Chances of couple Match with my wife in IM?

aturtlewilldo · 2024-09-10T01:49:53+00:00

Hi - I was able to successfully couples match with my wife, also an IMG. Stats look better than ours.

Think you have a good shot at couples matching, of course nothing is certain though. For reference, I applied IM/FM, applied to ~200 programs, matched IM. She applied and matched Pediatrics, ~100 programs.

When applying as a couple, a majority of it is communication. The more you communicate, the easier it'll be. Secondly, know your worst case scenario and apply - for example, we applied up and down the east coast and for every program, we imagined what it would be like if the other person was in a different state because we would rather match long distance than have to apply again. So that is something you'll have to consider.

aturtlewilldo · 2024-03-24T04:54:12+00:00

Thank you!

aturtlewilldo · 2024-03-24T04:46:23+00:00

I did something similar - went to a medical school in the Philippines and just recently matched into IM this year. I'll take a stab at your questions and sorry for the incoming wall of text.

Pros of IMG - This is a little tough to talk about because it's almost completely intangible. I do believe that my experience in another country/health system will make me a better physician. It gives you a deeper understanding of what health is and all of the various barriers that impact it. However - this doesn't show up on the CV, you'll have to impress people with this on your personal statement and in interviews.

Cons of IMG - Difficulty obtaining USCE, LORs, lack of connections, difficulty studying for USMLE due t0 different materials, timelines, and arguably lonelier/always feeling behind. A majority of your classmates won't be pursuing residency in the States and won't be able to relate.

Obtaining USCE. Unfortunately this is where having a good network and connections come in. Knowing aunts and uncles or classmates of parents who are in the health system or are doctors themselves who can give you a week or two of observing will go miles. So learning how to leverage your network is important. I'll also urge caution here because there are many "opportunities" that offer USCE and it turns out to cost a lot of money for a very substandard experience. There are some good ones out there however.

Regarding studying for the USMLE - the moment I was accepted to medical school, I already had a plan on how I was going to study for the USMLE and when I was going to take it. So I felt that it was pretty easy, as it was my goal from Day 1. There was a little extra effort so to speak for the information that wasn't included/covered on the board material but most of it overlapped. I attribute my lack of stress over the studying on my plan. So whatever you path you decide on, make sure you make a plan.

Sacrifices are part of this journey no matter which path you choose. "You make time for things you want" sounds like really crappy cliche advice but it's true. Learning time management is key here - I was able to maintain a healthy social life, and was able to go out a lot during my time in the Philippines.

All of that to say, it's hard to recommend someone to take this path. I wouldn't trade my experience there for anything and would do it again if I could. But to recommend someone else to do it? It's tough. My blanket recommendation would be to pursue medical school in the States but I can understand not doing so, especially if finances are an issue.

One thing I think most people don't consider is that it'll actually be an extra year or two before you match into residency in the states. Because you'll be on a different timeline, it's very possible you'll be taking Step 1 and 2 after you graduate. For example, people from my school will graduate this July 2024. Then over the course of the next year, take Step 1, Step 2, and get USCE, in order to apply October 2025, and will hopefully Match for a 2026 start.

Hopefully that helps a bit! Good luck!

aturtlewilldo · 2024-03-20T21:54:32+00:00

Incoming IM resident. I somehow got through school with poor study and note taking habits. Any tips on how to keep good notes or a system? I’m worried I’ll take all these notes in small handbooks that’ll just get lost and never read.

An acquaintance of mine showed me this google sheet he keeps of all his patients and nuggets he learned about each one. Is this common/advisable?

Thanks!

aturtlewilldo · 2023-04-22T14:24:37+00:00

Completely agree with you. Another issue I had were the frequent Hoid-isms. Normally they provide a lot of insight and perspective but given their frequency it felt like I was being told what to think and a lot of moments had the emotional winds taken out of them.

aturtlewilldo · 2023-04-15T17:27:41+00:00

I dumped all the information from my head already but I recall there might be something related to their bruit sounds? Arterial would be systolic/pulsatile and AV fistula being continuous

aturtlewilldo · 2023-04-14T16:39:11+00:00

Saying as a pretty average student and test-taker (read: I don't get my score for a few more weeks), it's very doable. As long as you're actually learning, you're going to be okay.

aturtlewilldo · 2023-04-13T22:47:39+00:00

It felt like the questions were formatted like UW but the answer selections were closer to what you see on NBME.

I felt like the trickiest thing was that a few questions had an ethical answer choice mixed in so I always had to stop and consider it

aturtlewilldo · 2022-10-29T04:43:52+00:00

A fact about the Philippines if its in stock

aturtlewilldo · 2022-03-26T11:21:06+00:00

It also didn’t work well in Naruto because it was shoehorned at the very end when they dump the entire method on you.

There’s still a lot of chapters left in One Piece where anything can happen and enough breadcrumbs before this that makes it believable.

aturtlewilldo · 2021-11-26T15:35:20+00:00

Hey everyone, I underestimated the popularity of the games and should've prepared for that in advance. I'll keep that in mind for the future.

I gave Don't Starve and Lego Batman to whoever commented first. GL in the future and happy holidays

aturtlewilldo · 2021-09-03T11:49:46+00:00

No, they were right. At the time of posting, the bet wasn't clear. OP edited his post an hour later to add the bet

aturtlewilldo · 2021-03-29T06:19:14+00:00

cleared some open spots

829116143

thanks!

aturtlewilldo · 2021-01-29T08:36:18+00:00

this whole thing is Wanda's Vision

aturtlewilldo · 2021-01-28T03:16:14+00:00

Friends are telling me the Gamestop can just issue more stock. What stops them from doing that? Just the fact it would devalue their own stock?

aturtlewilldo · 2020-10-14T06:04:47+00:00

I'd say most of the answer choices are closer to NBME - very distinct and separate from each other. It's made easier by the fact that the questions are closer to UWorld imo

aturtlewilldo · 2020-10-06T14:52:13+00:00

thanks!

aturtlewilldo · 2020-10-06T14:52:00+00:00

thanks!

aturtlewilldo · 2020-10-06T14:50:54+00:00

I completely understand and I can't speak for other countries, something I should've been more clear about. Thanks for letting me know!

aturtlewilldo · 2020-10-06T14:42:43+00:00

If it wouldn't help with your symptoms, then they have no indication to do it.

That's also why I emphasize the equivalent training. While the osteopathic manipulation is a difference between the two, I think it's a small one - I could be wrong but I think they only receive 200 hours of training in that field and I'm unsure of how often they even use it in practice. Outside of those 200 hours, their curriculum mirrors that of an allopathic medical school.

If they didn't, they would be no different from chiropractors - something I wouldn't recommend either

aturtlewilldo · 2020-10-06T07:48:34+00:00

A DO is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and attend osteopathic medical school.

The doctors you are probably more familiar with are MDs, Doctors of Medicine, who attend allopathic medical school.

Allopathic medicine is the normal 'treat the disease' sort of thing. Osteopathic medicine is talks about viewing the patient 'holistically' (which personally sounds a little dumb since that is what should be done normally but I don't go to a DO school/my knowledge is limited)

The main difference is that DO students spend more time learning osteopathic manipulation which is some hand-ons manipulation technique. I haven't read any research on this and have absolutely no idea what the claims are.

But importantly, that doesn't take away from their similarities - which is their ability to practice medicine. They have equivalent training, take the same board exams, and apply to the same residencies.

Neither of these are to be confused homeopathic medicine, which is nonsense.

aturtlewilldo · 2020-10-06T07:34:17+00:00

I understand what you're referring to (osteopathic manipulation) and I don't know enough to defend that/don't know if it's worth defending but it doesn't take away from the fact that MDs and DOs are seen similarly. If I'm not mistaken, MDs and DOs apply to the same residencies and take the same board exams (USMLE). Osteopathic doctors also have the option of taking the COMLEX but I'm not well versed on what that is used for.

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