IT TAKES TWO
From Gross Anatomy to Grand Adventure
14 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
by SEAN MILLER , MD & NATALIE MILLER , MD
The first time I saw my wife she was hunched over and closely inspecting a partially dissected cadaver . We were three weeks into our first year of medical school at the University of Louisville . I knew very little about anatomy and possibly even less about women , but I made it my mission to get to know more about both . We were introduced shortly thereafter and were fortunate to make a close-knit group of friends in our class . Happily , one thing led to another , and by the middle of our second year of medical school , we were officially dating .
Eventually , the time came to think about the residency Match . I can vividly remember discussing that decision with then Dean of Students Dr . Toni Ganzel in her office on Chestnut Street . She was supportive but concerned due to the inherent risk of the couples ’
Match process . Undeterred , we decided to pursue a couples ’ Match and made a list of approximately 15 cities in which we would be happy to settle . We interviewed at 11 programs together , and then came the arduous task of finalizing our Match list . I think that I could still identify the exact study carrel in the Kornhauser library that we sat at to make those decisions . After an hour we had our list , comprised of 99 permutations of “ successful ” matches .
Match Day was one of the most nerve-racking days of my life to that point . I have never had such a cathartic release of adrenaline as I did when I found out that we had matched in one of our top choices and would be training in the same city . One of the perils of meeting your spouse in medical school is entwining your future training together . Although stressful , it does serve as an early primer to making decisions that will require compromise , trust and uncertainty : the kind of decisions that will be essential throughout marriage .
Undergoing residency with a partner in the same situation is a significant benefit , as they can truly understand the intense time constraints and stresses of training . Exploring a new city together and experiencing the ups and downs of residency strengthened our