We're one year apart...ideas for matching?

[nightowl]

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Me and my husband are currently in our second and third year of medical school. We really want to go somewhere else for residency, but since we are one year apart, I'm doubting we'll be able to utilize the couples' match. We're not willing to do residencies in separate places. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has been or knows somone whose been in a similar situation? I guess I've thought of four possibilites
1. we spend a year apart and I try to match in the same city as him (we'd have to move somewhere with multiple programs, I'm guessing)
2. he does a transitional year and then we apply to programs together as a matched couple (not sure if he'd even reapply after transitional year?)
3. he take a year off to do research so we can apply together (don't think he really wants this at all, or if it's even possible)
4. I follow him to whatever city he's in, and apply to multiple different residency specialties to insure getting a spot (would involve me possibly doing something I don't want to do)
5. we just give it up and stay at our med school for residency (we'd be together, but it's really inflexible and we'd like to live somewhere else for res, plus he could get into a better program with his STEP)

basically, I'm mainly worried that he's going to get in somewhere great, and then I'm going to be really limited, maybe not match at all, and end up scrambling into a program somewhere else.... Well, that is the worst case scenario

any advice?

 

[DeLaughterDO]

#2 is the best option,especially if a research year isn't an option - whoever is a year ahead can match into a transitional year or prelim year and then you can both re-apply in the couple's match. Of course, this all depends on what field you/he wants to enter, and up to a thousand other permutations of complicating factors. And in the end, you will probably still have to spend a year apart unless your home program has a prelim/transitional year.

Although the couple's match sucks too... but that's a separate issue.

Another possible option (#6, I guess), is for whomever is a year ahead to take a 1 year leave of absence, then the problem is solved 🙂 Of course, that person will need a good reason to do so - maybe spend a year in research during school, get a MBA/MPH/MHA - whatever - get creative.

best of luck.

jd

 

[Reimat]

3. he take a year off to do research so we can apply together (don't think he really wants this at all, or if it's even possible)

If he's at all interested in academic medicine, or just wants to be more competitive for residency, why doesn't he consider the hhmi research training fellowships (http://www.hhmi.org/grants/individuals/medfellows.html). He would get paid to do research at your institution.

Just an idea for you to be in the same place, if he wouldn't mind doing the research to defer you a year.

 

[nala]

my former roommate was in the same situation. Her husband was a year ahead of her. He matched into IM in Chicago and when the next year rolled around, she applied strictly to Chicago IM programs and matched at one of them. However, I know that IM certainly isn't that competitive so I'm sure this would be a lot more difficult if either of you are going into a competitive field.

 

[jennyboo]

You're sort of asking the question a bit prematurely, since there are a lot of undecided factors that influence how hard or easy it is going to be to land in the same geographic area through two matches. These factors include:

- What specialties you both enter.
- What your USMLE scores are.
- What your grades are.
- How well both of you sell yourselves in the application process.
- Where you are both willing to live.

I would not recommend doing a transitional year with no residency lined up and then applying fresh (to do a repeat internship). Avoid doing a PGY-1 year twice if you can help it! It is not one of the most rewarding years of your life, and once is enough.

It's your choice whether to couples match in the same year (in which case he would have to take a year off and doing research or a masters in the meantime, anything is probably better than actually doing a transitional or other PGY-1 year) or whether to do it separately.

If you do it separately and he chooses a specialty in which he needs to line up a separate PGY-1 year (transitional, medicine or surgery) then it's not very hard to get a "local" internship. That would allow him to stick around for a year, and also assuming that he gets a residency anywhere else in the country you will know a year in advance where to apply for your own residency. Depending on what specialty you choose, you can then focus your applications on the region where he will be doing his residency.

It is not hard to get a stand-alone internship (PGY-1 transitional, prelim medicine or prelim surgery) anywhere you want to get one. It is more difficult to get a categorical residency in a specific place if it's not IM, since some of the other specialties (radiology, pathology, etc) are to be found only in larger academic centers, and there are simply many more IM and FP residencies anywhere you go.

Also, it IS possible though never guaranteed to negotiate a program transfer after matching and starting work.

 

[nightowl]

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the replies. I think I am probably a little premature in worrying about it- no matter what, I guess we'll be figuring it out when the time comes