Location vs Program

[Gurki]

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I'm currently interviewing for FM residency positions and I was wondering if anyone had an input on what you think matters more: location (close to family, etc) or the strength of the program, how much you liked it, etc?

For example if you LOVED a program but it is on the other side of the country of where your family is but you also had an interview near your family and think you could get it but you really didn't like the program as much.. What is more important?

I'm sure most programs produce competent physicians.. How much does it actually matter where you trained after residency?

 

[cabinbuilder]

Go where you are the most happy. You can always move back to where your family is. Residency is too miserable a prospect as it is, might as well be in a program where you can be happy too. Trust me with the FP job market, no one cares where you go to residency you can get a job anywhere.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Go where you are the most happy. You can always move back to where your family is. Residency is too miserable a prospect as it is, might as well be in a program where you can be happy too. Trust me with the FP job market, no one cares where you go to residency you can get a job anywhere.

Could not agree more. Plus, you'll make friends in residency that will often act as family since most aren't close enough to actual family for it to matter.

For example: in my program, all the residents whose families lived too far away to visit for holidays always got together for said holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, that sort of stuff. Residents would throw baby showers and engagement parties for other residents if they didn't have family close enough to do it.

 

[Gurki]

So program choice > location, right?

 

[cabinbuilder]

So program choice > location, right?

Absolutely

 

[VenturaResident]

So program choice > location, right?

I 100% agree. You have 36 months to learn everything you can from an excellent program. You have the rest of your life to be near your current family. And like VA Hopeful says, you'll make friends in residency that will function like family for you. Program >>>>> location. (though if you can have both at the same time, so much the better!)

 

[DocBlin]

What I do not understand is most areas/cities have more than 1 FM residency. Therefore has the OP applied to 'all' available positions in the area close to home?

 

[Gurki]

Sort of. But only got an interview at one place... It's not close to home. My family moved to California this summer and I'm in PA.
Too competitive for me...

 

[Lespedeza]

I agree with the poster who said to go where you would be most happy, but not necessarily to choose program over location. For some people, being able to see their family is a way to recharge, and not having that for the 36 hardest months of your life (thus far) would be a challenge. I chose my family and significant other over programs, and for me, that was the better option. Just depends on what you need and what makes you most happy.