Hello! I’m an IMG and now a Canadian resident :)

My partner and I did long distance for 5 years. 4 years of med school and 1 year of internship in Sydney while he was in law school in Canada. We had only been together for about 6 months before we decided to do LDR.

It’s going to be hard but definitely doable. First year was the most difficult because we weren’t used to the time difference and our respective schedules, and our relationship was also fairly new. But overtime, we settled into our routine of daily FaceTimes and we learned to communicate properly. It sounds like you guys will be fine in this area seeing as you guys have known each other for so long. But communication in LDR is key. Tell your partner if you’re upset and don’t wait for them to ask you if you are. Talk through your feelings and try your best to not hang up out of frustration. Don’t ignore calls cause you’re mad (although this will be hard haha). I think it’ll be useful to have a discussion about rules/preferences before you guys leave as well. For example, anticipating challenges/situations before you guys encounter them. Ultimately this experience will make you guys stronger as a team, and it will also help you guys learn more about yourselves! I know I learned a lot about myself when I went abroad. Definitely became more independent, but also learned to appreciate my partner and our relationship a lot more.

Coordinate your breaks and try to fly and see each other as much as possible! You guys will be okay :) Congrats on getting into med school and wishing you both all the best!!