/Derm combo. WOW! I can't imagine a tougher combo. My fiancee is applying for anesthesia.
I've heard different advice about bringing up your S.O. in the interview. Many including one my Dean's adivised against it. I believed there logic was that unless they really, REALLY wanted you in there program enough to "fight" for you, it might do more harm than good. They might see your situation more as a risk. But then people have also told me that I should mention my fiancee in my interviews because directors have been known to make calls to other directors in your behalf (assuming that they are in good standing with each other and they REALLY want you). I see that you did the latter, but I'm also see that you "were both strong applicants." What would you advise to say... applicants that may not be "strong" per se, but still competitive? Would your advice still be the same?
Man, I can't believe you can't even couples match the prelim year. I don't even think the dean of my school was aware of that! By the way, you explained really well why they don't let you. That sure is a HUGE flaw in the system (a very biased view, of course). How does it work then? Would you mind explaining one more time in really specific detail what I need to do in order to match into the same preliminary program with my fiancee?
Thanks for all the advice (including the other thread)!
I've heard different advice about bringing up your S.O. in the interview. Many including one my Dean's adivised against it. I believed there logic was that unless they really, REALLY wanted you in there program enough to "fight" for you, it might do more harm than good. They might see your situation more as a risk. But then people have also told me that I should mention my fiancee in my interviews because directors have been known to make calls to other directors in your behalf (assuming that they are in good standing with each other and they REALLY want you). I see that you did the latter, but I'm also see that you "were both strong applicants." What would you advise to say... applicants that may not be "strong" per se, but still competitive? Would your advice still be the same?
Man, I can't believe you can't even couples match the prelim year. I don't even think the dean of my school was aware of that! By the way, you explained really well why they don't let you. That sure is a HUGE flaw in the system (a very biased view, of course). How does it work then? Would you mind explaining one more time in really specific detail what I need to do in order to match into the same preliminary program with my fiancee?
Thanks for all the advice (including the other thread)!
Since I'm the one that started this thread last year, I figured I'd reply. For my fiance and I the couple's match failed big time and we will now be doing our residencies over 1000 miles apart. However we did get our transitional year together. Intern years are not too tough since there are so many programs in large cities. We focused our efforts on one major city. We also applied to one program elsewhere but just told them to either rank us at the top or at the bottom so we wouldn't get split. Intern years can be easy to land particularly if you're willing to do medicine or surgery. focus on the regular match portion, it's the toughy.
OGT, I'm sorry the "couples" match did not work out for you. eyemax:I still think it is good to let people know about your situation in the interview and e-mail afterwards. If a program is not sympathetic or interested in trying to work things out then do you really want to go there? Frequently one applicant can pull the other along. Only rank places/cities where your fiancee has interviews and good vibes as well. My ophtho rank list was only 5-6 places long. As soon as you match, have her call the anaesthesia programs in that city and let that be known.
As for intern years: List yourself as "coupled" on ERAS, let every program know at the interview and in e-mails, etc. later in January, early Feb to rank you together or not at all. HAVE IDENTICAL RANK LISTS. Group multiple programs in large cities together. Make it be known that you are not flexible in being apart, that one of you would take a year off if necessary.
These are personal decisions. We love our jobs and as physicians we get very caught up on "staying on track," but you always have to keep in mind the big picture of family and life. One year may not make a difference, it may be a time to start a family, or time to do research and make one person more competitive for the next year's match or open up an amazing opportunity. My husband and I have a child and I would have happily done research for a year and reapplied if necessary. It may sound hollow to say that now that we've started our residencies, but I said that in every interview I went on as well. I sincerely hope that everything works out well for you. Stay positive.
As for intern years: List yourself as "coupled" on ERAS, let every program know at the interview and in e-mails, etc. later in January, early Feb to rank you together or not at all. HAVE IDENTICAL RANK LISTS. Group multiple programs in large cities together. Make it be known that you are not flexible in being apart, that one of you would take a year off if necessary.
These are personal decisions. We love our jobs and as physicians we get very caught up on "staying on track," but you always have to keep in mind the big picture of family and life. One year may not make a difference, it may be a time to start a family, or time to do research and make one person more competitive for the next year's match or open up an amazing opportunity. My husband and I have a child and I would have happily done research for a year and reapplied if necessary. It may sound hollow to say that now that we've started our residencies, but I said that in every interview I went on as well. I sincerely hope that everything works out well for you. Stay positive.
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