Applying to residency and fellowship simultaneously

[IMPGY2]

Not sure if this is the appropriate subform or if this question has been asked before, but I am an IM PGY2 who applied twice to psychiatry and didn't match. I settled on IM primarily to keep my career moving forward, have about a year of residency left, and was planning to apply to addiction medicine fellowship this summer with the hope of (potentially) trying one more time for psych during the one year fellowship. I like where I live a lot and believe I can match into addiction med fellowship at a place close to me as well.

However, my significant other thinks she can potentially help me match into psychiatry in the area she is from with the help of some connections. I would take the opportunity to train in psychiatry next summer if the opportunity was afforded to me (even though I am not a big fan of her area). Problem is, there is no way I would have anything guaranteed in writing until match decisions are made in March. The fellowship match operates on an earlier schedule with decisions made in November and I am worried about risking my fellowship match all for history to repeat itself with trying to match psych knowing how competitive it is and winding up with nothing.

So I was wondering if it is legal for me to apply to both residency and fellowship simultaneously to cover my bases. If so I am very curious to know what happens if I match into both addiction med fellowship and psych residency?

Would be very grateful for any advice as this is about as confused as I have been since I have started training.

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[NotAProgDirector]

It would be a match violation to match to both a fellowship and residency. Part of the match commitment is that you're uncommitted for the year you are matching into. When you tell your fellowship you are not coming, if they discover that you matched to a residency spot, you could easily lose both. Even if you try to hide it from them, the NRMP will review the situation and could easily discover it.

Best option is your initial plan. Match to addiction. Apply to psych during that year and see what happens.

 

[mrbreakfast]

Would be very grateful for any advice as this is about as confused as I have been since I have started training.

It's very simple. When you apply for a match and skim those long forms before clicking "agree," you are agreeing that, if you successfully match to a program, you will unconditionally attend that program the following year. If you do match and then do not attend that program, the match organization will take a number of punitive steps that will likely spell the end of your medical career.

I think you have three options:
1) Apply for both fellowship and residency this cycle, with the understanding that if you do match to fellowship, you have to withdraw from the residency match. This might work out if you have doubts you'd match for fellowship, though this path is risky.
2) Apply for fellowship this cycle, then apply for residency during fellowship (to start 2026)
3) Do 2), but skip fellowship and apply for residency during your PGY3 year, or whenever you want. I know an IM doc who practiced for a few years and then went back to do psych residency.