Couples ROL Help

[usmleq]

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[Raryn]

I will be participating in the couples match this year and was hoping someone who has done it in the past or is doing it this year can clarify how to put our lists into the NRMP website.

I thought when I logged on I would see a list like this:
Me Her
1. School 1 School A
2. School 2 School B
3. School 3 School C
4. ______ _______
5. ______ _______


But what I actually have is just my ROL and then I have a tab that lets me see her ROL, but I am never able to see the two lists as one. So when making our ROL does the computer see both of our number 1 choices as one line and both of our number 2 choices as one line and so on?

Exactly.

You put in your list. You can duplicate the same program any number of times. She puts in her list. Ditto.

So lets say you each have 10 programs, you can put in up to 120 ranks. Each of your programs 11 times and then "not matched" 10 times. She does the same thing. Then you certify your 120 ranks each, and it just reads across. 1 corresponds to 1, 2 to 2, etc.

 

[improbable]

When you certify, it will flag an error if you have any duplicate pairs in your combined list- so even though you don't see it in there side by side, it is internally checking it as pairs/couple.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NRAI2001]

So my wife and I are both applying this year also... but it was recommended to us by 2 separate couples we met that were reapplying this year to not go through the "official couples" match... they basically were reapplying this year because they failed to have matched in the official couples match last year (they were couple applicants with scores in the 230s.. for IM ) .. they believed the couples match hurt them.. this year they were applying separately but ranking their lists the same and telling programs about this..

Is this a wise approach?

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

So my wife and I are both applying this year also... but it was recommended to us by 2 separate couples we met that were reapplying this year to not go through the "official couples" match... they basically were reapplying this year because they failed to have matched in the official couples match last year (they were couple applicants with scores in the 230s.. for IM ) .. they believed the couples match hurt them.. this year they were applying separately but ranking their lists the same and telling programs about this..

Is this a wise approach?

Applying this year as in rank list due in just a couple of days?

This is a very foolish approach.

When you submit your couples rank lists, you can include ALL possible permutations. Meaning you can submit

(a) All combinations where you successfully couples match
(b) All combinations where you both successfully match, but not in the same place (i.e. if you're going to end up apart, this at least lets you dictate preferences of where you would end up apart)
(c) All combinations where one of you successfully matches but the other doesn't.

So no, you don't gain any advantage by applying separately, and in fact lose the advantage of (b) and (c) - being able to at least mitigate the fallout of the worst case scenario. By applying separately you unlink yourselves, increasing the chances of ending up apart significantly even if you submit identical rank lists.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/couples-match-algorithm-help-for-rol.604622/

 

[luCZky]

So my wife and I are both applying this year also... but it was recommended to us by 2 separate couples we met that were reapplying this year to not go through the "official couples" match... they basically were reapplying this year because they failed to have matched in the official couples match last year (they were couple applicants with scores in the 230s.. for IM ) .. they believed the couples match hurt them.. this year they were applying separately but ranking their lists the same and telling programs about this..

Is this a wise approach?

No, it's not. They failed b/c they didn't even understand how couples match works and/or b/c there was no program that was interested even in one of them. And as we can see even after one more year they still didn't get it so maybe that's the answer too. Check carefully that southernIM's link and after that join your list with your wife's....

 

[ortho11111]

No, it's not. They failed b/c they didn't even understand how couples match works and/or b/c there was no program that was interested even in one of them. And as we can see even after one more year they still didn't get it so maybe that's the answer too. Check carefully that southernIM's link and after that join your list with your wife's....

The couples match algorithm ought to be renamed the Step 2 CM, to weed out the people who can't follow basic instructions and logic. Clearly that couple does not have the combined brainpower to match.

 

[Psychotic]

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[luCZky]

Umm, I just looked at the link mentioned above, and I am damn glad I am applying without any consideration for couples matching - I totally get the concept, but the practical reality of how to construct the best possible lists is pretty intimidating to me. But again, it doesn't apply to me, so I don't really want to fill my head with something like that - maybe it would make a lot more sense if I had to figure it out.

I have a question about this: does the NRMP site do a good job of guiding couples - does NRMP simplify the construction of the lists? Or do you need to figure out how to do it outside of the NRMP instructions?

Lol. Good question... and easy answer... the only what NRMP tells you is this: http://www.nrmp.org/match-process/couples-in-the-match/ ... nothing more and I don't really think that I'm stupid but after reading that for the first time I didn't get it whole too. So yes... they do really bad job but since we have the google (and SDN ofc) no one can have a problem to understand it well after few more minutes of reading. (especially thanks to aPD how made that process totaly clear and understandable)
PS: best possible list construction? it's the same like you do! just put it in the order what your preferences are...

 

[Thama]

Umm, I just looked at the link mentioned above, and I am damn glad I am applying without any consideration for couples matching - I totally get the concept, but the practical reality of how to construct the best possible lists is pretty intimidating to me. But again, it doesn't apply to me, so I don't really want to fill my head with something like that - maybe it would make a lot more sense if I had to figure it out.

I have a question about this: does the NRMP site do a good job of guiding couples - does NRMP simplify the construction of the lists? Or do you need to figure out how to do it outside of the NRMP instructions?

It can be challenging to be sure. My solution was to come up with my own algorithm where each of us broke down our choices into 5 groups, roughly equal in size, according to individual preference, and then use those groups to come up with "tiers" where the total preference would be numerically maximized. Then we gave extra preference to places where we would be in the same hospital and where both of us got at least a reasonably preferred choice (vs. one of us at our top choice and the other making a sacrifice at a place they didn't like). That strategy ended up working out well and giving us a nice top 6 or so to play with, and clearly identified what will be our joint #1.