applying early match + regular match?

[bulldog]

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anyone have experience applying early match and regular match? I'm undecided between optho/IM. thanks.

 

[PukiUki]

anyone have experience applying early match and regular match? I'm undecided between optho/IM. thanks.

I have done both: early for neuro, and regular for the prelim. You still would have to apply for regular match for prelim/ transitional year for ophtho. You could absolutely apply for both, you would just go to more interviews, that costs more in terms of money and time commitment. There are also programs that will allow you to switch to categorical after your prelim year.

Good luck!

 

[MAVSMANIAC]

I have done both: early for neuro, and regular for the prelim. You still would have to apply for regular match for prelim/ transitional year for ophtho. You could absolutely apply for both, you would just go to more interviews, that costs more in terms of money and time commitment. There are also programs that will allow you to switch to categorical after your prelim year.

Good luck!

So... the early SF match in Ophtho wouldnt know that the applicant was also applying for another specialty in the regular match? Have you heard if this is common? It seems like a good backup plan in case the early match didnt work out.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

So... the early SF match in Ophtho wouldnt know that the applicant was also applying for another specialty in the regular match? Have you heard if this is common? It seems like a good backup plan in case the early match didnt work out.

Correct. They will expect you to register for NRMP anyway, for a prelim. But they will not know if you apply to other categorical programs, unless you tell them, send them the wrong PS/LOR, or they see you interviewing in another department. Very commonly, people in the SF match have a backup in the NRMP.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

So... the early SF match in Ophtho wouldnt know that the applicant was also applying for another specialty in the regular match? Have you heard if this is common? It seems like a good backup plan in case the early match didnt work out.

It's just a whole helluva lotta effort applying to ophtho, prelim/tranny year, and IM. Some would say if you're ready to say aw shucks I'll just do IM if I don't match then you don't want ophtho bad enough.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

It's just a whole helluva lotta effort applying to ophtho, prelim/tranny year, and IM. Some would say if you're ready to say aw shucks I'll just do IM if I don't match then you don't want ophtho bad enough.

That's a very silly attitude. It's quite common in the competitive specialties to apply to a less-competitive specialty as a backup. It has nothing to do with desire and dedication but rather a realistic assessment of one's chances. Not everyone who wants ophtho, or derm, or plastics, or rad-onc, or neurosurgery, or ortho is going to match.

 

[Samoa]

That's a very silly attitude. It's quite common in the competitive specialties to apply to a less-competitive specialty as a backup. It has nothing to do with desire and dedication but rather a realistic assessment of one's chances. Not everyone who wants ophtho, or derm, or plastics, or rad-onc, or neurosurgery, or ortho is going to match.

The sad thing is, within those fields there are a number of PDs and Chairmen who DO feel that having a backup is a sign either of lack of dedication or lack of confidence that you'll match. So I've met a lot of applicants this year who, realistically speaking, have less than a 90% chance of matching but don't have a backup. And when not even everyone who "ought" to match does, that's a really destructive expectation to place on applicants.

 

[dragonfly99]

Some medical schools discourage applicants from applying to multiple specialties. This is because they feel it makes a school "look bad" if there are people every year applying out to other places for things like peds and IM, but only as backups. My med school was kind of like this. They felt it made other hospitals and other PD's (in fields like peds and IM) suspicious of other applicants from our school (i.e. folks who only applied IM and truly wanted IM and not some other specialty). There is probably some truth in this, although it puts some marginal applicants for very competitive fields in a tough situation (i.e. pressured to either go all-out for the competitive specialty or just bail and take the one they know they can get).