Couples Match?

[amarula]

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I'm applying in Peds and my boyfriend is applying in Gen Surg. We are couples matching, but I am worried-- I want us both to be happy. We are probably equivalent candidates (although he goes to a better med school).l

Any advice about the process?

 

[Gut Shot]

I went through the couples match and my advice is this: know your priorities. Would you rather be together at your last choice program or apart at your top choice?

My girlfriend and I interviewed at 12 and 13 programs, respectively. We ranked them all. If you do the math, that comes out to 181 possible combinations. What fun that was.

We were fortunate in that we had five or six institutions that we both really liked, so we tried to match together at one of those. Below those we ranked those same programs, but without us being together (our desire to be at our top programs trumped our desire to be in the same city). Below those we once again ranked institutions where we would be together, but they were our "second tier" choices. And so on. This is a departure from how most couples make their lists, but it worked for us.

I recommend getting a bunch of notecards and writing down all the possible program combinations that you and your boyfriend might face ranking. After all your interviews, sit down and arrange them into a giant uber-list. I also suggest you both drink heavily during this process. Good luck.

 

[amarula]

Havarti

Thanks for your advice! Which choice did you both end up with?

I went through the couples match and my advice is this: know your priorities. Would you rather be together at your last choice program or apart at your top choice?

My girlfriend and I interviewed at 12 and 13 programs, respectively. We ranked them all. If you do the math, that comes out to 181 possible combinations. What fun that was.

We were fortunate in that we had five or six institutions that we both really liked, so we tried to match together at one of those. Below those we ranked those same programs, but without us being together (our desire to be at our top programs trumped our desire to be in the same city). Below those we once again ranked institutions where we would be together, but they were our "second tier" choices. And so on. This is a departure from how most couples make their lists, but it worked for us.

I recommend getting a bunch of notecards and writing down all the possible program combinations that you and your boyfriend might face ranking. After all your interviews, sit down and arrange them into a giant uber-list. I also suggest you both drink heavily during this process. Good luck.

 

[Gut Shot]

Havarti

Thanks for your advice! Which choice did you both end up with?

#2 out of 181. I was pleased because after the certification deadline I really regretted not switching #1 with #2. And then, lo and behold, it worked out perfectly.

 

[amarula]

#2 out of 181. I was pleased because after the certification deadline I really regretted not switching #1 with #2. And then, lo and behold, it worked out perfectly.

Great! Are you guys doing the same thing? How is it going, etc?

 

[Gut Shot]

Great! Are you guys doing the same thing? How is it going, etc?

She's an OB/GYN intern, I'm in pathology. I see her whenever she turns up at the house. Heh heh.

 

[emily sparks]

My boyfriend and I are couples matching into the same (noncompetitive!) specialty. Seriously, how much more difficult is it to match couples-wise and all? Everybody around here acts like it's tantamount to one person wanting to do like Ophtho or something. Does anybody really know? Thanks.