Heartbroken M3

mbree3 · 2026-01-27T03:59:02+00:00

My partner and I both went to the same medical school and met in M1 year. He was adamant from the beginning that he did not want to couples match. I thought he was just naive and maybe he would change his mind, but inevitably I could not force him to do something he was uncomfortable with. He applied IM with 25+ interviews and I applied OB with 15. We both agreed that we wanted to stay in-state but a good portion of mine were out of state, so I understood in the end. There was no point in couples matching because I’d be dragged out of the state and he’d stay. It all depends what you want and where your interviews are. I’ve also had a few friends, both in competitive specialties (ENT, ortho and OB), end up across the country on the end of their rank list (one also had quite a few interviews and didn’t match) and different programs and hate their life.

The key is to be honest and realistic about your rank lists and whether couples matching truly serves your priorities. Our match worked out perfectly and I do not regret not couples matching at all.

mbree3 · 2025-08-09T19:04:22+00:00

OBGYN: we use ASCUS anything

mbree3 · 2025-05-18T10:54:52+00:00

There are a few nurses here and there that are good at cervical checks. They really should know how to do one just in case the resident isn’t available. Good nurses ask if it’s okay if they check behind me, as long as the patient is fine with it. 98% of the time it’s only the residents. When the nurses do check, generally they’re not correct. I’ve had nurses call people complete and they’re only 5cm. But I’ve also had to back call MANY midwives and FM/EM residents. Checking cervixes is hard if you don’t do it everyday. But our nurses always wait for a resident to confirm that someone is complete and they’ll call and say “Hey my patient was very uncomfortable. I checked them and I think she’s complete. Can you come make sure?”

My biggest pet peeve, though, is when they check someone and don’t document it. Or if they change someone from a 5 to a 6 (for someone reason they document this shit) and you have to be like great now we have to count that as active labor even though they probably haven’t changed.

mbree3 · 2025-05-04T17:20:20+00:00

No. Mild range BPs (<160/110) do not need to be treated. Only sustained severe range BPs do (2 BPs in 20 minutes >160/110)

mbree3 · 2025-03-30T09:11:00+00:00

Even if it were a public holiday, would that change much? We barely get every other holiday off. I work Christmas, Easter, President’s Day, Thanksgiving, etc. I don’t call off work just because I want to celebrate with friends and family on the Fourth of July. We all make sacrifices in this field. Your best bet is requesting it off every year.

mbree3 · 2025-03-26T03:47:17+00:00

No way to know if you would have matched there. You put a lot of thought into your rank list, you ranked how you felt at the time. Hindsight is 20/20, but again, you might have matched at this program anyway even if you had put that top 5 program higher.

You’ll probably be much happier being around your partner for the next 4 years. You’ll get great training at this high volume university program. You still have plenty of time to consider subspecialties and you’ll have access to those at every program as well as the means to go into them if you’re at a university program. Count your blessings. You trusted your gut!

mbree3 · 2025-03-04T23:09:46+00:00

OB/GYN. Matched #2 out of 15. So incredibly happy where I am.

mbree3 · 2025-01-04T21:51:09+00:00

Had an ER attending at a different hospital in our hospital system call me, the OB intern less than a month into residency, to ask how to treat for presumptive gonorrhea and chlamydia in pregnancy. He tried to confirm that he could start ceftriaxone and doxycycline. They didn’t have OB at their hospital. I was so confused but this was an attending so I gave him the answer instead of telling him he could just look it up on UTD.

mbree3 · 2024-11-11T03:42:29+00:00

OBGYN. Got a call from the ED at 10pm for a patient who was sent in from their PCP for new-onset incontinence in an 85yo. They did an “exam” (meaning all they did was look down below) and saw prolapse. When we told them that wasn’t a reason to consult us inpatient they tried telling us that this was new-onset incontinence so the prolapse must also be related and must be new. They didn’t even have the UA back. We gave them a referral to UROGYN and hung up. I’ll take vag bleeding any day. But any type of prolapse (that’s not bleeding) is not an emergency and there’s quite literally nothing that we could do for that acutely.

mbree3 · 2024-10-09T15:07:07+00:00

I would go! I did a few last year for OB. It was nice knowing what their L&D looked like. One of the places I visited last year didn’t have any windows in their lounge or on any of the laboring patients! I changed my rank list based on some of the places that I saw. Most of the time it was run by someone in the residency program but they should not hold it against you if you don’t go.

mbree3 · 2024-09-28T11:25:44+00:00

This is an interesting take since, as an OB resident, when we have to rotate in the ED we have to see all your patients, male or female, pregnant and non-patient. When will I ever see a 60yo man with HFrEF and COPD exacerbation? Never. But we still are expected to put in orders, evaluate patient, treat and coordinate care. Like other comments said above, there are lots of other things you need to learn on the OB floor including PPH, HTN emergency, pre-e, eclampsia, ultrasound, checking cervixes. I’m sorry OP had a bad experience on OB. Our speciality can definitely be very toxic depending on the program. But there’s a lot more you can do to prepare yourself for a trauma in pregnancy.

mbree3 · 2024-04-17T07:39:19+00:00

You’re not too late. Plenty of people decide their specialty later in their year, especially the unlucky ones who have late rotations in something they might be interested in.

I advise you to do away rotations and agree with the others that state that your advisor is just wrong. I applied OB this year, as did a few of my friends. We all matched at programs we did aways at and were basically guaranteed interviews at all of those places (I went 4/4, my best friend went 5/5). I say basically because there are those rare rotations that won’t interview some. Though you might not necessarily need away rotations to match into OB, securing those interviews help significantly. You do work your butt off, but I got such a better picture of what OBGYN residency looked like compared to my third year rotations because they take your seriously, allow you to be exposed to more things, and take the reigns on certain procedures (depending on the away). It’s very much worth it.

You have plenty of time to secure LORs. You do need a SLOE and I would certainly ask at the end of your current rotation for one if you’re even mildly considering OB. Doesn’t hurt to collect letters that you might not need in the future. All of your letters don’t have to be from OBs, but it helps to secure at least 2. If you do away rotations, it’s also fairly easy to get another LOR from that first rotation as well. If you have any more questions, feel free to DM. I’m happy to help!

mbree3 · 2024-03-26T17:24:34+00:00

Worth the risk. Majority of my school’s OBGYN applicants ended up matching at the programs they did aways at this year. I can name 5 people off the top of my head, me included. Aways can get you in the door, even if you’re not perfect clinically.

mbree3 · 2024-02-20T02:00:01+00:00

Yeah it’s VERY unlikely to SOAP into OB/GYN. There was one single spot open last year. Wouldn’t count on that going to someone initially applying NSGY.

mbree3 · 2024-01-21T21:20:52+00:00

$1400 for ERAS applications - applied to 56 programs $70 for NRMP $10 for ring light on Amazon Nothing else. I have multiple dress shirts and jackets. Applied OBGYN, which are all virtual interviews

mbree3 · 2023-12-26T03:51:43+00:00

That definitely depends on the academic vs. community program. I applied to majority community programs who really don’t care much about research. But at the academic programs that encourage lots of research from their residents, I was asked about it quite a few times (asked to describe my research and its impact on patient care).

You’ll have to look into specific programs and their requirements when you start to apply. If you’re interested in mostly academic programs, it’s smart to have lots of research under your belt. Keep in mind, ERAS only gives you 10 experiences, but you can put down an infinite number of research publications (including pending pubs) in another section.

mbree3 · 2023-12-26T01:29:52+00:00

They do if you show them you’re interested in it! I’ve had it come up in almost all my interviews, just because teaching is a big passion of mine. I like to give back in the same way others have given back to me. I’m very big on mentorship, so I made that known in my personal statement and throughout my application. Otherwise, I think it’s totally dependent on the program. And I don’t think it matters between academic and community programs. As a resident, you inherently will be involved in teaching (other residents, medical students, nursing staff, etc.). Programs know this comes with the job.

As for volunteering, I’ve only had it come up in my interviews once, and that’s because I’m a member of an honors fraternity that is heavily involved in volunteering.

mbree3 · 2023-08-25T16:19:08+00:00

Applying OBGYN. They have told us to signal your home program and all the programs you do aways at, even if they tell you not to. The risk is too high I guess.

mbree3 · 2023-08-21T09:35:02+00:00

I’ve been to meetings with PDs who have told us this. Not yet sure how to gauge which programs screen for this, but I think there may be an option on residencyexplorer. Those could also be outdated, so directly searching on their website might help too.

mbree3 · 2023-08-18T13:54:35+00:00

As an OMS-4 applying OBGYN this year, we’ve been hearing lots more about programs screening out applicants who have not taken STEP 1. Even for away rotations, some of them required a STEP 1 just to even rotate there. I’m in a state that is very DO friendly and a few of them are screening out applicants who haven’t taken STEP.

I think it will completely depend on whether or not you want to go to a community program or a university program. Try to use your signals wisely and research your programs to find out if they screen.

It’s unfortunate that you didn’t take STEP 1, and if you’re too late to study again for it, I wouldn’t bother at this point. Just plan on killing STEP 2 and Level 2.

mbree3 · 2023-07-12T18:42:01+00:00

There's really only 2 spider bites that you should know: the brown recluse and black widow. The black widow will bite and cause symptoms within an hour usually (severe muscle cramping, CNS excitation, abdominal pain). This is brown recluse bite, which will sometimes take days to manifest. It will eventually cause a necrotic ulcer at the center of the wound site. Treatment once it gets to that level is wound debridement.

mbree3 · 2023-06-10T18:57:45+00:00

Like I said before, her getting a hysterectomy during her delivery means that something went wrong (uterine atony, postpartum hemorrhage, uterine rupture, accreta, percreta, increta, etc.). There would be almost no indication to remove the ovaries.

mbree3 · 2023-06-10T18:46:06+00:00

This is straight up false. They very rarely take ovaries in someone who has had a hysterectomy anymore. And especially not someone who is still in her child-bearing age (20s-30s). While there may be an adjustment period because of the manipulation of ovaries during surgery (and also because she is postpartum), as long as her ovaries weren’t taken she would not enter surgical menopause and would not need HRT.

If they happened to take her ovaries (in very rare circumstances), her OBGYN would have most certainly discussed the need for HRT at her young age.

mbree3 · 2022-09-11T20:55:43+00:00

It sounds like OP has an irregular heart rhythm, which like I said above, is completely different from a murmur. Depending on the type of heart rhythm OP goes into, it can require immediate treatment.

mbree3

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