Advice for Residency

[nyudoctor22]

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Hello,

Nice to meet all of you future doctors. I just started medical school abroad and was wondering if I can get any advice from upper classmen.

I want to do OB/GYN in the states and I was curious on what I can do to increase my chances of getting a solid OB/GYN rotation. The reason I am at a foreign medical school is the obvious - I was rejected from all US schools but I am happy here and really didn't want to reapply so I have no regrets. I just want to know what else I can to strengthen my application. What do students in America do?

The most important factors are board score and class standing but what else can I do?

Since I just started medical school, I am as green as they come when it comes to the whole residency application process but I guess that is why this forum exists. Sorry in advance for any stupid questions but would it look good to residency directors if I speak fluent Spanish?

 

[Wizard of Oz]

Sorry in advance for any stupid questions but would it look good to residency directors if I speak fluent Spanish?

Yes, I think most people agree that Spanish is a strong point, especially in specialties like OB/GYN and emergency medicine. Tell them that you can save them money on interpreters by picking you.

I'll tell you that I have no interest in OB/GYN, but I know some people who went to an interest group meeting about it a little while ago.

First thing--you can no longer control what school you picked, but USMLE scores have a tendency to bring everybody into the same playing field.

Second thing--be female. I've been told that it's not a great market right now for men.

In my state, there are actually a great deal of people becoming uninterested in OB/GYN because the laws here no longer protect the doctors from frivolous lawsuits. Something like forty percent of our baby catchers left the state since the turn of the century. We've also had anesthesiologists stop providing epidural care to people who can't pay because the risk of being sued increases greatly when caring for poor people (hey don't flame me for saying this, I'm just the messenger). The reason that I am bringing this up is because it is not that tough of a match where I live.

The Wizard's bona fide advice for people who have already chosen their preferred specialty before doing third year rotations--study hard, concentrate on what you have on your plate RIGHT NOW (interviewing techniques, gross anatomy, physical exam skills, etc.), create doors and opportunities for the future by putting your best foot forward early on.

When it comes time to apply for residencies, there is no advantage to having desired a specialty longer than another applicant if your board scores suck.

 

[Kiroro]

From my understanding, OBGYN residency isn't competetive in recent years among US med school grads (possibly due to high insurance). So probably just doing well on boards and school would be enough for you to get an OBGYN residency if you aren't picky about where you wanna go.

 

[nyudoctor22]

It is true that OB/GYN is one of the lesser competitive specialties out there... it's primary care. But I would love to get into a top notch residency program regardless of the fact that there are OB/GYN spots around the country, especially in urban areas, that go unfullfilled each year.

I've got another question. What's the time off (spring, winter, summer) for US medical schools? We have the ability to do a small research project here outside of medical school to strengthen our resumes and I was wondering if most US medical students do this as well.

 

[8744]

It is true that OB/GYN is one of the lesser competitive specialties out there... it's primary care. But I would love to get into a top notch residency program regardless of the fact that there are OB/GYN spots around the country, especially in urban areas, that go unfullfilled each year.

I've got another question. What's the time off (spring, winter, summer) for US medical schools? We have the ability to do a small research project here outside of medical school to strengthen our resumes and I was wondering if most US medical students do this as well.

I know it's considred primary care but it is a surgical specialty so I think most programs are going to look a little beyond the "pulse and a greencard" criteria of ohter primary care fields. I think that explains a lot of the unfilled spots.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

I've got another question. What's the time off (spring, winter, summer) for US medical schools? We have the ability to do a small research project here outside of medical school to strengthen our resumes and I was wondering if most US medical students do this as well.

Yes I'll go out on a limb and speak for all U.S. allo schools. We have summer research experiences and encourage students to take time to do research if it doesn't hurt our studying.

I've been told that research outside of one's specialty of interest isn't that valuable especially if it doesn't lead to publication or a scientific meeting.

 

[njbmd]

It is true that OB/GYN is one of the lesser competitive specialties out there... it's primary care. But I would love to get into a top notch residency program regardless of the fact that there are OB/GYN spots around the country, especially in urban areas, that go unfullfilled each year.

I've got another question. What's the time off (spring, winter, summer) for US medical schools? We have the ability to do a small research project here outside of medical school to strengthen our resumes and I was wondering if most US medical students do this as well.

OB-Gyn programs differ in terms of competitiveness. The good programs are going to fill and will be very selective. Some programs will not be so selective. University programs tend to be more selective than non-university programs regardless of whether they are urban or not. I would also not be swayed by thinking that primary care specialties are not competitive. The top programs in any specialty primary care or not, are quite competitive and very selective.

Many medical students can do research as an elective during the regular term (if they have the time)or during the summer between first and second year (summer second year may be spent studying for USMLE Step I).

I worked on several research projects during my first and second years doing the bulk of my work when I wasn't in class (class attendance was not mandatory for us and I was not a big class attender). I also worked on a project during my third year and into the first part of my fourth year. I was able to wrap my last project just before starting interviews for residency and had several publications on my ERAS application.

Doing a research project and having publications can help you in terms of getting into a more competitive residency. Since you sound like an international student, you should make contact with residency programs that interest you and ask if you can spend your research time with them working on a project. Many places are likely going to be able to accomodate you and you could get a chance to check out a program or two. Good luck!

 

[nyudoctor22]

Thanks for all your replies. They were very informative. If I have any more questions, I won't hesitate to ask you guys.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

First thing--you can no longer control what school you picked, but USMLE scores have a tendency to bring everybody into the same playing field.

Second thing--be female. I've been told that it's not a great market right now for men.

i've been told the opposite. demand for men is high.

and with the cyclic nature of demand for medical specialties, ob/gyn will probably be lucrative in the near future.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

i've been told the opposite. demand for men is high.

and with the cyclic nature of demand for medical specialties, ob/gyn will probably be lucrative in the near future.

I'm just going by what our ob/gyn chief resident told our interest group, and no, it will not be lucrative in states where the legislature lets lawyers run wild. Putting male hands inside a vagina is the first step in a harrassment suit, and as female doctors become more available, women are starting to prefer them (so says the resident).

Maybe your state actually protects its doctors from frivolous lawsuits, but mine does not. There is no cycle as far as human greed is concerned. Where there is money to be made, there is an exponential increase in people lining up around the trough. Look at mammography right now--huge salaries are available, but still, nobody wants to touch it.

Take a look at the rise in C-sections--any little thing that pops up now is a reason to go to the blade. It is true that there is a general cycle in the flow of different specialists, but there is no cycle in health insurance costs. They are only going up (and quickly at that). Gone are the days when physicians submitted a claim and the insurance simply paid it. If you are going to say that pay will go up due to a cycle, then family med is going to be a gold mine any year now.

 

[Gut Shot]

The most important factors are board score and class standing but what else can I do?

Most people will be judged on their clinical grades and board scores. Aside from that, just do all the normal stuff that proactive med students tend to do. Join a club, volunteer at the local free clinic, work on a summer research project, travel on a medical mission, etc.

Most people (I believe around 80%) change their mind about what they want to specialize in over the course of medical school. There's nothing wrong with having ideas and goals, but just realize that you won't really know until you do your M3 clerkship (at the earliest).

Yes, waiting is painful, but there's a lot on your plate right now. For the time being just put your head down and focus on the tasks at hand. You'll know soon enough.

Some time in 2008-2009.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

I'm just going by what our ob/gyn chief resident told our interest group, and no, it will not be lucrative in states where the legislature lets lawyers run wild. Putting male hands inside a vagina is the first step in a harrassment suit, and as female doctors become more available, women are starting to prefer them (so says the resident).

well that's why you have chaperones and assistants. then it's not your word vs hers.

i would not practice in states where frivolous suits are allowed. I would wait for those states to run ALL of their obgyns out until there's no one left to deliver babies. They can go f*** themselves and use midwives.