Any medical students (or spouses, parents, etc) getting excited for Match Day 2006?!

[tink2020]

The big day for the National Residency Matching Program is March 16th! DH and I are traveling this weekend for a second look at our #2 program, and then we'll hash out and submit our rank list!

Is anyone out there sharing in the excitement, anxiety, etc that is Match Day?!

If you're not familiar with the process (as I certainly wasn't before DH started med school), as a fourth year student you apply all over the country to various residency programs. This took place in the fall. Beginning in November, applicants receive invitations to interview at some or all of their choices. After said interviews, the applicants rank their programs in order of preference and the programs rank each of the applicants they liked. At this point, a computer generates what is to be the best match for each applicant and program. On March 16th, and not a day before (for most programs), applicants all over the country find out where they will be spending the next several years of their lives!

At Cincinnati, the whole week has potential be a HUGE celebration. There are all kinds of things in place for the week that have DH and I excited.... but I can't help but worry every now and then about the whole process!

Anyone else?!

 

[sharbear]

Crossing my fingers and my toes for your DH. I remember that it was very exciting and nerve racking for my BIL when he went through this.

 

[KarenAylwood]

Goodluck to your DH!

DBF will be going through this in three years... can't even imagine where we'll end up- but we won't be staying here!

Here almost the whole school goes and the 4th years dress up like superhero's. It's a really funny tradition and also entertaining to watch!

 

[tink2020]

Goodluck to your DH!

DBF will be going through this in three years... can't even imagine where we'll end up- but we won't be staying here!

Here almost the whole school goes and the 4th years dress up like superhero's. It's a really funny tradition and also entertaining to watch!

That's funny! It's a big deal here as well. Most (if not all) students go, and each bring a guest. I think they webcast it for families, etc but they try and keep the actual ceremony "intimate". I think that's so they don't embarrass themselves!

There are parties, etc all week and then the morning of is supposed to be a riot. They pull names out of a bingo... mixer... thing. I have no idea what those are called and before they can open their envelope they have to put at least a dollar in this giant fishbowl. The last person present to receive their envelope gets all the prize money, for having to wait so long! It should be a lot of fun!

 

[tink2020]

Thanks, both of you for your well wishes!

Anyone else out there? As I've talked about the match, I've heard from so many spouses of residents.... certainly someone else has to be at this stage that's counting down the days!

 

[icebrat001]

I never expected to hear about Match day here on the DIs, more so on Studentdoctor.

Good luck!

 

[Saphire]

Hi tink2020,
I am not sure how many medical students (or family members of students) we have here on this board, but would love to hear from them! My son is in his second year, so match day is still two years away. They make it special in the Boston area and always highlight it on local television. Best wishes to you and your DH! I know first-hand the accomplishment and sacrifice that goes into this important work of becoming a physician.

 

[tink2020]

Well, I didn't really expect it either, and didn't see anything when I searched.

But goodness knows we talk about everything under the sun on the DIS (which is not a bad thing), so I thought that there may be a few with this in common!

 

[Madaboutthemouse]

My DH is a 4th year student at Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine. The DO match was Monday and we found out that he matched with his top pick which is Dayton, OH. So, we'll be moving there once he graduates and I finish up my school year here. It's exciting to finally know where we're going. He should have his contract by the end of the week! We have started looking for housing and everything is just wrapping up so quickly here. A lot of DH's classmates decided to do the NRMP match so they get to wait another month for their match results as well.

 

[tink2020]

My DH is a 4th year student at Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine. The DO match was Monday and we found out that he matched with his top pick which is Dayton, OH. So, we'll be moving there once he graduates and I finish up my school year here. It's exciting to finally know where we're going. He should have his contract by the end of the week! We have started looking for housing and everything is just wrapping up so quickly here. A lot of DH's classmates decided to do the NRMP match so they get to wait another month for their match results as well.

Very cool, congratulations! We're not too far from Dayton I didn't realize DO students could do either.... I think I would opt for the earlier match, but I don't really know what the difference is! I feel you on things moving quickly.... we just can't wait to find out where we'll be so we can START doing all that stuff! Again, congrats!

 

[justhat]

We're waiting for Match Day too! It's the day before we leave for our Disney trip and 2 days before my husband's birthday, so hopefully it will all work out well and we'll have lots of celebrating to do!

Where are you guys hoping to go and in what field? My husband is going into anesthesia and we're still working on our rank list cause he and I are undecided on what his #1 choice should be. He wants Mayo Clinic, but not so sure about living in Rochester, MN for 3 or 4 years with 2 very young kids.

Good luck to you guys!

 

[Puffy2]

Curious, where are the top places that everyone wants to go? I suppose it depends on the specialty you are interested in...can someone explain this process a little more? What sort of things do the hospitals look for in potential residents?

 

[justhat]

Grades, board scores, recommendation letters are what get you an interview with a program. Then once you get an interview, they basically try to sell you their program in hopes you'll pick them. Of course, they want the 'best' students so those typically go higher on their rank list.

Top places are the west coast and east coast (especially NYC area), but yeah, it does depend a lot on the specialty.

 

[tink2020]

We're waiting for Match Day too! It's the day before we leave for our Disney trip and 2 days before my husband's birthday, so hopefully it will all work out well and we'll have lots of celebrating to do!

Where are you guys hoping to go and in what field? My husband is going into anesthesia and we're still working on our rank list cause he and I are undecided on what his #1 choice should be. He wants Mayo Clinic, but not so sure about living in Rochester, MN for 3 or 4 years with 2 very young kids.

Good luck to you guys!

That's too funny! My DH really loved the U. Minnesota program, but I'm not so sure about living in Minneapolis for 4 years while (hopefully) having our first! Don't get me wrong Minnesotans, it's a great state.... just REALLY far away!

Kyle is doing Internal Medicine-Pediatrics combined program. I knew we'd find more of us waiting!

We are really hoping to stay in Cincinnati. The program is the best we looked at, the job market for me is outstanding, and it would be MUCH easier to buy a house, move, find a job, etc right here instead of across the country. I really can't speak for #'s 2-10 until we sit down and hash it out. We're visiting what will probably be our #2 this weekend for a second look and so I can talk to some people at the children's hospitals nearby, and then I think we'll certify the list early next week.

 

[tink2020]

Yes, it DEFINITELY depends on the field. As someone else said, the same kinds of things get you an interview. After that, it REALLY varies.

Things like surgery, especially some subspecialties, etc will look for very different things than Internal Medicine, which looks for different things than Pediatrics.... and so on.

And also, the coasts have some fantastic programs... but there are also plenty elsewhere, such as the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo clinic, Cincinnati, and other midwest/central cities with strong medical history.

 

[justhat]

I really want to stay in DC (where we live now) but GW's not quite the program that Mayo is of course. Really though, Minnesota would be rough for me. I could do Minneapolis, but Rochester is way tiny and isolated so it's sorta scary for me. Good luck staying where you are though, I know that's what I'd love so I can understand you wanting that too!

BTW, is there a prelim year for your program too? We've gotta match for that and anesthesia.

 

[KarenAylwood]

DBF has been volunteering/working in hospitals since high school so he's had an idea of what he's interested in for a while. He came into med school w/ ER in his head, then went to heart surgery/trauma surgery and now back to ER. I'd MUCH rather him be in ER because it'd be easier for me and for starting a family. Who knows if he'll change his mind. A good friend of mine at Georgetown went into it wanting OBGYN and three years later is waiting on matching w/ OBGYN so who knows, he may stick with ER!

Does anyone know- do you definitely end up staying where you get your residency?? Do many switch hospitals after their residency is over??

 

[justhat]

Yes, a lot of people switch hospitals after residency is over.

 

[Madaboutthemouse]

DH is OB/GYN and Dayton (Grandview/Southview Hospitals) was his first choice. He also looked at DO programs in Columbus and Toledo, OH as well as MD programs in Indianapolis, IN (Indiana University), Lexington, KY (University of Kentucky), and Dayton, OH (Wright State University) He did a summer month of rotations with the staff at Southview this past summer and found that he really fit well with the doctors and residents.

DH says he doesn't have a good explanation as to why DO's can do the MD match, but not vice versa. I do know that if you match with a DO program, they pull you out of the MD match completely. So, if you want to match with an MD program as a DO, you have to opt out of the DO match.

Good Luck to everyone still waiting!

 

[tink2020]

I really want to stay in DC (where we live now) but GW's not quite the program that Mayo is of course. Really though, Minnesota would be rough for me. I could do Minneapolis, but Rochester is way tiny and isolated so it's sorta scary for me. Good luck staying where you are though, I know that's what I'd love so I can understand you wanting that too!

BTW, is there a prelim year for your program too? We've gotta match for that and anesthesia.

No, it's just both IM and Peds programs into one (so 4 years total, instead of 6 if he were to do them separately).