March 18 2010 – UVA Match Day

Match Day is March 18 2010.

Every year, I do research into the Match Day process, and every year I find interesting blog post. This one is a particular favorite because of the insight one gains into the thought and process.

We’ve been contemplating where we want to go for Residency for months, maybe even years. I spend hours and hours on Internet websites, like CNN MONEY, and FORBES and MSNBC, researching:
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I wanna end up in a place that I’ll love. A place that’s safe for my kids. A place where one orange doesn’t cost 150 pennies. A place where I can have a white Christmas and a dry mild Summer. A place that has lots of trails, parks, museums, and green trees that make a canopy over the street. A place with low crime, great schools, good air quality and a Target. Oh, and places that have a temple within an hours drive and some mountains and beaches would be nice too! A place that is close enough to see family within a days’ drive, you know, a place with few earth quakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, kinda like the BEST OF EVERYTHING?!

Sounds to me like she’s describing Charlottesville, Virginia. Of course I’m biased. Shouldn’t I be?

I’m particularly curious about this link in the Match/Medical Residency timeline:

JANUARY 15 2010: Submit Rank Order Lists. It is based on the applicant’s preference and the programs do the same for their applicants. (With 1 being our first preference, we list our top 1-20 programs that interviewed Rick.)

I wonder how many people submit the University of Virginia as one of their top three programs.

Match Day 2009 – March 19

Match Day 2008 – March 20

Usually, Medical Residents coming to the University of Virginia Medical Center are looking for homes in either the City of Charlottesville or County of Albemarle under $300k. Usually. There are always exceptions.

If you think you’re going to match at the University of Virginia and have questions about the area that you may not have found the answers to online, please feel free to contact me with any questions. If you’re putting Charlottesville at the top of your list and have questions about relocating to Charlottesville, please take a look at this work-in-progress page.

(here’s a tip: “Charlottesville” frequently means “Charlottesville, Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Nelson and/or Louisa” Most likely, you will be targeting Charlottesville, Albemarle, and maybe parts of Greene and Fluvanna )

These are a few homes for sale that meet the admittedly basic and broad criteria used by many incoming UVA Medical Residents. For instance, these are sorted by Walkscore.