Choosing a community program to stay close to family?

[ari202]

Hello,

Currently i'm a 4th year DO student who is interested in staying close to California as I would like to start our family soon. My DH has a lot of family in California and the job market is good in his field where we live right now. He has been my rock throughout school and has been very supportive but I don't want to be unnecessarily burden him anymore with a lot of changes.

I have gotten interviews at mainly community programs in the area including AOA/Arrowhead. However, out of state, I have some university programs that seem like good programs with a good work/life balance.

I only took Comlex so my options are limited. But, if I were to do a child psychiatry fellowship later on, would doing a community program limit me? To be honest, I did not like some of the agressive feel I got from some of the programs in California. I don't think I would be able to do residency comfortably and would always feel like I'm being scrutinized.

I really don't find california programs laid back and family friendly (i.e. easier hours as psych as known for a woman who has kids), especially when compared to the south or even Michigan. I honestly felt more of the surgery/medicine hardcore attitude.

An alternative is the Tucson-South Campus program (which to me felt family friendly by the looks of the PC and PD--but I got a feel that their is a lot of scutwork by some of the residents' responses and a lot of call).

But having my in-laws to help with the kids would be amazing. I was wondering if anyone has been in my shoes and what did you guys end up deciding?

I hope I'm not sounding like I want a slacker residency, I'm not. Part of the reason, why I chose this field was because I wanted a specialty where I could raise a family and achieve a good work balance. I honestly feel that a lot of programs are trying to be stuck up/hard core just because they are in California when you can get much better quality programs in the Mid-West. JMO

Thanks for any insight into my situation.

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[Mass Effect]

I don't know much about Arrowhead, but I would interview all over and then figure out where you feel most comfortable (I'm assuming you've already done this as it's mid-December). You are hardly limited with only the COMLEX. In a field like psych, many, many, many programs are open to you. The majority, in fact. Don't let that affect your ranking. Rank according to where you want to go. The match will figure the rest out.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

I think you would still have a reasonable chance at many CAP fellowships if that's what you want to do in 3-4 years.
Don't undervalue the ability to stay near a community where you have strong roots, a happy spouse, and as you say, help with the kids!

I moved my wife & kids for residency--12 hours away. In the end it worked out OK, but that first year or two was HARD. It took quite awhile for us all to find new friends, integrate into a new community, and it was hard (as well as inconvenient) to have the kiddles separated from their grandparents. (Also hard to get those date nights, impossible to get the weekend getaways!)

 

[Shikima]

Happy Wife = Happy Life. I believe date nights are more important while in residency/fellowship than afterwards.

 

[ari202]

thanks for the feedback guys! I don't want to name specific programs, but I got the feeling at some of the newer California programs that they want you to work as hard as a general surgery resident (sort of a military/army like temperament) if you know what i mean.

i'm all for working hard, but I also want a balanced lifestyle and a healthy family life. good to know that having good social support will be good though.

i think im placing more ephasis on the location than on the establishment of the program,and I'm glad to know that won't hinder me substantially.

EDIT: regarding COMLEX, I really feel that California is an exception to the buyers market. I mean the DO Bias really resonates at some programs in California. The really strange thing is that some programs explicitly state on their website that they accept COMLEX but then tell you that its a really bad idea for a DO to not take the USMLE exam. I feel that you should not put on your website that you accept COMLEX and you should not tell your PC to tell potential candidates that information when they schedule their audition rotations. But thats just my opinion.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Happy Wife = Happy Life. I believe date nights are more important while in residency/fellowship than afterwards.

I don't know. They're pretty darned important afterwards. Assuming you plan to stay married!

 

[Shikima]

I don't know. They're pretty darned important afterwards. Assuming you plan to stay married!

They are equally important afterwards too. Point taken. My message to all out there is residency is a hard time and to have your significant other feel like time can be made for them too will ease any stressors one may have in the work environment.