Boyfriend graduates in a diff year

[JanuaryJones]

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So maybe this is a dumb question but id appreciate any advice you all can give me

my boyfriend is currently graduating a year after I do from our medical school. We'd kind of like to stay around each other for those overlapping years...

so my question is
1. is there an option for me as far as taking a year off but staying around my med school?
or
2. taking a year off before residency or doing a transitional year for this reason?
3. any other options?

 

[ayelet]

Are you interested in doing research for a year?

Depending on what programs your school has in place, it might be possible to work in a lab for a year, stay enrolled in school (important because if you have loans, it keeps them from going into repayment) and get a small stipend.

I have a sibling doing this between their third and fourth years of med school, and they've had a chance to get their name on a couple of abstracts and a paper in addition to the research counting as one of their fourth year elective rotations (not sure how that works- I go to a different school)

 

[theseeker4]

So maybe this is a dumb question but id appreciate any advice you all can give me

my boyfriend is currently graduating a year after I do from our medical school. We'd kind of like to stay around each other for those overlapping years...

so my question is
1. is there an option for me as far as taking a year off but staying around my med school?
or
2. taking a year off before residency or doing a transitional year for this reason?
3. any other options?

As mentioned, you could do a research year, or you could do a MBA that year (if offered at/near your school) or an MPH or other program, or you could just get into a provisional intern year spot at/near your school. I would definitely NOT take a real year off, meaning doing nothing, or you could severely hurt your residency matching chances.

 

[DeadCactus]

Talk to your Student Affairs people about deferring your graduation and spending the extra year doing research or a graduate degree while still under the umbrella of a medical student. The benefit would be not screwing with your GME funding eligibility and still entering the match as a graduating senior...

 

[BrakngLyv]

I wouldn't take a 'fake' year off either. Unless you LOVE research and can produce something worthwhile in a year, AND it's important to the field you're pursuing. Or, you're married with kids.

 

[Raryn]

So maybe this is a dumb question but id appreciate any advice you all can give me

my boyfriend is currently graduating a year after I do from our medical school. We'd kind of like to stay around each other for those overlapping years...

so my question is
1. is there an option for me as far as taking a year off but staying around my med school?
or
2. taking a year off before residency or doing a transitional year for this reason?
3. any other options?

A substantial portion of medical students take one or more years off during their time in med school, whether to do research or an additional degree (PhD, MPH, MBA, etc). If you do do that though, do it during medical school, not after. As in, between 2nd and 3rd year or between 3rd and 4th year. Doing it after M4 year but before residency gives you a substantial disadvantage when it comes to matching, because you wouldn't be applying as a senior at a US medical school. As an "independent applicant" who already had their MD, you'd be in a totally different category. Many programs would assume the only reason you took a year off after med school was because you failed to match the first cycle.

 

[PTPoeny]

What field are you interested in? There are a number of fields where you do a separate intern year so you could do intern year near your school and still go where ever you match for residency. Do not pick a field for this reason, but if you are already interested in one of these fields it will be a lot less of an issue.

 

[rocketbooster]

A substantial portion of medical students take one or more years off during their time in med school, whether to do research or an additional degree (PhD, MPH, MBA, etc). If you do do that though, do it during medical school, not after. As in, between 2nd and 3rd year or between 3rd and 4th year. Doing it after M4 year but before residency gives you a substantial disadvantage when it comes to matching, because you wouldn't be applying as a senior at a US medical school. As an "independent applicant" who already had their MD, you'd be in a totally different category. Many programs would assume the only reason you took a year off after med school was because you failed to match the first cycle.

A substantial portion of med students? Try <5% of med students take a year off during med school to acquire another degree or year of research. Don't give her misleading info. Definitely 95% of ppl go straight through to residency. If you chose to do a year of research though and actually were productive with publications, then it would actually only give you an advantage over everyone else as long as you do it after 2nd or 3rd year. Also, if you choose a field that is competitive but you have a lower Step 1, a research year is a great way to compensate for a low Step 1.

Anyways, hopefully you choose a field that requires an intern year like others have mentioned since that's the easiest solution. For example, I want to do ophtho and our first year has to be either IM, general surgery or a transitional year before we start the actual 3-year ophtho program. You can do that intern year anywhere and, from what I understand, it's pretty easy to pick where you want to do it. A transitional year would limit you the most on location, but I'm sure you could easily get into an IM or surgery intern year at your school.

The real problem is you would have the same problem again a year later when your boyfriend is applying to residency. If he wants to do a competitive residency, being restricted to your residency location will limit him significantly. I know they have couples match for ppl applying to residency at the sametime, but I don't know if they have anything specifically for those who already have one significant other in residency. If you do delay a year for research or another degree, then at least you could can do couples matching. From what I have heard, though, couples match also cuts down on your competitiveness for difficulty fields.

 

[blazer123]

A substantial portion of med students? Try <5% of med students take a year off during med school to acquire another degree or year of research. Don't give her misleading info. Definitely 95% of ppl go straight through to residency. If you chose to do a year of research though and actually were productive with publications, then it would actually only give you an advantage over everyone else as long as you do it after 2nd or 3rd year. Also, if you choose a field that is competitive but you have a lower Step 1, a research year is a great way to compensate for a low Step 1.

Anyways, hopefully you choose a field that requires an intern year like others have mentioned since that's the easiest solution. For example, I want to do ophtho and our first year has to be either IM, general surgery or a transitional year before we start the actual 3-year ophtho program. You can do that intern year anywhere and, from what I understand, it's pretty easy to pick where you want to do it. A transitional year would limit you the most on location, but I'm sure you could easily get into an IM or surgery intern year at your school.

The real problem is you would have the same problem again a year later when your boyfriend is applying to residency. If he wants to do a competitive residency, being restricted to your residency location will limit him significantly. I know they have couples match for ppl applying to residency at the sametime, but I don't know if they have anything specifically for those who already have one significant other in residency. If you do delay a year for research or another degree, then at least you could can do couples matching. From what I have heard, though, couples match also cuts down on your competitiveness for difficulty fields.

What happens if during your year off, you weren't able to publish from your year of research. would that hurt you in any way? I'm thinking of doing this as well so i can couples match with my sig other

 

[Porfirio]

What happens if during your year off, you weren't able to publish from your year of research. would that hurt you in any way? I'm thinking of doing this as well so i can couples match with my sig other

You need to present your work (poster), write a review, or do something else. Unless your PI has a project already in the works, you will most likely not publish anything in a year. Research takes at least 2 years to get interesting.

 

[Porfirio]

So maybe this is a dumb question but id appreciate any advice you all can give me

my boyfriend is currently graduating a year after I do from our medical school. We'd kind of like to stay around each other for those overlapping years...

so my question is
1. is there an option for me as far as taking a year off but staying around my med school?
or
2. taking a year off before residency or doing a transitional year for this reason?
3. any other options?

Before you do anything, you need to get a ring on that finger.

 

[SpecterGT260]

So maybe this is a dumb question but id appreciate any advice you all can give me

my boyfriend is currently graduating a year after I do from our medical school. We'd kind of like to stay around each other for those overlapping years...

so my question is
1. is there an option for me as far as taking a year off but staying around my med school?
or
2. taking a year off before residency or doing a transitional year for this reason?
3. any other options?

Do not just take a year off after med school. Terrible idea. That will very negatively impact your ability to match. What year are you currently?

You could do a research year after ms3, match a transitional year at your school, do a long distance thing for a year, or... find a new bf .

But a PD will not want to invest in someone who has been out of the game for a year. The general answer on this is never take a gap year. You are better off scrambling into something else.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile

 

[Raryn]

A substantial portion of med students? Try <5% of med students take a year off during med school to acquire another degree or year of research. Don't give her misleading info. Definitely 95% of ppl go straight through to residency. If you chose to do a year of research though and actually were productive with publications, then it would actually only give you an advantage over everyone else as long as you do it after 2nd or 3rd year. Also, if you choose a field that is competitive but you have a lower Step 1, a research year is a great way to compensate for a low Step 1.

Even if it was 5%, that is a non-insubstantial proportion. And my advice that it is *far* better to take a year off mid-med school than post-med school most certainly still holds.

I can't find the data on what proportion of students finish in >4 years, but I'd hazard a guess it's definitely >5%. About 3.5% of Medical Students are MD/PhDs, who by definition take 3++ years out of medical school to obtain another degree. Of the remaining total, it's highly school dependent. There's some schools I have friends at where the number of students taking gap years for either a masters or a year of research approaches/exceeds 50% (Harvard, Stanford). At least according to those I talk to. Unless you had substantial research pre-med school, it's practically required if you're trying to match certain specialties. (Rad Onc is the big one)

Even if it is only 1.5% of students take said gap year, it's substantial enough that (if you have anything at all to show for it), it's a very easy thing to talk about during residency program interviews and is in no way a disadvantage. On the other hand, it's almost impossible to argue that a year taken off after 4th year but before residency is in any way not going to look bad when it comes to residency apps.

 

[D P356]

Being objective, the commitment level isn't high enough to warrant sacrificing a year of your career, regardless of if you "love each other." If there is not even a ring, you may consider moving on; if it works out, then it was meant to be. I think this calls for you to set emotions aside and take a look at all the work you have done/loans you have taken and think if this person is really worth it. On your medical school interview did you say you were going to study hard, help people, but take time away from your training so you could wait for a boy? I've made a 'move' for an old gf in the past. READ: Don't ever make a career sacrifice for a boyfriend/girlfriend. You will be very pissed when/if it goes south and you're stuck.
Move/sacrifice for Fiance: maybe. Spouse: yes but hopefully they will meet in the middle and be understanding
I'm married, and my wife is supportive, and also is not in medical school. Being honest, the effort and financial risk of medical school wouldn't really seem worthwhile if you're going to sit around waiting on someone else, or if you wind up in a field you don't like b/c that was the only way you could couples match. Which is one reason I would advise against med student relationships.
I wish you the best and hope you choose what makes you happy. But please keep the commitment level in mind. This is a mistake I have made in the past and though some good came out of it, that period of life was overall not enjoyable.

 

[45408]

A substantial portion of medical students take one or more years off during their time in med school, whether to do research or an additional degree (PhD, MPH, MBA, etc). If you do do that though, do it during medical school, not after. As in, between 2nd and 3rd year or between 3rd and 4th year. Doing it after M4 year but before residency gives you a substantial disadvantage when it comes to matching, because you wouldn't be applying as a senior at a US medical school. As an "independent applicant" who already had their MD, you'd be in a totally different category. Many programs would assume the only reason you took a year off after med school was because you failed to match the first cycle.

Agree, this is very important.

A substantial portion of med students? Try <5% of med students take a year off during med school to acquire another degree or year of research. Don't give her misleading info. Definitely 95% of ppl go straight through to residency.

No, Raryn was right, but so is what you're saying. 5% would be a substantial portion - it would have been 10+ people in my class. All of the MD/PhD students take extra time, and we also had people do the 5-year plan because they had families, and we also had one guy go to Africa for a year of international health stuff.

Anyways, hopefully you choose a field that requires an intern year like others have mentioned since that's the easiest solution. For example, I want to do ophtho and our first year has to be either IM, general surgery or a transitional year before we start the actual 3-year ophtho program. You can do that intern year anywhere and, from what I understand, it's pretty easy to pick where you want to do it. A transitional year would limit you the most on location, but I'm sure you could easily get into an IM or surgery intern year at your school.

The real problem is you would have the same problem again a year later when your boyfriend is applying to residency. If he wants to do a competitive residency, being restricted to your residency location will limit him significantly. I know they have couples match for ppl applying to residency at the sametime, but I don't know if they have anything specifically for those who already have one significant other in residency. If you do delay a year for research or another degree, then at least you could can do couples matching. From what I have heard, though, couples match also cuts down on your competitiveness for difficulty fields.

Agree that the prelim year is a good option, and the best idea would be to then apply for categorical spots in a good location. If she's going for anesthesia or something, then she could try to get into somewhere in Chicago or New York City, because there's probably a ton of programs available. The boyfriend has a good shot at getting into a program in the same city if there's >10 of them.