A proposal for inclusion of "shomer Shabbos" and "Shabbos friendly" residencies in the national match
Following my Shabbos accommodation survey and successful match for Sabbath accommodating residencies in internal medicine and radiology, I pursued the possibility of introducing a "Shomer Shabbos" match similar to the current "couples match." I discussed the details with the national head of the match at that time (1993) with Dr. David Longnecker of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Department of Anesthesia. He was extremely receptive and asked me for a written proposal (see letter on the side of this page), which I provided.
The proposal explained the problems inherent in the current match system for Shomer Shabbos medical students and suggested creating an opportunity within the regular match for the efficient matching of Sabbath-observant medical students with programs that could accommodate them. A summary of the provisions of the proposal were presented at the 10th International Conference on Jewish Medical Ethics in San Francisco in February, 1999. The only major question that the Dr. Longnecker had was how many shomer Shabbos medical students are there who participate in the match. This was a major issue, as I was unable to obtain an accurate number of shomer Shabbos medical students due to unfounded worries that by giving their names, medical students would be at a disadvantage in the match at some future time. I still do not understand what possible ramifications identifying oneself as shomer Shabbos for the sake of determining the number of such medical students there are in the United States and Canada could have on future match possibilities. I encourage anyone who would favor the creation of a shomer Shabbos match within the general match (which could be configured to in no way limit the residency choices for any medical student) to register with the Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists (AOJS) who will keep a database of students interested in shomer Shabbos residencies. Such students will be notified of any information that becomes available that might be pertinent to obtaining a shomer Shabbos or Shabbos friendly residency slot. Please write "shomer shabbos medical student" in the subject line. |
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