Post-Match Tips
Written by Annie Kopera, DO
The period followed by post-match bliss often leaves many fourth-year medical students wondering, “what should I do now?!” For years, you have jumped through hoop after hoop, achieving one goal after the next to obtain a spot in the Match. Likely, you can’t recall the last time you had 2-3 months of free time, and the urge to be productive is habitual for you at this point. Below are some tips on how to best use this time.
In case you struggle with giving yourself time to rest, this is your permission to take this time to relax! Although you may feel compelled to study before starting residency to make sure you feel your sharpest on July 1, please don’t forget everything that you have learned over the last four years. Although it may feel like the information magically disappears from your brain, it does not! The goal of the residency is to train you to be a well-equipped physician.
Whether you study or not during this period will likely not change the outcome of the years ahead. Take this time to do what will be limited during residency. Travel and take a vacation. Spend time with family and friends. Try to take some time to rest so that you are fully rejuvenated for residency.
A great opportunity before residency is to learn about physician-related finances. The most widely used resource is “The White Coat Investor.” In addition to the book, they also have free blog posts and podcasts, with a significant amount of content targeted toward residents.
Before starting residency, know your loan burden, what type of loans you have, and where they are located. You should also come up with a plan for how to pay them off. If you have federal loans and plan to pursue the Public Service Loan Forgiveness, your strategy will be much different than someone else with private loans.
In addition to this, you’ll need a decent amount of time for securing new housing, moving, and paperwork for licensing. Although not nearly as challenging as medical school, these things are important and time-consuming! Plan to automate as much as possible before you start work. Have rent, credit card, and loan payments set up in advance so this isn’t something you forget at the end of an 80-hour workweek.
Most importantly, enjoy this time off, you deserve it!
