I Matched!!!

Just figured I'd update you guys regarding the match. It fell on Saint Patrick's Day this year. I matched for residency at Fletcher Allen / University of Vermont in Burlington, VT.

I'm excited. Burlington, VT is a beautiful town. I will have to move up there in June. Hopefully the internet is still blazing fast up north because I'll need every advantage I can get. I'm so rusty right now. I don't think we have anyone in Vermont, but I'm probably not much farther from the Maine folk than I was in Boston.

BTW, I'm hoping to get up to Acadia for a couple of days this summer. I'll let the appropriate people know if I will be able to pull it off.

Also, does anyone know Vermont? Any recommendations of places to live or check out around Burlington?

JC I used to work for a company based in Burlington and that's bout the best I can do for you buddy. From what I've heard there really aren't any bad places in the area. Congrats by the way, good work,

Congrats Jay!! Excellent news! Touch base with Serum, he might be able to help out. btw, you are not the only one who's rusty.

Congrats Jay thats awesome.... as far as VT goes....I've been skiing in Killington, Stowe and Sugarbush which is in Warren, VT from what I remember the area is beautiful. Thats about all I can do for you. Sorry.

Again Congrats

Congrats jc. U making it rain yet? Are u ever gonna get to work normal hours or will it be balls to the wall all the time?

It has been relentless for the past few years, but it "should" start to improve in 1.5 to 2 years. That is my hope anyway. The new rules are that the hospital isn't supposed to work its interns more than 16 hours per shift and no more than 6 days per week (averaged over the month). I'll let you know how that works in practice, in a few short months.

It will be nice to be able to come home from work and not need to study before bed and before work in the AM every day. It is kind of wearing me out right now. In fact, I thought that I'd be done with this insanity after my last two board exams over the past two weeks, but I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. I went and signed up for a Spanish Immersion Elective in Lawrence this month, at a 91% Spanish speaking clinic). The problem being... I barely speak Spanish. Today was like Spanish on crack. I'm going to be clawing to stay afloat. Maybe after this I'll chill out. It marks the end of my 4th year, so I have a month off to get my life in order to move.

Regarding making it rain... not so much. I'll be making ~$50K yearly for the next three years. Sure you can live on that, but my school loans are >$200K. Furthermore, my fiancee will likely be taking a 50% pay cut to work in VT. Something I hadn't realized prior to considering Burlington, VT. Not that it changes my mind, but just that it complicates things. I'll hopefully be "making it rain" (though not really) once I complete residency. Unfortunately, Family Medicine, and any primary care for that matter, makes far less than many of the other specialties. It is too long of a story to get into right now. (read: I'll spare you).

i thought you were wanting to be a surgeon? wow, youre talking about scaling hours back to 6-16's? you must have been getting exactly ZERO sleep. i woulda thought youd be making more, working 96 hours a week. so why do people want to be doctors? is it to help people? or is it money? or both? are you gonna buy a mercedes? i think its some kind of dr law to buy a mercedes. i have a whole lot of respect for you being able to put up with all the hours and the head aching tests and studying and everything else. i dont have the willpower for it. i hope you get what you want out of it and be happy doing it. good luck with the move.

No, I've planned on Family Medicine for a while now. I want to help entire familiesnwith health, and not just urgent issues. I think I can my patients live healthier lives and manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, not to mention the daily stuff like colds, pregnancy and life style modification.

Regarding hours: not every shift is 16 hours, it is just that they cannot be longer than that. They might only be 12 or so on most days. Don't know till I get my schedule.

Unlike the past, becoming a physician isn't a smart way to make money. For money, do banking or certain types of law or plumbing. (Trust me, my brother, who now owns his own plumbing company, will make much more in his lifetime than I will). Certain specialties and subspecialties in medicine or surgery make much more than primary care. In fact, several times more. However the cost of school and the duration of residency are impressive. Neurosurgeons make a many hundreds of thousands of dollars, however their residency is 7 years! Also, they choose from the top ~1% or fewer of med students. Your odds are poor and your life is as well if you make it. Relationships and family are extremely hard. I'm older and quality of life and time for family are important to me. 3 years of residency is perfect. While my career will be challenging, I believe I'll enjoy it.

Now I own a 2009 Hyumdai Accent. I'll drive it into the ground and let my kids to be track mud in it, etc. Some day in the distant future, once Shannon and I pay off our collective $450,000+ in loans, maybe I'll buy an Audi, once the kids finish college. LOL

To reward you for reading this long ass post, I'll provide you free medical advice in the coming years.

Seriously though, while I don't want all of my spare time to become more work time, I hope that I'll be a resource to my friends. After all, medicine is a collection of the knowledge and accomplishments of mankind. It is something to be shared.