Couples Match Question

[deleted77919]

Here's a hypothetical, an MD student and DO student would like to try doing the allopathic match as a couple, but the DO student is not sure they will be able to get an allopathic match. If it just so happens that the DO student didn't match anywhere (and wouldn't have a single either) then is the other party sunk as well, so neither matches? Or if one party doesn't match period, would it just be like a single match?

I understand in general how the couples match works, and also understand in this situation it might be better to do two single matches and try to end up in the same place, but that also carries risk if you match in different places, but could have matched in the same place . . . trying to match together makes things so complicated.

I'm certainly not trying to start any MD/DO fights here, I could just imagine being in this situation in a few years and was curious if anyone had any info.

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[Gut Shot]

The outcome depends on how the couple structures their rank list. For instance, if they do it this way:

Rank / Person A / Person B

1 - Program X / Program X
2 - Program Y / Program Y
3 - Program Z / Program Z

...and one person fails to match at X, Y or Z then yes, they are both sunk. If they do it this way:

Rank / Person A / Person B

1 - Program X / Program X
2 - Program Y / Program Y
3 - Program Z / Program Z
4 - Program X / no match
5 - Program Y / no match
6 - Program Z / no match
7 - no match / Program X
8 - no match / Program Y
9 - no match / Program Z

...and one person fails to match, the other will still have a chance (essentially as a singleton). They could also do it this way if they would rather match at seperate programs than have one go unmatched:

Rank / Person A / Person B

1 - Program X / Program X
2 - Program Y / Program Y
3 - Program Z / Program Z
4 - Program X / Program Y
5 - Program X / Program Z
6 - Program Y / Program X
7 - Program Y / Program Z
8 - Program Z / Program X
9 - Program Z / Program Y
10 - Program X / no match
11 - Program Y / no match
12 - Program Z / no match
13 - no match / Program X
14 - no match / Program Y
15 - no match / Program Z

This last scenario maximizes chances of matching.

 

[deleted77919]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.