THE SPOUSE'S ROLE IN INTERVIEWS AND MATCH DAY

As a medical spouse it is crucial for you to be as involved as you can. Here are some ways to help your partner navigate interviews and Match Day.

Guest post written by Kailynn

All of the feelings of Match ranking and Match Day are still so fresh for us. Each passing day toward the Match brings more excitement for the next journey but insurmountable anxiety of the unknown. Will you match? Will you get your top pick? Where will you end up?

When going into the interviewing and ranking process of residency my husband and I really approached it as a team. We both understood that this next big step wouldn’t just affect his life, but also mine and our daughter’s. We had to consider what was going to be best for our family.

I think too often medical spouses or partners forget just how much of a say they can and should have in this journey. It is easy to get caught up in the fact that this is your spouse’s career path. That this should be their choice because they will be the one completing the residency. However, this path has a huge impact on your life too.

I strongly believe that as a medical spouse or partner it is crucial for you to be as involved as you can. Here are some ways to help your partner navigate the interview and matching process.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

As a medical spouse it is crucial for you to be as involved as you can. Here are some ways to help your partner navigate interviews and Match Day. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

PRIORITIZE

Decide what factors are important to you in a program. When we began looking at different programs, we quickly became overwhelmed at just how many there were and what they all offered. To help us narrow down our search, we created a list of our top wants and needs in a program. Some things that we focused on were location, family support, lifestyle and community, pay and benefits, methods and advancements in technology, unopposed program, and fellowship opportunities.

ORGANIZE

As you research programs and begin the interview process it is helpful to find a way to organize all of the information you collect. We created an excel spreadsheet to organize all of the information about each program we were interested in. As my husband began interviewing, he would continue to update the spreadsheet with any new information he was given and his thoughts about the program. This process made creating our rank list pretty painless since we already had a clear outline of each program.

SOCIALIZE

While it isn’t always possible to join your spouse on the interview trail, finding a way to visit your top programs can be very beneficial. This could be a quick trip just to check out the area or a more official gathering. If any of the programs offer a second look, go! We attended second looks for my husband’s top two programs. Doing this allowed my husband to solidify his feelings and allowed me to see first hand the community and to meet people within the program.

CREATING YOUR RANK LIST

BE EDUCATED

Know as much as you can about all of the programs that your spouse interviewed at. Having your information already organized will help with this. By the end of interviews, all of the programs begin to blur together. Look back through all of the information that you have to reevaluate the pros and cons and where these programs fall on your rank list.

SPEAK UP

Let your spouse know how you truly feel. That sounds so simple, but again it can be easy to put your thoughts aside and let your spouse have the final decision. This will become your community too. Your happiness during these challenging years is important. You will not be able to support your spouse if you do not feel supported.

BE OPEN

I never thought I would end up where we currently are for residency. When my husband mentioned he was applying for an interview here I said absolutely not because in my mind that was not where I wanted to live. For once I am so happy he didn’t listen to me. He interviewed at the program and as I learned more about it and got to come to second look I realized how perfect it really was for us. What was once not even on my radar was now also my top choice. When creating your application and rank list, there may be places that don’t seem “perfect” for you. Be open. You may fall in love with somewhere you never thought you would be.

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While the end result seems out of our control there is so much you can do to help you and your spouse prepare for interviews and Match ranking. Learn as much as you can, stay organized and most importantly speak up for yourself. This next step is going to be one crazy adventure, make sure it is one that you are comfortable going on.

ABOUT KAILYNN

I grew up in Wisconsin but currently live in Indiana with my husband and our two (soon to be 3) daughters, Elliott (3) and Brynn (1). My husband and I are high school sweethearts so we have been through this whole medical journey together. I always knew he wanted to be a doctor but never really understood what the path to that looked like. It’s been a crazy one but also one full of so many adventures, memories, and lifelong friendships.

I have a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and taught for 4 years before becoming a stay at home mom to our girls. I love the outdoors! As a family we spend most of our time outside playing, biking, camping and hiking. I also love cooking, reading, and recently writing and sharing my thoughts about motherhood, life and medical marriage through my Instagram.