Applying for two specialties in the same school?

[sunflower1100]

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I am wondering if I could apply for internal as a backup to the schools I already applied for a competitive specialty. If I get interviews from both, absolutely I will cancel the one for the backup specialty.

My MSPE shows I did three elective rotations on the competitive specialty. The PDs of the internal programs may easily smell that I am applying internal as backup. Will this be a huge problem?

Is there a possibility for the internal PDs to contact the competitive programs? If this happens, it will ruin my application to the competitive programs.

Many thanks for your input!

 

[NotAProgDirector]

If you did 3 electives in whatever field you're interested in, programs are probably going to see that and might assume you're applying as a backup -- and then might decline to interview you. You really don't lose anything, just the cost of applying. The chances of the PD communicating with the other program is low, but possible. It's not clear that the other program will really care, though. No one wants to be the backup, but there's nothing wrong with being the primary.

 

[sunflower1100]

That is very helpful. Many thanks.

If you did 3 electives in whatever field you're interested in, programs are probably going to see that and might assume you're applying as a backup -- and then might decline to interview you. You really don't lose anything, just the cost of applying. The chances of the PD communicating with the other program is low, but possible. It's not clear that the other program will really care, though. No one wants to be the backup, but there's nothing wrong with being the primary.

 

[PinkBeta]

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