Need Help!!

[floridagal]

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I am part of a couples match. I matched today for categorial IM and my husband (who was going for radiology) only got a preliminary medicine position and did not match for radiology. Because we are a couple we were able to find out where I matched, which is in Memphis, TN and I only applied to on program there, so I know where I a going.

We are devasted that he didn't get radiology and that we may be apart after the first year. My school is new, so hasn't seen this combination before. If any of you can give us any advise or any help it would be so appreciated.

I'm afraid becuse of where I matched, there won't be much chance for him to scramble in the area.

And what makes it worse, is that because he has a prelim medicine spot, he can't apply to any categorical spots, just advanced positions!

 

[MrBurns10]

I'm only a med student, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

You are matched to Memphis and he is matched to a prelim year. So you know you're going to be apart for at least a year, provided his prelim year is not in TN. My suggestion would be for him to scramble for any of the advanced radiology positions (I believe there are 7 of these) and get accepted into any one that he can, regardless of where it is in the US. Once he has that figured out, you could look into transferring next year into an IM program nearby. Given that IM programs are a lot more abundunt than radiology programs, this would probably be easier for you to do than for him to try to get rads in Memphis.

Best of luck to you both!

 

[Drawing Dead]

I'm only a med student, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

You are matched to Memphis and he is matched to a prelim year. So you know you're going to be apart for at least a year, provided his prelim year is not in TN. My suggestion would be for him to scramble for any of the advanced radiology positions (I believe there are 7 of these) and get accepted into any one that he can, regardless of where it is in the US. Once he has that figured out, you could look into transferring next year into an IM program nearby. Given that IM programs are a lot more abundunt than radiology programs, this would probably be easier for you to do than for him to try to get rads in Memphis.

Best of luck to you both!

I agree. Have him try to scramble into an advanced position this year, or reapply for an advanced position next year. IM spots are always looking to be filled, so your chances of finding an open IM spot near where he will be doing rads is pretty high. You may be selling yourself short by doing this (May end up in an inferior program, or a place with less fellowship opportunities) but that is something you have to weigh out, if and when the time comes. Who knows, and I hope not, but if he doesn't get rads at all, he may have to join you on the medcine front.

 

[John Deere Gree]

If I were in your shoes, I would follow him no matter what. So this first you are both in Memphis, you doing IM, he doing his prelim year. During your first IM year, I'd let your PD know your situation especially if your husband winds up in Timbuktu. I would then contact programs near Timbuktu and ask about any open spots in their PGY-2 year and persue any leads.

See what happens in the scramble tomorrow and weigh your options carefully. Good Luck to the both of you!

 

[Raggaman]

OP, I feel your pain as I am in a similar situation. My couple-r matched while i am unmatched in neuro. Only 11 open neuro spots remain which will be hard (near impossible to get). My plan is to try get a prelim as near as possible and then try and reapply next year. Not the best case scenario but life isn't perfect. Hopefully something will work out for all of us. Hang in there 🙂

 

[dragonfly99]

raggaman,
there are neuro spots that open up periodically, so if you really want one you can probably get in at some point...keep your eyes open throughout your prelim year.

OP, I agree with the advice above...if your fiance can get radiology anywhere, you can probably manage to find an IM spot nearby. For now, I'd just sit tight and do your prelim year (and he can do his). If he can't get radiology in the scramble, he can think about it for a few months whether he wants to try again, stay in IM, or perhaps to do a research year after his IM prelim year to see if he can then find a radiology spot. Part of this is about how much pain he (and you) are willing to go through just for him to be able to do radiology. Those spots are pretty sought after and not everybody is going to get one.

 

[Taurus]

Rads was pretty competitive this year. People with step 1 > 260 didn't match. Only 7 advanced spots available in the scramble. I expect that next year will be even worse.

 

[Doctor Bob]

People with step 1 > 260 didn't match.

So it was a good year to have a lousy board score.

🙂

 

[floridagal]

So as of right now I still only have a Categorical Medicine spot and my hubby only has a prelim medicine spot at the same place. We tried scrambling for EVERY advanced position. We STILL have not talked to a single live person. Every phone number we call gives us an awful message to go through ERAS (we did that), all the faxes are giving a busy signal and we haven't heard anything. My hubby has great grades, amazing bard scores and great LORS (the dean even wrote a special addendeum on his dean's letter).

We really need help, what should we be doing right now? What can he be doing? He has no PGY-2 spot!!!

Any help would be really appreciated!!!

 

[NotAProgDirector]

At this point, your best option is to have a stiff drink and stop looking. Any rad openings are likely full by now, further calling is unlikely to be of any benefit.

The good news is that you both have a spot for the next year in the same place. So you have plenty of time to figure out what comes next.

Rad spots might open somewhere, he might get one.

He could apply in the match next year again. If this is the plan, he needs to do something NOW to make his rads application better next year. No one is going to be impressed by a PGY-1 medicine year. Everyone in rads does that. He needs good rads research, etc. Tough to do in only the few months left.

He could decide to try to get an IM spot instead. In that case, best option is to start the prelim and see if a PGY-2 opens at the same program.

Lots of options. Panic is not a good choice!

 

[floridagal]

If he does a preliminary medicine year and goes through the match next year, won't he be applying for PGY-2 spots that begin in 2011, and that would mean he would have a year off in between prelim and when he starts his position?

Also what else besides rads research during his prelim year could help him next year? Should he take Step 3 early?

What are the procedures to find a PGY-2 spot outside the match?

 

[Taurus]

year off in between prelim and when he starts his position?

This is not as detrimental as you may think. A clinical intern year is pretty much worthless for rads. That's why they say to find the cushiest TY possible. The harder part will be for him to find the time to do rads interviews while he is doing his rotations. He most likely will get only 1 month off to do interviews.

 

[kralwok]

sorry to hear about your situation. i just wanted to let you know that the same thing happened with my husband and i in 2007 except i am the one who went unmatched in derm. the craziest part was that there was 1 derm spot open in the country on scramble day, and it was at the program where my husband matched a categorical residency! what a friggin coincidence. it didn't matter, though, because the derm program did not accept applications and took no one through the scramble.

as for what to do... well, i believe theoretically your husband could have scrambled into a different categorical residency in memphis and gotten out of his prelim spot. at least, this is what my program told me i could do, but i wasn't really interested. anyway, it is too late for that now, and your husband should stick to radiology if that's what he really wants otherwise he will resent you.

i think others have given good advice, and i don't have too much to add, just wanted you to know that you are not alone. this situation is really difficult for a couple (and 2 years later continues to be difficult though i have pretty much come to terms with it).

we really saw three options: 1. i apply for derm and match wherever i can or take whatever out of the match spot i can get then he tries to follow me OR 2. i apply for a different residency altogether and match locally OR 3. my husband completes his residency, i try to get a local derm spot (not realistic), if that doesn't work i reapply for 2011 derm spot. we chose option number 3 because we didn't want to be apart. i think this option is probably easier if it is the female partner who didn't match, because let's face it, not many men's egos would take explaining over and over to everyone that they dind't match but their wife did. in the meantime i am doing research and having a baby. he can't really have a baby so that won't work for him 😉, though i guess you could have a baby and he could take care of it. the option we chose may be a career killer for me, but i guess i am taking my chances. if you guys chose this option, he would only have to sit out 2 years (i am sitting out 3). option #4 would be to be apart, but this was not an option for us. oh, i think there is some sort of acgme rule that you have to complete the last 2 years of your residency in the same program. thus, if he got a spot through the match next year, i am not sure you would be able to follow him to another location since you would only have 1 year left in your residency. you should double check on this.

as far as finding spots outside the match, he should stay in close contact with his program director from his home school. they are generally aware of outside of the match spots that open up (at least they are in derm, i imagine that would be the case for rads as well). also, he could contact nearby programs to see if they have any outside of the match spots.

i wish you the best of luck. this situation is not a good one to be in, and i feel your pain 🙁. always remember to communicate with each other. it is important that you know how he is feeling and vice versa.