If I have to do SOAP for internal medicine would it be worthwhile to apply to prelim spots as well. I saw last year there were only 15 IM programs with 89 spots available in SOAP last year. I think soap allows ranking up to 45 positions so would it be a good idea to rank all CAT spots and then rank prelim spots to fill in the rest of the options?
Apply to prelim IM in SOAP
- Thread starter MrSunny1
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i guess I would wonder if it would be better to get a prlim spot for IM or just not match and try to do research/get more letters of rec.. Honestly it doesnt seem like there is much time between matching and reapplying. SO what could someone benefit from doing a few weeks of Prelim IM before reapplying in July. thats just 2 months after starting.
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Matching is almost always better.
A med prelim year >>>>>> than a year unmatched with research and letters for IM.
A year of clinical training always poises you better for more clinical training.
Time away from clinical makes it harder to go back.
You don't know how well the next cycle goes. What if it goes poorly and all you have is the med prelim in hand? That will be loads better than nothing.
You sort of need to weigh SOAPing into cat IM vs soaping into other cat specialties that you might be competitive for.
For some, a med prelim year would be worse than an FM position.
The prelim could be a dead end (but could allow you to practice with a general license, license is always better than none, but it's debatable how useful a license is without being board certified).
The FM position would lead to board certification for sure, if completed. The ultimate practice outcome between general internists and FM is similar. (I'm not getting into talk about fellowship at the moment, because when you're worried about not matching the key is to get a spot first!)
If you have zero interest or willingness to match to any other specialty, than the next best thing would be a med prelim spot (unless someone chimes in to tell me I'm wrong).
Benefits:
experience in your chosen field
letters of recommendation (you mentioned this!)
networking
PD helps you get a spot elsewhere
Cat spot opens up at the program (this depends on a looooot of factors)
upon completion, you are eligible for advanced positions in other fields (radiology, etc)
I believe you can go to a PGY2 spot in IM, but something has to be worked out about continuity clinic for ABIM (may be wrong here)
You can get a license and your job opportunities are enormous compared to an MD with no license
It's hard to say without knowing more about why you're talking about it. I'm a little wary because you don't seem to understand how for AMGs and for FMGs, not matching, not soaping the first go round, the chances get worse and worse, not getting this done right the first time can be the end of someone's clinical career.
YOU NEED SOME IRL SCHOOL ADVISING. MATCHING/SOAPING/CLINICAL WORK SAVE YOUR CAREER ASAP
A med prelim year >>>>>> than a year unmatched with research and letters for IM.
A year of clinical training always poises you better for more clinical training.
Time away from clinical makes it harder to go back.
You don't know how well the next cycle goes. What if it goes poorly and all you have is the med prelim in hand? That will be loads better than nothing.
You sort of need to weigh SOAPing into cat IM vs soaping into other cat specialties that you might be competitive for.
For some, a med prelim year would be worse than an FM position.
The prelim could be a dead end (but could allow you to practice with a general license, license is always better than none, but it's debatable how useful a license is without being board certified).
The FM position would lead to board certification for sure, if completed. The ultimate practice outcome between general internists and FM is similar. (I'm not getting into talk about fellowship at the moment, because when you're worried about not matching the key is to get a spot first!)
If you have zero interest or willingness to match to any other specialty, than the next best thing would be a med prelim spot (unless someone chimes in to tell me I'm wrong).
Benefits:
experience in your chosen field
letters of recommendation (you mentioned this!)
networking
PD helps you get a spot elsewhere
Cat spot opens up at the program (this depends on a looooot of factors)
upon completion, you are eligible for advanced positions in other fields (radiology, etc)
I believe you can go to a PGY2 spot in IM, but something has to be worked out about continuity clinic for ABIM (may be wrong here)
You can get a license and your job opportunities are enormous compared to an MD with no license
It's hard to say without knowing more about why you're talking about it. I'm a little wary because you don't seem to understand how for AMGs and for FMGs, not matching, not soaping the first go round, the chances get worse and worse, not getting this done right the first time can be the end of someone's clinical career.
YOU NEED SOME IRL SCHOOL ADVISING. MATCHING/SOAPING/CLINICAL WORK SAVE YOUR CAREER ASAP
Thank you so much this is very helpful. Clears up the applying to prelim. I guess my main concern is that I am really not interested in doing primary care. I see myself being very dissatisfied and probably changing careers at some point anyways so no reason to even start it. I am interested in doing internal medicine and subsequently specializing or else being a hospitalist. I would do any type of surgery so I should probably even consider applying to surg prelims.
QUOTE="Crayola227, post: 18675974, member: 576613"]Matching is almost always better.
A med prelim year >>>>>> than a year unmatched with research and letters for IM.
A year of clinical training always poises you better for more clinical training.
Time away from clinical makes it harder to go back.
You don't know how well the next cycle goes. What if it goes poorly and all you have is the med prelim in hand? That will be loads better than nothing.
You sort of need to weigh SOAPing into cat IM vs soaping into other cat specialties that you might be competitive for.
For some, a med prelim year would be worse than an FM position.
The prelim could be a dead end (but could allow you to practice with a general license, license is always better than none, but it's debatable how useful a license is without being board certified).
The FM position would lead to board certification for sure, if completed. The ultimate practice outcome between general internists and FM is similar. (I'm not getting into talk about fellowship at the moment, because when you're worried about not matching the key is to get a spot first!)
If you have zero interest or willingness to match to any other specialty, than the next best thing would be a med prelim spot (unless someone chimes in to tell me I'm wrong).
Benefits:
experience in your chosen field
letters of recommendation (you mentioned this!)
networking
PD helps you get a spot elsewhere
Cat spot opens up at the program (this depends on a looooot of factors)
upon completion, you are eligible for advanced positions in other fields (radiology, etc)
I believe you can go to a PGY2 spot in IM, but something has to be worked out about continuity clinic for ABIM (may be wrong here)
You can get a license and your job opportunities are enormous compared to an MD with no license
It's hard to say without knowing more about why you're talking about it. I'm a little wary because you don't seem to understand how for AMGs and for FMGs, not matching, not soaping the first go round, the chances get worse and worse, not getting this done right the first time can be the end of someone's clinical career.
YOU NEED SOME IRL SCHOOL ADVISING. MATCHING/SOAPING/CLINICAL WORK SAVE YOUR CAREER ASAP[/QUOTE]
T
QUOTE="Crayola227, post: 18675974, member: 576613"]Matching is almost always better.
A med prelim year >>>>>> than a year unmatched with research and letters for IM.
A year of clinical training always poises you better for more clinical training.
Time away from clinical makes it harder to go back.
You don't know how well the next cycle goes. What if it goes poorly and all you have is the med prelim in hand? That will be loads better than nothing.
You sort of need to weigh SOAPing into cat IM vs soaping into other cat specialties that you might be competitive for.
For some, a med prelim year would be worse than an FM position.
The prelim could be a dead end (but could allow you to practice with a general license, license is always better than none, but it's debatable how useful a license is without being board certified).
The FM position would lead to board certification for sure, if completed. The ultimate practice outcome between general internists and FM is similar. (I'm not getting into talk about fellowship at the moment, because when you're worried about not matching the key is to get a spot first!)
If you have zero interest or willingness to match to any other specialty, than the next best thing would be a med prelim spot (unless someone chimes in to tell me I'm wrong).
Benefits:
experience in your chosen field
letters of recommendation (you mentioned this!)
networking
PD helps you get a spot elsewhere
Cat spot opens up at the program (this depends on a looooot of factors)
upon completion, you are eligible for advanced positions in other fields (radiology, etc)
I believe you can go to a PGY2 spot in IM, but something has to be worked out about continuity clinic for ABIM (may be wrong here)
You can get a license and your job opportunities are enormous compared to an MD with no license
It's hard to say without knowing more about why you're talking about it. I'm a little wary because you don't seem to understand how for AMGs and for FMGs, not matching, not soaping the first go round, the chances get worse and worse, not getting this done right the first time can be the end of someone's clinical career.
YOU NEED SOME IRL SCHOOL ADVISING. MATCHING/SOAPING/CLINICAL WORK SAVE YOUR CAREER ASAP[/QUOTE]
T
