State residency

[wzy123]

I am sure this question has been asked before. OMS 2 here. When you apply for residency, will programs favor candidates from the same state ? I am from California originally but I have recently become a resident of a different state since my med school is here. What I meant is that I got a new driver's license, car registeration, etc. If I intend to go back to CA for residency, is this move a bad idea by any means ? If it is, can I just change my residency back to CA within the next couple of years ? Thanks !


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[austintr]

Generally, you should keep your state of residency in the state you are attending school. This is legally the case since you are presumably spending more than 50% of your time there, have a residence, etc. Especially if you are using, or plan to use any sort of state assistance.

It shouldn't hurt your chances at residence in Cali as far as I understand. Residency programs will see that you have ties in the area/grew up in the state, and that could be seen as favorable. However, it probably won't be a game changer, unless the residency is known to have a strong in-state/regional bias (which, if any state seems to have this bias, I would be least surprised if it was California). People relocate all the way across the country for residency (and often). I wouldn't worry much about it and when it comes time to apply, make sure you clue them in to your being from the area and preferring to do residency in Cali. It will be quite a bit different when applying for jobs after residency, as you will want to keep your eagerness to be in the area a little closer to your chest since a potential employer could use your preference for their area as a bargaining chip.