How does PGY-2 matching work?

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sunealoneal

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I read some similar threads, but I just want to confirm what I think I know. I looked at the Match results today, and saw only 8 programs had PGY-1 matching, the 81 others were PGY-2.

Do people stay at their home hospital for that 5th year? Do they have to apply to an entirely different place? Finally, does the PGY-1 year have any impact on the application for matching? Or do people match during their 4th year despite not starting at PGY-1?

I probably missed some AAMC resource that explained all this, but thanks for reading!

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The majority of rad onc residency programs are advanced programs, which means that they begin at PGY-2. Applicants apply and interview for these positions over a year before the position would begin. (i.e. The applicants who just matched will start their PGY-2 rad onc programs in the summer of 2016). If you match to this type of program, you will also have to apply for PGY-1 programs separately at the same time as you apply for the advanced rad onc programs. These can be prelim internal medicine, prelim surgery, or transitional year programs. All of these are one year PGY-1 programs, and will start the same year as the match year. (i.e. The recently matched applicants will start their intern year programs this upcoming summer). Applicants much match to BOTH an intern year program and a rad onc program. A lot of people might prefer to stay at a program affiliated with their med school for their intern year simply because it's familiar and because they wouldn't have to move, but you do have to apply and match at that program. It's not guaranteed just because it's your home school.

Additionally, there are a handful of rad onc programs which are categorical, meaning that they start at PGY-1 and go all the way through PGY-5. Typically this just means that there is a rotating internship year (similar to a transitional year) that they have designed specifically for their rad onc interns at their hospital. It doesn't really mean that you start rad onc a year earlier.

Most people who apply to rad onc will apply to both advanced and categorical programs, and also several intern year programs. If you match to a categorical program, those intern year programs won't matter. But if you match to an advanced program, you will also need to match to an intern year in order to be qualified to start your advanced program the following year.
 
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