switching to ob/gyn

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

switch12

New Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Hi guys,

I am currently a PGY3 in radiology and have decided for a wide variety of reasons that I would be better off professionally and emotionaly in Ob/gyn. I have thought about this for almost 2 years and feel like I gave myself a shot to enjoy my current field.

Here are my stats: step 1-3: 240s; 270s; 270s.
top 20% in med school, all H and HPs; H in ob/gyn and have a really good write-up about it in my MSPE;

I can likely get at least one OB/GYN letter; but in the event that I can't I will have at least one letter from my current residency, two from my prelim year in medicine.

Questions for any residents/Attendings/PDs: Has anyone encoutered this scenario (not necessarily rads to OB, but anything to OB) and what has your experience been?

I realize this is a very unusual switch but I have done a lot of soul searching, research, and had conversations with rads and ob attendings and feel this is the right move.

If for through some series of unfortunate events I can't obtain an OB LOR would that be a huge issue problem?

I have been in touch with my home programs OB department, and they seem to be supportive and have guided me in this process, but I'd like to hear other opinions if possible.

Thanks

Members don't see this ad.
 
Switched such as yours happen every so often, albeit less from Radiology to OB. In my years I've seen switches to and fro Psych, Surg, OB, Med, and Peds.

In my experience, an LOR from an OB has not been required. The program will often look for 1) letter of good standing, 2) letters confirming your skill sets and interpersonal skills, and 3) a legitimate reason for the switch. Especially after 3 years of training, most programs know that your connections to the OB world are not what they were in medical school and will be understanding.

My advice to you would be to get the best LOR possible, write an honest and straightforward account of why you want to switch, and try to get credit for rotations you completed in your preliminary year. OB residencies require such non-OB rotations as ICU, Medicine, etc. and you might be able to reduce your overall training by about 6 months to a year. In fact, if your program was willing, you could potentially transfer (prior to the match) into an open PGY-1 slot.

I hope this helps you start the process. On a related note, once in OB/GYN, you should look at MFM. Your radiology skill set would definitely serve as an asset.

Best of luck!
 
Thanks.

My reason for switching is: went into rads primarily for IR, love IR, the procedures, the patients, and have excellent technical skills, but feel sort of like a mercenary: a specialists asks us to do something we do it, then the patient gets shipped off back to specialist; even with the new mind set of having own admitting service (which my program does for things like chemoebos and UFE primarily) and following patients, it is still ultimately someone elses patient; I think IR will evolve into something akin to radiation oncology, which is still ultimately a tertiary referall specialty.
But the nature of the work doesn't allow long term follow-up, and I'm not really keen on seeing people repeatedly for med adjustments, just kind of q3-12 months for surveillance type stuff.

As far as why OB/Gyn; for me it's a great mix surgery and medicine, I like the pathophys and anatomy of what OB and Gyn involve, and I can decide what I want to do during residency as far as more medical (REI/MFM) or more surgical (urogyn/gyn onc); during rads residency I really loved the female patients, and during med school I love my ob/gyn rotation, but kind of got turned off of it because I am male (people in med school told me it's much harder for guys to get jobs out of residency, now I know that's foolish, but then it seemed like sound advice).
 
Members don't see this ad :)
just curious if you decided to switch..... i share similar sentiments and am a radiology resident.
 
You are strong academically, very high USMLE and clerkship scores. It would be ashame to start all over again. Check the CREOG clearinghouse. I know that there are a couple of PGY 1 openings right now. Email or fax the coordinators a letter explaning your situation and see if you would be a candidate that they would consider. Check with ABOG and see if you could use some of your previous rotations to start as a PGY1 now (that is if you are willing to leave your current program). If not, I am sure that you could be a competitive candidate, but I agree that you will have to explain very clearly why you are switching at this point in time. Good luck!
 
Hi I am an IMG and currently a PGY 2 in Internal Medicine.I really want to switch to ObGYn.I have applied this year however I am afraid to discuss this with my PD because in case I do not match, I think my PD might treat me differently thinking i am not interested anymore. I am really confused. The LoRs that I have submitted are from my med school and some of the sub Is I did in OB.I am still thinking about whether I should tell my PD or not.
Any suggestions?
 
Top