Advice on leaving a program mid year

[Seba]

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I am in a large IM program at a major university. I am hoping to transfer out of my program and current field and into another. I have not approached my PD with this yet and I am wondering if there is anyone out there who has experience with this in the past. I have very valid family and financial reasons to transfer. My biggest concern is that the PD will try to hold me to the one year contract and essentially make me stay.
Is this a reasonable concern?

Would there be legal grounds to hold me here if they wanted to?

How much would it effect the program if I leave?

How likely is the PD to hold me here in light of my current family and financial situation?

 

[dragonfly99]

Yes I think they will try to get you to stay an entire year...otherwise they are out 1 resident.
It might be easier to leave if you are at a great big IM residency program...since they have a larger cushion of folks to cover any given rotation.
Do you have a plan of what you will do if you leave? Do you have another job lined up? If not, then you might want to reconsider leaving midyear. Remember, your program director can hurt you bad, if he/she wants. Even if you are planning on leaving, you'll end up needing a letter of recommendation from him/her for whichever residency you end up applying for later.

You could talk to the PD about your wants/needs now, but I'd be careful. I'd want to wait until I had a concrete plan of what I wanted to do, and perhaps another position already lined up.

 

[Seba]

Thanks for the reply dragonfly.

So, I think I have a spot lined up but I still have to go for a formal interview and talk with the prelim dept to see if I can work with them this year. I am pretty sure it will work out.

My question is should I tell my PD about the situation before I know if I have the spot? If I don't tell him and they offer me the position and I accept and then my PD won't let me go what are my options at that point? Can I just leave and go to the other program without ramifications?

 

[cali-ob]

PD doesn't have to let you go...as far as I understand. You can go at anytime. Professional notice is not only good manners but also good career sense. But if you think there may be any problems at all, I'd line up my new spot first, then talk to the PD.

 

[Seba]

I definitely don't want to burn any bridges and I definitely want to be professional about leaving. However, I also don't want to put myself in a bad position by telling the PD without securing a spot and not only burning a bridge but perhaps creating an awkward situation with the PD and the chiefs, etc. At the same time I don't want to commit to a new program and then have to tell them that I have not spoken to my PD yet. How do you think the new PD would feel about signing me if I have not talked with my current PD?

Thanks again for all the replies. I am really nervous and ignorant about the whole process.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Review your contract. In there, it should tell you exactly how much notice is expected should you decide to leave.

Whether to tell your PD when you're sure you have a new spot, or think you might have a new spot, depends on your relationship with your PD.

Few PD's want a resident in their program who doesn't want to be there.

Make sure your new PD knows that you haven't told your current PD. Best that your current PD hears the news from you.

 

[Seba]

aProgDirector,

Wow this forum is so great. What an amazing tool for us. Advice from a program director is about as golden as it gets in this situation. Thank you very much!!!

 

[DrJosephKim]

Since you're in a large university setting, you're at an advantage. Coverage should be easier to find. Imagine if you're in a small program with 4 or 6 residents!

Be cautious and never burn bridges.