Sending good vibes @calmom. Your FDIL will get one of those spots. Your son sounds like quite the gentleman.
But @calmom, it it not the match system that gives no consideration to your FDil’s family situation, it is that there are no programs available. Mom2CK was just saying the student does have control in excluding some programs and not moving to Montana or New Mexico or NYC if that’s not where he or she wants to go. The couples matching is a little harder unless they pick a big city with lots of openings. My friends were in NYC, and I think he got his first choice but she got what was available.
I think most do what your son is doing, agreeing to move for at least 4 years. It happens for school, for the military, for ailing relatives. Sometimes people just have to move. Other times there can be more choices.
<<<
I’m sorry but your post seems to be totally ignorant of the realities of the system, as well as callous and unfeeling at a time that is very stressful for our family.
<<<
I’m sorry, but that wasn’t my intent and I’m certainly not ignorant of the realities of the system. I totally understand that it’s a stressful time for any couple where one partner might get sent to another state while the other remains behind.
These are stressful times for many two-career couples in various professions. Recently one spouse I know had to abandon his promising career to follow his wife with her promotion. He’s not too happy, either as he tries to figure out a new path. They had been hoping her new location would be an hour away, which would have been workable. Instead its several hours away which meant relocating.
I was responding to what seemed to be your implication that couples matching get special privileges but others just get the luck of the draw as if on match day a person could be matched to some unknown location. Both types face limits if an area only has limited programs. Many in couples matching aren’t trying for the same specialties.
<<<
My FDIL is going into emergency medicine – there is ONE EM residency in the state where she and my son live.
<<<
Interesting. What state is that? I hope she matches to her top choice.
<<<
And then if they want to do a fellowship, they get to do it all over again. with less protection for physician couples.
<<<
Very true.
Found that friend’s D did get the email on Monday - so now waiting to hear what Friday brings!
I’m getting knots in my stomach right now remembering how nervous I was a year ago at this time. We had a wonderfully happy outcome last year, and are thrilled to now have our DS and DIL back near us in the Bay Area. I wish the same happiness for all of you. Yes, it’s tough…all of it
I know a guy that is 1st in his law school class (final year), while his wife is in a big city in another state working up the career ladder. They will land in NYC where he will put in a lot of hours (and she will get a job transfer). They are working hard for their future and making sacrifices together.
It is what it is.
I have friends–H lives in Honolulu–W lives in SF. Both travel to spend time together. Another friend has H living in CA and wife in HI. A third lives in NM in Los Alamos while her H lives a 2+ hour drive away in Tucumcarry. It’s tough for all of them but they are making it work.
Just hours away! To know.
D has a shirt for her weird looking dog that says"Match dog support". She cleared it with the school.
They encouraged her!
I am ok for all but her third choice…but got it that I did not get a vote
D had a dress ready for match day, from Rent the Runway. Yes, I am shaking my head, but she said this was the most important day of her life till now, and she wanted to look good. Well, a little snow storm made her dress not to be here on time. #firstworldproblems
It’s 12:45 am and I’m a nervous wreck.
My concern is that son’s top choices would be everyone’s top choices who interviewed there, yet I’m guessing each program only has about 10 spots. And there seems to be a significant overlap …not 100%…but there seems to be about 150 students who all interviewed at roughly the same top places. I’m probably not making any sense, but imagine that there are about 15 top programs and 150 top applicants each got invited to about 10 of them. So one may have gotten invited to 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15…and another got invited to 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9. 11, 12, 13 and another got invited to another mix of the top 15…and so forth. (And there really isn’t any rhyme or reason why someone didn’t get invited to #2 when they got invited to #1 and so forth). I think each program interviews about 100 people for their 10 spots.
My gut tells me that everyone who interviewed at his #1, #2, #3, and #4 would all rank those same programs in roughly the same order…and all would rank his #1 as #1.
I just don’t want him to feel disappointed or that his hard work and top scores weren’t rewarded if he ends up matching at a lower choice. It’s so crazy when trying to match into a competitive residency. Not only are there fewer spots, but the applicants are all amazing.
Also somewhat but lesser concerned about his internship year match. Since his specialty is one of the very few that requires an extra transitional/prelim/internship year, he will also be matching for that other single-year location. We want him to match in a fave southern Calif program for that one internship year because my sister, his doting godmother, will put him up for free in her furnished granny suite. But, alas, we recently found out that the program uniquely wanted Step 2 CS scores before ranking, yet son took that exam in January and scores weren’t back in time. Ugh! No other program expected scores for that exam since it has like a 99% pass rate. Step 2 CK, the more important part of Step 2, was taken a year ago. No one gives a crap about CS except this one program! What I mean is that since it has such a high pass rate, other programs don’t demand the results prior to ranking. Ugh! In the end, if that Calif program sticks to their demand, then son will likely match that transitional year in another desired program, but it won’t have the benefit of free rent from auntie. Lol
Lol…someone pour me a glass of wine and send me to bed.
8-}
NervousRamblingsOfACrazedMom
Gosh and golly. First of all I will bet your kid will be a happy camper come noon tomorrow!!!
Some programs have 12 spots and some have 4 depending on the speciality.
Most interviewed 40 and some more
A whole bunch depends on the specialty or the area of choice.
Yes, D also has her medicine year and then her 3 years specialty year.
The algorithm is complicated. But know that it favors the applicant over the schools choice.
But I the end the ONLY thing to know it that your person will be a doctor and will have the future he or she worked for and paid for after all off these years.
Fingers crossed for auntie rent 
And yes, I will do this on little sleep myself.
But this is on me as I have replaced worry about D with worry about meeting FSIL parents
as well as keeping watch on April the Giraffes baby.
Sorry @mom2collegekids , already drank the last of my wine or I would share.
Uh where is your bourbon???
Wine, I believe, is for undergraduate stuff :((
Which seems so baby tonight
Note to self. Get bourbon in morning and blame @oregon101 for the suggestion.
They all make it work. Yours will too.
Sending out best wishes for all.
Best wishes to all of you and your children, and their significant others if that is a factor! You must all be proud to have them at this stage.
We know current residents who did NOT get their top two choices…but are now VERY happy where they are.
It all works out.
Good luck to everyone today!!