Applying to more than one residency at the same hospital?

[CT4]

Hello,

I'm a new member and this is my first post. I'm a third year D.O. student, and I'm starting to think about which residencies to apply to and where to apply. Do students often apply to more than one residency program at the same hospital? I was told by my hospital's med-ed department that doing this was not at all recommended. However, if there's a particular hospital that I like, and if doing one of several residencies there would make me happy, it seems like it may be a reasonable thing to do. Or is it better to try to choose just one specialty and apply only to programs in that specialty? What are your thoughts on all this? Thank you for any information.

Robby, MS III

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[zontal]

As far as I know,it does not matter.I don't know if there is any difference fo DOs but it is rare for departments in the same institution to share information about applicants,except if the same administrators are running both programs, which i haven't seen.

 

[EYESURG]

I think that's a great question. Could more people elaborate on this question please?

Thanks,

D

 

[blackcat]

one of the things that has come up over and over again reading the books about the match and talking to others is that program directors like to think that you are committed to the specialty you are applying for.
also, people often say that the program director world is small and many of them know eachother. wouldn't it seem like the program directors in the same hospital would definitely know eachother.
i think if they found out about your application to more than one specialty, it may show lack of commitment to the specialty.
that is my opinion so take it for what it is worth.

 

[surg]

Do NOT under any circumstances apply to two categorical positions at the same hospital if you are interested in an even moderately competitive specialty or a competitive hospital. If we find out (which grows in likelihood if the specialties are at all related: e.g. the surgical subspecialties and general surgery) you will not get into either, guaranteed. You could be our number one choice going into the final meeting, and if it comes up, you go into the do not rank pile.

 

[EYESURG]

Thank you both for the very informative input.

 

[edfig99]

surg is absolutely correct. lack of commitment to a specialty is a big way to lose points and end up unmatched, in any field but definitely in the competitive fields. in terms of PDs talking to one another about applicants, that usually doesn't happen unless an applicant lets it slip that they are applying in another field, and then it's fair game for the PDs to pursue.

don't apply to >1 position at a hospital...and if you aren't committed to any one field, you may want to try to keep that quiet...ya have to have your recommenders write generic letters, or letters specific for each field (ERAS makes this much easier).

 

[bigfrank]

I'm still confused about how "confidential" your ERAS application is. If you are "SURE" that 2 PDs will not be in contact with each other, would it be OK then?

Thanks, Frank

 

[blackcat]

bigfrank -I i don't know!

the only exception that i can see is if you are applying to a transitional/prelim slot for a residency that requires pgy-2 entrance.

 

[MacGyver]

Originally posted by blackcat
one of the things that has come up over and over again reading the books about the match and talking to others is that program directors like to think that you are committed to the specialty you are applying for.
also, people often say that the program director world is small and many of them know eachother. wouldn't it seem like the program directors in the same hospital would definitely know eachother.
i think if they found out about your application to more than one specialty, it may show lack of commitment to the specialty.
that is my opinion so take it for what it is worth.

How much do PDs know about other programs you applied to? Do they get a list of all the programs you applied to from the NRMP or is the only info they get by word of mouth?

If PDs talk to each other about applicants, isnt that insider trading? Thats not fair for them to control my fate at other programs. They certainly have the right to accept or reject my application (or rank me low) but when they start talking to other programs thats crossing the line I think.

 

[maxheadroom]

1. The surgical subspecialties (ortho, plastics, ENT, uro, neurosurg) are very small communities. The academics all know each other.

2. PDs call your letter writers if they're interested in you.

3. Programs at the same hospital often have "shared" educational staff who sort applications. I know Michigan's Surgery programs share an educational office that ALL surgical applications go through.

4. It's hard to conceal another specialty of choice on your transcript/Dean's letter. When they see multiple rotations in the same field or aways, they'll get the picture pretty quickly.

5. Residents have a network around different schools, too. The residents in my chosen field talk to each other about students/applicants whom they've worked with.

Best advice: don't waste your time applying to more than one field. Only a couple of exceptions. Rads/Derm applicants should consider a medicine categorical backup. Plastics applicants should consider a GenSurg backup.

 

[blackcat]

pd should not be chatting with eachother trying to manipulate their ranklists.
however, all the manuals say give this example.

do not tell every program that you will rank them number 1 because the PDs may know eachother and talk and find out that you are being disingenous.

in addition, even if they moved things around, noone knows what your rank list looks like (and they are not allowed to ask!). them moving their lists around together, insider trading, would not guarantee either of them a better lot or residents.

 

[pinbor1]

This is circumstantial rumors/advice

I have been told that it is not a good idea to apply for multiple programs at a hospital because you may be seen interviewing/touring with another specialty and that would= serious badness.

I think this is very possible given the number of EM tours that I have been at in which we run into other prospective residents in IM, Peds, Surg, etc.

My advice is that if you are going to apply to multiple specialties be wary of your LOR so they don't get sent to the wrong specialties and apply to different hosp for different programs.

Best of Luck🙂

 

[NuMD97]

Interesting thread. I personally know of a hospital that happens to have their OBGYN and Psychiatry departments in the same suite of offices. The program coordinator for one, specifically mentioned how odd it was when they had interviewed a candidate just to see that very same candidate interview a week later for the other specialty. She indicated that the impression left was that the person was not as committed as appeared to her specialty, rather than argue that the person was very interested in both and didn't want to chance not matching.

As already mentioned, when two specialties invite a candidate to interview, it is awkward if on the tour of the facility one runs into the PD where one had just interviewed six weeks earlier.

I agree with the previous poster in terms of a very competitive institution: toss the coin and decide, but don't gamble on both. It can be awfully risky and in the end you most likely would lose the opportunity to get either specialty in the Match at that institution.

Rightly or wrongly, this is the way it is perceived by the medical community from my experience.