Page 128 - issue
P. 128
ADVENTUREOURRESIDENCY
Sby Bracha Poliakoff
itting in the darkened theater he was completing his bachelors in process again. This time, however, he
next to my husband, I watched Talmudic law and medicine prerequi- was applying to residency programs.
the school staff ceremoniously sites at Ner Yisrael. (Prior to dating my Dani had decided that, ideally, he
draw one envelope after anoth- husband, I had never envisioned mar- would like to find a spot in a residen-
er from the large decorative rying a doctor, but Hashem obviously cy program that would be open to his
chest in the middle of the had other plans for me!) After we got not working on Shabbos or Yom Tov.
Hippodrome stage and call out married, Dani continued learning in This made the process even more
a name. The tension in the Ner Yisrael while also studying for the challenging as he had to find out
room was thick. Each student walked Medical College Admissions Test prior to applying to each program
to the stage to retrieve his or her enve- (MCATS). He also spent some time whether they would accommodate
lope and read the long-awaited con- shadowing doctors, engaging in him in this way. (Of course, he was
tents out loud. Finally, after waiting for research, and organizing blood drives willing to do more than his fair share
over an hour, we heard my husband’s for the American Red. After receiving to make sure the arrangement was
name. To the accompaniment of a fast- his MCAT score, Dani put together a equitable to all involved parties.) This
paced song, my husband and four-year- list of the schools he planned to apply condition, in addition to only applying
old son ran on stage to be congratulat- to and completed his primary medical to programs commutable from an
ed and to receive his envelope. He school application and personal state- Orthodox community, helped him
quickly ripped it open and whispered ment for each. Some of the schools he narrow down his list substantially.
something to my son, who then yelled, applied to requested a more detailed
“VCU Richmond!” into the microphone. secondary application, which he com- Dani spent the next few months
The words reverberated around the pleted as well. Then we waited to see traveling by car, bus, and plane to
room, and my heartbeat quickened as I which programs would offer an inter- interviews in Chicago, Ohio, Virginia,
tried to make sense of what I had view. Baruch Hashem, my husband was Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New
heard. The next hour felt surreal. We offered an interview at University of York. He did this all while finishing up
called and texted our family and close Maryland, one of his top choices, and his last year of medical school.
friends to let them know the news: We was accepted! Following his interviews, Dani had to
would be spending the next three years submit a list of all the programs for
of our lives in Richmond, Virginia! ◆◆◆ which he had interviewed, in order of
personal preference, on the National
◆◆◆ Dani’s four years of medical school Resident Matching Program’s website.
seemed to pass in a blur (at least in The programs also submitted a list,
When I met my husband in 2009, retrospect!) and before we knew it, he but theirs was a list of the intervie-
was chest-deep in the application
120 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
Sby Bracha Poliakoff
itting in the darkened theater he was completing his bachelors in process again. This time, however, he
next to my husband, I watched Talmudic law and medicine prerequi- was applying to residency programs.
the school staff ceremoniously sites at Ner Yisrael. (Prior to dating my Dani had decided that, ideally, he
draw one envelope after anoth- husband, I had never envisioned mar- would like to find a spot in a residen-
er from the large decorative rying a doctor, but Hashem obviously cy program that would be open to his
chest in the middle of the had other plans for me!) After we got not working on Shabbos or Yom Tov.
Hippodrome stage and call out married, Dani continued learning in This made the process even more
a name. The tension in the Ner Yisrael while also studying for the challenging as he had to find out
room was thick. Each student walked Medical College Admissions Test prior to applying to each program
to the stage to retrieve his or her enve- (MCATS). He also spent some time whether they would accommodate
lope and read the long-awaited con- shadowing doctors, engaging in him in this way. (Of course, he was
tents out loud. Finally, after waiting for research, and organizing blood drives willing to do more than his fair share
over an hour, we heard my husband’s for the American Red. After receiving to make sure the arrangement was
name. To the accompaniment of a fast- his MCAT score, Dani put together a equitable to all involved parties.) This
paced song, my husband and four-year- list of the schools he planned to apply condition, in addition to only applying
old son ran on stage to be congratulat- to and completed his primary medical to programs commutable from an
ed and to receive his envelope. He school application and personal state- Orthodox community, helped him
quickly ripped it open and whispered ment for each. Some of the schools he narrow down his list substantially.
something to my son, who then yelled, applied to requested a more detailed
“VCU Richmond!” into the microphone. secondary application, which he com- Dani spent the next few months
The words reverberated around the pleted as well. Then we waited to see traveling by car, bus, and plane to
room, and my heartbeat quickened as I which programs would offer an inter- interviews in Chicago, Ohio, Virginia,
tried to make sense of what I had view. Baruch Hashem, my husband was Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New
heard. The next hour felt surreal. We offered an interview at University of York. He did this all while finishing up
called and texted our family and close Maryland, one of his top choices, and his last year of medical school.
friends to let them know the news: We was accepted! Following his interviews, Dani had to
would be spending the next three years submit a list of all the programs for
of our lives in Richmond, Virginia! ◆◆◆ which he had interviewed, in order of
personal preference, on the National
◆◆◆ Dani’s four years of medical school Resident Matching Program’s website.
seemed to pass in a blur (at least in The programs also submitted a list,
When I met my husband in 2009, retrospect!) and before we knew it, he but theirs was a list of the intervie-
was chest-deep in the application
120 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
