Possible to defer residency?

[nu2004]

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I'll be starting med school this year; my (serious) girlfriend will start next year. It's very early to think about this, but I'm trying to figure out how we'll be able to stay in the same city if I want to match somewhere else. Do residency programs allow you to defer entrance for a year after completing medical school? Should I do a five-year degree like an MD/MPH so that I finish at the same time as her? I'm genuinely interested in the MPH, but I'm also a non-traditional applicant and would like to get on with my career since I'm a little late as it is. Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

First, how do you know that she will get accepted to your medical school (or one in your city/close vicinity)? This might present a much more immediate issue for both of you, but you know your situation so I assume by your question that it is already taken care of in some way.

You can do the MPH or do a year of research before applying for residencies (you might be able to just delay applying for the match for a year without doing anything, but that might not be looked upon so greatly). Waiting a year to do couples match might be smart though, since you will essentially hedge against a very bad situation where you would end up in a different location than your gf (who might be your wife by that point).

A major issue is what your girlfriend wants to specialize in. Her choices will be severely limited once you match, and if she wants to do a competitive specialty, it might become a political game to get her a position at a program at your school/in your city.

 

[nu2004]

First, how do you know that she will get accepted to your medical school (or one in your city/close vicinity)? This might present a much more immediate issue for both of you, but you know your situation so I assume by your question that it is already taken care of in some way.

You can do the MPH or do a year of research before applying for residencies (you might be able to just delay applying for the match for a year without doing anything, but that might not be looked upon so greatly). Waiting a year to do couples match might be smart though, since you will essentially hedge against a very bad situation where you would end up in a different location than your gf (who might be your wife by that point).

A major issue is what your girlfriend wants to specialize in. Her choices will be severely limited once you match, and if she wants to do a competitive specialty, it might become a political game to get her a position at a program at your school/in your city.

the "same city" thing is a little stressful, but she'll be a stellar applicant so i have confidence. i didn't realize that couples match was an option - that's very interesting.

in lieu of a couples match, do you have any sense of what weight having a PGY-1 as a spouse carries? i hate politics, but i'm certainly not above them.

ultimately, the answer to my question will likely be decided by time. we may not be together, we may need to move to be near one set of our parents, or we may simply want to be in another city. thanks for your views and suggestions, though!

 

[Law2Doc]

You can do ... a year of research before applying for residencies

Rather than do this right before residency, a smarter move is to take a year off after second year to do research. Quite a few folks shooting for the uber competitive residencies do this so it won't look odd, and it will allow your GF to catch up. Only do the MPH if you think public health is the direction you are interested in -- it will look a bit odd and ill conceived if you get it in the middle or end of med school and then go into eg ortho. (Killing time while a gf catches up isn't going to fly as a reason).

 

[Brunette1981]

I don't know if you could match then defer for a year to stay in the city - I can't say for sure as I have no personal experience but unless you have some major personal issue (illness, becoming an orphan and having to care for 5 younger siblings a la Party of Five, etc) I doubt most PDs will let you defer to hang out with your SO for a year. Why would they rank you then scramble to fill your slot when you defer? Or hold a slot for you before they've seen the new applicants yet? If you did match, you'd be obliged by contract to go to your residency, barring some tragedy like above. I have no idea if having a PGY1 spouse would help a residency applicant but I doubt it or not much (only to the extent of demonstrating interest in a city/program, prob.)

You'd be better off taking off a year to do research or an MPH if either of those interest you. A significant percent (may 10%?) of my class did a year of research after their 3rd year clerkships to bolster an application for a competitive residency. I'd probably suggest doing it after 3rd year not 2nd so you can pick a research year related to what you want to apply in, which you are unlikely to know after 2nd year.

 

[H_Caulfield]

I'll be starting med school this year; my (serious) girlfriend will start next year. It's very early to think about this, but I'm trying to figure out how we'll be able to stay in the same city if I want to match somewhere else. Do residency programs allow you to defer entrance for a year after completing medical school? Should I do a five-year degree like an MD/MPH so that I finish at the same time as her? I'm genuinely interested in the MPH, but I'm also a non-traditional applicant and would like to get on with my career since I'm a little late as it is. Thanks in advance for your replies.

It's my opinion that you shouldn't be allowed to be a physician at all. You're already putting some petty business in front of your career. Chances of your relationship making it, no matter how blissfully in love you think you are, are VERY SLIM. You should care more about your career than you do about this girl, AND you should be more realistic about the chances of any given 20-29 year-old's "relationship" surviving the rigors of medical school. I thought I could do it, as did all my friends and their significant others, and we were all fighting and dramatically dumping each other by freaking November.

Don't make a single decision based on this girl. MATCHING IS SUCH A CRAPSHOOT; the chances of you matching in the STATE you're interested in, if you choose anything but primary care, is diminishingly small, let alone at the same school as some other specific person. Get real, for your own benefit.

 

[yaah]

Programs match people to fill slots for this coming academic year. If you aren't going to participate in this coming year, they really have no reason to take you. The better idea would be to just take a year off and go through the match NEXT year.

 

[165808]

Relationships are ANYTHING but "petty" business. I truly believe that you can make a relationship work with proper dedication and work. I am a romantic at heart, so love is the most important thing in the world to me. Don't let that previous poster get you down!!

My husband (graduated law student) and I (medical student) went through a lot of crap and made a lot of sacrafices to get to where we are today -- happily married. I wouldn't change a thing for the world. Truth be told, I'd pick love over my career any day of the week.

You have to identify YOUR priorities, then go for it!! Clearly, a relationship was not that other poster's priority. But if it is for you, GO FOR IT!!!! 😍

And good for you for thinking about this so early!! So much about the match depends on what speciality you choose and your performance in med school. Matching in your preferred state is definitely do-able if there are enough options for you....good luck!!!!

 

[H_Caulfield]

Relationships are ANYTHING but "petty" business. I truly believe that you can make a relationship work with proper dedication and work. I am a romantic at heart, so love is the most important thing in the world to me. Don't let that previous poster get you down!!

My husband (graduated law student) and I (medical student) went through a lot of crap and made a lot of sacrafices to get to where we are today -- happily married. I wouldn't change a thing for the world. Truth be told, I'd pick love over my career any day of the week.

You have to identify YOUR priorities, then go for it!! Clearly, a relationship was not that other poster's priority. But if it is for you, GO FOR IT!!!! 😍

And good for you for thinking about this so early!! So much about the match depends on what speciality you choose and your performance in med school. Matching in your preferred state is definitely do-able if there are enough options for you....good luck!!!!

You'd put "LOVE" in front of your career, any day of the week? What about those sick people, who're putting their lives in your hands? People will come to you with some illness, at risk of losing everything they have and trusting you to do all that you can, totally unaware that all the while you're putting your LOVE ahead of them and their lives? I'd like to reach out right now and give you a virtual slap in the face. You make me sick to my stomach.

You can't even spell correctly. "Sacrafice." You're really a med student? To the OP: You're a man, and your career should be more than some hobby you've made third priority after your love-life and your wardrobe.

 

[orientedtoself]

apparently "SOMEBODY" isn't in a relationship. . . no wonder. . .

You'd put "LOVE" in front of your career, any day of the week?

 

[Ale]

I'll be starting med school this year; my (serious) girlfriend will start next year. It's very early to think about this, but I'm trying to figure out how we'll be able to stay in the same city if I want to match somewhere else. Do residency programs allow you to defer entrance for a year after completing medical school? Should I do a five-year degree like an MD/MPH so that I finish at the same time as her? I'm genuinely interested in the MPH, but I'm also a non-traditional applicant and would like to get on with my career since I'm a little late as it is. Thanks in advance for your replies.

Good for you, congrats!!

There are many things you can do, but for god sake please don't do the MPH. It's a waste of money and time. You can do the same things with an MD. The career is long and arduous; you don't want to add more meaningless time to it. For every year you are not earning, your loans are adding up interest.

A year of research, bull. What are you going to do with that? Improve to get a competitive residency/fellowship? That would have been taken care of if you had opened the book in the first place. Don't bite into the research fiasco. You won't get anything out of it unless you really want to do academia.

Plausible things you can do: Do an internship where she is doing med school, then do a couple's match; if your residency does not require internship, go to any program then transfer to wherever she matches. You just need to talk to your dean and program director, etc. It's not easy but I have seen it a million times. It's not politics; it's accommodating a person with special needs.

All of these options are better than delaying your life another year and do not encompass making any additional sacrifices. You will see, other opportunities will come up as you advance in your training.

Or maybe you will grow apart, it happens. But if it does not, remember that family is the only thing that matters in life. When you are 67 and retiring, none of your patients are going care to see what's happening to you. They will go to the next doctor and life will continue as usual. Your kids will wander off and the only person left standing is your partner.

Physicians are notorious for delaying gratification. Some of us to a point that we never live our lives. And when the good years have passed, the only thing left is regret.

 

[zinjanthropus]

It's my opinion that you shouldn't be allowed to be a physician at all. You're already putting some petty business in front of your career. Chances of your relationship making it, no matter how blissfully in love you think you are, are VERY SLIM. You should care more about your career than you do about this girl, AND you should be more realistic about the chances of any given 20-29 year-old's "relationship" surviving the rigors of medical school. I thought I could do it, as did all my friends and their significant others, and we were all fighting and dramatically dumping each other by freaking November.

Don't make a single decision based on this girl. MATCHING IS SUCH A CRAPSHOOT; the chances of you matching in the STATE you're interested in, if you choose anything but primary care, is diminishingly small, let alone at the same school as some other specific person. Get real, for your own benefit.

this is silly. if you want to match in your state, it's not that hard at all - assuming you go to a US allopathic med school, about 2/3 - 3/4s of med students match to one of their top 3 choices - most states have 3 programs in major specialties. obviously derm, ortho, etc will be tougher. in addition, you should emphasize your personal relationships at all life phases or they will get pushed back indefinitely

oh, and if you want the data - just google NRMP charting outcomes of the match.

 

[nu2004]

It's my opinion that you shouldn't be allowed to be a physician at all. You're already putting some petty business in front of your career. Chances of your relationship making it, no matter how blissfully in love you think you are, are VERY SLIM. You should care more about your career than you do about this girl, AND you should be more realistic about the chances of any given 20-29 year-old's "relationship" surviving the rigors of medical school. I thought I could do it, as did all my friends and their significant others, and we were all fighting and dramatically dumping each other by freaking November.

Don't make a single decision based on this girl. MATCHING IS SUCH A CRAPSHOOT; the chances of you matching in the STATE you're interested in, if you choose anything but primary care, is diminishingly small, let alone at the same school as some other specific person. Get real, for your own benefit.

lol. someone had a nasty breakup.

thanks everyone for your advice in this thread. 👍

 

[Dunce]

all decisions will be dictated by the specialties which you and your girlfriend choose

 

[whoops00]

There are many things you can do, but for god sake please don't do the MPH. It's a waste of money and time. You can do the same things with an MD. The career is long and arduous; you don’t want to add more meaningless time to it. For every year you are not earning, your loans are adding up interest.

First of all, an MPH is not a waste of time. Obviously, you have never worked or studied public health, otherwise, you'd realize that there is a big difference between public health medicine and medicine as taught in medical schools.

Second of all, there are many things that can be done productively in a year off - whether it be another degree, research, or pursuing other interests.

So, my advice would be: take a year off (either after 2nd or 3rd year), do what you want to do (but probably not sit around, waiting for your girlfriend), and apply for couples match when you both graduate (and keep your fingers crossed that you both don't want to go into dermatology).

Best of luck.

 

[bjolly]

I wouldn't worry about this too much yet - neither of you has even started med school. By the time you have to figure out how to handle this issue, you will both probably know what you want to go into, which will definitely affect your options. If you both want family med or something else less competitive, you may have no problem at all staying in the same city even being a year off schedule from each other. If you both want ortho or derm or some other highly competitve specialty, it's a whole different ballgame.

 

[Museless]

You can't match, then defer... residency's not like medical school, where they take a hundred or two hundred people and then don't really care if there's 99 or 199 instead. In residency, they take exactly the number of people they need and being short one person messes with vacation time, call schedules, clinic schedules - it's a mess.

You can wait a year and then apply, but you can not defer a match. Period.

 

[Ale]

First of all, an MPH is not a waste of time. Obviously, you have never worked or studied public health, otherwise, you'd realize that there is a big difference between public health medicine and medicine as taught in medical schools.

Second of all, there are many things that can be done productively in a year off - whether it be another degree, research, or pursuing other interests.

quote]

Since I am so ignorant on the subject, can you enlighten me?

Why would anyone pay out of pocket, and defer working for a year, for something that almost every residency program in an academic institution is willing to pay for while in residency?

Aren't prevention, education, infection control, occupational health, and administration of limited resources our primary responsibility as physicians?

If you are thinking biostats and nutrition, that's your job too. Or you think every surgeon and internal medicine doctor should have masters in nutrition so they can put their patients NPO and TPN?

If your idea of public health was to work at the CDC, then why go into medicine in the first place? So you can get the fancy title.

Two words cost of opportunity

Just because in medical school they only touched on the subject, that does not mean you don't need to know these things.