reinto - no match

[kas]

Hi everyone. I have posted once before, (while my husband was studying for step 2 and I was going crazy!) but should reintroduce myself since I haven't been back on since. I have a 2 year old daughter and have been married for 6 years, so I have been with him through it all!!!! It has been a tough road with med school so we were excited to start residency - here is my problem --
We did not get a residency this year. My husband graduated this month with honors, but somehow failed step 2 (it could have been all the fighting and stress we were going through) which made us miss the match. He has since passed but now we have to wait until next year to reapply for the match. Does anyone know what he does in the meantime? He is looking into doing research, and I know he is looking into other things, he is a PT so he can do that for the year but I know it is so depressing to him to have the degree and not be able to use it. Very sensitive subject!
So if anyone has been through this or know what to do when something like this happens, your input would be greatly apprecitated.

[Sheherezade]

I've not known anyone that's skipped a year before residency - but I have known a number that have killed time before gyn onc fellowship. All of them have done research. A few have stayed on at their former hospital (or med school) and a few have taken postions with NIH programs. Has your husband received any advice from the medical school? I'm sure there are research programs around the country that would love to have an MD for a year (as a post doc). He'd get a salary and it would help him professionally as well.

Let us know what happens. That has to be stressful - but it will get better once you've settled in to something for the year.

[Meenah]

I have no advice, but welcome and stick around, this will be a transitional year for you. The more stressful at home the more time we spend here!!!

DH did a two year research fellowship between residencies. He might want to look into something like that -- research in the field he is interested in matching into.

Good luck, I'm sure that is a stress for him. I know it isn't what he wants to do but the PT for a year could be a good option.

[Vanquisher]

I think it depends on the field he wants to match in. Is their anyway that he can scramble last minute into a prliminary spot? Depending on the specialty you go into research may or may not be a good option. By the time he has to start applying and interviewing again, he will have little in the way to show for research. I do know people who have gone this way and acquired spots though - usually at the institution they are doing research at. He just has to impress the hell out of them.

Some research positions are not paid, but look around and see what you find. He needs to get help from an advisor and contacts. He is going to have to make a lot of phone calls.

Good luck!

DH's research position was paid but as Heidi said not all are and some pay really low. DH did have publications in process when he interviewed later in the year and he already had research and publications from work prior to med school so that helped too. Some of the articles or presentations were submitted between the time he did the ERAS application and the interviews. He went through the match but some people do go outside the match and get a position that way. I wouldn't count on a spot outside the match. It is also a good way to know faculty better and get a more personal recommendation letter.

eta: I asked DH if he remembered anyone doing this. One person took off a year for the birth of a child and she later matched into FP. Another was able to defer a surgical residency for family reasons and TA anatomy lab for a year.

[ides]

Ouch. I feel for you. There were actually a number of students who took a year off after graduating before residency at my dh's med school. Most did a year of research. My dh did a year of research but it was between 3rd and 4th year and it helped his application tremendously. He also got two publications out of it, one is just now being published. Has your dh spoke to any dean at his med school? That is how dh got his research and it was paid via stipend. Granted it wasn't a lot, but it was enough and the time off was good for him. Also, he might want to speak to any attendings who might have been a mentor to him. They often have leads a well. In my opinion research is the best bet for filling in time and helping the application. Good luck. The year will go quicker than you think. Oh, and good luck with this years match!

[Vishenka69]

We had several friends who had to scramble, so it's definitely doable. I'd suggest prelim, inter, ob or surgery spot, as all of those will count toward prelim year required for most specialties. And then try the match again or see if a spot opens up in the place he scrambled to.