Backup Specialty

[spiderman719]

I'm a US senior applying to otolaryngology (ENT). I'm also applying to general surgery as a backup. Does anyone have any experience applying to both the early and regular match?

Any advice would be appreciated--specifically, were you able to arrange your backup-specialty interviews for after the early match, and therefore you could just cancel them if you matched in the early match? What if you don't apply to a backup specialty and you have to scramble for a spot?

Thanks in advance!

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[Winged Scapula]

Originally posted by spiderman719:
•I'm a US senior applying to otolaryngology (ENT). I'm also applying to general surgery as a backup. Does anyone have any experience applying to both the early and regular match?

Any advice would be appreciated--specifically, were you able to arrange your backup-specialty interviews for after the early match, and therefore you could just cancel them if you matched in the early match? What if you don't apply to a backup specialty and you have to scramble for a spot?

Thanks in advance! •

Hi Spidey...

I didn't apply to an early and regular match but it is my impression that you really can't schedule your interviews for the regular match "after" the early match in the event you don't match into Otolaryngology.

Most interviews for Gen Surg will take place between November and January. There may be some programs who will offer you interview dates in January after the Oto match, but some schools only offer 1 date and it may be earlier than that. At least that's the word from my Oto colleagues here.

Best of luck.

 

[spiderman719]

Thanks Kimberli!

So it sounds as though I can't have my cake and eat it too, i.e. I'll have to spend the time, energy, and money to apply to both specialties at the same time.

Is anyone else out there applying to a backup specialty? If so, what in? What do you think about the extra time and money this costs vs. the potential benefits?