R positions

[Arthrocity]

Can anyone provide any help with this? I'm planning on going through the match again for a different specialty, and was hoping to match at an R position for the following year. I am not seeing any R positions at all. How do I find them? Thanks.

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[Winged Scapula]

Do you mean Categorical or Advanced positions? I'm not aware of any "R" positions.

The former usually do not require prior graduate medical education whereas the latter do.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Oh yay! I get to teach WS something. Doesn't happen often.

R positions are new creations by the NRMP. They are "advanced" spots that start the year of the match. They are designed to accomodate the "all in" rule. If an advanced program is "all in", then all of their spots need to be filled in the match, even those 1 year off cycle. So, if a program matched a candidate in an advanced spot in last year's match, and that candidate couldn't find a prelim / changes their mind and gets a waiver / etc, that program must fill that (now empty) position in the match. But, they now need to fill a PGY-2 position for 2014 in the 2014 match -- so matching another Advanced doesn't work. So, the NRMP created a new code "R" for PGY-2 positions in the match starting the year of the match. Candidates for these position must have already completed the prerequisite training.

Now, back to the OP's question. Where are these positions?

1. Remember that these are NRMP positions. You're not necessarily going to see them in ERAS. Programs are likely to simply review their ERAS applications (for their advanced spots), review to see if you would qualify for an R spot, and talk to you about it when you interview.

2. These are new. I don't think that all advanced programs feel they need to use them, and they may simply continue to offer them outside the match. Whether or not that's "match legal" or not is a debatable question.

So, the only way to know if a program will have a position like this is to contact them directly.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Oh yay! I get to teach WS something. Doesn't happen often.

Don't be so modest, I've learned plenty from you over the years.

R positions are new creations by the NRMP. They are "advanced" spots that start the year of the match. They are designed to accomodate the "all in" rule. If an advanced program is "all in", then all of their spots need to be filled in the match, even those 1 year off cycle. So, if a program matched a candidate in an advanced spot in last year's match, and that candidate couldn't find a prelim / changes their mind and gets a waiver / etc, that program must fill that (now empty) position in the match. But, they now need to fill a PGY-2 position for 2014 in the 2014 match -- so matching another Advanced doesn't work. So, the NRMP created a new code "R" for PGY-2 positions in the match starting the year of the match. Candidates for these position must have already completed the prerequisite training.

Thanks for the learnins! Sounds like a good plan.

 

[Arthrocity]

Oh yay! I get to teach WS something. Doesn't happen often.

R positions are new creations by the NRMP. They are "advanced" spots that start the year of the match. They are designed to accomodate the "all in" rule. If an advanced program is "all in", then all of their spots need to be filled in the match, even those 1 year off cycle. So, if a program matched a candidate in an advanced spot in last year's match, and that candidate couldn't find a prelim / changes their mind and gets a waiver / etc, that program must fill that (now empty) position in the match. But, they now need to fill a PGY-2 position for 2014 in the 2014 match -- so matching another Advanced doesn't work. So, the NRMP created a new code "R" for PGY-2 positions in the match starting the year of the match. Candidates for these position must have already completed the prerequisite training.

Now, back to the OP's question. Where are these positions?

1. Remember that these are NRMP positions. You're not necessarily going to see them in ERAS. Programs are likely to simply review their ERAS applications (for their advanced spots), review to see if you would qualify for an R spot, and talk to you about it when you interview.

2. These are new. I don't think that all advanced programs feel they need to use them, and they may simply continue to offer them outside the match. Whether or not that's "match legal" or not is a debatable question.

So, the only way to know if a program will have a position like this is to contact them directly.

Ok, thanks for your response. Are you sure they are not supposed to be listed on the ERAS app site?

 

[Stellar Clouds]

I remember during last year's match, you could find R0 positions by searching for them on the NRMP website.

 

[RangerBob]

If I remember, there were at least two R positions listed in ERAS last year at the start of the application season. I know at least one program decided in January to add an R position, after they'd already finished interviewing.

It'd be worthwhile to ask programs, and also to apply for advanced PYG-2--the odds are the R positions, if any become available, will be very competitive, and they may or may not be at programs/locations you want to go to.

Edit: I just want to point out I'm referring to just PM&R here.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

There were 20+ R0 positions in anesthesia last year alone.

 

[Arthrocity]

If I remember, there were at least two R positions listed in ERAS last year at the start of the application season. I know at least one program decided in January to add an R position, after they'd already finished interviewing.

It'd be worthwhile to ask programs, and also to apply for advanced PYG-2--the odds are the R positions, if any become available, will be very competitive, and they may or may not be at programs/locations you want to go to.

Edit: I just want to point out I'm referring to just PM&R here.

I cannot see any of those on ERAS now. Is it because they are not currently available, or how exactly would I find out about them?

 

[Arthrocity]

I remember during last year's match, you could find R0 positions by searching for them on the NRMP website.

Could you please elaborate on this? Which site are you referring to, and where/how do I exactly look for them? Thanks!

 

[Stellar Clouds]

Could you please elaborate on this? Which site are you referring to, and where/how do I exactly look for them? Thanks!

If I remember correctly, whenever you can finally log into the NRMP website for this year's match, you can do a program search. There is a drop down box for specialty and then a separate one for position type (or something like that). In position type there should be something like "physician only" as opposed to "advanced". Click "physician only" and hit search.

 

[Arthrocity]

If I remember correctly, whenever you can finally log into the NRMP website for this year's match, you can do a program search. There is a drop down box for specialty and then a separate one for position type (or something like that). In position type there should be something like "physician only" as opposed to "advanced". Click "physician only" and hit search.

Ok, will try that. Thanks!

 

[NotAProgDirector]

The confusion here is that R positions are listed in the NRMP match, not in FREIDA or not usually in ERAS (although programs could do that).

You could wait until NRMP opens, but remember that programs have until the end of January to change their quotas.

Your best option is to contact programs directly.

 

[Arthrocity]

The confusion here is that R positions are listed in the NRMP match, not in FREIDA or not usually in ERAS (although programs could do that).

You could wait until NRMP opens, but remember that programs have until the end of January to change their quotas.

Your best option is to contact programs directly.

Oh seriously? So the R positions are listed in ERAS?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

R positions are not usually listed in ERAS.

NRMP opens late, hence my point that it's not helpful for this purpose.

Which brings me back to my main point, which you seem to be missing or ignoring. So here it is in bold print:

You need to contact PM&R programs directly to figure this out. Call or email each one you are interested in.

 

[Arthrocity]

R positions are not usually listed in ERAS.

NRMP opens late, hence my point that it's not helpful for this purpose.

Which brings me back to my main point, which you seem to be missing or ignoring. So here it is in bold print:

You need to contact PM&R programs directly to figure this out. Call or email each one you are interested in.

Ok. So what do I say, Hi, do you have R positions? It seems that a lot of the coordinators don't know what R positions are.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Ok. So what do I say, Hi, do you have R positions? It seems that a lot of the coordinators don't know what R positions are.

How about, "hi I'm calling to inquire if you have any Advanced PGY2 openings scheduled to start X date?"

 

[Arthrocity]

How about, "hi I'm calling to inquire if you have any Advanced PGY2 openings scheduled to start X date?"

I have called programs before to inquire, and coordinators frequently get annoyed when you ask and cut you off mid-sentence before even you finish it. Also it seems a lot of them don't know the rules and get confused easily. I called one program and mentioned that I was a resident and wanted to switch specialties, and coordinator told me that I had to finish my current residency and that I was bound legally to finish it. It's a great example of how confused many of them are unfortunately. Clearly many of them don't know/understand the rules. It becomes super frustrating. That's why I was trying to avoid calling to inquire.

 

[gutonc]

I have called programs before to inquire, and coordinators frequently get annoyed when you ask and cut you off mid-sentence before even you finish it. Also it seems a lot of them don't know the rules and get confused easily. I called one program and mentioned that I was a resident and wanted to switch specialties, and coordinator told me that I had to finish my current residency and that I was bound legally to finish it. It's a great example of how confused many of them are unfortunately. Clearly many of them don't know/understand the rules. It becomes super frustrating. That's why I was trying to avoid calling to inquire.

Why not just apply to all of them (or most of them) and sort it out at the interview? If FREIDA is to be believed, there are a grand total of 77 PMR programs in the country. That's ~$1500 to guaran-goddam-tee you won't miss a single program that might have an R position. And then you get to talk with the PD and maybe even convince them to put an R spot out there for your that they might not normally have. You've got virtually nothing to lose here.

 

[Arthrocity]

Why not just apply to all of them (or most of them) and sort it out at the interview? If FREIDA is to be believed, there are a grand total of 77 PMR programs in the country. That's ~$1500 to guaran-goddam-tee you won't miss a single program that might have an R position. And then you get to talk with the PD and maybe even convince them to put an R spot out there for your that they might not normally have. You've got virtually nothing to lose here.

Ok, thanks