Adv -> Categor switch for Match 2010

[PhakeDoc]

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Ok, so this won't be useful for the current matchers, but during the interview trail or elsewhere, anyone hear any info on programs that will switch to a guaranteed PGY1 year and/or have a 4yr categorical program for the 2010 Match (internship to begin July '10) which are currently only 3yr advanced status?

Thanks much!

 

[PhakeDoc]

Anyone...anyone?

It seems based on this year's match results, I'd be a bit more hesitant to rank advanced programs high on the ROL b/c of having to rank prelims vs. categorical programs.

It'd be really nice if places like Hopkins, Penn, UChicago, and Stanford (those are the "biggest" names I can think of that still have advanced only spots) finally transitioned to categorical programs. I know 2 people who matched advanced progs, but weren't able to scramble in to prelim spots. Not sure what they are going to do.

 

[oruen]

if you are able to (ie a good enough candidate for) match for a pgy 2 neuro spot at hopkins, stanford, penn, or even u chicago, it would be nearly impossible _not_ to match for a prelim spot somewhere unless you screwed up somehow (ie didnt interview/rank enough places)....

 

[Amos]

Anyone...anyone?

It seems based on this year's match results, I'd be a bit more hesitant to rank advanced programs high on the ROL b/c of having to rank prelims vs. categorical programs.

It'd be really nice if places like Hopkins, Penn, UChicago, and Stanford (those are the "biggest" names I can think of that still have advanced only spots) finally transitioned to categorical programs. I know 2 people who matched advanced progs, but weren't able to scramble in to prelim spots. Not sure what they are going to do.

As of this year, Partner's still had all 17 slots designated as "advanced" but bent way over backwards to accommodate people in terms of helping people secure a prelim spot at MGH or the Brigham. I wouldn't be surprised if they designated a bunch of slots as categorical in the near future.

A lot of other programs have a mix of options. UCSF for example went 6 categorical and 3 advanced this year. Penn was the reverse. Wash U and U Wash are the only ones I can think of that were strictly categorical, though I know there are some others out there.

At very few places I interviewed for neuro do you have to do the full prelim interview with medicine to be eligible to list it in your supplemental list for their advanced neuro program. Lots of times you can just meet with the medicine program director and they will offer to rank you wherever neuro ranks you. Columbia was one of the few places where I felt like I had to do the full independent medicine prelim interview (and even then I'm not sure I had to). I also did a full prelim interview at MGH sorta for the heck of it.

Just to cover your bases, I would apply to both the advanced and categorical options at programs that have the option for both. If you really like a place you will end up listing both options anyway. I would then interview for the prelim medicine program at your home institution and maybe a couple others just as an extra safety measure. If you are interviewing at some of the better neuro programs you should have no trouble garnering a lot of interest from your home program if you had a good medicine rotation. If you are interested in only advanced neuro programs due to personal obligations your intern year then you'll want to interview at a few more prelims just to be safe. Sometimes good prelims can be tricky to find cause a lot of programs only have a few open slots each year that aren't reserved for their in house programs such as derm, rads, neuro, etc.

I was worried about this issue too last year but it turned out not to be a big deal at all. That being said I've heard of a few students that haven't been able to scramble into a spot, which would very much suck.

Bottom line: put in the extra effort to make sure you match at a prelim if you rank any advanced programs or just don't rank advanced programs. I suggest the former since some of the best programs are still advanced only.