Applying to Ophtho and Internal Medicine

[confusedfella]

Hi,

I would really appreciate your advice and input. I am interested in ophthalmology and internal medicine and have some family issues that will restrict my residency options

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[peter2013]

I'd pick one specialty. You'll have to eventually, and doing it now will make aways and applying more manageable. If you haven't already, write a personal statement for each specialty and pay attention to which one is easier to write.

 

[Dusn]

You could apply to ophtho categorical and internal medicine prelim years in the Chicago area. If you don't get into ophtho, see if you can stay on as a categorical during your prelim year.

If you decide you like IM more then obviously just apply to IM.

 

[DrZeke]

Agree completely with Dusn

 

[confusedfella]

Not really sure how that works Dusn and DrZeke..
Does that mean that I can apply for ophtho and IM in the same hospital? And what is the job future like for ophtho.. even if I do get into ophtho.. probably less flexibility than IM right?

 

[juanpafer]

Not a good idea.
If you match in ophtho you have a binding commitment. You cannot match and not start residency after your prelim year.
You have to decide BEFORE the match who you stay with.

 

[Hemichordate]

Not a good idea.
If you match in ophtho you have a binding commitment. You cannot match and not start residency after your prelim year.
You have to decide BEFORE the match who you stay with.

Well if you match in ophtho, you can just ditch IM right?

 

[scarletgirl777]

Not really sure how that works Dusn and DrZeke..
Does that mean that I can apply for ophtho and IM in the same hospital? And what is the job future like for ophtho.. even if I do get into ophtho.. probably less flexibility than IM right?

I think he's saying apply for ophtho and then prelim IM. If you don't match ophto in January, rank prelim programs in February and then once you've matched to a prelim and started as an intern, meet with your IM PD to talk about just staying on as a categorical resident.

 

[ophthope]

Hi,

I would really appreciate your advice and input. I am interested in ophthalmology and internal medicine and have some family issues that will restrict my residency options- I have to be in Chicago. My stats are - high 240s Step 1, ARVO poster, couple of papers, case reports in optho pending, 1 Honors in IM, all P in other rotations (No HP in my med school).

Will it be possible to apply for both ophtho and IM in the same hospital? Due to location restriction, should I just focus on IM? I am scared that I might get rejected from IM, ophtho or both if they see that I am applying to more than one specialty. At the end of the day, I enjoy both specialties equally.

Thanks so much for your time. So confused and scared, will really appreciate your input!

Not really sure how that works Dusn and DrZeke..
Does that mean that I can apply for ophtho and IM in the same hospital? And what is the job future like for ophtho.. even if I do get into ophtho.. probably less flexibility than IM right?

If your #1 priority is being in Chicago then you should apply to everything you can apply to in Chicago. The advice that I think most people are getting at is that having location be your #1 priority is a bad idea when it could affect what you do for a living for 40-80 hours per week for the rest of your working life. We don't know your situation, but if there is a chance that a year could make a difference then apply to all the prelim programs in/around Chicago (TYs, Prelim Med, Prelim Surg) and then apply broadly to Ophthalmology. You can do your prelim year anywhere (in your case, in Chicago) and in either of those three things (TY/IMed/Surg) and then go to your Ophthalmology PGY2-4 years. But keep in mind that if location is important for closeness to a person/persons - you aren't going to be seeing them much in a medicine or surgery intern year anyway. Less with surgery intern years. Less with Chi-town commuting.

This also leaves you open to the option that others have mentioned: if you match into a prelim medicine year and don't match Ophthalmology then you can talk with your residency director to see if he will allow you to 'stay on' as a categorical. Since you likely outclass most of the Internal Med that will match at any given program you have a better shot at him/her saying yes to that. This type of thing happens all the time in Surgery - someone matches to a Prelim Surgery spot but not a Categorical spot, works hard to shine in that program during their intern year, and then gets to stay on and finish surgery residency. I'm not sure if you knew how all of that prelim/categorical system worked, so that's why I'm belaboring it here.

"Probably less flexibility than IM" does not have enough information to answer. What do you mean by flexibility? Can you do 7 on 7 off in Ophtho? Probably not. Can you move around as often as a hospitalist? Nope. Are your income potential and practice ownership options far greater in Ophtho? Yes. Can you know for sure that you'll find a job in Chicago after residency in either field? No but more likely in IMed. Is one field way more enjoyable than the other? Well, that's why you're here and we sure have our opinions on the answer. [ Spoiler Alert: IT'S EYEBALLS ]

 

[ophthowannabe1]

Question from a borderline applicant. I am planning on applying for ophtho, and I am seriously considering applying for internal as my backup.

I know that it is a bit hectic, but I am not at all convinced that I will match into ophtho. My question is more logistical. I will be applying to most of the ophtho programs, and I will be applying somewhat broadly to internal, so how difficult is it to complete both interview processes? Also, how would you suggest going about asking for internal rec letters when it is my second choice? Anyone with experience in this area that they care to share?

 

[carolink15]

I applied to both ophtho and internal medicine categorical, the interview trail wasn't that difficult (well I didn't have that many ophtho interviews) I ended up attending about 8 internal medicine interviews (my situation was more complicated by doing couple's match) anyways. I asked for my internal medicine letters and I never told the writer that internal medicine was my backup. One program did catch my interest in ophthalmology after I changed my application from prelim to categorical, I was honest and told them that my chances of matching in ophtho were slim and that I have to be realistic and apply to something else, they didn't seem to mind that. Once I matched into ophtho I withdrew myself from internal medicine categorical, I called 3 programs to switch me to prelim and they did.