Categorical/Advanced programs

[sarah22]

Some residency programs offer both categorical and advanced positions. I have been planning to apply for categorical spots, but does it make any sense to apply to both at the same program? When rank time comes, can I rank the categorical spot and the advanced spot at the same program?

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[DreamLover]

Some residency programs offer both categorical and advanced positions. I have been planning to apply for categorical spots, but does it make any sense to apply to both at the same program? When rank time comes, can I rank the categorical spot and the advanced spot at the same program?

Sure....if you apply to both at one program then you will just rank whichever one you want more (i.e. categorical) higher than than the other. But then if you rank advance positions, you will need a prelim/TY as well so don't forget about that too. If you really only want categoricals...then you can apply for both and rank all the categorical programs above any of the advanced to give yourself the best shot at a categorical match.

 

[jennyboo]

When I applied last year to East Coast and a couple West Coast programs, there were not enough categorical spots among the programs I applied to that I could justify not applying to advanced spots. To take an example, one program I ranked pretty highly (Univ Pennsylvania) had 2 categorical spots and something like 18 (not sure if that's the exact number) advanced spots. If I wanted to go to that program for residency, the odds were much better if I applied for both advanced and categorical spots.

So I applied for both (kinda like a 2-for-1 special, you don't get charged extra for applying to both advanced and categorical within the same residency program) and ranked both.

 

[green thicket]

This might be a silly question but when do you apply for advanced programs- it now (2 years before you would begin the advanced program) or next year after you have finished your prelim year?
If you aplpy to advanced now, does the program understand that you eman to start in two years after you have completed your prelim year?

 

[Shadowboricua]

This might be a silly question but when do you apply for advanced programs- it now (2 years before you would begin the advanced program) or next year after you have finished your prelim year?
If you aplpy to advanced now, does the program understand that you eman to start in two years after you have completed your prelim year?

Advanced programs (Anesthesia, derm, rad, etc) only require a 1-year prelim or transitional. You apply to both advanced and prelim/trans at the same time.

 

[seamonkey]

definitely apply to both now through ERAS as a 4th year med student. the ranking system allows you to rank 4yr or the 1+3yr, with your own separate ranking of the prelim years (should you be matched to an advanced program)

thats how i did it

 

[green thicket]

Thanks! So as a 4th year I can apply to advanced programs now. Out of curiosity what do PGY-1's do who have finished their prelim year and still need to secure an advanced program- do they also choose advanced when applying through eras?

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[TKTDart]

Thanks! So as a 4th year I can apply to advanced programs now. Out of curiosity what do PGY-1's do who have finished their prelim year and still need to secure an advanced program- do they also choose advanced when applying through eras?

Thanks for the clarification!

If they have not matched into an advanced spot they can either go through ERAS again OR contact individual programs to see if they have any advanced openings. If they do, they can apply directly to the program.

Only U.S. Seniors are required to go through the match when they apply for residencies. Outside of that, it can go either way.

 

[rabbitfoot]

Does anyone have a sense of which of the 2 (categorical or advanced) is more competetive? Or is it just based on preference.