Spouse of MD student applying to med school

[csgirl]

Is anyone here a spouse of a medical school student who is applying to medical school? How do medical schools look at that? i.e. Does the medical school your spouse goes to look on you with preference since you're married to one of their students?... or with less preference... like "we don't want two of you." And what about other schools? Do other schools tend to dismiss you since they assume you're #1 choice is the medical school your spouse goes to? I would appreciate any insight.

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[willbeMD]

My husband is currently a med student and i am now applying. I think that you can use the fact that your husband is a student to your advantage. I think that it shows that you have seen first hand what med school will be like...and you still want to do it. I have only had one interview so far and the interviewers commented asked if I still wanted to go through all the work after seeing my husband go through it. I really don't think it can be seen as something negative. Good luck!

 

[Dr. Don]

do you think the schools of medicine will look favorably upon a spouse of an applicant going to undergrad at the school the he/she is applying?

 

[willbeMD]

Dr. Don
The only advantage i could see to that situation is that you are familiar with the school envirnoment, population, location...etc.

 

[Sugar72]

As much as we would like to think that adcoms are not human.... being married to a student at their school gives you compelling reason to seek admittance at that school. No adcom is going to say..well his wife goes here...lets make him go somewhere else..hahhaahhaha(maniacal laughter).
If you are a not a competitive applicant, it may not help you, but i don't think it will hurt you.
If I were you, I would have met with the dean of admissions during the summer to discuss it with him. They are pretty busy now, but a quick phone call to him/her might not be a bad idea.

 

[Katja]

This is a question to those of you who are applying to med school, yet are also married (or engaged) to a med student (or doctor):
I am in a similar situation with my boyfriend (we'll get married eventually), who is an M1 this year. The only thing keeping me from absolutely deciding to become a physician is that I don't want to sacrifice time with my family for my job. However, I realize that this profession is demanding, etc., and is in itself "a lifestyle," not just a job. How have you all decided to manage a spouse, family, and career? Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[vixen]

hey csgirl...did you recently get married?

 

[willbeMD]

hey katja-
My spouse is an MSIV and i'm applying this year. I do think a lot about family and the time i will have for them. What I've found out from talking to different MDs is that there are ways to fit both into your life. For example there are some specialties that are not too demanding and you have a pretty good schedule (i.e e-med., outpatient family practice, radiology) You just have to ask around. Now if you are interested in a more demanding field, than it will be more challenging to keep everything in balance.
Also, whatever field you choose, i'm sure that you will have some tough years (i.e internship year). Hopefully you have a stong support network to help you out when you need it.
just my two cents.

 

[Katja]

Thanks for the advice, willbeMD. I think it's always better going into something difficult when you know others are in the same situation and going through it wih you. Good luck to you and your family!

 

[grkbuckeye]

my wife and i both just got accepted for the class of 2006. we had interviews from all the same schools (5 of them). we went on 3 interviews and got accepted to all 3 schools. i think that as long as you are both qualified then the admissions committee looks very favorably on your situation. I was told by the director of admissions at one school i interviewed at that they prefer to accept or reject couples together. i think this is the case at most schools. the hardest thing is not waiting to find out if your going to get into the same schools! i also think that its better having a spouse who is going through med-school with you. its hard when one has all the free time in the world and the other is studying all the time. anyway, i hope ive helped. if you have any questions let me know.

 

[grkbuckeye]

i meant the hardest thing IS waiting to see if you get into the same school. sorry about that!

 

[trout]

Although I am not married my significant other (7 years) finished his residency as I was applying for first year....I can offer a couple of things of advice:
-many times I was asked how I was going to handle medical school (and going back to classes) particularly being older, and I would reply with a)my boyfriend has been through school and residency, I am completely aware of the long hours and energy that school takes b)as well as he will serve as an excellent support system because he is also aware of the amount of time and work
-I also used him when they would ask to me the dreaded "where do we rank on your list question" so we were both looking in boston, ny and dc and I would say that he is looking for a job in NY and that going to school x would really work out well for both of us.
-When he got a job in boston (which he will start in a year ) I had to stop saying that and then actually defend why I would go to a school away from him, but I would comment on how he is going to be busy and I will be busy and that I want to go to a school where I would feel comfortable...
overall though after seeing him go through everything you have so much insight into the process. If you haven't already applied I would recommend going (with your spouse) and talking directly with the admissions director...everytime you can get your name across their desk in a positive way will help you in the end....Good luck!

 

[JellyBeans]

I am a 2nd year student and my spouse is a 4th year student. I decided to go to medical school after getting a Master's degree. As long as you are a good applicant you shouldn't have any problem getting in. There are other students in my class that are married to medical students. The best thing about being married to a medical student is that your spouse knows what you are going through and can give you great support. I know that there have been times that I have been really stressed out about a test and my spouse has helped me study. The one thing you should think about is where you spouse is planning on doing his/her residency. My spouse matched for his second year in a state other than the one that we are in. It will be my 4th year, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem for me, but it is something you should be thinkig about...I didn't.