Back up specialty

[echod]

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I'm wondering if people who have interviewed in Rad Onc can share their experience about having a back up specialty? According to charting outcomes 2011, the average applicant who matched applied to 1.8 specialties, which means that the majority of applicants who matched applied to more than one specialty. Did either Rad Onc or your second choice find out that you were applying to more than one specialty? Thanks!

 

[Sheldor]

I'm wondering if people who have interviewed in Rad Onc can share their experience about having a back up specialty? According to charting outcomes 2011, the average applicant who matched applied to 1.8 specialties, which means that the majority of applicants who matched applied to more than one specialty. Did either Rad Onc or your second choice find out that you were applying to more than one specialty? Thanks!

Isn't that because most, if not all, applicants apply to IM intern year? I always thought that was what accounted for that 0.8.

 

[DrVanNostran]

Isn't that because most, if not all, applicants apply to IM intern year? I always thought that was what accounted for that 0.8.

If they lump Prelim/Cat medicine into one distinct specialty, then yes. For ERAS, applying to Prelims was the same as for applying to Cat spots, so I am assuming this is the case. They mention in the 2011 charting the outcomes that the TY is not a distinct specialty, that may account for the 1.8, rather than 2.0.

 

[hot sauce]

Most people rank a few TYs or prelim medicines after the rad onc programs on their primary rank list; in case they don't match they still have a job for a year and can focus on scrambling a radiation oncology spots and are qualified to apply for anything that opens outside the match.

 

[nieceyj12]

So I have a question on that. If I apply say for a neurology spot as a back up, and then find an open RadOnc spot during/after my intern year, can I switch without hassle or is there a process you have to go through? In other words, if I match a specialty is there some sort of binding contract that's difficult to break? Is it just smarter to go for a prelim/TY year?

 

[deleted4401]

You only sign contracts for 1 year at a time.
S

 

[Neuronix]

You only sign contracts for 1 year at a time.
S

That is true but you will be screwing over that neurology program which will then need to find a PGY-2. Don't expect them to give you time to interview or a nice letter of recommendation. Maybe if you are upfront with them they'll be okay with it, but it's very risky.