Splitting fourth year?

[kmellowyellow]

Has anyone heard of or have experience with splitting their MSIV year into two years? Any pros/cons, tips, warnings, etc?

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[BigRedBeta]

From a purely financial sense of the world, it's not a smart move. Money earned now (or earlier) is always worth more.

Beyond dollars and cents, unless you have some sort of particularly unique and pressing circumstances (which I imagine there's something up, otherwise you wouldn't be asking), just finish it.

 

[kmellowyellow]

You are very perceptive. My bf is a year behind me in med school and I don't know if it would be smarter for me to do research for a year and then couples match or to just go ahead and match and hope he matches somewhere nearby.

But my advisor was telling me that some people do split their fourth year just for the extra electives and more time to decide what they want to go into. I just wondered if there was a sense of frustration because graduation is put off or if it's a nice relaxing time to beef up your cv.

Nobody tells you that med school makes you make major life decisions way too early! I was hoping to be eased gradually into the deep end.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

What fields are you guys going into?

 

[fahimaz7]

You are very perceptive. My bf is a year behind me in med school and I don't know if it would be smarter for me to do research for a year and then couples match or to just go ahead and match and hope he matches somewhere nearby.

Get him to put a ring on that finger and then it might be a good idea to wait a year

Best of luck!

 

[kmellowyellow]

I want to do surgery, but he hasn't decided yet. But his scores are probably going to be much more competitive than mine are.

About that ring...we're thinking that maybe if I split the year we'd have time to plan a wedding...ack!

I'm sorry to burden you all with my personal issues. But the solidarity helps!

 

[smq123]

I want to do surgery, but he hasn't decided yet. But his scores are probably going to be much more competitive than mine are.

About that ring...we're thinking that maybe if I split the year we'd have time to plan a wedding...ack!

I'm sorry to burden you all with my personal issues. But the solidarity helps!

If you're that concerned about the timing, it might make more sense for you to do a year of research between 3rd and 4th year. That's more common than splitting 4th year.

 

[bigDinLV]

You could always just go and start residency. Let him try to match there. Do a long distance relationship???

I did a split program in my first 2 years. I'd advise against it, extra advise against it just because you want to stay close to a boyfriend..

 

[BigRedBeta]

Couples match is definitely not a fun thing, but I can tell you, having watched my roommate struggle with trying to follow her fiancee to a location is probably worse. They were lucky that he was able to do his prelim year at our medical center, but figuring out how to rank her programs to be close to him and exploring the options of moving his residency has been nothing but trouble and extremely stress-inducing.

Doing a year of research makes the most sense, I think.

Also, plenty of women plan weddings during normal years of medical school, even third year, so don't let that stand in your way.

 

[kmellowyellow]

Thanks for all the advice! You guys are great!

I think it's ironic that they control every little detail of our lives in med school, down to what pens we're allowed to write with, and when it comes to a big decision like this, they got nothin! Not that I would want them to, but I'm intellectualizing because I just finished my psych rotation