A different WAMC

[mrbreakfast]

Long story short: I'm an M3 who's borderline panicking about what specialty to go for in M4; I've pretty much loved none of my required rotations, including what I had originally intended to go into (surgery). I'm already looking into all the "alternative" residencies (rads/PMR/anest) but of the required rotations, I think I would be OK with pediatrics.

Looking at the charted outcomes, I'm very competitive for pediatrics. Match rate with my Step 1 score is like 99.5%, and I am around double-digits for publications. That's not what I'm worried about.

I'm worried that absolutely nothing about my CV says "pediatrics." On paper, I clearly went for surgery for the past 3 years, and while I like working with kids/adolescents, most people who meet me think "orthopod." Also, while I did well in pediatrics and got good comments, I am not sure I can ask an attending for a letter with whom I worked like 7 months ago.

I'm trying to cover as many bases as possible with my remaining electives/shadowing, but my question: with likely 2+ surgery letters and 1-2 late pediatrics rotations for letters, would I still have a good shot at pediatrics, or would I come across as an unusual applicant?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Long story short: I'm an M3 who's borderline panicking about what specialty to go for in M4; I've pretty much loved none of my required rotations, including what I had originally intended to go into (surgery). I'm already looking into all the "alternative" residencies (rads/PMR/anest) but of the required rotations, I think I would be OK with pediatrics.

Looking at the charted outcomes, I'm very competitive for pediatrics. Match rate with my Step 1 score is like 99.5%, and I am around double-digits for publications. That's not what I'm worried about.

I'm worried that absolutely nothing about my CV says "pediatrics." On paper, I clearly went for surgery for the past 3 years, and while I like working with kids/adolescents, most people who meet me think "orthopod." Also, while I did well in pediatrics and got good comments, I am not sure I can ask an attending for a letter with whom I worked like 7 months ago.

I'm trying to cover as many bases as possible with my remaining electives/shadowing, but my question: with likely 2+ surgery letters and 1-2 late pediatrics rotations for letters, would I still have a good shot at pediatrics, or would I come across as an unusual applicant?

Address it in your personal statement. You were going to do surgery, then had an epiphany, decided peds was your calling... yada, yada. And yeah, try to get a pediatric LOR. I've seen several applicants to Pediatric Critical Care who started their lives out as surgical residents, so it's not a huge deal.

As an aside, are you sure you want to do Pediatrics if you are just "OK" with it? You seem like you are settling, which you should definitely not write in your PS, but should address personally. You don't want to settle on an "OK" career.

 

[shepardsun]

Have you had an anesthesia rotation?

 

[settingqt31]

I agree with the above suggestion of explaining it in your personal statement. I would also say that while there are a few programs that are numbers and publication focused in pediatrics more of them care about who you are as a person. So if you are just "ok" with it and don't show passion for some part of pediatrics during an interview I would worry a little. I would try to get your sub-I or other peds rotations early in 4th year to make sure it really is what you want.

All that said- my entire resume was pediatrics based with a huge focus on a sub-specialty I loved. I ended up being miserable in said sub-specialty (only figured it out as a fellow) and went into a totally different part of pediatrics.

 

[mrbreakfast]

Thanks, more interested in learning the extent of my options than saying I'm going to apply peds. Planning for the worst, which is me not liking any of my remaining rotations and having to pick something.

Have you had an anesthesia rotation?

Considering shadowing in it. My program allows very little time to experience the "non-required" rotations, which is why I'm in this situation.

 

[shepardsun]

I would aggressively look into it, if you thought you were a surgery person but realized you didn't care for surgery. You may still find the OR appealing from the other end of the drapes, particularly if you like physiology, procedures, and fast paced decision making.

I would strongly consider not doing a residency if you get to the end of exhaustive investigations into all available specialties and were in a position of picking one you "hated least." Medicine in general may not be for you, and there are many alternative uses for the MD degree.