Physicians/Residents/Med students? [Archive]

BTB

07-02-2005, 02:24 AM

Hey skyblu! Anybody's welcome to come chat anytime. :)

Hi Liz! Are/were you "dancingterp" at that *other* site? Why did I get the master's first... well, I decided I wasn't going to be deep enough into student debt, so I thought I'd pile on some more... lol. Nah, it was an easy decision, I didn't get accepted the first year I applied (had a bit more fun in college than I should've!) so I did the master's (scrambled to do it in ten months so I wouldn't miss the subsequent application cycle) got straight A's, and when I applied again, had much better results. :D About a third of my graduating class had master's degrees when they started, it's becoming more and more a de facto 'pre-req' to med school, some say. Evie's doing great, thanks for asking! Her baptism's this weekend. I hope they get a journal section up soon, too. :)

Aletheia - that is such a pretty name! Is that your first name? Can I ask how it's pronounced? Come chat anytime. What year is your hubby? Thanks for the encouraging words, honest to Pete most people seem to think I'm nuts. How cruel to put anybody on ICU two subsequent months, much less a nursing mom! I hate to say it, but that sounds like the kind of thing that might've happened *because* she asked for a kinder schedule. Medicine is still not terribly welcome to women in general sometimes, but especially to mothers. While pregnant, I was told point-blank I deserved to be tossed out of school for "stealing" my spot from a man who wouldn't have taken time off to be a parent. I hope your friend and her baby are doing well.

This year as a SAHM is certainly different from everything I've done with my life so far, DD is young enough that my days are full enough just keeping her clean, fed, and happy. The transition to being home was easy, but I think the transition back will be very, very hard.

Aletheia

07-02-2005, 06:40 PM

Hi BTB- Aletheia isn't my real name- it is the Ancient Greek word for "truth." I like the sound of it, and I'm a philosophy grad student, so it's appropriate even when I'm lying, I figure. :) It is pronounced ah-lay-thee-ah, emphasis on second syllable.

DH is a fourth year, having taken last year off to get an MPH. He is leaning towards family medicine- he just had a great rotation and loved the folks, the philosophy, the diversity of patients.

Thanks for the invite! I probably will drop by now and again.

:D

Rositabean

07-03-2005, 11:52 AM

Howdy all! Nice to see ya over here Kerry. Hi new people! Nice to meet you!

I know this thread at the other place wasn't hopping, but I think it was because of the finger pointing/name calling episode. I hope we can all play nice here!

I am 7 weeks away from attending-hood. Yikes! Am I really supposed to know what I am doing already?! I just did my last required month in retina, and in a week I will start my refractive surgery elective. I was back at the resident clinic for the day and had forgotten how crazy some of our patients are. I got to care for an adult with a diaper bag and bottles, I think wearing a diaper, and for sure wearing a bib and binky around the neck. I am thinking "you need your head examined, not your eyes!" The best part was explaining presbyopia to the patient..."Baby, you are experiencing normal aging changes in the eyes and require bifocals to see clearly to read." :D

This weekend is devoted to housework since we are selling our house. This morning I primed and spackled and once baby (actual baby, not nutty baby) wakes up from napping, we have got to hit the Home Depot and get a few more supplies.

tlew12778

07-04-2005, 05:21 AM

My FH is a first year resident in surgery. I thought about starting another med spouses thread here but the other one wasn't really hopping, so if it's ok I'll just follow this one :).

MrsBrooke

07-04-2005, 03:47 PM

Hey everybody! Thought I'd check in... I'm just starting as an intern in pediatrics, and so far, so good. It's been a difficult transition from cushy 4th year to actual doctor-person, but I feel like I ended up exactly where I am meant to be.

BTB, congrats on your sweet bebe...I checked in on her status in your journal from time to time and it looks like you did a good job, mommy! Congratulations again!

Vishenka69

07-06-2005, 07:26 AM

Tiffany, there's already three of us, so it might be worth a try.

Aletheia

07-26-2005, 10:22 AM

Hi all. My DH is a fourth year med student and is gearing up for residency applications. He has decided to apply in family medicine, and has gone about asking people for letters (which he has been putting off FOREVER.) He actually took a year off last year to get an MPH and so a lot of his basic rotations were now two years ago. He had the same ACS for his basic medicine rotation and for his medicine sub-i and asked this person for a letter via e-mail a couple weeks ago. He got good grades in both rotations and explained that he knew it had been a while since the rotations happened and that he would be willing to meet with this ACS to discuss his goals and experiences if that would help... anyway, it was a rather long (not overly long) letter giving the ACS some outs and possible reasons not to write the letter, as we all do, but upbeat and friendly. Indiciative, we both thought, of the relationship DH thought he had with this guy.

Today he got a one line response back: "Sorry, I'm not the best person to ask for a letter." :( No explanation, no nothing (which is maybe good, but the vagueness still stings too.)

Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch.

My DH is an on-top-of-it overachiever- he consistenly does well without looking like he is trying to do well. This response was quite a blow- for him and for me, who is not used to supporting him in times of trouble since he just doesn't have very many. :(

The thing is, he is an academic achiever- a real smarty. And though he is quite engaging and professional when you talk with him, he is an extreme introvert. Very shy, and very respectful. He often comes home from the hospital unsure that he has met the expectations of the attending doc because he just doesn't know what the expectations are. He is like me in this, I think- he is unwilling to risk being a pain by asking too many questions, and too afraid to risk doing something wrong by taking too much initiative. My role thus far has been to try to push him to do both things, but I know how hard it can be for someone used to being supersensitive to authority to take control and call your own shots.

But to the point: He is afraid that he won't be able to get a strong medicine letter, and that that's a bad thing since he is applying in family medicine. I try to tell him that since he is coming from Hopkins he will probably have a strong application in the eyes of a lot of programs, but he isn't here because he is interested in coasting along on the school's reputation (actually he is here because it was close to my grad school... but that's another story.) He doesn't want to play the "name card", and he insists that name or no name, it will look bad not to have an internal physician's rec.

I know this is long, but this is a sort of specialized situation and I'm looking for some support. I feel crushed by the rejection he got but don't have enough information about the med school world to know how big a deal it is. I will try to listen to him, but as I am the brainstormer in our relationship I need to be able to make suggestions, and I just don't have enough info to make those suggestions.

So what would you all say to a fellow med student in terms of logistics, or to your spouse in terms of support, who had just received this kind of news? I know this won't be the last time I need to navigate these waters- he hasn't even written his personal statement yet. Please help me be a good support to him right now. :confused:

BTB

07-26-2005, 01:10 PM

So what would you all say to a fellow med student in terms of logistics, or to your spouse in terms of support, who had just received this kind of news?

To thank his lucky stars, and move on from there. No really, even though that had to hurt, it's far better for the potential letter writer to decline than to write a ho-hum letter. There are other trees to bark up to get a good recommendation, but residency committees fully expect letters to be glowing - a lukewarm letter can be the death of even an otherwise stellar application.

It's totally possible this is all about the writer, and not about your hubby. Some people just ain't good writers, and they know it; some do well enough but just hate writing. Others really are too busy to get a letter back on time. Many have the time but are procrastinators trying to save the student the hassle. Whatever the reason, it's always smarter to ask the question with an out - just as your hubby did, but just one, please! - and if that out is taken, be glad the person asked had the guts to decline instead of write a letter - especially if it was a closed letter, that your DH would never see - that would end up on the PD's desk.

Okay, now the tough love. :)

The best way (not says me, says Iserson, more on that in a minute) to ask for letters is in person. And sell yourself! (switching to second person, apologies, it's easier on my baby-addled brain). Don't give the PW (potential writer) "some outs and possible reasons" they might not want to write it. Just one out. Don't make excuses ("I know it's been a while since my rotation.....") especially when the latter is a mistake to begin with, as another don't is, Don't wait until you're no longer fresh in the PW's mind to ask (too late for that, I know, but that's not the end of the world). Just don't point out your own mistakes! That's like using your personal statement to point out any flaws or shortcomings in your application - they'll be found without prompting, trust me. And you've only got so many opportunities to balance whatever flaws are there with the information that you're spectacular, one-of-a-kind, the sort of doctor your reader would want if they were sick - so don't waste space on the downsides, be positive, be confident!

Okay, so, I don't want that to sound harsh, especially because I like you, Aletheia, and your hidey hole (hmmmm, that doesn't sound right at all) and I share your DH's pain, as I'm glad I've already graduated and "only" have a baby to take care of while wrangling all these applications.

So, pick up, dust off, and reassess:

Do you have to have a letter from internal med to apply FP? No. The beauty of FP is, there's little it doesn't encompass, thus letters from just about anyone are pertinent. Ob? Sure. Peds? You betcha. Psych? Heck yeah! A letter from int med is a nice feather in the cap, but not nearly as essential as a strong letter from a family practitioner. FP and int med are silly that way - as your DH surely knows - with their little jokey turf wars that sometimes, aren't really so jokey after all. An FP letter is a must, from whatever core or supplemental rotations your DH has done that led him to choose to apply to it. Other letters are icing on the cake.

What if you really want an int med letter? Well, there's other places to get one. Play the nepotism game, and hit up the IM dept chair at the home school. Even a clinical prof who's not chair will do. Or the advisor - not familiar with Hopkins' curriculum but it's hard to imagine any med school that doesn't provide a list of potential advisors to students. Or alumni - not kidding here. Hightail it over to the alumni office, call up a doc and ask to follow them around in all your free time (snicker), even after just a couple meetings they may be willing to go ahead and write. If you go any of these routes, make sure it's an open letter. Don't waive that right to see it! It's definitely more important to get a strong letter than to get an IM letter.

Okay, so, let's assume no IM letter for a second. Your (ahem, DH's) career hopes are dashed, yes? Nah. If you're a smarty-farty pants, you've probably got the grades and boards to prove it. That goes a long way, as just about anybody can find 3 or 4 people who say they're great, but it really says something to battle it out for years for grades on a curve against people who aren't slouches themselves, then go to bat against all other med students in the country on steps 1 and 2 and do well. That and - no offense intended here, I have the utmost respect for FP - on the whole, this is not a particularly competitive specialty, and there are lots and lots of residency positions. Now, I won't kid you; any specialty, no matter what the national application picture is like, has hotspots where residency selection is uber-competitive; top programs in any specialty don't take anything but the cream of the crop. I just mean to say that overall, your DH will match into FP. I know matching just anywhere isn't the goal, but if we start from that premise, it makes it easier to breathe, yes?

So, now, who is Iserson? Kenneth V. Iserson is the author of Iserson's Getting into a Residency, now in it's sixth edition. This book is THE "Bible" for residency applications, and I'm be surprised as a vampire on the first day of Daylight Savings if your DH doesn't already own it as most fourth years all but sleep with it under their pillows. If it hasn't been read yet, read it. If he doesn't have a copy yet, get one. It covers all the ins and outs, and since it's so popular it's a de facto requirement - everybody else will know the information it contains and the few who don't are starting at a disadvantage. It's so useful, everything from how to go about making a formal letter request to how to pack a suitcase for an interview so that you can a) not check your bag and b) not have wrinkles.

Okay, so, who put a nickel in me? Thank goodness it wasn't a quarter. :)

Aletheia

07-27-2005, 06:37 AM

BTB:

Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.

Really. And I would have put a quarter in had I known the machine was working. :) Your advice is helpful to me both emotionally and factually, and in 30 seconds I changed my day's plans from going to the library to work to going to the bookstore to hunt down that book. No, he doesn't have it, and no, I've not even heard him mention it.

He's going to the AAFP conference in Kansas City tomorrow. I'm going to put him on the plane with it.

Wow! I feel so empowered!! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy baby day and submerging yourself so totally in the 4th year mind set for the benefit of a complete stranger. I'm honored. :o

MrsBrooke

08-04-2005, 04:00 PM

Wow... that was alot of good advice from BTB! Hope everything is going well for your DH Alethia... Keep us posted.

Brooke

tlew12778

08-16-2005, 05:41 AM

I have a question for you all.

If you're on vacation in the US (during residency) do you think the hospital would ever call you to come in for some emergency procedure? I mean on a regular basis.

The reason I ask is bc my FH is on vacation right now. He was given 3 weeks off in August. Since he is the only resident on staff to not actually have left the city, the hospital keeps calling him to assist in surgeries. It's starting to really piss him off. Last night he asked me if they do this in the US too but I have no idea. Also, he's moonlighting this week and his hospital made him come in for a surgery this AM that conflicted with his moonlighting job. The head surgeon of today's operation argued that FH should always give the hospital priority even if he is on "vacation".

This attitude seems a little authoritarian to me, but maybe this is normal? They've also called him in to do rounds bc the chief of vascular doesn't want to do them on the days he is supposed to. FH doesn't feel like he can say "no" to a sr. surgeon.

Vishenka69

08-18-2005, 09:18 AM

Tiffany,

Being called in while you're on vacation and still in residency is unheard of. Unless you specifically ask to be called in if anything interesting comes in. When in practice, it is possible to be called on days off and during vacations, but then it's your own patients and you get paid extra. Here even if you're on back up call from home, you have an option of not coming in.

tlew12778

08-19-2005, 03:10 AM

Thanks Vishenka. I thought that was kind of weird. Once they gave him the option of not coming in and he didn't... then they yelled at him the next day. The reason he didn't go in that night was bc 1) he wasn't on call and 2) he WAS on call (in-hospital) the next morning at 8AM. So he would have been tired and probably not have made the best decisions on only 3 hrs sleep. They yelled at him anyway. This time around he was pissed bc they were doing an aneurysm and had 3 surgeons already. Apparently it's easier if you have 4, but not necessary. There was a 4th surgeon on call but he was down in the xray area doing eco-dopplers for outpatients. Why this guy couldn't go up for surgery or why they were even doing outpatient eco-dopplers on a national holiday is beyond me. His hospital is just poorly organized with some seriously self-centered sr surgeons I think. He should be rotating in November so hopefully it will be better then.

Vishenka69

08-19-2005, 07:20 AM

And US residents think they're being majorly abused. I should tell this story to my DH.

BTB

08-19-2005, 07:28 AM

If you're on vacation in the US (during residency) do you think the hospital would ever call you to come in for some emergency procedure? I mean on a regular basis.

Maybe not 'on a regular basis', but I've been on rotations as a med student where residents have been called in if it's known they were in town, even when doing so violates the ACGME work rules that were put in place in 2002. There's no way for residents to report violations truly anonymously, and even if there was, violations get the program in trouble which puts your residency in jeopardy. Still a lot of bugs in the system. What kind of vacation was he on, that he was still scheduled for in-hospital call the next day? That'd be the part that'd bug me, in his shoes. It's one thing to be called in on an emergency basis, it's another to be scheduled!

This attitude seems a little authoritarian to me, but maybe this is normal?

It's normal in surgery, where the residency is legendary and the tenor thoroughly authoritarian. Once when I was literally five minutes late to 6 AM rounds - because my car had been rear-ended on the way to the hospital - I was yelled at for half an hour, then given extra work as punishment. Well, that taught me my lesson. Haven't been rear-ended since. :D

tlew12778

08-19-2005, 08:11 AM

Vishenka69 Yeah FH is now saying that even if he has to work longer hours in the US, the training and atmosphere have GOT to be better. The surgical technology is generally better (overall... more cutting edge I think) and Italy will recognise a US residency in case we decide we want to settle in Italy permanently.

BTB Yeah I don't really call that vacation either, but basically they said to him "take off the entire month of August but come in to cover the weekend of Aug 12-15" :confused:. Plus it turns out that the sr. surgeon on call with him was PISSED bc he wanted a more sr resident that could be left alone more.

BTB

08-19-2005, 08:31 AM

Training and atmosphere are program-dependent. Some are great, some are awful, tons are in the middle. I'm excited, though, at recent progress in the medical field toward admitting that doctors are humans - and that maybe, just maybe, 36-hour shifts really aren't such a great idea.

So it was just the one weekend he was on? Hmmm... I've got to say, that doesn't sound bad at all. An entire month off... well, that's the first I've heard of anyone getting that long of a vacation. Lots of residents get three weeks, but can only take a week at a time. Personally, I think I'd take that deal, but that's just me. :)

tlew12778

08-19-2005, 09:54 AM

Ahhh... well... it has a lot to do with the fact that we live in Italy. A normal person here gets about 35 days off a year. This would include all personal days, but not sick days. When a company closes for a long weekend, technically you are forced to take that non-holiday day off as a "communal vacation day". It's kind of BS IMO but whatever. So that's why he gets 4 weeks. That's actually only 20 days and that's the short end of the stick by Italian standards. Residency here is based on the academic year bc you are considered a "student" kind of... I don't know why... I think it has to do with tax reasons as their "salaries" are taxed as "scholarships". So basically since his residency started in the middle of the academic year, and he had to take all his vacation days before October 31 (Nov 1 is the start of the new academic year), they told him to take all of August. Plus, he got placed at a private hospital that tends to not schedule any optional surgeries for the month of August since almost all the surgeons leave town.

Vishenka - If you want to stun your DH even more, you can tell him that residents in Italy earn about 1/5th of what they do in the US. And they do not give subsidized housing or anything... it's kind of depressing.

BTB

08-20-2005, 06:09 PM

Residency here is based on the academic year bc you are considered a "student" kind of... I don't know why...

Same here - actually prior to a court decision in the late 90's residents were only considered students, not employees at all, and thus not subject to any employment law. Since the late 90's residents have dual student/employee status, and it's still questionable to what degree employment laws apply. Salaries are definitely salaries, though, not scholarships, and taxed accordingly, of course.

And they do not give subsidized housing or anything...

No subsidized housing here either. You do get free dinner on call at most places. :rolleyes: And there are benefits, some programs they're better than others. They might offer health insurance, for example, but that can just mean free care within their own system (i.e. we won't charge a resident to be hospitalized if they come here).

residents in Italy earn about 1/5th of what they do in the US.

Is that in US dollars? What's the cost of living like? What's the average student loan?

It's so interesting to compare different countries' systems. I've never met an IMG from Italy so this is the first I've heard! :)

Vishenka69

08-22-2005, 09:22 AM

BTB, all of the programs DH was applying to offered student housing (or some kind of subsidy). I'd say most of our resident friends live in student/residency housing. Others have bought something or didn't like location. The salaries are roughly on the level of college grads but divided by the hours worked end up closer to minimum wage. Also all the programs I'm aware of have 4 weeks of vacation but very few allow residents to take more than one week at a time. All of DH's friends are shocked that I have only 2 weeks.

carrie9142

08-22-2005, 09:42 AM

I am yet another "not a med student, but I married one"! Just thought I would join the thread. I think BTB may be the only physician on these boards!

I didn't realize some residencies offered housing! I have never heard that. DH is still undecided about what specialty he wants to do, unfortunately. I have no idea where we will go or what we will be doing. Makes life an adventure, right? :rolleyes:

Vishenka69

08-22-2005, 10:50 AM

Carrie, what year of med school is your DH in? Most med students don't know what they like until they finish 3rd year rotations. I guess the rest of the country has cheap housing as it is, but all med schools and residencies in the tri-state area offer either housing or a subsidy.

carrie9142

08-22-2005, 12:10 PM

He is in his third year, so he is planning on deciding or narrowing it down this year. Most likely he will do something like family medicine-he really loves the clinical aspect of it.

Maybe they offer housing in your area b/c it is at such a premium? As far as I know, it is NOT common practice in the South. It would be great though :)

tlew12778

08-23-2005, 02:02 AM

BTB - No student loans thank God. I have my own though so we're paying those off still. Residents in Italy make about 10k euro a year which is about 12.5k USD. Healtcare here is national so that's not even an issue. There is no retirement package. The cost of living is high. We pay over $1000 for a 1BR apt. So it's cheaper than NYC but a lot more expensive than a lot of other places. And if we didn't live together, there is no way a resident can afford $1k a month on rent on that salary.

endymion411

08-28-2005, 03:37 PM

to steal carrie's words, i'm another "not a med student, but I married one" (just last month, in fact!).

he's a fourth year, and as i sit and spend quality time on the computer, he's sorting through his residency application stuff. he's applying in ent. hopefully he'll match where we live right now because i am starting a grad program in less than two weeks and if he matches elsewhere, i'll need to decide whether to go with him or stay here and live apart until i'm finished, so we'll just have to wait and see!!

BTB

10-05-2005, 01:12 PM

Bumping from oblivion... c'mon, I know I saw at least one other doc out there... :)

tlew12778

10-06-2005, 03:23 AM

I've got a question for you all -- How does the the division of labor work in your house?

I suppose I could post this is the regular "all things inside your house" section but I'm really curious as to what the drs on here do in terms of housework. Basically I work FT 9-6... I'm home by 6:30. FH works mainly from 8:30-7:30... he leaves at 8 and gets home around 8 unless he has emergency surgery. As a result, he doesn't lift a finger at home. When he gets home he basically expects dinner (I suppose he's justified in this since I get home almost 2 hours before him) then he's "too tired" to help around the house. Granted, I sit at my desk all day while he is pretty much on his feet all day, but I still feel like I am getting the seriously short end of the stick here. He doesn't even want to really help out on weekends (I suppose this is understandable if he's on call) bc he says he needs to study.

So his solution is for me to hire someone to come clean for us. I'm kind of doing this :rolleyes: at this idea bc I don't really want to spend the money, but I will bc I absolutely hate how I am getting shafted with the traditional woman's role in the household while still working FT.

Vishenka69

10-06-2005, 07:31 AM

Well, the short answer is that after fighting non-stop for about 6 months after moving in together, we decided to hire a cleaning woman. It was either that or break up. We've lived together for over 5 years now and have been through 4 cleaning women. We have also progressed from bi-weekly to weekly visits.

DH usually works 12 hour days as well, so he tries to get away with as little housework as possible. On weekends I'll nag to get him to take out the garbage (to a shoot down the hall), clean the litter box and put his dirty laundry in the hamper (from the floor). About once a month (on his post-call day), he'll pick up dry cleaning/laundry on his way home and might do the dishes. That's pretty much it.

Aletheia

10-10-2005, 06:17 AM

DH hasn't even begun his residency and this has already been a problem. My most successful solution: half-hour of cleaning on Saturday or Sunday.

I make a list of 6 10 minute house-cleaning tasks: vacuumming, dusting and taking out garbage, cleaning off the desk, etc. Then I assign 3 to him and 3 to me (often with his input) and then we set the timer for 10 minute intervals. With a bigger house, you could do this for an hour, or perhaps on Wednesdays as well as weekends.

You can get a lot done this way, especially if you keep up with it weekly, but the biggest improvement is how DH looks at the house. If he knows he'll have to unearth his desk on Saturday, he's much better about putting things away after he uses them on Wednesday.

This isn't all the cleaning I do- but for right now it is a small thing that keeps him in the loop and reminds him the house is NOT self-cleaning, as he sometimes seems to think. That in itself is HUGE.

Cosmogirl

10-10-2005, 04:49 PM

Hi! I'm too a med...but a vet med :)
Got a question for you BTB: i,m considering entering med school next year. I just had a baby 3 months ago. I was wondering if you are having a hard time dealing the baby and med school all together?
Thanks!

BTB

10-11-2005, 04:52 PM

Nope, but I'm not dealing with them both at once (anymore)... I graduated in June. :D

Our original plan was to not have trouble conceiving and for the baby to be born early in my senior year. That way the baby would be 8-10 months old before I had to start residency. Well, that didn't work, and my due date was April 29th of my senior year instead. To top it off, I finally admitted to myself, in the middle of August, the day before I learned I was pregnant, that the field I'd been interested in for the previous year and a half, I'd been wrong about - leaving me to figure out what else I wanted to do, right as the residency application season was getting underway. Then the next day I was finally pregnant!

So that could've been dicey, but then it got even trickier... I was put on bedrest early in my pregnancy (6 weeks) and stayed there for two months. I didn't know at the time when I'd be released to go back to school. During those two months I decided to take a year off after graduation, to make sure I really wanted the "replacement" field I chose (with which I'm thrilled), to have that time with my daughter, and to start residency with an older baby so that hopefully I'll be both a better mom and a better intern than I think I would've been if I'd tried to mix internship and a newborn.

Several of my friends had babies during med school, and there were a few in my class who started school with kids. I definitely think it's easier to have had the baby already, than to try to eke out maternity leave, but either way is doable, especially if you have a DH with a reasonable work schedule, and bonus points for other relatives nearby.

You'll be starting with a 13 or 14 month old, and the first two years you have much more control over your schedule than the last two years. And in terms of responsibility and time, med school is easier than residency. It is definitely possible to be a student and a mom. It's also possible to be a resident and a mom - even a new mom. People do it all the time. You will have different challenges than some of your colleagues, sometimes - but you will have different rewards, too. More than half of all women physicians who have children had their first child during residency, so as you progress through training your situation (as a trainee/mom) will be more and more common among your classmates. Being able to achieve all my goals - not just career but family too - has made me a happier person, more focused overall, and that, I think, actually made me a better student.

I'd be happy to answer questions or chitchat anytime, here or via PM. Congrats on the baby and good luck!

Cosmogirl

10-11-2005, 05:24 PM

BTB CONGRATS!!! and well deserved!
Thanks you so much for your reply. I really thought at some point that I was scheduling my own personal death (!) or so people would say when I started saying that I wanted to get into Med School. But what you said makes me feel a whole lot better! I've been through vet school, so med school shoudn't be really harder! But I was scared about the residency and stuff. But I feel better knowing that it is current for women to do that. and that i'm not the exception. I really started to think, with all people told me that I wouldn,t be able to achieve both being a mom and have a successful carreer, but you nearly make it look like a breeze:p It is important for me to have a family, but it is also important to have a career! Being a mother is great, but I also want to be able to do something else!
Thanks again for that!!! You really gave me some new hopes!

Do you feel that you are able to have some time for yourself through all that? Do you feel like you like your life as it is right now?? Sure things are going to be different when the residency is over, but I was wondering if you still are able to have a life, or you are just surviving...

ETA: and just out of curiosity, what program did you choose???(for residency?)

carrie9142

10-12-2005, 09:10 PM

I've got a question for you all -- How does the the division of labor work in your house?

Sigh. A question for the ages. When DH first started school I was working full time. Largely, nothing got done. However, he was much more helpful and it seemed much more like a 50/50 split. A year ago I quit to go back to school. I know have about 4 hours of class a day plus maybe an extra hour or two of work. DH has 12 hour days. Guess where I am going with this? ;) So now I do about 95%. Which I totally get, it just sucks that my free time is spent cleaning and his is spent resting or relaxing.

I really like it when he sees a need and steps up to it before it starts to stress me out. That just doesn't happen anymore. Oh well. Now I am just more direct in what I need help with. DH is great when given a specific chore. He has been pretty grumpy lately with me asking him to do ANYTHING lately.

When we get the money, it is sooooo going towards a housekeeper!

BTB Good luck with your interviews!!! I hope you get the program you want. Match will be here before we know it :D

tlew12778

10-13-2005, 01:25 AM

it just sucks that my free time is spent cleaning and his is spent resting or relaxing. Nodding my head vigorously up and down here...

BTB

10-13-2005, 07:26 PM

Cosmogirl - If I've given you the impression it's easy as pie, I'm afraid I've done you a disservice! It will be hard, it will be tiring, it will be everything med school already is, plus some. It's just that it will also be worth it. The best advice I ever got was during my freshman orientation, from a then-senior. She said, "Be a person first, and a med student second." It has worked for me - I've had grades I'm proud of AND a life I'm happy with, and for me I'm certain the two go hand in hand. I would not function well if I were sacrificing literally everything for school - it demands enough sacrifice as it is - and would just end up a bitter, unhappy student, and they don't make good doctors.

I haven't chosen a program yet, I'm still applying. My first interview is right around the corner, so thanks for the well wishes!

And thanks to Carrie too! I'm early match so I have just 3.5 more months to wait. :D

Rositabean

10-13-2005, 11:49 PM

I wanted to say HI and that I am still around.

I am now in my 3rd month of attending-hood and am liking private practice ophthalmology. It is awesome to be back in CA and my babe is 16 mos old now and doing great. It is nice to have my own patients and my first surgeries as an attending have gone perfect. I can't complain about the money either, beats resident pay any day. I also can't complain about DH, he does his fair share and cares for our DS during the day.

I have a question for cosmogirl. As a vet, why are you now wanting to switch to human medicine? One ophtho resident I knew was a vet before and then went back for human med and then did his ophtho residency but I never asked him. I am just curious because my sister is applying for vet school and agonizing about it and how hard it is to get in, etc... And I tell her sometimes to just go human and then she can join me in private practice, and she has gotten less and less offended by this suggestion over the last several months. I just wonder if you know something about the field that a potential candidate should really know about before committing. Why are you dissatisfied in vet med?

Cosmogirl

10-14-2005, 07:49 AM

BTB Trust me, I know what I'm getting into. Vet school is REALLY hard, and I have a few of my old school collegue who are now in med shcool, and are telling me that it is eaiser then what we have been through. Vet school is H.E.L.L. I had classes every day from 8-6, exams every 4 days, every week starting the second week of class, and NO free periods in my all of semesters. The program was WAY too heavy for a period of 4 years, and they had to adjust it to make it 5 years now because it was living hell.
I never thought it was going actually to be a breeze,(thus the :p ) but if I did it once, I can do it again! I just wasn,t sure if a family life and a career in med was something that I could think of or not.
I really like the advise you recieved about being a erson first, and then a med student. I realised through my vet studies that we have the tendency to forget about being something else then a vet...and I did feel "empty" at some point. This time, I really want to remember that... because if you are only a doc, you really forget that human part of it I guess...
and would just end up a bitter, unhappy student, and they don't make good doctors.

You said it better...

Rositabean

I'm quitting my current position for sevral reasons. But you have to remember that I'm in Canada, and there are some reasons that I will tell that won't really be applicable to you (well, your sister!)

-We are lucky enough here to have "free" health care system. It is NOT free, we pay it with our taxes, but when you go to the doc, you never get a bill. You give your card, and that is it. So it gives people the impression that it is free. Thus, when they are coming for a vet consultation, people are OUTRAGE to have to pay such "high" fees for their animals, where as for them it is "free". But let's be reasonable here. A vet consulation plus 4 shots is what 55$. One single does of rabies shot in human med, that is without ever seeing a doc is around 150$ and you need 3 shots!!! So it is NOT expensive. But people have NO idea what health care system cost, thus are unhappy with the bills.
-That mean, that we have too many situation where the owner decides to go for euthanasia instead of treating their animal. I haven't gone to vet school to perform euthanisia all the time! I want to practice medecine, try to save them, but that is not what I do. It is thuis not really stimulating as far as a job because all I ebd up doing is giving shots, and killing animals!!! Talk about being a doc!

-The second reason would be that I'd like to be able to do a bit more medically speaking. Vet med is evolving constantly, but here, since people don't want to pay, we don,t evolve as I would like to.

-As a vet to have to do everything. Take your x-rays, read them do your bipsies, interpret them...you rarely have a second opinion. For some this is really cool They like to be so independent. I'd like to be able to work as a team more and have other expert's opinion sometimes for cases. I would find it more stimulating. This is how it works in the hospital here, and I spend a coupld of days with Doc, and enjoy their way of working more.
ANd I'd like to be able to work in a narrower field. In vet med, you need to know everything for every animal instead of knowing something very well in one field. I'd like to be specialized in something in particular.

-I don,t like surgery! BIG problem since I have to do surgery, and I have to deal with emergency, and thus potential surgeries. I really thought I would like that before I got in school, but I just can,t ge to like it. Don't know why!

- We don't have many emergency services for animals around. So all the clinic have to roll their sleeves and take the emergency calls all the time. This looks easy but the thing is:
when I'm on duty for emergency, I'm alone. (the clinic ain't open, it is an ON-call type of service.) I have nobody dipaching the calls, nobody to give me a hand if I have to come in to the clinic for an emergency. I'm on my own. It makes it really difficult, and IMO dangerous. I've been called once in the night for a so emergency, and when I got at the clinic, the guy was there to rob us. Good thing DH knew that I was gone for a call, because otherwise nobody would have known that I was at the clinic. I really got scared that night!
PLUS, since I don,t have anybody to dispach the calls, I get them ALL. But people don,t always understand what an emergency call is. And since they don,t have to pay for it, they can call at 3 am because their dogs has fleas for 4 months, or because they just want to know when is the next appointment!!! When I'm on duty like that, the clinic ain't open 24 hours. We are just there to deal with emergencies. I'm home and trying to rest because I work the day after. So it gets really frustrating. And to top it all, when people call for an emergency, and they want to come in, they are PI$$ED because they have to pay more for the consultation. So I get insulted and called a thief all the time.
If it was only that, it wouldn,t be SO bad, but this combined with the fact that I can't practice good medecine, it is just too much.
Again, since here the health care system is "free! money ain't an object when treating a patient. You do ALL you can do, and thus are able to do SO much more, and I find it more stimulating then what I'm doing now. I feel I could help so much more being a med then a vet!

-oh and I can help but to add that for all that we do (time), and all the hard time we go through, we are seriously underpaid. My salary is I believe less then what a nurse do. But I have all the same responsabilities then a doc has...

I know that in the USA things are different. You guys are so much more committed to your animals, and I know because I worked there. It is night and day compared to here. She'll be able to do SO much more, and better medecin that I could ever imagin to do. But she will still have to perfrom euthanisia, and really you never get use to killing an animal when you love them. That for me, is a BIG turn down from my profession. Not being able to do all you could is really hard. And IMO if she really wants to pratice thorough medecine, she is better in human med. But if she really wants to work WITH animals, she is better with Vet med. It is not always easy (being bitten, scratched, name it...) but it is rewarding. You have to make it rewarding because your patient won't. You have to be pround of yourself when you see it walk where as he had a broken paw, or eat whereas he was jaundiced...but they won't say thanks! (and here, the clients won,t say thanks often too!!!)
Pm me if you have quesitons...I'd be happy to answer!

BTB

10-14-2005, 09:08 AM

I knew you knew the school part wouldn't be easy - I was just worried I made combining motherhood with school too easy and Hallmark-y. I couldn't be happier with my decision, but to be fair I know there are plenty of people who think I'm nuts. ;)

I think you will definitely have an easier time, and having not been through both I can't say if it's because you've got so much background knowledge in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, etc. already, or if the schedule is that much lighter, but either way I do think you'll find your second doctorate less onerous. :)

Kat&Matt_02

10-14-2005, 06:51 PM

Just thought I'd join in the disscussion. I am currently also in my 3rd month of attending however I'm also 2 month pregnant and dreading every m/s minute. I'm hoping DH will be as supportive as the husbands mentioned here however he too began attendinghood in august. :confused:

BTB

10-14-2005, 08:03 PM

Kat, Rositabean, and anybody else who's been to a bunch of these things...

What do (or rather, what should) :) residency candidates wear to the dinner the evening before the interview? Dressy-business attire, or dressy-social?

MrsBrooke

10-16-2005, 04:17 PM

Hey all! I posted here before I know, but it's been awhile- internship is tiring! It's so nice to at least finally get a paycheck though, even if it is basically minimum wage!

BTB- long time, no chat! How's the bebe?? I know you're loving the time you're spending with her! What did you decide to match in again? I thought you were doing Path, but you mentioned early match... did you switch to neuro?? And for your question about pre-interview dinners, I would say dressy-casual. I did sweaters and pants/casual skirts for mine usually, but I think I could've easily gotten away with jeans at some. That was for peds though...don't know if things are different for other programs. It's getting pretty close for you now, isn't it?? Good Luck!

Vishenka69

10-17-2005, 02:02 PM

BTB, I'm pretty sure DH wore khakis and a button down for dinners. I think a sweater set and a knee length skirt would be a good middle-of-the-road outfit.

BTB

10-17-2005, 06:23 PM

Vishenka, thanks for the info! :)

MrsBrooke - hey! Long time no see! :D Sending you a PM...

Aletheia

01-23-2006, 07:17 PM

Hey everyone! Wow, I had to hunt and hunt to find this thread. It sort of fell off the map. :)

I'm wondering who is matching this year. BTB, you are, right? Anyone else? My DH is, and I'd love any advice or help with how we are supposed to find a house in the new match city in such short time! Really, any advice about house hunting and buying as an intern would be more than welcome, if you experienced folks have a moment to give some.

Vishenka69

01-24-2006, 04:03 PM

Where did you match, if you don't mind me asking? It might not make the most sense to buy in residency, depending on where you'll be. I would talk to the current residents if possible, to see how many of them bought, what the housing market is like and how difficult it is to sell at the end of the residency. Many programs offer housing, which sometimes makes more sense to take than to buy. The department secretary should be able to help too, at least with some real estate leads.

carrie9142

01-24-2006, 04:31 PM

Hey all! I have a question about residency interviews...

DH will start interviewing next year, possibly in far off lands. Because of the program I am in, I am not sure if I will be able to travel with him very often. Did your husband come with you to interviews? Did you go with your husband? I want to get a feel for the place we could be living, but I don't know if it is feasible. If you didn't go together, how did everyone decide?

Good luck to everyone who is matching soon!!

Vishenka69

01-25-2006, 02:36 PM

When DH was interviewing for residencies, I wasn't invited to any interview-related activities. Since he only applied to programs in our area, we didn't have to worry about moving to some unknown place. I guess there's always online research. Plus you should make a list of questions for him to ask regarding the area and the move, hopefully he'll write down the answers and won't forget them by the time he gets home.

BTB

01-25-2006, 04:46 PM

Where did you match, if you don't mind me asking?

I hate to answer for Aletheia, but since she hasn't been back and I know the answer... her DH is matching in March. :)

Many programs offer housing, which sometimes makes more sense to take than to buy.

This is completely unheard of in the Midwest - nationally, a small percentage of programs subsidize or provide housing, but the vast majority of those that do are in New England. Which is great, if you're looking there.

Carrie, my DH did not travel with me. Even at places that invited spouses to the pre-interview dinner, it was very unusual for someone's SO to accompany them. There actually wasn't much time as an applicant to evaluate the city unless arriving or leaving a day early or late, but second looks are becoming more common and would be a better time for you to visit the city too - that way, you could also focus your searching.

Aletheia, some places have a housestaff association or similar group that subserves a 'welcome wagon'-type function, once matched, your DH may receive information on houses for sale by graduating residents, departing faculty, etc. Barring that, you could search MLS listings online and try to limit it to one or two househunting trips. Some people do a short-term rental to get to know an area, look around, and then buy after a few months, but that would put an awful lot on your plate at a time you've already got enough, um, cooking. :D I'll send you a PM...

Aletheia

01-25-2006, 05:44 PM

BTB, you can answer for me any time. :D

DH told me a bit of the same info last night... that often programs will assist you in your house hunt. Slowly my mind is coming to grips with this situation. I'm just all in a panic, I guess because I let the thought "i'll be too pregnant to move heavy boxes in May" turn into "I will be a complete invalid with no mental or emotional or physical capacities by Match Day." I can't help it. The melodrama is baked right into the very core of my psyche. :rolleyes:

So, combatting that, the move is seeming a bit more probable, maybe even possible. :p

Oh, and about going along for the ride as a spouse... I could have gone to several of the interviews if we had wanted to spend money on my travel expenses, and if I didn't have a job. But it just didn't seem that necessary. DH needed to focus on the *program*-- we'll talk about the *cities* now that he has a clearer sense of which programs would make him happiest.

BTB

01-25-2006, 06:32 PM

Don't know if your DH has gotten any along the interview trail, but a good number of programs I interviewed with publish relocation handbooks with lots of local info - for example, the one from the Cleveland Clinic even talks about the different weather in the west suburbs vs. east suburbs, since the way the city curves up around the lake, the eastern burbs get more snow. If it's a decent-sized institution, with a fair number of residency programs, they're used to orienting a whole new crop each year and they do want happy little worker bees!

DH needed to focus on the *program*-- we'll talk about the *cities* now that he has a clearer sense of which programs would make him happiest.

Bravo! A fabulous way to do it. :D You done good.

I'm there with you on the melodrama. I'm going for an early match specialty and my match day is - eep! - tomorrow. :D

carrie9142

01-25-2006, 10:17 PM

:D Vishenka69-The list of questions is a good idea! DH is pretty scatterbrained, so he is likely to forget alllll about my questions. ;)

BTB-I am not too interested in actually going with him to the dinners or interviews. Shockingly, going to a dinner surrounded by doctors who are "gettting to know" my husband isn't my idea of a good time. Even if they are not formal, I can't take the pressure! A friend of mine actually suggested local Chambers of Commerce and that some programs sent info. So helpful! Unfortunately, I wouldn't be available for second-looks either.
Good luck on your match tomorrow!!! Let us know how it turns out :D

Aletheia Good point on the travel expenses! It is not like traveling or being a med student is cheap. Shouldn't they really pay for all the travels? I think so.

Unfortunately, DH hasn't even decided on a specialty yet so he isn't even to picking out programs. We definitely have places that we won't move to, but I was just wondering what the norm was with picking entirely new places to live. Also, I am the biggest worrywart ever. I usually wouldn't get concerned over something like this that is still a year off...ok, I lie. I am actually applying for something that has a match similar to residency-one of the programs is 2 summers with the semesters off and the other is 40 weeks straight through. Both are during DH's fourth year. I am trying to decide which one I would prefer to do, b/c I have to rank them. This whole interview travel thing is what another criteria in determining which I rank first.

I really appreciate everyone's input!! Good luck to everyone

Aletheia

01-26-2006, 06:36 AM

BTB-- TODAY??? Eeks! Tell us how it goes!!

Vishenka69

01-26-2006, 06:45 AM

This is completely unheard of in the Midwest - nationally, a small percentage of programs subsidize or provide housing, but the vast majority of those that do are in New England. Which is great, if you're looking there.

Since we only looked on the East Coast, I didn't even realize that this is not the norm for the rest of the country. Didn't mean to steer anyone in the wrong direction.

BTB, how did it go?

BTB

01-26-2006, 08:54 AM

Thanks everybody! :D Still waiting to hear.... early match is not like the NRMP, where you get to rip open an envelope at a standardized, preset time. Nah, it's much more torturous. I'm waiting for a phone call, and it could come any time today.

carrie - ah, I thought you were considering travelling along. If you do change your mind, or are able to get a little time free, and could go on a second look, doing that instead of the interview itself would be my only advice. That way, you can do just one or two cities, instead of going to all 10-ish interviews. (I think the average number of interviews is 11? Varies a lot by specialty.) Bottom line, I'd rank your own programs in whatever order you prefer and not let DH's interview travel affect it - assuming, as it sounds, you'd be done in time to move with DH wherever he ends up?

Because DH didn't trek along with me, I did the best I could to gather information while I was there. I brought home a newspaper from each city, and we looked online for information too. We did bump one place down on our list based on location, because it's in such a small area it might be hard for DH to find a job, but most places I looked were big enough that wasn't an issue. We intentionally looked outside of huge cities because it's important to us to buy a house with a yard, and beyond that DH let the program itself be a big deciding factor.

Shouldn't they really pay for all the travels? I think so.

Some places help out - most paid for my hotel, but if you're flying, there's only a few programs that buy your plane ticket. If you're applying to a specialty that tries hard to recruit good people, they'll be more willing to roll out the red carpet. If you (generic) want a specialty people climb over each other to get into, you're stuck paying for more.

carrie9142

01-26-2006, 10:34 AM

BTB-Oh, that phone call wait must be pure torture! I would be-oh gosh, I don't even know! To say that patience is not a virtue I possess would be an understatement. I saw that you had posted and hoped that you had come to let us know. I am thinking of you!

In my earlier post I did mean that I would travel with him, but that I didn't know if I would go to the dinners and whatnot. The more I think about it, the more it seems I would be sitting in a hotel room waiting for DH for most of the time anyway. So who knows? It wouldn't even be an issue for us if I didn't have my hardest year of school during his easiest!

That is great that some interviewers paid for your hotel. Most of our friends in fourth year have done the 10-12 interviews. Our friends who are couple matching just got back from an eleven day interview extravaganza!

We intentionally looked outside of huge cities because it's important to us to buy a house with a yard, and beyond that DH let the program itself be a big deciding factor.

That would be our goal as well. Someday we would like to pay off the loans and oh, I don't know, have babies ;)

Eeek! I can't believe you will know today!

BTB

01-26-2006, 01:06 PM

Got the call - and got my #1 rank. (edited to remove exact location within state.) :)

carrie9142

01-26-2006, 05:14 PM

Sweeet! You must be very relieved :D

bookworm

01-26-2006, 05:18 PM

I'm not a frequent lurker in here, but I happened to read in "new posts," so I had to say congratulations to BTB. :)

Vishenka69

01-27-2006, 06:34 AM

Congrats!!!

tlew12778

01-27-2006, 06:57 AM

Congrats BTB!

OK so I have a question. FH absolutely HATES his residency. He just started his second year in November. He's doing vascular surgery but thinks he wants to switch to general (here in Italy you go directly into the sub-specialisation). His first choice is to switch into a general spot here in Italy but that'll be hard bc 1) technically you cannot apply for a new residency position unless you forfeit your current one and a new position is not guaranteed since there are too many drs for available positions here and 2) we will probably be on HM when the test for GS occurs (the match system here is based on a standardized test result amongst other things). So he is also considering the US for next 2007.

That said, what is the primary difference btwn a prelim spot and a categorical spot? Also, how much weight does it have if you know program directors at certain hospitals?

I think he should also consider the UK since he has yet to do any of the USMLE's and would therefore need to squeeze them all in before this fall.

Thanks.

Aletheia

01-27-2006, 01:58 PM

BTB- A chilly congratulations! Wow! Michigan! Wear a sweater over those scrubs, yes? :D

tlew12778

03-09-2006, 03:03 AM

Do the drs in here wear their wedding rings? Do your Dr. DHs wear theirs?

FH is not planning on wearing his. I don't really care. Is that weird that I don't care? I would rather he not lose it entirely. He says the only other dr on his team that wears one is the girl who just got married in October and she is constantly putting it on and taking it off for surgery.

Oh and sweater UNDER scrubs ;). I cannot tell you how many times FH has gotten squirted. So gross.

endymion411

03-09-2006, 03:39 AM

Do your Dr. DHs wear theirs?

FH is not planning on wearing his. I don't really care. Is that weird that I don't care? I would rather he not lose it entirely.

hi!

my dh is in med school and does not where a wedding ring. he's never worn any kind of jewelry before and kept fidgeting with the wedding, taking it on and off, etc--we were both sure he would lose it! and it was a pain for him at the hospitals, too. i have no problem with it, but a lot of other people sure do!
them: "you let him go without where his ring???." (in an exasperated, shocked tone of voice)
me: "yes, and we'll all be okay" :)

one week until match day! i am getting very impatient about finding out where we will be for the next few years!

Aletheia

03-10-2006, 04:55 AM

keeping count... 6 days until match day!

carrie9142

03-10-2006, 05:00 PM

Man. I am excited for match day and ours isn't until NEXT year! We do have lots of friends matching and I can't wait to find out where they are going. It is bittersweet though. I feel like I am just getting used to these friends and now they are moving. :(

MrsBrooke

03-12-2006, 04:39 PM

Good luck for Match Day all! As an intern, I am just thrilled that the reinforcements are coming! :) Enjoy all!

Vishenka69

03-13-2006, 10:22 AM

DH wears his every day and doesn't seem to have a problem with constant hand washing and glove wearing. I told him I don't care either way and would prefer if he didn't loose it at the hospital but he said he doesn't take it off.

endymion411

03-13-2006, 11:56 AM

so today was part one of matching, did you match or didn't you---and dh matched! we were both confident that he would, but of course there's always that little feeling in your stomach that says "what if." just 3 more days until we find out where!

Aletheia

03-13-2006, 01:48 PM

my dh matched, too! ugh, the anticipation... i just spent the last 2 hours looking at houses in a city we may or may not be moving to! it's driving me crazy.

BTB

03-13-2006, 02:36 PM

Good luck with the last minute match waiting, y'all!

I have a compromise re: wedding rings. On our six-month anniversary, DH and I exchanged plain gold bands - our wedding rings were matching diamond bands. These became our "travel" rings, that we wear doing active things and on the road. We probably wouldn't have done this had DH not LOST his wedding ring in the surf off Kauai on our honeymoon - incredibly, a clever entrepreneur with a jewelry recovery business FOUND IT using an underwater metal detector - he said he gets up to a dozen calls a week from honeymooners and vacationers, and recovers most of them. I frequently wear this plain band at work. This way my hand doesn't feel 'naked', nor am I confused for being single, but should I lose it, it would be neither an insurance claim nor an emotional loss.

endymion411

03-13-2006, 02:50 PM

my dh matched, too! ugh, the anticipation... i just spent the last 2 hours looking at houses in a city we may or may not be moving to! it's driving me crazy.

congrats!

isn't it the worst feeling? obviously it's been decided where they have matched, just tell us already!! i feel like my whole career/life is in flux waiting for this!

what is your dh matching in? what cities will you possibly be in?

endymion411

03-15-2006, 05:54 AM

one more day to go!

endymion411

03-16-2006, 05:43 AM

today's the day! good luck to anyone matching or with a so who is matching!

BTB

03-16-2006, 07:53 AM

Good luck to those awaiting results!

Aletheia

03-16-2006, 09:42 AM

Hooray! We got choice number 1!

carrie9142

03-16-2006, 09:55 AM

Alethia Congrats!! I can't believe y'all already know! At DH's school there is a big party at a bar for all the people matching. They randomly hand out envelopes one at a time on stage. You can tell everyone where you are going or not while you are up there. Since it is random, each person who is called puts a dollar in the jar. The last person gets all the money. I am sortof hoping we will be last! I don't think our students find out until like 2-3. I am nervous for them!!

Anybody else? I am interested to know specialties. My DH is having the worst time picking one!

BTB

03-16-2006, 10:26 AM

I don't think our students find out until like 2-3.

What cruelty!!! The NRMP allows results to be released at noon eastern time. If you have to wait longer - that's the schools' fault. Stage a coup! :D

Congrats Aletheia and Mr. Aletheia!!!

endymion411

03-17-2006, 09:45 AM

dh matched in ent at his/our number 1 choice! very excited!!!!

we got to pick up the envelope at noon and open it in private. then there was a lunch and a party at night. i can't imagine having to wait until 2-3, it was bad enough waiting until noon! also, i don't like the idea of having to open it in front of everyone--that would suck if someone was really disappointed with where they matched!

carrie9142

03-17-2006, 11:34 AM

Does anyone know much about radiation/oncology as a specialty? DH is thinking about doing it. If he does we will definitely have to move for residency. Anyone?

And congrats to all the matchers!!

BTB

03-17-2006, 11:42 AM

Carrie - I rotated in rad onc, at one time I seriously considered going into it (ha, that's true for a lot of things, I had a hard time making up my mind). :) It's not semantic to note that it's not "radiation/oncology", it's "radiation oncology", i.e. the practice of treating oncologic disorders with radiation, as opposed to surgical oncology and medical oncology. So, first and foremost, it's a decision to be an oncologist, and then a choice of the treatment modality. It is incredibly different from radiology, a point that's lost on many med students, not to mention the general public. :) It is a very competitive field, at one point it attracted mostly math-and-physics-types, esp. w/PhD's, but with the computerization of simulations it's more accessible to those who aren't math wizards. Do you have specific questions about it? If your hubby is looking into it, he'll surely do at least one rotation in it, and this is probably the best way for him to see if it's a good fit.

Congrats to the matchers. Glad I wasn't waiting with you. :p

carrie9142

03-17-2006, 07:52 PM

BTB You are right-it is oncology. I just somehow got in the habit of writing it with a slash :o Mostly b/c I think rad onc doesn't look right, but rad/onc does. Weird, I know.

DH is thinking about it. Unfortunately, his program doesn't offer it so he won't actually rotate through it. Neat, huh? He could and probably will do an away rotation in it and is looking to shadow a doc. He is definitely a geek, though. Less in physics, but he is a quick study. I know it is pretty competitive, but I think DH is competitive enough to get a spot (He is 15th in his class, has very good evals, and a pretty high Step 1 score-not trying to brag, just wondering if that would be enough!) Mostly I am hoping to hear others impressions on the field-the hours, lifestyle, competitiveness, patient interactions, etc.

Sigh. I just don't know what he will pick! I am going crazy waiting :) He genuinely likes everything he has tried!

BTB

03-18-2006, 05:36 AM

Rad onc is concentrated in urban tertiary centers, and thus rare enough for a school to have a program that away rotations are what most students going into it will have done, no worries there, it won't count against him or anything that he didn't do it at "home". Not to be a downer, but everyone successful in matching rad onc has pretty identical credentials - great boards, AOA, etc. are a given. A significant number of rad onc applicants have additional degrees or substantial research, though there are of course exceptions.

Hours and lifestyle are fantastic, as is pay. The field is very flexible because of the timecourse of therapy. Patients may come daily for six weeks for their treatments, then for follow-ups with decreasing frequency, so, if you need to limit your hours (paternity leave, or whatnot) you simply take fewer patients about two months before you'll go, complete those courses, and then in your absence, your partners need only see your follow-ups (assuming, of course, this arrangement is ok with your partners!). There are few emergencies, and little night call.

It is, however, a very narrowly focused field, and thus *may* not be broad enough to satisfy someone with many interests inside of medicine who likes everything. Rad oncs get patients at a thoroughly worked-up stage. A primary has made the cancer diagnosis, and a med hem/onc has evaluated the case, done the staging, and completed the work-up. Thus, if your DH enjoys getting a "fresh" case and working through to the diagnosis, he may not like that aspect.

I sympathize with the decision-making, it is tough. I changed my mind many times. There is value in the process, though, of going through and evaluating which characteristics are important. Eventually it will get narrowed down to a point it's much easier to make. Best of luck to you and your DH. :)