Backup plan if don't match into ENT

[Med01]

A chairman in ENT told me that it's necessary to have a backup plan as ENT is becoming very competitive nowadays. He said that several people from our school didn't match last year and it was not a good situation for them to try and decide which field to scramble into in a 15 minute time-frame.

I know one of the candidates who didn't match got more than 10 interviews so that person was fairly confident they would match. In this case, I'd assume their scores, letters of recs etc are ok...do you think it's just a culture fit issue?

He said most people say they will re-apply but don't really have concrete plans. He said really think about having other concrete plans such as thinking about other less competitive fields.

So, my question is:
Do you apply for 2 fields? Someone said to me urology is fairly similar to ENT in terms of the medicine / surgery mix, but urology is an early match and I'm not sure how applying for 2 fields would pan out (appearing unfocused...not to mention the expense of applying)

Any thoughts?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ceberzof]

Applying for another competitive specialty is not what is meant by a backup. Plus if you match early in Urology you cannot match in ENT, you only get one match placement and it is binding. Backups are usually general surgery, preliminary year, transition year, pediatrics, or medicine. Some schools offer research fellowships that allow clinical and research time during a year off to apply or you could just do research at your home institution. As to which option programs like more, I will leave for the attendings to answer, but every residency is different. This has probably been answered somewhere on this thread already.

 

[resxn]

Your back-up plan is not an early match program. Like the above post said, if you match you're stuck. A back-up should be a residency that will match you later and is easier to get in to. Now that ENT is part of the regular match, that will be more difficult. When ENT was an early match, it was easy to have a back-up.

I think most students end up trying to get into a prelim/transitional year and reapply or get into an open PGY-2 slot. For me, I'm not sure I'd be willing to do the first option (the 2nd are few and far between). I'd rather just go off into another field if I didn't make it (I couldn't handle the rejection twice). Many students choose anesthesiology. Personally, I would have done radiology. There's no way I would ever have done primary care.

If you're not a shining candidate, I'd have a back-up. I did and sweated it out until the day I matched regardless of the number of interviews I had and regardless of the number of programs who said they'd really like to have me. I just never felt good about matching until I got the call (that was back in the days of the early match).

 

[TheThroat]

Agree with above about having an early match backup plan: huh?

It is much harder to slide into one of the few ENT R2 positions that opens after doing a prelim year, so if you are serious about oto, this would not be my first choice as a backup plan.

If you are serious about oto, be prepared to do some research, whether NIH or Doris Duke, for a year. That doesn't guarantee you anything, but it at least allows you to reapply with a (possibly) stronger app.

The other choice is to choose a different career. My advice: g-surg or rads. G-surg allows for a lot of different opportunities after residency, you still get to operate, and the lifestyle isn't that bad.

On a completely different note, resxn. Did you ever notice that it looks like your Calvin has had a "run-in" with Silar? (if you have never watched Heroes, then nevermind.

 

[resxn]

On a completely different note, resxn. Did you ever notice that it looks like your Calvin has had a "run-in" with Silar? (if you have never watched Heroes, then nevermind.

I am a fan of Heroes, haven't really liked a Sci-fi since X-files, but Heroes has its moments. I never even thought of the Silar part, but you're right. Doesn't look like Calvin's too upset about it though.

 

[TheThroat]

My wife's mom just gave us the first season on DVD and we have been watching it pretty much non-stop for about 2 weeks now. Best Sci-fi I have seen since Firefly. (showing my dork side, now).

 

[pdz]

Agree with above about having an early match backup plan: huh?

It is much harder to slide into one of the few ENT R2 positions that opens after doing a prelim year, so if you are serious about oto, this would not be my first choice as a backup plan.

If you are serious about oto, be prepared to do some research, whether NIH or Doris Duke, for a year. That doesn't guarantee you anything, but it at least allows you to reapply with a (possibly) stronger app.

The other choice is to choose a different career. My advice: g-surg or rads. G-surg allows for a lot of different opportunities after residency, you still get to operate, and the lifestyle isn't that bad.

On a completely different note, resxn. Did you ever notice that it looks like your Calvin has had a "run-in" with Silar? (if you have never watched Heroes, then nevermind.

How would programs take it though if the OP applied to g-surg, rads and ENT the same year?

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

you'll probably need to at least narrow it down to two fields. Applying for three different residencies during the same cycle would be tough to get enough letters and tough to schedule the interviews.

 

[ceberzof]

I agree with the above post. If you are a good ENT candidate you will probably go on about 7-10 or possibly more interviews which are difficult to schedule on their own.

On another note. Programs should not have access to the list of places you applied. They will only know this information if you tell them.

 

[Dunce]

I agree with the above post. If you are a good ENT candidate you will probably go on about 7-10 or possibly more interviews which are difficult to schedule on their own.

On another note. Programs should not have access to the list of places you applied. They will only know this information if you tell them.

they always ask where else you are interviewing but you wouldn't necessarily have to tell them about non-ENT interviews

 

[pdz]

they always ask where else you are interviewing but you wouldn't necessarily have to tell them about non-ENT interviews

It may as well be that you interview at the same place for two different specialties... in which case you may have to say it.