Any reprecussion for quitting internship after securing another?

[PrecariousOne]

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Hello,

I am miserable in my current internship. I could go on and on about what makes it such a horrible program, but that is irrelevant.

Basically, I am D.O. who got stuck scrambling into an osteopathic internship in a specialty I do not like. I am entering the NRMP match this year for an allopathic internship in a more desirable field. Does anyone see any compelling reason to complete the internship after I have matched? I am only doing it now for personal experience and to improve my CV.

Thanks.

 

[BADMD]

Hello,

I am miserable in my current internship. I could go on and on about what makes it such a horrible program, but that is irrelevant.

Basically, I am D.O. who got stuck scrambling into an osteopathic internship in a specialty I do not like. I am entering the NRMP match this year for an allopathic internship in a more desirable field. Does anyone see any compelling reason to complete the internship after I have matched? I am only doing it now for personal experience and to improve my CV.

Thanks.

At the very least, you will not have to worry about waiving in for states that require an osteopathic internship. You also may be able to get some credit toward your next program if you leave in good standing. You will also keep getting paid. Finally, quitting like that is kind of a jerk move.

 

[Smurfette]

Well, if you quit, you will have to explain it again and again and again throughout your career when applying for licenses, privileges, etc. Failing to complete a year of training (voluntarily or othewise) is something that is unusual and results in further questions.

The bigger problem is that others, upon interviewing for a permanent position, will view you quitting (even though you're miserable) as a huge negative and may be worried that you may just up and quit when things get tough for you. Others may have concern that you were forced out (forced to resign) as opposed to simply quitting and wonder what problems you may have had. I have no doubts you'll be able to find a job...but realize that quitting mid-year after the match may be viewed unfavorably and work against you. Quitting mid-year does not improve your CV. Completing the year will.

As the previous poster stated, you may be able to get some credit for certain rotations you did as an intern. Also, completing the full year allows you to potentially get a permanent medical license earlier (depending on the state) and moonlight for extra income.

Several questions:
1. if you were forced to scramble last year into an AOA internship, how likely are you to match in the allopathic match? Are you a competitive candidate?
2. Do any match agreements from last year apply? I don't know how the AOA match system works. Will quitting cause a match violation by not completing your initial contract? If so, is your current program likely to report you for a match violation?
3. Does your current program know you are looking to switch to another program next year?
4. What is your back up plan if you don't match?

 

[JackADeli]

...Failing to complete a year of training (voluntarily or othewise) is something that is unusual and results in further questions.

The bigger problem is that others, upon interviewing for a permanent position, will view you quitting ...as a huge negative and may be worried ....realize that quitting mid-year after the match may be viewed unfavorably and work against you. Quitting mid-year does not improve your CV. Completing the year will.

As the previous poster stated, you may be able to get some credit for certain rotations you did as an intern. Also, completing the full year allows you to potentially get a permanent medical license earlier (depending on the state) and moonlight for extra income...

I agree with Smurfette. To the OP, I would pose these thoughts.

1. I don't know what happened to make you need a scramble. Lots of excellent med-school grads get caught into scrambling for a number of reason. Whatever the case, you started on a rocky course. Quitting your scramble internship may or may not make it worse.

2. Looking back to #1, you need to be cautious of quitting your internship. Nobody knows the future. These forums are littered with folks that are trying to scrape together 12-24 months qualifying accredited residency training just to practice medicine. You really want to lock in at least that first 12 months and enable the possibility to get an unrestricted license and be able, if necessary, to work as a GP.

It would be tragic for you to quit and then:

a. not match,
b. get fired,
c. quit again.

Any one of those combinations could find you no longer able to obtain additional training AND being short of a required 12 or 24 months training to practice medicine. We will then be reading anger as one complains why they can't be a PA or NP or something and practice😱.....

 

[dragonfly99]

smurfette is right.
Even if you do match into something else, you should just stay if there is any way you can tolerate it. You have <6 months left, anyway. By the time you match, it will be April and you'll only have a couple of months left, right? One can do just about anything for a couple of months. It's just not worth it to burn bridges when you are a trainee. It's not like a normal job. You don't want to have to explain, to every state medical licensing board for the rest of your life, why you quit an internship. Just grit your teeth and suck it up for a few more months, unless somebody is just sexually harassing you or something terrible.