A Young Couple Survives Residency—And Faces New Challenges

Being a young physician these days has its challenges. But Daniel Davis and his wife, Julie Dang, have almost cleared one tall hurdle: in June, they will both finish their residencies at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

“It’s been a long road,” says Daniel, a pathology resident. “During the first year, I didn’t see Julie at all,” he says. Julie is an internal medicine and pediatrics resident.

While residents these days are limited to working 80 hours a week—to older physicians, this might seem like a light load—Daniel feels there are other things that have made residency more difficult. As an example, he cites insurance companies’ limitations on the duration of patients’ stays in hospitals. “You have rapid turnover, so you see more patients and have to fill out more paperwork. And the amount of medical knowledge is exploding. So I think medical training is just as hard now as it was 20 years ago.”

But despite the long hours and overwhelming paperwork, Daniel and Julie’s marriage survived, which is more than they can say for some of their colleagues. “We went to two of our classmates’ weddings, and they were both divorced after the first year of residency.”

Julie thinks being married actually helped her get through her residency. “It has been very comforting to have Dan to come home to. He has helped me to get through medical school and residency by being a welcomed distraction away from the stress of exams and work.”

Medical School Romance

Daniel and Julie met during their first year of medical school at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri.

“I actually had a crush on Dan's friend, who I sat next to in class,” says Julie. But then, Daniel happened to switch seats with his friend, and he and Julie got to know each other. “He was very persistent in following me around after class, which was pretty sweet.” They were married a few years later, when they were completing a rotation at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

During their final year in medical school, they went through residency “match” together. It was a very stressful time, Daniel admits, because they were trying to match as a couple. Thankfully, they both matched at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

“Residency makes marriage that much harder,” Daniel says. “I think marriage is hard to begin with—in a good way! I just think you have to make an extra effort. And you have to remember that residency is just for a time—that it passes.”

Julie has advice for other couples in residency. “Be there for each other. My residency has been very draining because I’m required to take a lot of in-house calls,” she says. “Dan would bring me dinner or pick me up the next morning after my call with a smoothie or Frappuccino^® in hand, so that I wouldn't have to drive home drowsy. The little things go a long way when you are tired and weary.”

The Challenge of Medical School Debt

But now that they’ve survived residency with their marriage intact, they see more challenges ahead. Like many new physicians, they are carrying significant education debt. Daniel’s medical school education was paid for by the Navy’s Health Professions Scholarship Program, which he signed up for while earning his undergraduate degree at Indiana University. But he still has loans from his undergraduate education, and Julie carries loans from both her undergraduate and medical school educations.

Daniel and Julie are not alone. According to the American Medical Association, the average medical student in 2009 left medical school with $156,456 in debt. And 79% of medical-school graduates have debt of at least $100,000.¹

“Back in the mid-90s, medical schools didn’t charge med students nearly what they do now,” Daniel says. “It puts you in a very vulnerable situation.”

Data from the American Association of Medical Colleges show that median private medical-school tuition and fees increased by 50 percent (in real dollars) in the 20 years between 1984 and 2004. Median public medical-school tuition and fees increased by 133 percent over the same time period.¹

Daniel fears that the large amount of debt will discourage young students from entering the medical field. “We’re expected to do more and more work, for less and less pay. I’m just thinking that the pool of med students is going to get smaller and smaller.”

Medicine—Still a Good Choice

This summer, Daniel and Julie will head back to Bethesda, where Daniel will pay back the Navy for his medical school expenses by serving at the National Naval Medical Center for three years. Julie is still looking for a job.

“The job market out there is really tighter than we anticipated,” Daniel says. “Often, physician assistants and nurse practitioners are hired over a new physician because they are cheaper to employ than hiring a new partner to the practice, and it makes the job market tight.”

But despite the challenges, Daniel says that he and Julie are glad they made the decision to become physicians.

“We wouldn’t do anything else. You know, like any other job, you complain about certain things. But I think most medical personnel—including nurses, physical therapists, etc.—choose their jobs because they really get to help people and make a difference. It’s just a nice feeling.”

To contact Daniel Davis and Julie Dang, e-mail them at dwdavis2465737@yahoo.com.

¹American Medical Association website, Medical Student Advocacy page. Available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/medical-student-section/advocacy-policy/medical-student-debt.shtml. Accessed April 8, 2010.

How to Apply for Long-Term Disability Insurance

Many physicians choose to apply for long-term disability insurance early in their career. As a physician, you may face high on-the-job risks and have higher-than-average debt because of money you borrowed to attend medical school or start your own practice. Therefore, long-term disability insurance can give you peace of mind that you’ll still be able to take care of yourself and your family if you become disabled and can no longer work.

Applying for long-term disability insurance, however, can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. Now there’s a new guide that will help you, step by step, through the quote and application process. It gives you information about:

• Common long-term disability terms you need to know when applying
• How to determine what benefit amount and elimination period to request
• What questions you will need to answer to get a quote
• What’s included in a quote summary
• What a long-term disability insurance application involves, including:
  • Medical questions
  • Financial review
  • Medical exam
• How underwriters make a decision about whether to offer you a policy
• How long it takes and what you can do to speed up the process

The guide is a helpful tool in assisting you to purchase the insurance you may need. To see our complete guide on understanding the long-term disability application process, go to http://www.tmait.org/pdf/applyingfor_LTD_insurance_01c.pdf.

Take Advantage of Lower LTD Insurance Rates

During a recession, it’s always nice to find ways to save money. Now you can save on your long-term disability premiums.

Because of lower-than-expected costs within the TMAIT Long Term Disability Plan, with coverage issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, we are pleased to announce we are now able to offer lower premiums on this Long Term Disability Plan effective May 1, 2010. This is the fourth time we’ve reduced premiums for this particular coverage within the past eight years. Although we will be reducing premiums, if you already have coverage it will remain the same.

TMAIT and Prudential have formed a special relationship to benefit TMA members by offering insurance plans created specifically for Texas physicians. To find out more about the TMAIT Long Term Disability Plan, you can read or download our new brochure about the coverage as well as the application on our website at http://www.tmait.org/Publications/Brochures/index.html.

You may want to take advantage of these lower rates to purchase insurance if you don’t already have it, or if you do have coverage with TMAIT, you may want to increase your coverage and get more for your money. Contact a TMAIT Advisor to discuss your options at 1.800.880.8181, Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. CST.

Long Term Disability Insurance coverage under TMAIT is issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, 751 Broad Street, Newark, NJ; 07102. 973.802.6000. The booklet-certificate for this coverage contains all details, including policy exclusions, features, limitations, and restrictions that may apply. Contract Series: 83500.

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