Applying to both specialty internships and residencies

[thatsallfolks97]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find any info about this when searching through some older threads...

Has anyone applied to both residencies and specialty internships in the same cycle through the VIRMP match program? I plan to apply to both this year since my specialty is highly competitive and the chance of matching to a residency is low. I wasn't exactly sure how applying to both worked. As I understand it you have to submit a personal statement twice (one for internships and one for residencies) and that your letters of reference also have to be submitted twice (once for internships and once for residencies). Do institutions know that you have applied for both when they look at your application? Is it considered taboo or frowned upon to submit the same personal statement for both specialty internships and residencies? Or should they be completely different?

Any information would be greatly appreciated Thanks!

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[WildZoo]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find any info about this when searching through some older threads...

Has anyone applied to both residencies and specialty internships in the same cycle through the VIRMP match program? I plan to apply to both this year since my specialty is highly competitive and the chance of matching to a residency is low. I wasn't exactly sure how applying to both worked. As I understand it you have to submit a personal statement twice (one for internships and one for residencies) and that your letters of reference also have to be submitted twice (once for internships and once for residencies). Do institutions know that you have applied for both when they look at your application? Is it considered taboo or frowned upon to submit the same personal statement for both specialty internships and residencies? Or should they be completely different?

Any information would be greatly appreciated Thanks!

From what I have heard, this is actually the accepted practice. I'm not sure on the logistics of it, but I wouldn't worry that it is frowned upon or anything to apply for both.

Edit:
I realize I read your question wrong. I wouldn't think it would be frowned upon to submit the same personal statement, as long as it makes sense for both. That is just conjecture though.

 

[SocialStigma]

It is common practice to apply for both so you have a backup. I applied to both surgery internships and residencies in the same cycle. You will have to submit everything twice. I submitted different personal statements (just changed the wording slightly to match the goals of a specialty internship vs. residency) but my LORs and CV were the same. Institutions won't know that you've applied to both unless you've applied to their specific specialty internship and residency programs.

 

[nyanko]

I applied to both in the same year, and also modified my personal statement to fit each of the two different scenarios. The reason to apply for both is to ensure that your name is out there for the better/more reputable/more successful specialty internships that actually end up filling their spots during the match. If you don't match for a residency and don't apply to specialty internships, you will still be contacted regarding specialty internship opportunities during scramble, but they may not be the ones that are most successful at placing residents.

Nobody is thrilled to have to do a specialty internship in the first place, but I am happy that I did the one that I did, and I did end up matching straight into it the year I applied to both, which took some stress off the table (scrambling is not fun, a fact that I wish I didn't know firsthand, haha!).

 

[VIN-Foundation]

Do institutions know that you have applied for both when they look at your application?

The only thing programs get is your application. They don't know where else you have applied. So the only way we would know you applied to specialty internships and residencies would be if we had openings for both and you applied to both of our programs. ... Or you tell us. But it wouldn't reflect poorly on you if you applied for both. We know people do this. So I wouldn't worry about it.

There will be a lot of overlap but I would suggest tailoring the personal statement for each position.

 

[thatsallfolks97]

Thank you so much for the replies. That was all very good advice and insight. I'll be sure to tailor my personal statements for specialty internships vs residencies.