Can you match two residencies?

[az2]

Here's my question:

Can I try to match in one field for my top choices, then have a different residency for the choices further down?

For Example:
1. Blue at School A
2. Blue at School B
3. Blue at School C
4. Red at School Y
5. Red at School Z

It has to do with geographic location...if I can't get the first three programs I don't want to do other "blue" programs in other cities. At that point, for geographic reasons, I would rather do "red" in specific cities.

How does this work? 😕

-had to modify my post, as I don't know my alphabet.
😛

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[Rads Resident]

You can only match into one program (and therefore into one specialty).

You can, however, rank any number of specialties in your rank list -- I think that's what you're asking -- however, PD's seem to find out and it doesn't reflect well on you when they do. They will wonder how committed you really are.

 

[newbie123]

I was wondering, if you don't pass step 2 and it's a graduation req for your school (meaning you won't graduate from med school if you didn't pass it in time) would you be dropped from your residency program or would they just let you go ahead and try to pass it before it starts? Thanks!

 

[Brewster]

Originally posted by newbie123
I was wondering, if you don't pass step 2 and it's a graduation req for your school (meaning you won't graduate from med school if you didn't pass it in time) would you be dropped from your residency program or would they just let you go ahead and try to pass it before it starts? Thanks!

That probably depends on your school's policies regarding making up step 2 / graduating. If your school requires step 2 to graduate, you should probably take it early enough that if you fail you can retake it. Bottom line is if you don't have the MD you can't start residency.

And, in reference to the OP's question, as Rads said you can rank programs from multiple specialties. However, this only works if they are all NRMP matched specialties. SFMatch and Urology matches take place earlier and are all independent of each other; matching in one of them requires you to withdraw from the rest (if you are participating in more than one).

 

[MacGyver]

Originally posted by Rads Resident
however, PD's seem to find out and it doesn't reflect well on you when they do. They will wonder how committed you really are.

This is what I was talking about in the earlier thread re violation of privacy. For a PD to know where you are applying is wrong. They should NOT have access to that info and should be BARRED from sharing that information with other PDs.

They can talk to PDs under whom you have worked, but they have no right to get personal information from other PDs to where you applying for whom you have no prior experience with.

 

[ERMudPhud]

Jeez, relax. I applied in both internal medicine and emergency medicine including at least two hospitals where I applied to both in the same hospital. At the time I was still trying to decide what I wanted to do. In the end I ranked all the EM programs first followed by all the IM programs just in case. I never saw any indication despite frequent communication from PD's that anyone knew what I was doing. I'm sure once the match came out some of the IM PD's were surprised but no one ever gave me any grief.


It is probably a different case if you were to apply to every specialty at one institution. They would almost certainly notice that and wonder why geography was so much more important to you than the specific field

 

[ERMudPhud]

Originally posted by newbie123
I was wondering, if you don't pass step 2 and it's a graduation req for your school (meaning you won't graduate from med school if you didn't pass it in time) would you be dropped from your residency program or would they just let you go ahead and try to pass it before it starts? Thanks!

I knew several residents who hadn't passed step two but they had all graduated. So, the residency probably won't care about step two but they will care about the degree

 

[MacGyver]

ERmudphud,

well i'm glad that they dont necessarily talk to each other.

However, I still think the NRMP contract needs to have specific language in it prohibiting PDs from talking to each other about applicants and otherwise trying to find out where people are applying, whether its just for 1 type of specialty or not.

My reasons are this:

1) PDs have no use for that information. They do NOT have a "need to know." PDs DO have a legitimate interest in talking to other PDs under whom you have worked for previously (i.e. clinical rotations, externships). But why exactly would they need to talk to PDs of programs you are applying with which you have never worked before?

2) PDs talking to each other about applicants is similar to engineering managers at different companies for whom the applicant has never worked sharing information about various job applicants; this is not fair to the applicant and I believe the same thing applies in residency match. Basically its a form of collusion.

again, I hope you are right that PDs never talk to each other about applicants, but somehow I think this does occur and the NRMP should have specific language in the contracts forbidding this type of communication. They need to form an official policy on this matter.

 

[Foxxy Cleopatra]

az2,

If you decide to double-apply, I wouldn't do it at the same institution. The medical world is a small one, even at larger universities, and I'd imagine it would be easy to get caught. I agree that it is unfortunate that being undecided or inexperienced as a student early in their 4th year is interpreted as a poor level of commitment. Especially since at the time of ERAS submission (early fall) you don't have much more than 3rd year and a few months of 4th year under your belt. And there are always those who say they are so gung-ho over one specialty only to drop out/ change to something else during their intern year.

That said, if location is your main issue, and if the 2 residencies you're going for are very different in competitiveness, I'd apply to some of each in the same area (but not at the same place.) I guess you could try to apply to both at all of the institutions, and you may not get caught, but I wouldn't want to get blackballed by both residency programs altogether. I don't think different departments in different universities would communicate too much regarding your interest in multiple specialties unless there was reason to suspect that you're double applying.

good luck

 

[maxheadroom]

chill out, MacGyver,

1) PDs don't call each other and say, "I'm ranking these people in this order."

2) PDs in different disciplines don't talk to each other about who's applied in which fields.

3) PDs in smaller fields (ENT, Plastics, Uro, Ortho, NSurg) WILL talk to one another about applicants who are:
a) Exceptional ("Did you see the CV for this MacGyver kid? He cured cancer as an undergrad!")
b) Unique ("I interviewed this guy who escaped from a Turkish prison!")
c) Connected ("Did you interview DeBakey's kid?")
d) Known for some reason ("MacGyver rotated here and we loved him.")

4) It shouldn't hurt you for PDs to talk about you. If you're honest with them, there's no way to be burned. Phrase your thank you notes, "I plan on ranking your program very highly." Don't tell everyone that their program is your number one and you won't get into huge trouble.

Lay off on the whole "The NRMP needs to make this illegal" tirade. Lots of things that are technically illegal still happen, so let's focus on fixing those.

 

[zontal]

So what happens when an applicant goes to scramble and signed contract with two different programs.Are they going to find out, or is it a violation of any outstanding rule, or just a clear case of lawsuit from one of the programs sometime after July for breach of contract.

 

[njbmd]

Originally posted by newbie123
I was wondering, if you don't pass step 2 and it's a graduation req for your school (meaning you won't graduate from med school if you didn't pass it in time) would you be dropped from your residency program or would they just let you go ahead and try to pass it before it starts? Thanks!

Hi there,
If a passing score is a requirement for graduation, you won't graduate and therefore, you will not be able to start residency as you must be a graduate of medical school to be a resident.

You have the option of doing a research year and re-doing the Match after you have graduated. Sometimes, a program will let you work in a research lab until you have graduated and then you start residency. I have heard of a couple of folks doing that, one in pediatrics and the other in internal medicine.

If you schedule and take Step II early in your fourth year, you will have a couple of shots at passing it so you can graduate on time. Every competitive residency program that I interviewed with last year, asked me if I had taken Step II so don't put this test off if it is required for graduation.

The best feeling is to have a job in hand and nothing between you and graduation especially Step II. Also remember that you have seven years from the time that you have taken Step I to take and pass Step III or you will have to start over. I would't want to take Step I or Step II again for any reason. I am planning on taking Step III at the end of May and getting that out of the way.

njbmd [Got those #2 pencils sharpened and my computer finger ready to click]😎