Advice from PDs if possible

[curious doc]

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I was hoping to ask for some serious advice - ideally from a PD, but anyone with significant advice is appreciated.

Briefly, I'm a US medical school graduate (from 2003) who didn't match into Anesthesiology as a senior medical student. I ended up scrambling into a Preliminary IM position which I completed. I was offered a categorical PGY2 spot but chose not to stay there (which in retrospect was a big mistake).

Subsequently, I got a PGY2 position in Family Medicine and completed that year but was not offered a PGY3 contract as I hadn't passed Step 3 by that time. Although I passed it one week after the deadline, a PGY3 contract was not offered.

Since then, I've become licensed and have been practicing medicine as a 'GP.'

I'm very serious and interested in going back to a residency and finish so that I may become Board Certified.

I passed Step 1 on my initial attempt (with below average scores) and had multiple attempts on Step 2 & 3, despite publications, being class president etc. many programs I applied to via the match don't even consider me. I have been fortunate to get a couple interviews for PGY2 openings but haven't been offered any spots.

Does anyone have any suggestions how I can get out of this 'rut' and get back into a program so that I may finish and become board certified, so that I can move forward in my career. Many programs use the excuse (which is real) that I've already used up 2 years of my Medicare residency funding and only have 1 year of full funding left - though I realize my failures on Step 2 & 3 don't particularly help.

I have positive LORs from my previous PDs, current medical director and colleagues but am not able to move forward. I realize that as time goes on, it only becomes more difficult to get into a residency program though I'm currently licensed and practicing medicine.

Any positive advice is appreciated - thank you for your time & consideration.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

You asked the same question last year, and my answer is unchanged. Best choice is to try to get back into one of the two programs you have left. They will likely make you repeat your PGY-2 no matter what (required in IM since your FP PGY-2 will not count).

Regarding funding, there are several issues: First, just because you go over your alloted number of years of training your funding doesn't disappear. You continue to get partial funding usually >75% of your full funding. A program that is interested in you can usually find a way to make it work. Also, if you have a current employer that is interested in getting you BC, they could "sponsor" your final year. They would pay your training program for your emplyment costs. You would likely need to sign a contract to come work for them afterwards for some period of time.

Good luck. Each year that passes makes this more difficult. If you really want to return to your training, you need to aggressively contact programs and find a spot.