Match day brings a whirlwind of excitement, anxiety, and finality. Receipt of your match offer transforms an open plain of possibilities into a footpath, lifts a weight from your shoulders, and starts a timer.
FINISH YOUR 4TH YEAR OF MEDICAL SCHOOL STRONG
Before you move on, finish your 4th year of medical school with dignity and grace. Do not slack off in your final classes or fail to show up. The teachers and faculty will eventually be your colleagues, so leave them with a good impression. You never know where you will end up working someday.
PLAN YOUR RELOCATION
My residency required me to move across the country to an unfamiliar city. The process involved hiring movers, renting a moving truck, driving a long distance, finding an apartment, and signing paperwork. To prepare, I reached out to my coresidents from the area and my senior residents to ask their advice on where to live and park as well as to hear what they wish they had known when they were moving.
If you are relocating to a new city or state, consider your forms of identification. Do you need a new driver’s license? Do you need to update your voting and car registration? Should you arrange for your mail to be forwarded? Many states impose fines if these tasks—particularly those related to cars—are not completed within a certain amount of time. Make a file folder of your important documents and keep on top of the relevant requirements.
ESTABLISH YOUR DAILY LIFE BEFORE YOUR RESIDENCY BEGINS
To set yourself up for success on your first day, find your new gym, dentist, veterinarian, grocery store, primary care physician, etc, ahead of time. Set up your new home because once call starts, you will not want to be shopping for furniture or digging through moving boxes.
COMPLETE ONBOARDING PROCEDURES
Execute your hospital’s onboarding procedures and paperwork in a timely manner. It will help you make a good first impression and hit the ground running. Keep in mind that some paperwork takes quite some time to be approved after submission. You do not want to be an uncredentialed resident on your first day.
THINK ABOUT YOUR FINANCES
For lots of medical residents, the world of finance is far less interesting than studying the Kreb cycle. The transition from medical school to residency, however, brings an economic as well as a professional shift.
Maybe you lived like a college student to get by in medical school. As an incoming resident, it may seem early to plan for the end of your career, but setting up retirement accounts and a system for contributing to them each month can prevent overspending and strengthen your economic security. Talk to people in your residency programs and academic institutions about the retirement plans they offer and whether matching contributions are available.
CONCLUSION
Match is exciting. Celebrate and take a break. You deserve it.
Do not, however, forget to prepare for residency. July 1 will be here before you know it.
