questions about couples matching

[gallant2m]

hey guys quick question

im applying next year to anesthesio, and im wondering whether or not to couples match with someone who is doing IM. will doing this hurt my chances to matching competitively, or will it not really make much of a difference. Thanks

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[UTSouthwestern]

In essence the way it is supposed to work is that you're treated as individuals and the "coupling" process occurs via the computer and your shared rank list. However, if one of you is a particularly strong candidate then the weaker of you could find themselves "riding the other's coattails" so to speak. In which case you or your partner can benefit from the strength of the other's candidacy.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but itsn't it the other way around? The stronger candidate would have to settle for the weaker candidate's location. If not, it would be a hell of a way to get into a better program (marry a top 5% classmate).

 

[Beck928]

The thing with the whole couples match is that you're applying as both individuals and a unit and the programs know this beforehand. Departments will communicate with one another about your partner in order to have a better sense of where to consequently rank you (this is all in-house of course). The bottom line for most programs is having people who will be happy and will fit well with the program. If you seem like a good fit and it looks like your partner will be ranked to match in their respective program, then you are prone to finding yourself moving up the list. This can be even more the case when one of the partners is an early match participant and the other is in the regular match. Because you'll know where the early match partner has placed before the match lists are due, you can notify the programs in that area that your partner has a residency position in that area and that you're looking to match there. Most programs want people who will be happy to be there and will fit well with their program. If they feel like you're a good fit and it turns out your partner will be there, then they assume you'll be happy to be there.

My fiancee and I were dicussing this today, and I was under the impression that he (having better scores and trying to match surg) would not have to move down on his rank list because of me(applying to gas), that it was a benefit to me instead to be applying with him. How does it work, say if they rank him highly at his top choice, but I get ranked higher somewhere else? I'm confused about how it all works out in the end!

 

[me454555]

From what I've heard it works like this. You and your fiancee apply to residencies and they both rank you separtely. Then the computer finds the a city that you both ranked highly that the 2 of you matched.

Ex. Your husband ranks his 3 surg cities as SF #1, NYC #2, and Miami #3. You rank the city you want to do your anestesia in the same order SF#1, NYC#2, and Miami #3

Lets say that SF ranks your husband high but you low, NYC ranks you high but your husband low, and miami ranks you both high. If you were applying independantly, your husband would match @ SF and you would match @ NYC. However, since you 2 are matching as a couple any city that accepts one of you has to accept both. Since the only city that ranked you both high enough to match at was Miami, you'd be going to miami w/your husband.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, hope this helps

 

[Beck928]

That's sorta the way I assumed that it worked. That does help...all this stuff is a bit confusing so I appreciate the help. If anyone else out there has other information, I'd love to hear.