Hi y'all-

I'm now a 4th year med student facing the great unknown of match day. Part of me is looking foward to the excitement of residency applications, interviews, and starting at a new place. The more vocal "control" part of me dreads the unknown. any suggestions for how to screen programs for family-friendliness, if there is such a thing in residency?

Kerry,
I'm still trying to decide on a specialty!!! Love OB/Gyn, but everyone is trying to talk me out of it, and I have to really wonder if one can make a living doing OB anymore. I also love peds but I think I would hate being in clinic all day, every day, etc.
Everyone brings up the "lifestyle" question, but if the new rules by AGME are really reinforced next July, we will have to have much less malignant residencies.
What are you going into? And have you started the dreaded personal statement yet?

Hi Eema-

Yup, after a surprising inner debate, I've decided...child & adolescent psychiatry. I never thought I would be interested in psych and always figured that I would do ped's. Alas, that neuroscience is just too fascinating. Also, I've come to the conclusion that it's more fun to talk and play with the kids when they aren't worried about you poking them with a needle;)...besides, it's tough to beat the lifestyle.

As for OB vs peds, choose what you enjoy the most. I made my final decision during my family practice rotation. I had the chance to see everything from prenatal to birth to elderly. Although it was all interesting, I found myself happiest when it was a family and kid on the other side of the door with a psych problem. What did you get the most satisfaction or happiness out of?

by the way, I'm still in the "denial phase" of my personal statement.

One of my happiest memories from 3rd yr turns out to be a peds & gyn combo... Had a 12 yr old with vWD who had started her second menses... and could not stop bleeding. I was actually on my Gyn rotation when we got the consult. What made me happiest? Reassuring her and her family... giving them more info on vWD (Dad has it too)... and doing something to help her medically.

So where does that take me?

On peds I loved the wards and NICU... but hated clinic. I think that's because of the way they had it set up. My preceptorship in peds second year was great and I liked clinic then. But I'm not thrilled with the idea of having to stick kids, especially LPs on babies... even when absolutely necessary.

OB here has a nasty reputation... well earned. But even in spite of residents scutting me out, talking about me in front of other students, etc. I loved it. I loved catching babies; I loved the surgeries; I even liked clinic. The lack of sleep was not fun (got more rest on my surgery rotation!), but generally tolerated.

I love them both because I have both sick and well patients... because I have a chance to teach and explain, and because I am a strong advocate of preventative medicine - whether through well-baby checks or annual Paps and clinical breast exams.

If I had to pick which I liked best, OB would win by a nose. But I am awfully concerned about the astronomical increases in insurance, and how viable a career it is. OB/Gyns are leaving in droves... the number of PGY2 positions available is astounding.

Peds is a safer choice. But I don't want to pick it because it is safe... I also don't want to NOT pick it because it is safe.

So as you can see, I am in a conundrum. So right now, it's both... I have a peds wards AI this fall and am doing a Women's Health course where I am in different clinics for a month. We shall see...

Linda

Kerry,

In response to your family friendly question: GOOD LUCK!

My experience was this: I wanted to match in the program at the hospital where my husband was accepted for fellowship. I did an elective rotation in the program director's division there so they would know me. I did OK, was probably not stellar. On my interviews I stressed how important it was that I be accepted in their program so that our family could be together. Guess what--I did not match there. I did match at a program 70 miles away. Later, during my residency, after talking with a med student trying to match in the other program, I found out that they do not look highly on people wanting to go to their program for "geographical" reasons. Apparently I said all the WRONG things!

All I can say is watch what you say. Butter them up about what a wonderful program they have etc. Medicine in general is not family friendly. Look at the match itself! I've also heard bad things about the couples match (which of course applies only to those matching into residency at the same time.)