Dr's wife need advice about medicine sub i

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dapapowa

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Hello! Wife of a doctor here so apologies if my question is naively worded. My husband is a 4th year student at a top 50 med school (not sure if this is helpful context) and interested in applying for internal medicine residency so that he can do a GI fellowship. He recently found out that he got what is equivalent to a "B" in his medicine sub internship and is devastated, having done really well (honors?) in the medicine rotation during his 3rd year. What can he do to soften the impact on his residency application?

He is worried that this is career-ruining, that he won't be able to get into the programs that he'd like to get into (I believe UCLA or similar caliber school would have been his top choice as he'd like to move back to CA where our families are) and then his residency program won't be good enough for applying for GI, etc. His grade was not accompanied by any explanation / feedback, and he had asked the attending for a letter of rec prior to receiving the grade and she said yes. Should he still ask for the letter? Can he try to boost the application with letters from other internal medicine folks?

Help! I am not in medicine (obviously) - this topic has probably been covered before but I am not searching with the right key words, so even links to other threads would be very helpful. Thank you!

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There are many residency programs in California, so if he wishes to return and that is his priority, looking at other University programs would be a great idea. There are many programs in California from which it is quite reasonable to apply to gastroenterology programs, so I would suggest you take a look at the match lists from placed like UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UC San Diego, among others, to help remind your husband that not getting into a top academic program will not stop him from achieving his goals.
 
Your husband needs to be here and ask those questions himself.
 
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Thanks tantacles, that is definitely something I've said to him as well...I was wondering if you have anything tactical that he can do to soften the impact? Can he directly ask the attending about the grade or is that frowned upon? Can he go through someone else (like the dean) and make sure he gets an extra-amazing letter there to "make up" for the grade? Should he not ask for a letter at all from the attending and try to get a better letter from an upcoming second GI rotation? Do some schools automatically not extend you an interview invite because of something like this?

Drfluffy, I'm trying to educate myself about these matters as well so I can be supportive and suggest things that are actionable. I'm sure he is doing what he can to get advice from his colleagues and friends as well, just thought I would try to see if you folks have any advice (which I presume would be the same whether it's me or him asking unless I've asked it stupidly - in which case, please correct me).

Thanks for your help in advance.
 
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Thanks tantacles, that is definitely something I've said to him as well...I was wondering if you have anything tactical that he can do to soften the impact? Can he directly ask the attending about the grade or is that frowned upon? Can he go through someone else (like the dean) and make sure he gets an extra-amazing letter there to "make up" for the grade? Should he not ask for a letter at all from the attending and try to get a better letter from an upcoming second GI rotation? Do some schools automatically not extend you an interview invite because of something like this?

Drfluffy, I'm trying to educate myself about these matters as well so I can be supportive and suggest things that are actionable. I'm sure he is doing what he can to get advice from his colleagues and friends as well, just thought I would try to see if you folks have any advice (which I presume would be the same whether it's me or him asking unless I've asked it stupidly - in which case, please correct me).

Thanks for your help in advance.

Assuming he asks the right way, I think it's perfectly reasonable to ask about his grade. Example of what/how to ask: "Thank you for letting me work with you during this rotation. I'm planning on going into an IM residency and would like to do a GI fellowship. How can I improve to make sure I get Honors in future rotations. Was there something I should have done or need to improve on for future rotations, or did I do something that I shouldn't have? I appreciate any feedback." etc. I think it would be reasonable considering the attending said she'd write him a letter. I would just make sure not to come off as questioning the grade or sounding defensive or accusatory in any way when he asks. He can ask for as many letters as he wants and then pick which ones he'll actually use later.

Others can disagree with me if they don't think it's appropriate, but I see no reason why he shouldn't seek out as much feedback as possible. Especially if he felt like he deserved honors in the rotation and didn't get it.
 
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I honestly didn't even know you could get grades during 4th year. I assume I passed everything because they let me graduate.

Anyway, if it were me I would definitely try and inquire about the grade. It honestly probably won't end up mattering if the rest of the application is good. California is competitive, but there are also a lot of IM programs and spots there.
 
I honestly didn't even know you could get grades during 4th year. I assume I passed everything because they let me graduate.

Anyway, if it were me I would definitely try and inquire about the grade. It honestly probably won't end up mattering if the rest of the application is good. California is competitive, but there are also a lot of IM programs and spots there.

She is talking about grade of the IM subI. Anything not honor is really bad.
 
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He got a "B" as in high pass? He'll likely have to repeat the year in the Caribbean for a chance at rural family Med
 
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You sound like a wonderful wife. I wish someday a woman cared about me this much. Sadly I don't ever see my future sorority wife doing that, she'll be too busy cheating on me...
 
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You sound like a wonderful wife. I wish someday a woman cared about me this much. Sadly I don't ever see my future sorority wife doing that, she'll be too busy cheating on me...
As a sorority woman, don't count on marrying one of us.

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It is very sweet of you to be looking out for your hubby actively.

I apologize on behalf of some of the posters. Just imagine the personalities your husband has to navigate on a daily basis!

I think he should definitely inquire about his grade and ask for feedback. Even if there is no change in grade I think it is critical he learns from this rotation going forwards. I think another subi is not unreasonable but he would have to fix what caused his decline in performance first.

I have to agree not honoring a subi generally puts you of the range of similarly tiered programs.
 
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You sound like a wonderful wife. I wish someday a woman cared about me this much. Sadly I don't ever see my future sorority wife doing that, she'll be too busy cheating on me...

I didn't think you're good enough to be marrying a sorority girl with your Step 1 score though?
 
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You sound like a wonderful wife. I wish someday a woman cared about me this much. Sadly I don't ever see my future sorority wife doing that, she'll be too busy cheating on me...

Is your future sorority wife a real person? Or someone you hope to meet? lol

Also, @failedatlife I feel like I deserve your handle, in a literal sense. You have a lot of mistakes left to make
 
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To answer your questions in order:
A "B" isn't a killer to any of his dreams. There isn't any necessary steps to soften the impact a "B" may have. If he was already focused on UCLA, then I assume he has a killer step score, research, etc. One "B" will not ruin him. That being said, you don't have to go to a top school to match GI. Literally dozens of other schools send people into GI. While it does help, your performance and research as an IM resident is more important.

As for the letter: ask if she could write a strong one. If she already agreed, then she may already like him. He should already start gathering letters from other internal med people.

I don't know his work during med school, but I think he'll be fine. You can comfort him by reassurance and taking his mind off med things. Go out and do something fun.
 
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Hahaha sorority women are not cheaters. We are faithful. Where did this stereotype of cheating on husbands come from?
All of my brothers that dated sorority girls got cheated on. Maybe it's just the school I went to


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Is your future sorority wife a real person? Or someone you hope to meet? lol
All of my brothers that dated sorority girls got cheated on. Maybe it's just the school I went to


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Okay. But there's a lot of variability between different Greek organizations and also it sounds like the nature of the relationship was not nearly as serious as marriage. Perhaps there was miscommunications regarding the level of commitment expected from both parties. I don't think this means women from sororities are more likely to engage in adultery
 
To answer your questions in order:
A "B" isn't a killer to any of his dreams. There isn't any necessary steps to soften the impact a "B" may have. If he was already focused on UCLA, then I assume he has a killer step score, research, etc. One "B" will not ruin him. That being said, you don't have to go to a top school to match GI. Literally dozens of other schools send people into GI. While it does help, your performance and research as an IM resident is more important.

As for the letter: ask if she could write a strong one. If she already agreed, then she may already like him. He should already start gathering letters from other internal med people.

I don't know his work during med school, but I think he'll be fine. You can comfort him by reassurance and taking his mind off med things. Go out and do something fun.

I Agree. For the OP, a non-honors grade is unfortunately a significant negative but it is only part of the application. Things to work on during 4th year are getting great letters and a fabulous step 2 CK score. Hopefully he has a great step 1 score to go with it.
 
GI is less competitive than folks think. It's a bit of a myth perpetuated by the fact that IM is accessible to IMGs so that makes GI appear accessible. For an average AMG, it'll be ok.
 
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You sound like a wonderful wife. I wish someday a woman cared about me this much. Sadly I don't ever see my future sorority wife doing that, she'll be too busy cheating on me...

implying a brainlet like you could ever get a beautiful, blonde sorority wife
 
implying a brainlet like you could ever get a beautiful, blonde sorority wife

Guys, the beautiful blonde girls in sororities do not remain sorority girls for life. They grow up, and venture beyond the confines of Greek life. I don't see how someone's past life experience would have such an impact on your perception of their present attainability, unless you plan on trying to marry an 18 year old sorority girl, when you're in your 30's and 40's
 
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Were you a beautiful, blonde sorority girl by any chance?

Again, emphasis on another arbitrary trait.
I have blonde hair
I was in a sorority
You're next question is too subjective to self-report
I think you should set your sights on more meaningful traits in a life partner, I.e., kindness, trustworthiness, respect
 
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I personally think the only professional role / aka things that a wife/husband should be asking to other physician's spouse are things like "hey what's the area like, school district, etc" or trying to figure out the partner salary in a round about way.

Anything pertaining to actual medicine or medical education should be asked by the physician themselves. I lose a lot of respect for physicians who RELY on their spouses as secretary because I did it on my own and so did my wife.
 
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I personally think the only professional role / aka things that a wife/husband should be asking to other physician's spouse are things like "hey what's the area like, school district, etc" or trying to figure out the partner salary in a round about way.

Anything pertaining to actual medicine or medical education should be asked by the physician themselves. I lose a lot of respect for physicians who RELY on their spouses as secretary because I did it on my own and so did my wife.

It doesn't sound like her husband asked her to make this post or is relying on it for advice. In fact, the OP clearly stated that he's using his own professional resources, and she's just using SDN for her own understanding in order to be a more supportive partner.

There is nothing wrong with that. I support my partner in the same way (even professionally, behind the scenes) and he does what he can to support me, even though we're entering very different fields. You and your wife succeeded on your own (which is great, if that worked for you!) but relationships offering tighter support don't necessarily mean the individuals themselves are weaker.

Rather than picking at their relationship dynamic (which isn't all that uncommon), I hope future posts can focus on providing more useful information to this caring person looking out for her husband. I'm not the person to provide it -- but I hope that's what OP receives.


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It doesn't sound like her husband asked her to make this post or is relying on it for advice. In fact, the OP clearly stated that he's using his own professional resources, and she's just using SDN for her own understanding in order to be a more supportive partner.

There is nothing wrong with that. I support my partner in the same way (even professionally, behind the scenes) and he does what he can to support me, even though we're entering very different fields. You and your wife succeeded on your own (which is great, if that worked for you!) but relationships offering tighter support don't necessarily mean the individuals themselves are weaker.

Rather than picking at their relationship dynamic (which isn't all that uncommon), I hope future posts can focus on providing more useful information to this caring person looking out for her husband. I'm not the person to provide it -- but I hope that's what OP receives.


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To me, this is not about their relationship dynamic. This is about efficiency. If a student's wife is trying to figure out nitty-gritty about the rotation, the student himself still need to figure it out on his own, through primary sources like asking other physicians here.

I applaud the OP, but to me, getting a condensed version from their spouse rather than seeking things out themselves are at best duplication of effort and at worst failure to use primary sources.

Also, a "doctor's wife"? Unless the OP's spouse has a PHD that is not a factual statement.

So on topic, I actually believe for places like MGH, BWH, Columbia, etc, coming from a top 25 rather than a top 5 school mean the application isn't shoe in, and getting a B in a medicine subI hurts.

It hurts so much, because PDs expect nothing but an honor for student who wants to go into that field.

I would try to debate that grade and figure it out but you wouldn't be the first doing so.
 
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