When you Match with a program, you will receive a welcome email congratulating you on Matching to their program. While some programs use an online database for you to upload documents and complete assignments, other programs will ask you to complete documents and return them to the TA. The program has 10 days to send you a contract and obtain your signature. You should review the contract for accurate name, specialty program, salary, date, etc. This contract is non-negotiable, so you will only be checking for the previously listed items.
The salary that was listed in your email may differ between recruitment and contract signing — this is common. These contracts most commonly have a July 1 start date and are for a full year. In addition, the contract may include one or two weeks at the end of June prior to your program start date so that you can complete orientation. The orientation details are important, so pay close attention to them.
Remember, Match commitments are binding, so you are obligated to accept the position and begin training as soon as possible if a Match occurs.
After you accept an offer in a program, you should keep in mind your new living situation. When you pick a place to live, you need proof of employment; the TA can provide you with a letter of employment that you can use to apply for a mortgage or for rent approval. The program or institution that you have accepted an offer from may offer assistance when the time comes to book housing. They can offer information about specific neighborhoods, and they may have relationships with realtors. The institution may also have listings posted within their department of houses for sale by graduating residents.
Current residents, faculty, and staff can also provide you with information about the area — what neighborhoods are safe, which ones to avoid, the ones closest to the hospital or university, and if there are any houses that are often up for resale due to issues with the houses themselves.
You should plan to move into town at least one or two weeks before orientation begins so that you can get settled. As you become an upperclassman, depending on the specialty, you may be given the opportunity to take call from home. With this, you will be required to live a certain distance from the hospital — most institutions require that someone on home call arrive within 20-30 minutes. Something else to consider is long work hours — it is safe to assume that your work hours will be long and that you will be tired when driving to and from work. There may sometimes be bad weather and it is safer if you have a shorter commute, so it is recommended that you choose a place that is relatively close to the hospital.
- Join the Physician Ambassador Program to earn additional income during training;
- Create your free PracticeMatch profile so you can apply for jobs with a click of a button;
- Download the Career Fair List so you can save the dates.