Applying to Advanced Programs - The Search for a Prelim Year

[soonermd]

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Anyone have experience or knowledge of matching to an advanced position and not matching for a prelim year. I want to rank some advanced anesthesia positions highly but am concerned about matching at one of my ONLY three prelim year interviews in internal medicine. As I understand it, the NRMP will match you with an advanced program and leave you w/o a prelim spot even if there is a categorical position down on your list that you would match with.

I am torn as to whether I should just rank all of my categorical positions first and just forget the advanced positions as anything but a "backup."

Does the advanced program help you find a year if you don't have a prelim position? Or are you resorted to scrambling Gen Surg prelim in Wyoming?

Any advice is appreciate.

 

[tucker27705]

Not sure regarding the specifics of your Q. But my gen'l advice is rank the residencies as you see fit, and deal with the prelim year as needed. In other words, if you don't match with one, scramble if you have to. I think getting the residency of your choosing should outweigh any other concern.

Just my opinion.

Tuck

 

[Taurus]

You can't proceed to your advanced program if you don't complete an intern year.

If you scramble, you will most likely get a prelim surgery spot. It was nearly impossible to scramble into a prelim med or transitional program this past cycle. If you are a masochist, you will like prelim surgery.

 

[fakin' the funk]

Anyone have experience or knowledge of matching to an advanced position and not matching for a prelim year. I want to rank some advanced anesthesia positions highly but am concerned about matching at one of my ONLY three prelim year interviews in internal medicine. As I understand it, the NRMP will match you with an advanced program and leave you w/o a prelim spot even if there is a categorical position down on your list that you would match with.

I am torn as to whether I should just rank all of my categorical positions first and just forget the advanced positions as anything but a "backup."

Does the advanced program help you find a year if you don't have a prelim position? Or are you resorted to scrambling Gen Surg prelim in Wyoming?

Your question(s) is/are kind of confusing but I'll try.

Assuming your prelim-IM programs aren't insanely competitive, you'll get in...I think people generally go to fewer prelim interviews than their advanced specialty interviews.

You are correct, that if you match on your Main Match List but not on your Supplemental List, the ROL algorithm will NOT go further down on your list to match you.

AFAIK the scramble happens so fast, I wouldn't bet on your advanced program helping you out.

In the end you're going to have to weigh what you think the odds are, of your matching your top-pick advanced programs but NOT your prelims, versus "settling" for your apparently less-desired categorical programs. Your values...your choice. Good luck.

 

[soonermd]

Thanks for the feedback. Kind of what I was afraid of. I agree that going to desired anesthesia program is preferable, but I am not sure I am willing to do so if it means scrambling into a nightmare prelim surg position that I have been hearing about. Especially when categorical programs next on my list are still very desirable for me.

I mistakingly thought getting a prelim IM year would be easy as long as I did not apply to competitive locations. However, my three interview locations seem to still have loads of people for derm, ophtho, rads, etc lined up trying to get a prelim spot. At least for me, getting a prelim spot appears harder than getting the anesthesia spot.

Multiple people have told me of gen surg prelims working 100+hrs/wk and being forced to lie about staying under 80. Also, the learning is very low yield as some of these positions are 90% scut work. So the payoff for all the work is nil.

Wishing you all the best.