Newly engaged! Thankful for this site!

And to answer the other questions - we're getting married in April (he'll have just a few weeks of school left...I heard the end of 4th year was easy?) and I currently work and hope that wherever we move I'll be able to find a job as well.

Another thing I'd like to learn about is student loans. My finacee and I have agreed to work on the finances together, but I don't know a thing about student loans. It seems like he has taken out a lot of money for medical school, and there's more loans available for residents, but to me applying for another loan seems like a bad idea. Someone told me that a law recently changed and medical students now have to start paying off student loans when they graduate (i.e. in residency) instead of deferring them to when they're actually practicing. Adding that to a house/apt note, car note, etc. seems like more than we could handle! Any information on this would be helpful!

ah ha!

To respond individually and privately, click the name and a drop-down menu will give you the option to send a private message. To respond individually and publicly, click "quote" at the bottom right of each message.

Anyway, also ortho here! DH got back Sunday night from 2 months of aways. I was swamped the first 3 weeks of July (a visit to my bff and two summer classes!), but after a while it got rather lonely/boring/messy at home so I was more than ready to have him back!

Are you going to be able to see him at all while he's at his away rotations? DH went to Chicago and Indianapolis. I loved my Chicago trip - met up with lots of friends and acquaintances and just wandered the city - but Indy, not surprisingly, had less to do. I spent much of that week with family and saw DH for only a few hours.

Yay for another ortho-bound MS4 spouse! Maybe I'll see you on the interview trail, haha.

Thank you for pointing that out! I am not computer illiterate, I just have never used a message board like this before It sounds like you stay busy! Fashion student and off-broadway show producer? How fun!

Where were his aways? (and could you please explain the DH stuff? MSIV means 4 year medical student probably?) My fiancee is going to Denver, Boston and Greenville...I'm hoping to visit him in Denver. I'm going to make plans to ski so he won't feel bad if he can't get free from work...if he can, then he can ski too! I hear it is non-stop work on these aways.

When did y'all get married? Did you always know how busy he would be with work? I'm worried I'm being too curious/personal on here (so let me know if I need to lighten up!) but it is just so nice talking to people who have experienced this!!!

Thanks for responding and I hope to hear back!

Hello and Welcome. I am 3.5 months into my new adventure of having moved to a state where I know very few people to be with my Dr. Its can be rather lonely at times, but this site does help. If you ever need to chat, let me know .

Thank you so much. I appreciate your words of welcome, and this website may help even more later (when I am alone in a new city too) than it already does now!

Many of us survived our spouses' period of indentured servitude...welcome to the community!

RB

Ha, that is what it seems like huh? An indentured servitude. Thank you so much!

[MarissaNicole]

DH = Darling Husband

PM = Private Message

Check out this post on my blog about loan repayment.

My husband is just starting his second month of aways but luckily it has worked out that I have been able to see him - and he does have a week break between his second and third month....to keep it short I have just been trying to keep myself super busy and so far so good (other than yesterday and today because I am going crazy about submitting these stupid ERAS applications!)

Feel free to PM me!

[oceanchild]

Another thing I'd like to learn about is student loans. My finacee and I have agreed to work on the finances together, but I don't know a thing about student loans. It seems like he has taken out a lot of money for medical school, and there's more loans available for residents, but to me applying for another loan seems like a bad idea. Someone told me that a law recently changed and medical students now have to start paying off student loans when they graduate (i.e. in residency) instead of deferring them to when they're actually practicing. Adding that to a house/apt note, car note, etc. seems like more than we could handle! Any information on this would be helpful!

Three things about student loans (since my husband's loan debt is nearly twice our mortgage):

1. There is a six month grace period after graduation where you don't have to pay anything.

2. While you can no longer defer loans, you can put them in forbearance through residency. This means you don't make any payments, but they continue to accrue interest.

3. Income based repayment: http://www.ibrinfo.com/

Anyway, welcome to the boards! My husband did an away in Denver last year, and we ended up matching here.

[ladymoreta]

Welcome! Glad you're here, and looking forward to getting to know you. I think 3rd year of medical school was my wake-up call. I was traveling a LOT for my job, and it just seemed like we could never connect. 4th year was really nice. He had several months off, and although he was gone a lot for interviews, it was a nice break before residency started.

I'm not sure about the new laws about deferrment. We were able to defer DH's loans when he graduated from medical school, but I think the change is that they're now gaining interest, where they used to just sit at the end-of-medical-school balance until residency was finished, when interest would kick in.

There are loans available for residents, but he'll be getting paid during residency, so it's probably not as necessary unless you live in a really expensive city. Also, a lot of programs have moonlighting and overtime pay available, so he can make extra money that way. We've been planning to start having kids during residency, and I want to stay at home when we do, so we based our housing and expenses on his salary and have been able to build up our savings quite a bit.

Three things about student loans (since my husband's loan debt is nearly twice our mortgage):

1. There is a six month grace period after graduation where you don't have to pay anything.

2. While you can no longer defer loans, you can put them in forbearance through residency. This means you don't make any payments, but they continue to accrue interest.

3. Income based repayment: http://www.ibrinfo.com/

Anyway, welcome to the boards! My husband did an away in Denver last year, and we ended up matching here.

Ok that must be what I heard about...not being able to defer loans. This is very helpful. I hope you are enjoying Denver. I am looking forward to visiting DF (darling fiancee?) there!

Welcome! Glad you're here, and looking forward to getting to know you. I think 3rd year of medical school was my wake-up call. I was traveling a LOT for my job, and it just seemed like we could never connect. 4th year was really nice. He had several months off, and although he was gone a lot for interviews, it was a nice break before residency started.

I'm not sure about the new laws about deferrment. We were able to defer DH's loans when he graduated from medical school, but I think the change is that they're now gaining interest, where they used to just sit at the end-of-medical-school balance until residency was finished, when interest would kick in.

There are loans available for residents, but he'll be getting paid during residency, so it's probably not as necessary unless you live in a really expensive city. Also, a lot of programs have moonlighting and overtime pay available, so he can make extra money that way. We've been planning to start having kids during residency, and I want to stay at home when we do, so we based our housing and expenses on his salary and have been able to build up our savings quite a bit.

Yeah, we would like to have kids during residency too, and I want to stay home with them. I am happy to hear that you can still live comfortably and do that.

[scrub-jay]

Welcome!

[NYCHoosier]

Thank you for pointing that out! I am not computer illiterate, I just have never used a message board like this before It sounds like you stay busy! Fashion student and off-broadway show producer? How fun!

Where were his aways? (and could you please explain the DH stuff? MSIV means 4 year medical student probably?) My fiancee is going to Denver, Boston and Greenville...I'm hoping to visit him in Denver. I'm going to make plans to ski so he won't feel bad if he can't get free from work...if he can, then he can ski too! I hear it is non-stop work on these aways.

When did y'all get married? Did you always know how busy he would be with work? I'm worried I'm being too curious/personal on here (so let me know if I need to lighten up!) but it is just so nice talking to people who have experienced this!!!

Thanks for responding and I hope to hear back!

Haha, well I didn't do it all at once! I produced the play during first year and then got married 2 weeks after it closed (I joked planning my wedding was a stress reliever from the play). I started fashion school at night a year ago and am 6 credits away from graduating. After this I'll probably move on to something new... but first we have to figure out where we're living!

DH did aways in Chicago and Indianapolis. Chicago was awesome - when I didn't have plans, I just walked around and happened upon awesome stuff.
I was a little more restricted in Indy because I didn't have a car.

As for his schedule, I assumed he'd be busy but I suppose you don't really *know* until you're in it. Doesn't really bother me, though. I really like to do my own thing. When we eventually move it'll be an adjustment, but I like being involved in my community (in fact, I even performed in the Vagina Monologues here at the med school!). I imagine it's much easier to be a med-spouse when you're a joiner.

Anyway, enough about me! You should go to Boston, too! That seems like it'd be a fun city to explore.

Did your fiance submit his ERAS today? Such an exciting time.

Hey Michelle!
I am in a long distance relationship right now - except it is a 16 hour flight to where he goes to school
I am so glad that I found this site too.... somewhere to hopefully remain sane

Oh and I went and visited S in Boston - beautiful city! Lots of things to do to stay busy while he is at the hospital!

[seaside*bliss]

Welcome!

[niener]

Welcome to the community! I've been on this forum for less than a week but have already found it super helpful.

My DH is an MS3 and is considering ortho, so we might be on the same trail as you in about a year!

Hello Michelle,
My boyfriend also lives four hours away. I wish he would ask me to marry him lol. We talk a lot about marriage and children but he wants to wait for at least two years till he is done with his residency. We have a big difference in age though he is 11 years older than me. But I know I really love him and he truly loves me. He is so busy but luckily this is our meet weekend! He is always on call or super tired from studying. But I knew that came with the package:/