Residency question from premed

[DaveC]

Exactly how does one get into a competitve residency? Are there residencies that are "none competitive", meaning you do nothing and you will be placed into it? Thanks.

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[Winged Scapula]

One gets into a competitive residency much the same way you get into a competitive medical school (or any other competitive fight in your life): good grades, good test scores, good references (ie, letters of recommendation), and in some cases, doing an away rotation at a known program with a good performance. However, these do not guarantee you a spot, only make you more competitive.

There are residencies which are *less* competitive than others, and certain fields which are in general less competitive. However, "doing nothing" will not guarantee you a spot much as doing everything does not. There are no guarantees in life.

 

[Winged Scapula]

BTW, moving to General Residency Issues...

 

[joelee955]

Dave C,

you ask a very good question. There are specialties that are essentially "non" competitive where if you apply, you can essentially get in, provided that you are not a criminal or that you go to a US allopathic medical school.

Generally, these fields are family practice, peds, psychiatry, etc..

Sometimes, competitive fields, such as general surgery go through periods where they're not very competitive at all, like last year. Many good surgery programs did not fill their residency positions. This doesn't mean that so few people applied that they took everyone that applied and didn't fill. Generally, they took all "acceptable" candidates and still there were positions left over. So if you wanted to go into general surgery and applied to that program, as long as you were a decent person, even if you finished at the bottom of your medical school, you still have a reasonable chance of getting into that residency.

Radiology used to be that way a couple of years ago, but now it's become much more competitive.

But I do agree with Kimberi that doing nothing will generally guarantee nothing.

 

[Dr JPH]

Originally posted by joelee955
...provided that you are not a criminal or that you go to a US allopathic medical school.

What's wrong with osteopathic medical schools? We can't get residencies?

Boy...I wish I had talked to you before applying...never knew that all this was for nothing.

 

[Apollyon]

Originally posted by joelee955
you can essentially get in, provided that you are not a criminal or that you go to a US allopathic medical school.

Generally, these fields are family practice, peds, psychiatry, etc..

FP, Peds, Psych, IM...hell, if you can pass Step I and II, regardless of whether you went to Harvard, McGill, Trinity, St. George's, the Sorbonne, or All-India Medical, you can get a primary care residency spot in the US. The irony is, is, without the FMG's, the poorest inner-city people would be out of luck, because US grads balk at poverty (at least for primary care). If you are a US grad that can get yourself physically to a program, you can get a reasonably "good" one, with an average effort.

 

[GreatPumpkin]

Originally posted by JPHazelton
What's wrong with osteopathic medical schools? We can't get residencies?

Boy...I wish I had talked to you before applying...never knew that all this was for nothing.

Hehe, I don't think he was meaning to leave you out. Probably was saying it is tough for FMGs. My program is definately taking a DO this year. She came and did a rotation with us and everyone loved her.

 

[Ctrhu]

Don't DOs have their own residencies in almost all specialties? And I don't believe these programs consider allopathic applicants. But do FMGs and IMGs have a shot at these programs?