Thriving During Your First Year of Residency

Welcome to resident spouse life! You survived the interviews, made it through graduation, maybe even took a big trip, and have now moved to a new city with your spouse or significant other.  You can't wait to explore your new town.  Wait! You just might be exploring that new city on your own.  How do you cope with the new and often challenging schedule of a resident spouse?  Here are a few tips for surviving your first year:

Get a Life:

Whether it is through church, work, school, your community, or the Resident Spouse Association, you need to create your own support network of friends you can turn to.  This is critical when your spouse is working long hours and family is far away. No one understands better than a fellow resident spouse the challenges that you will face.

Learn More about Residency:

Find out a little more about resident life in these books.  Do your own research to find out about your spouse’s program, what rotations they will be on, and what types of experiences they can expect to have.

Be Active:

Do something to keep active.  Join a gym, a club (check out meetup.com for local clubs in your area), or volunteer.  Register to run a race like the Queen Bee in October and the Flying Pig in May.  Learn a new skill (check out Coursera.com for free online classes) or take an art or cooking class.  If you have kids, check out the free programs at your local library or bookstore and look into getting memberships at the CincinnatiZoo, Newport Aquarium, or the Cincinnati Museum Center.  If you work, ask about getting involved in a special project.  Just do something so that you are not sitting around waiting for your spouse to get home.

Find an Inside Connection:

Does your spouse typically forget to tell you about events and activities related to their residency?  Did they tell you about the RSA or did you find out about it on your own? If that is the case, make friends with the spouse of a more senior resident.  Not only will they be able to let you know about upcoming residency events, but they can also tell you about what to wear and what to expect.

Explore your New City:

Cincinnati is the home of so many great parks, museums, professional sports teams, music, theater, festivals, and much, much more.  Check out our Cincinnati resources for more info.  Remember to check your spouse’s residency handbook to see what kind of discounts might be available to them for local events and attractions.  

Set a Budget:

Woo hoo! Your spouse has a job (finally) and a paycheck, but you now may also be paying back student loans in addition to your regular living expenses.  And what if you want to expand your family? You will need to create a budget and stick to it.  The good news is that many RSA events are free and babysitting stipends are available.

Be Supportive:

Your life over the next few years is not going to be easy, but it is also going to be challenging for your spouse, especially when they deal with life and death for the first time.  The best thing about being a resident spouse is that you get to go through it all together, which will make it that much more rewarding when you are all finished.  Be there for your spouse when they need your support, and do not be too hard on them when they are working long hours.

Welcome to Residency:

Just remember that it gets a lot easier after the first year and that time will fly by.  By keeping busy, building your social circle, and being open to new experiences, both you and your partner will be well on the way to a successful future.  We hope you will attend as many RSA events as possible until then and enjoy your journey.  Be sure to join our Facebook page and follow this link to see our calendar of events.  We look forward to sharing this journey with you!