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- Jan 13, 2005
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Currently I'm a 3rd year who is dating a 2nd year. I've done plenty of searching and reading on this topic, but I still don't know what would be best.
Here's the setup:
Me - want to match into IM, some leadership experience/award/volunteery goodness, pass/high pass (not honors) rotation grades with consistent praise for hard work, team player-ness, bedside manner, etc... Step 1 not what I was hoping for (less than avg, but >210), with my eyes on a fellowship that most consider non-competitive.
She - not sure what she wants to do, though she's leaning primary care, honored every 2nd year class thus far (so I'm fairly confident she'll easily exceed my step 1 score), also hard worker/easy going/well liked/yadayadayada.
Some options, from what I gather, are:
1a) Go on with match, shoot for a big city and hope she has similar luck the following year...
1b) Go on with match, then if she doesn't get in the same city the following year, one of us transfers, potentially making it two years apart. Probably our last choice.
2) Shoot for a prelim spot at home program, then couples match the following year, if that's even possible. (At this point I don't know if we want to stay at our home institution, especially given that there are potentially only two programs to choose from in our not so big city)....or...
3) Shoot for a prelim spot at a big city place, then couples match with the hopes of parlaying that spot into a PGY2 position if possible. This seems like the least logical, but I thought I'd throw it out there...oooorrrrr...
4) Take a year off, maybe shoot for an MPH, then couples match. I seriously thought about this, but in the end, I really don't want to take on any more debt. I want to pursue an MPH eventually, but it's time to get out and start working in the still-not-independent real world.
I just don't know what would be easiest in terms of guaranteeing that we both end up at a program we both like in the same city. Working a year, then couples matching seems like it would be, but I've received some less than supportive feedback regarding that idea, so I don't know what to think.
We're okay living separately for a year, but my fear (other than her not matching close by) in taking a categorical spot somewhere is that she ends up having to settle for a program just to be close. I'm sure I'll be limited by my score, so I'm working hard and know that I can do a lot better on Step 2. I think we're both better than the average bear on a social awkwardness scale, so hopefully that will help us out when we get interviews. I think I've written way too much at this point, so I'll just thank anyone in advance for advice/suggestions.
I'll hang up and read...
Here's the setup:
Me - want to match into IM, some leadership experience/award/volunteery goodness, pass/high pass (not honors) rotation grades with consistent praise for hard work, team player-ness, bedside manner, etc... Step 1 not what I was hoping for (less than avg, but >210), with my eyes on a fellowship that most consider non-competitive.
She - not sure what she wants to do, though she's leaning primary care, honored every 2nd year class thus far (so I'm fairly confident she'll easily exceed my step 1 score), also hard worker/easy going/well liked/yadayadayada.
Some options, from what I gather, are:
1a) Go on with match, shoot for a big city and hope she has similar luck the following year...
1b) Go on with match, then if she doesn't get in the same city the following year, one of us transfers, potentially making it two years apart. Probably our last choice.
2) Shoot for a prelim spot at home program, then couples match the following year, if that's even possible. (At this point I don't know if we want to stay at our home institution, especially given that there are potentially only two programs to choose from in our not so big city)....or...
3) Shoot for a prelim spot at a big city place, then couples match with the hopes of parlaying that spot into a PGY2 position if possible. This seems like the least logical, but I thought I'd throw it out there...oooorrrrr...
4) Take a year off, maybe shoot for an MPH, then couples match. I seriously thought about this, but in the end, I really don't want to take on any more debt. I want to pursue an MPH eventually, but it's time to get out and start working in the still-not-independent real world.
I just don't know what would be easiest in terms of guaranteeing that we both end up at a program we both like in the same city. Working a year, then couples matching seems like it would be, but I've received some less than supportive feedback regarding that idea, so I don't know what to think.
We're okay living separately for a year, but my fear (other than her not matching close by) in taking a categorical spot somewhere is that she ends up having to settle for a program just to be close. I'm sure I'll be limited by my score, so I'm working hard and know that I can do a lot better on Step 2. I think we're both better than the average bear on a social awkwardness scale, so hopefully that will help us out when we get interviews. I think I've written way too much at this point, so I'll just thank anyone in advance for advice/suggestions.
I'll hang up and read...