question about marriage during med school

Hi, my name is Sarah. My live in boyfriend is a first year med student and I'm working in college admissions. I have been looking for something like this, and I'm so excited to find it!

Here is my question...When do people typically get married during med school? My boyfriend doesn't want to this summer, but I'm afraid that after this summer there will be no time until after school ends. It's important to me to have the whole thing at once, wedding, honeymoon, so on and so forth, but I'm worried that it won't be possible.

I'm excited to finally meet people who are in the same situation that I am.
-Sarah

[migirl]

Hi Sarah-

My husband and I (as well as at least 5 other students in my husband's med school class) got married after his 2nd year. After taking Step 1 of the boards, he had 3 weeks off before starting 3rd year, so that was enough (albeit, JUST enough!) time for a wedding, honeymoon, and (in my case) a cross-country move! It seemed like a good time because he had that "extended" vacation time which he didn't have after 3rd year.

Good luck.

~Jane

[Amiens]

Matt and I got married the summer after first year, as he had 3 months off, and we used it to "honeymoon." It was great. There were several people in Matt's class that got married that summer as well as the summer after.

Crystal

Thank you for your advice! It's so nice to hear from people who have/are surviving what I'm going through. It can really feel so isolating sometimes!

Sara....we are getting married a few days before he gets his MD. We will have three weeks to get married, honeymoon, perhaps move to a new city, and then he has to start his residency.

[Michele]

Sarah

We're getting married in March, but we get no honeymoon. We'd have had to rush a wedding in 3 months or have one over Christmas or wait 4 years in order to have it all. We're hoping to take a weekend Disney trip as a honeymoon. Oh and Russ actually has class the day of the wedding...hopefully his teachers will understand.

Michele

My wife and I got married after her first year of Med. school. It worked out really well for us. Good luck!

We got married during my DH's first year of residency...it's all about the planning. We took our one-week honeymoon a day after the wedding. When the timing is right, go for it!

Sarah,

Great question! That's the same question my fiance and I kept asking each other before he was my fiance This upcoming summer just seemed to soon, because I wanted a full year to plan (It seemed to complicated to figure out everything faster than that, I'm graduating in June and I have to take the NCLEX and get settled into a new job all at the same time) And I didn't want to wait until next summer because it seemed SOOO far away, plus he only has a few weeks off and will be using that time to study for his first set of exams. So we ended up deciding that next Christmas break would be the perfect time. His last day of class is the 12th and we'll be married on the 13th, (One year from yesterday!!! AHHHH so exciting )leaving a little time for a honeymoon and we'll still be home in time for Christmas. I wasn't sure about the idea of a winter wedding at first, but then I decided it would be more fun that way....there are lot's of wedding in the summertime, right? And a winter wedding can be all sparkly and pretty and you have the added bonus of Christmas light decorations on every street you and your guests drive on! (Can you tell I've been thinking about this a lot lately? I sound like I'm trying to sell everyone on the idea!) Anyways, congratulations and good luck!

Kate

[DCJenn]

Kate-

My parents were married 12/21/63 and my mother has always loved that when they go out for their anniversary, everything is decorated! Of course, it's another expense for us but... they have never looked back! My mom's Matron of Honor wore red and the two Brides Maids wore green. Her bouquet was white and red roses with holly and ivy. I've seen color pictures and it was gorgeous!

I had wanted a Christmas wedding but we got married the day after he graduated from Medical School, instead. (He proposed NY Eve and we were married five months later.)

Jenn

Hi,
For those of you out there that married their med students between the second and third years, how was it? My fiancé is taking his first set of boards approximately five days before we take the big plunge! I realize that I probably won't see him for that three to four week period before the wedding, let alone talk on a consistent basis. Did this stress any of the brides out there (or grooms for that matter)? Or did it make your day even more special? I am curious to here from all of you. Planning a wedding along with preparing for a marriage is a lot of responsibility. I just thought some input or suggestions would ease this important period in both my life and my fiancé's. Thanks so much.

My DH was on a really busy elective right before we got married. I mentioned on another posting that he didn't have our wedding day off until three weeks before the wedding! Looking back, I think it was nice that we didn't see each other much before the wedding. It made that day and our honeymoon really fun and great time to reconnect. Yes, it was a little stressful to do so much on my own but all in all, it was worth it. (I've been married almost two years.)

Good luck with all the planning! If you ever want to vent I am happy to listen.

We were married on June 9th, 2002, in his last month of his second year of residency. We took 4 days and went to Chicago as a 'decompression week', but plan to take an Alaska cruise next summer for our second anniversary. (This summer will be taken up by moving and him starting his 'real job'.) I thought the hardest part was not having his input on some things I really wanted to have it on--he was on very demanding rotations in April and May, so there were times I felt overwhelmed by the planning, with very little help. But he did manage to keep all our pre-marriage counseling appointments with the Rabbi, which was the most important part for me. It was all just another example of this crazy, always shifting, never normal, but mostly very rewarding life we've chosen. Hang in there...