Anybody else seriously considering getting another degree and getting out of medicine?

[ems2doc]

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In undergraduate school I thought I had a passion for medicine. My GPA was really good ~3.9, I aced my MCAT. Right now I'm a fourth year, top of my class, and I've received high praise from all of my professors. My original plan was to compete (if you can call it that) for a pediatric residency, then, about $150,000 in debt and rising I realized that the specialty wasn't lucrative enough to justify the debt and time spent in school + residency. I decided to switch my ambitions to orthopedic surgery. For a while I thought that was a good idea, but now I'm nervous about the outlook for physician compensation. It seems like insurance companies are extremely powerful and are trying to penalize specialists. In addition, there is so much bureaucracy and stress that I'm not entirely sure if medicine is worth it. At this point I'm almost seriously considering getting an MBA or a JD and going into healthcare management or law. I wouldn't need to do a residency and I could avoid reliance on mega-powerful insurance companies. If our country thinks we can penalize smart (I know, not very humble) hard working people then our brain drain will only get worse.

 

[Slowpoke]

Do you really want to be spend a significant portion of the time you have in life, to work as an orthopedist, if what you really want to do is to be a pediatrician?

 

[DermViser]

In undergraduate school I thought I had a passion for medicine. My GPA was really good ~3.9, I aced my MCAT. Right now I'm a fourth year, top of my class, and I've received high praise from all of my professors. My original plan was to compete (if you can call it that) for a pediatric residency, then, about $150,000 in debt and rising I realized that the specialty wasn't lucrative enough to justify the debt and time spent in school + residency. I decided to switch my ambitions to orthopedic surgery. For a while I thought that was a good idea, but now I'm nervous about the outlook for physician compensation. It seems like insurance companies are extremely powerful and are trying to penalize specialists. In addition, there is so much bureaucracy and stress that I'm not entirely sure if medicine is worth it. At this point I'm almost seriously considering getting an MBA or a JD and going into healthcare management or law. I wouldn't need to do a residency and I could avoid reliance on mega-powerful insurance companies. If our country thinks we can penalize smart (I know, not very humble) hard working people then our brain drain will only get worse.

Kudos on your "humble brag". Since you are top of your class (and I'm assuming great board scores as well, although you didn't state it above) why not go for something you actually like or which appeals to you with respect to lifestyle?

Maybe @Law2Doc can tell you whether an MBA or JD is a good escape hatch, as I have no idea.

 

[GoSpursGo]

In general I can tell you that pediatricians are not starving 🙂 You may not roll into the hospital in a Maserati (I couldn't even spell it, I thought it had z's and two t's ), but you'll be comfortable. Those physician satisfaction reports always have peds in the top 10. Yes, you'll be paying back your loans longer than you probably want, but you will get out from under them. In particular, if you're such a highly competitive applicant, you likely would be competitive at some of the top programs in the country, and coming out of there you should be able to find your way into one of the more lucrative specialties like cards if your finances are still a concern--even if your dream was to be a primary pediatrician (who I still maintain generally does fine if you can find a good practice), at least you'll still deal with kids.

I'm not trying to trivialize your concern, because $150k of debt is A Thing, though certainly not the highest I've seen. But remember, you're going to spend 40-50 years of your life practicing whatever specialty you choose. As long as you WILL eventually be able to make your financial commitments, you really should consider strongly what you want out of medicine and whether at the end of the trip paying off debts ~10 years (a random guess) earlier is really going to be worth it.

Also, look at my signature, how can you resist that? 😀

 

[ems2doc]

Thanks for the replies.

@DermViser Did well on boards. I don't know. There's also dermatology. Haha

@GoSpursGo Peds is my dream. All things being equal I would choose peds.

Debt was ~$150,000 last year. I estimate it will end up at about ~$210,000 not including interest.

Haha. I have a fiancé.

 

[DermViser]

Thanks for the replies.

@DermViser Did well on boards. I don't know. There's also dermatology. Haha

@GoSpursGo Peds is my dream. All things being equal I would choose peds.

Debt was ~$150,000 last year. I estimate it will end up at about ~$210,000 not including interest.

Haha. I have a fiancé.

I personally don't think you should find an escape hatch. Is there something about clinical medicine that you don't like? Obviously not, as you wish to go for Peds so obviously you're ok with the daily rigamarole of being a Peds resident (there is Peds Derm by the way - thru the Derm track). Kind of having trouble pinpointing it.

 

[Mad Jack]

210k isn't all that bad. You can easily pay that down in peds if you focus on it early in your career. Or you can just do PAYE and PSLF and have it paid off slowly without killing your lifestyle.

 

[Slack3r]

Law is in the ****ter, and sure, MBAs have very high ceilings, but they also have very low floors, too. Realistically, will you be a C-level executive at a large healthcare company? Probably not.

Remember, the grass is always greener. If you love peds, do peds. There are also pediatric subspecializations in pretty much every field, so that's an option as well.

 

[ChEMD]

If you truly believe money will make you happy, run towards ortho spine and don't look back. Now if you want to actually enjoy what you're doing go, with what you're interested in, which is obviously peds. You won't be rich, but you'll still be able to live a very nice life without worrying about money (if you're smart). You mentioned that you have a fiancé..hopefully you're not scared she'll leave you if you all don't end up rich. If that is the case, you need to find a new fiancé (no offense).

 

[CrimsonKing]

If you actually like Peds (AFTER 3rd year, not your preconceived notions), then go into it. In the end there are plenty of loan repayment programs available. Sure, it still sucks, but you won't be going poor and hungry as a pediatrician. Nor will you be loaded with fat stacks of cash.

However, if you actually like Ortho and can see yourself in it, why the hell not? If the cash is that important to you, that'd be the much better choice.

FWIW I wish I was interested in more laid-back specialties. The thought of working <50 hours a week sounds pretty sweet, but they don't get me excited (I WISH I loved Derm, I really do). My passions are for IM (everything but Nephro), and I'm OK with the slightly worse lifestyle and slightly lower pay (depending on subspecialty).

Also, LOL to the guy above "go into pediatric surgery" as if that's a remotely easy path. Enjoy at least 5 years of Gen Surge + 2 years research + fellowship time before you get a chance to practice, even if you're able to land a spot.

 

[Señor S]

Weird post. You wanted to be a pediatrician, then an orthopedic surgery, now a lawyer? Assuming all your loans are federal, you're probably still eligible for PAYE and PSLF; those programs alone will make your debt manageable. I would stick with your original plan and do Peds. Use your good performance to match into a top program. Even if you ultimately decide to go into another field, your stock will be much higher as a board-certified physician, especially with a prestigious name on your CV.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

In undergraduate school I thought I had a passion for medicine. My GPA was really good ~3.9, I aced my MCAT. Right now I'm a fourth year, top of my class, and I've received high praise from all of my professors. My original plan was to compete (if you can call it that) for a pediatric residency, then, about $150,000 in debt and rising I realized that the specialty wasn't lucrative enough to justify the debt and time spent in school + residency. I decided to switch my ambitions to orthopedic surgery.

I don't think you'll be happy in pediatrics based on these sentences and your other comments. I don't know you and could be wrong, but future pediatricians with top numbers are usually delighted to compete for top programs like CHOP and Boston Children's (and you can call it that) who have many residents with Step 1's that are quite high and great grades and MCAT scores. Sounds like you heard a different calling which is fine, but you should be honest about it.

 

[DermViser]

I don't think you'll be happy in pediatrics based on these sentences and your other comments. I don't know you and could be wrong, but future pediatricians with top numbers are usually delighted to compete for top programs like CHOP and Boston Children's (and you can call it that) who have many residents with Step 1's that are quite high and great grades and MCAT scores. Sounds like you heard a different calling which is fine, but you should be honest about it.

The OP clearly has the stats to crush in matching into a good university program Pediatrics residency. That's what he meant, obvi. There are better reasons not to Pediatrics that aren't salary related.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

The OP clearly has the stats to crush in matching into a good university program Pediatrics residency. That's what he meant, obvi. There are better reasons not to Pediatrics that aren't salary related.

I've heard that BCH and CHOP are competitve at any numbers. As such, there is still competition amongst those with top numbers in pedi. Not much, however, I'll grant you that. Most of us aren't that bright. I sure didn't have top step scores, in part because it didn't exist then in that fashion.

 

[DermViser]

I've heard that BCH and CHOP are competitve at any numbers. As such, there is still competition amongst those with top numbers in pedi. Not much, however, I'll grant you that. Most of us aren't that bright. I sure didn't have top step scores, in part because it didn't exist then in that fashion.

Oh, I agree with you. CHOP and Boston Children's are the top programs in Peds and thus will be highly competitive - and can look beyond just Step scores in recruitment. Even in so-called "non-competitive" specialties, the top programs will always be very competitive. If you look at the roster, many of the residents are AOAers, come from top schools, etc. They're top of the class med students who chose Pediatrics - good for them.

Step scores are used so much more as a filter/barrier to entry now than before. I think that's a shame, esp. in a field like Pediatrics.

 

[ems2doc]

I meant "if you can call it that" because I'm pretty sure I would be a top applicant for a pediatric residency spot. I'd even be competitive for ortho, neurosurg, derm, etc. Still, nothing's a sure bet.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

I meant "if you can call it that" because I'm pretty sure I would be a top applicant for a pediatric residency spot. I'd even be competitive for ortho, neurosurg, derm, etc. Still, nothing's a sure bet.

Out of curiosity, what are/were your career goals in pediatrics? Can they be accomplished in other fields?

 

[AnonymousD.O.]

In undergraduate school I thought I had a passion for medicine. My GPA was really good ~3.9, I aced my MCAT. Right now I'm a fourth year, top of my class, and I've received high praise from all of my professors. My original plan was to compete (if you can call it that) for a pediatric residency, then, about $150,000 in debt and rising I realized that the specialty wasn't lucrative enough to justify the debt and time spent in school + residency. I decided to switch my ambitions to orthopedic surgery. For a while I thought that was a good idea, but now I'm nervous about the outlook for physician compensation. It seems like insurance companies are extremely powerful and are trying to penalize specialists. In addition, there is so much bureaucracy and stress that I'm not entirely sure if medicine is worth it. At this point I'm almost seriously considering getting an MBA or a JD and going into healthcare management or law. I wouldn't need to do a residency and I could avoid reliance on mega-powerful insurance companies. If our country thinks we can penalize smart (I know, not very humble) hard working people then our brain drain will only get worse.

edit

 

[MrChance2]

I've met so many miserable law grads these past few years. The ones from no name schools are struggling to find any job at all to pay back their loans and the ones from top 14 schools are slaving away in NYC 80 hours a week with their only reward being making some purely money driven rich guy richer and a salary lower than most doctors. I'm not saying there are no good law jobs, but I've met grad after grad from Georgetown, Harvard, Yale, Northwestern that are spending all their time doing a job they hate and grads from Depaul, UMiami, not working in a law job at all. I don't know how much an MD/JD would help vs just an MD for what you want to do but all the higher up healthcare people I know just have MDs. Just thought I would throw my 2c on what I think of the idea of going to law school right now.

 

[VisionaryTics]

I meant "if you can call it that" because I'm pretty sure I would be a top applicant for a pediatric residency spot. I'd even be competitive for ortho, neurosurg, derm, etc. Still, nothing's a sure bet.

The fact that you're considering ortho or derm or nsurg this late means you haven't done research and made firm connections in those fields. The competitive applicants will have top grades, board scores, good letters, and research/connections. That's what competitive means in those specialties.

I'm not dissuading you from applying to those fields, but don't apply to derm or ortho with a 250 and nothing else and expect to rock the match. Have realistic expectations about your chances of matching and make the right decisions now to optimize your chances.

 

[DermViser]

I meant "if you can call it that" because I'm pretty sure I would be a top applicant for a pediatric residency spot. I'd even be competitive for ortho, neurosurg, derm, etc. Still, nothing's a sure bet.

The fact that you're considering ortho or derm or nsurg this late means you haven't done research and made firm connections in those fields. The competitive applicants will have top grades, board scores, good letters, and research/connections. That's what competitive means in those specialties.

I'm not dissuading you from applying to those fields, but don't apply to derm or ortho with a 250 and nothing else and expect to rock the match. Have realistic expectations about your chances of matching and make the right decisions now to optimize your chances.

Have to agree with this. Don't believe you can just waltz into specialties like these and think that bc you can be at the top of your class and have great board scores that the carpet will be rolled out for you. It won't happen. Do a research year (can only speak for how it usually works for Derm) and be productive and get a publication out (or several). It will also help I think to allleviate the real burnout you're feeling.

 

[ems2doc]

The fact that you're considering ortho or derm or nsurg this late means you haven't done research and made firm connections in those fields. The competitive applicants will have top grades, board scores, good letters, and research/connections. That's what competitive means in those specialties.

I'm not dissuading you from applying to those fields, but don't apply to derm or ortho with a 250 and nothing else and expect to rock the match. Have realistic expectations about your chances of matching and make the right decisions now to optimize your chances.

Have to agree with this. Don't believe you can just waltz into specialties like these and think that bc you can be at the top of your class and have great board scores that the carpet will be rolled out for you. It won't happen. Do a research year (can only speak for how it usually works for Derm) and be productive and get a publication out (or several). It will also help I think to allleviate the real burnout you're feeling.

All of my professors have said that I'd be a strong applicant in all of those fields. I've done a lot of research. Not all my research belongs to a specific specialty though.

 

[DermViser]

All of my professors have said that I'd be a strong applicant in all of those fields. I've done a lot of research. Not all my research belongs to a specific specialty though.

There tons of "strong" applicants who apply and are told what a great applicant they are, and match/don't match based on the whims of the particular specialty. Certain specialties want research in their field, period.

 

[ems2doc]

There tons of "strong" applicants who apply and are told what a great applicant they are, and match/don't match based on the whims of the particular specialty. Certain specialties want research in their field, period.

Well for the past year I've been thinking about neurosurgery and I do have some neurosurgery research (plus most of the neurosurgeon profs know me and know that I'm top of my class). Maybe I should go that route. The 7 year residency isn't too appealing though.

 

[DermViser]

Well for the past year I've been thinking about neurosurgery and I do have some neurosurgery research (plus most of the neurosurgeon profs know me and know that I'm top of my class). Maybe I should go that route. The 7 year residency isn't too appealing though.

Based on your first post it seems like you're burned out. Neurosurg residency might not be a good idea.

 

[ems2doc]

I just don't know what to do.

 

[tdram]

I've met so many miserable law grads these past few years.

On SDN, everyone who's not in med school is miserable. Every other job = slavery and poverty. If only those poor souls had applied to med school, maybe they'd have a chance at bliss.

 

[DermViser]

On SDN, everyone who's not in med school is miserable. Every other job = slavery and poverty. If only those poor souls had applied to med school, maybe they'd have a chance at bliss.

Would have thought the opposite on SDN.

 

[DermViser]

I just don't know what to do.

I just think you're really burned out. You've jumped from JD/MBA, to Peds, to Ortho, to Neurosurg. They all have nothing to do with each other.

 

[tdram]

Would have thought the opposite on SDN.

On some posts, yes, but on posts like this where someone's thinking of leaving, it's always doom and gloom unless you stay in medicine.

 

[freemontie]

Law school is another $150k. Keep that in mind. IMO- i think you should go for it if you can get into a top 10 law school (and law school admissions pretty much only care about GPA and LSAT score which it seems will be no probably for you. Plus being an MD might be a big plus- how many MDs apply to law school?).
Do NOT go to a cheap or low ranked law school though. It's not like medical schools in that where you go doesn't really matter. It would matter a lot.

It would be pretty cool to be an MD-holding malpractice lawyer. You would have invaluable insight (or at least the invaluable PERCEPTION of having insight).

EDIT: But you don't seem in the right state of mind to be making major life decisions right now.

 

[MrChance2]

I just don't think law school is a good decision for most people right now. I think for administration jobs you can generally learn the law you need to know and consult with lawyers for the rest, it is unlikely you would be writing your own contracts or representing your institution in court and such either way. If someone asked me what field to enter as a career besides medicine I think most healthcare fields are great, computer science, most engineering, business, education, a million things, or just follow your dreams, can't go wrong with that.

Anyway, some guy on the internet is probably the 19th source you want to consult for this kind of advice.

 

[freemontie]

Funny you said computer science first after healthcare and singled it out of engineering. The number of computer science majors in US universities was 29% higher in 2013 than in 2012. Seems like everyone thinks alike in waves. As a CS guy myself- I'd never suggest that to ANYONE who didn't already express a hobby-esque interest in it. In a software engineering job you will be constantly tested everyday about what you can produce and whether it's better than the next guy (and unlike other fields it's very plain to see how good you are and rank you against your peers- which is exactly what firms like Amazon and Micrsoft do).

 

[Bryan O’Blivion]

I always think that the assessment of intelligence and capability by med students is subject to a peculiar kind of selection bias. I don't mean any offense to the OP, you probably are quite bright, but I would caution you against thinking that success in the narrow parameters of medical school ensures success elsewhere. The majority of medical students were bioscience majors, and let's face it, biology is probably the softest of the "hard sciences". For everyone who complains about how difficult medical school is, I wonder how they would find an abstract algebra class, or discrete mathematical structures class.

That being said, I think there would be a lot of promise in developing software to enhance existing medical diagnostic techniques, such as creating 3 dimensional real time depictions of the vector projections of ECG's, for instance, and correlating them with echocardiography. Could make decision making about angiography easier.

Medicine really is full of good opportunities, but you have to choose want you want to do with it, as you do pay with years of your life, as well as just debt.

 

[Kale01]

Grass is always greener. I make six figures in another profession and sometimes I wish I just did finance straight out. So do NOT get another degree simply because you don't like medicine. Education is a boomer brainwashing scheme. If you really don't want to be a doctor, do NOT go back to school for another degree and debt. School is the biggest scam of our generation.

Lots of people make good money without degrees (cops in more the suburbs for one). There's a lot of stuff you can do without getting another degree.

 

[deuist]

Lots of people make good money without degrees (cops in more the suburbs for one). There's a lot of stuff you can do without getting another degree.

Some of the things that come to mind are becoming an RN with minimal college training – although some hospitals are pushing for all nurses to have BSN's. You can also use the many available MOOC's to learn how to code and then become a web designer. Photographer and Photoshoper might require minimal formal instruction, but much of the rest is based upon your own creativity and hard work. You can enlist in the military for quick cash and good benefits. So yeah, you can make a decent living without going to college. Beyond occupations which require formal schooling and a government license (e.g., medicine, law, accounting), higher education becomes a waste of time and money.

 

[DermViser]

Some of the things that come to mind are becoming an RN with minimal college training – although some hospitals are pushing for all nurses to have BSN's. You can also use the many available MOOC's to learn how to code and then become a web designer. Photographer and Photoshoper might require minimal formal instruction, but much of the rest is based upon your own creativity and hard work. You can enlist in the military for quick cash and good benefits. So yeah, you can make a decent living without going to college. Beyond occupations which require formal schooling and a government license (e.g., medicine, law, accounting), higher education becomes a waste of time and money.

Seriously? Ridiculous.

 

[ChiDO]

Pediatric Ortho Spine. Done & Done.

 

[tdram]

Seriously? Ridiculous.

I don't think the hospitals are behind this, I think the nursing associations are because they want nursing schools to make more money.

 

[ems2doc]

I'm sticking with medicine. Just don't know what specialty.

 

[MEN2C]

It's only the rest of your life. Makes total sense to pick something other than what you love. Especially because all the pediatricians I've met so far are homeless and can't even afford food.


//I have $300k in debt and I'm going into peds. I'd rather wake up in the morning looking forward to my day than to have an extra zero in my bank account but dread going to work every day.

 

[BobbyB]

It's only the rest of your life. Makes total sense to pick something other than what you love. Especially because all the pediatricians I've met so far are homeless and can't even afford food.


//I have $300k in debt and I'm going into peds. I'd rather wake up in the morning looking forward to my day than to have an extra zero in my bank account but dread going to work every day.

that is assuming what you think the daily activities of a pediatrician is going to remain static for the remainder of your life

 

[Slack3r]

that is assuming what you think the daily activities of a pediatrician is going to remain static for the remainder of your life

I think "taking care of kids" will probably remain pretty high on the list of responsibilities of pediatricians in the future.

 

[MEN2C]

that is assuming what you think the daily activities of a pediatrician is going to remain static for the remainder of your life

Well. If by activities you mean if you're only going into pediatrics because you like prescribing albuterol and would despise your job if albuterol were ever replaced by another drug, then perhaps it's something to think about.

But interacting with families and giving care to sick kids is unlikely to change. And depending on what or if you subspecialize, the pathophysiology probably won't change even if diagnostic and treatments will. And you're still going to be taking care of kids.

 

[ems2doc]

Update: I'm sticking to medicine (honestly I think at this point it wouldn't make any sense to switch careers all together), and going for neurosurgery. This is all much to the displeasure of my fiancé. I think I have a good shot at neurosurg. I might do a pediatric fellowship in the future. My main problem is that my fiancé is going to law school in Cambridge, MA so I need to find a residency within ~1.5 hours of Boston.


*Update 2: There are only 3 neurosurg residencies in mass:
-Tufts
-Mass General
-Brigham and Women's/Boston Children's

Total of 7 positions.

There's also brown in Rhode Island which would add another one.


She graduates in a year so maybe it wouldn't be as hard as I think. We were 3 hours long distance in undergrad so maybe one year apart wouldn't be so bad. We've been together since we were 17.

 

[notbobtrustme]

Update: I'm sticking to medicine (honestly I think at this point it wouldn't make any sense to switch careers all together), and going for neurosurgery. This is all much to the displeasure of my fiancé. I think I have a good shot at neurosurg. I might do a pediatric fellowship in the future. My main problem is that my fiancé is going to law school in Cambridge, MA so I need to find a residency within ~1.5 hours of Boston.


*Update 2: There are only 3 neurosurg residencies in mass:
-Tufts
-Mass General
-Brigham and Women's/Boston Children's

Total of 7 positions.

There's also brown in Rhode Island which would add another one.


She graduates in a year so maybe it wouldn't be as hard as I think. We were 3 hours long distance in undergrad so maybe one year apart wouldn't be so bad. We've been together since we were 17.

good ****ing luck with that.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

Update: I'm sticking to medicine (honestly I think at this point it wouldn't make any sense to switch careers all together), and going for neurosurgery. This is all much to the displeasure of my fiancé. I think I have a good shot at neurosurg. I might do a pediatric fellowship in the future. My main problem is that my fiancé is going to law school in Cambridge, MA so I need to find a residency within ~1.5 hours of Boston.


*Update 2: There are only 3 neurosurg residencies in mass:
-Tufts
-Mass General
-Brigham and Women's/Boston Children's

Total of 7 positions.

There's also brown in Rhode Island which would add another one.


She graduates in a year so maybe it wouldn't be as hard as I think. We were 3 hours long distance in undergrad so maybe one year apart wouldn't be so bad. We've been together since we were 17.

So let me get this straight. You are going for Neurosurgery just because you did well on your steps and your classwork, not because of a love of neurosurgery. You probably are looking at money as well. As in your original post, your love was for peds, but you were turned off by the compensation. You will likely not enjoy neurosurgery, will get burned out if you do make it through training, and will be generally unhappy in life. Also, you are limiting yourself to a small geographical area for a field as competitive as neurosurgery. You have a strong chance of not matching by doing that.

I think you need to have a serious discussion with your fiance and a good amount of introspection into your own desires. Don't let friends, family, and others try and tell you which fields you should or shouldn't do. You need to listen to yourself on that one, otherwise you will never be happy.

 

[Prog86]

In undergraduate school I thought I had a passion for medicine. My GPA was really good ~3.9, I aced my MCAT. Right now I'm a fourth year, top of my class, and I've received high praise from all of my professors. My original plan was to compete (if you can call it that) for a pediatric residency, then, about $150,000 in debt and rising I realized that the specialty wasn't lucrative enough to justify the debt and time spent in school + residency. I decided to switch my ambitions to orthopedic surgery. For a while I thought that was a good idea, but now I'm nervous about the outlook for physician compensation. It seems like insurance companies are extremely powerful and are trying to penalize specialists. In addition, there is so much bureaucracy and stress that I'm not entirely sure if medicine is worth it. At this point I'm almost seriously considering getting an MBA or a JD and going into healthcare management or law. I wouldn't need to do a residency and I could avoid reliance on mega-powerful insurance companies. If our country thinks we can penalize smart (I know, not very humble) hard working people then our brain drain will only get worse.

Are you applying/have applied this year?

 

[Kahreek]

 

[FIREitUP]

Update: I'm sticking to medicine (honestly I think at this point it wouldn't make any sense to switch careers all together), and going for neurosurgery. This is all much to the displeasure of my fiancé. I think I have a good shot at neurosurg. I might do a pediatric fellowship in the future. My main problem is that my fiancé is going to law school in Cambridge, MA so I need to find a residency within ~1.5 hours of Boston.


*Update 2: There are only 3 neurosurg residencies in mass:
-Tufts
-Mass General
-Brigham and Women's/Boston Children's

Total of 7 positions.

There's also brown in Rhode Island which would add another one.


She graduates in a year so maybe it wouldn't be as hard as I think. We were 3 hours long distance in undergrad so maybe one year apart wouldn't be so bad. We've been together since we were 17.

distance won't matter because you won't ever see her in a neurosurg residency (or as an attending), anyway. good luck, lol