Changing from OB/Gyn to Anes

[civic4982]

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[Jeff05]

So I went in and told my PD on Monday that Ob/Gyn isn't right for me and threw a huge wrench in the cogwheels of my life.

I'm happy while at the same time anxious.

I'm at a good program which I absolutely love all the people but just know that I don't want to be an Ob/Gyn.

Now comes the WHAT TO DO list:

1. Prepare for and take step 3.
2. Start sending out e-mails and calling programs about CA-2 positions that are open and if they will accept my Ob/Gyn intern year from my program.
3. ERAS it up.
4. NRMP it up.
5. Ask parents for money for interviews.
6. Ask PD for time off for interviews and cancel my vacation in September.

I know a lot of you have been through this before.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not uber competitive and need to find a way to make myself so.

Step I: 89
Step II: 70 then 85 (Took the darn thing the first time in the heat of interview season like a goober)

MD/MBA dual degree program in 4 years.

Anyone know if these are competitive in Anesthesia?
I know I probably need to prove myself with a competitive Step III big @$$ pass. Not exactly sure how I'm gonna do that with an Ob/Gyn intern year but here goes nothin'. Buying books in another tab as we speak.

Thanks.

this has been discussed on numerous occasions, but here are the highlights.

1. you quit a specialty after less than 2 months? i don't understand how you can have enough perspective to make a well rounded decision. what piece of information did you gather that made you change your mind (that was not available to you as a medical student who likely did several OB/GYN electives). i would be interested in this as a PD.


2. how do you know that anesthesia is the RIGHT thing for you? you need an answer for this not just for yourself, but for program directors as well.


3. you would be entering at the CA1 level (PGY2). so you will not be looking for CA2 positions.

4. step 3 scores are mostly irrelevant.

5. your MBA will not be an advantage for anesthesia.

6. not sure if your OB/gyn internship is an acceptable base year for anesthesiology.

 

[coprolalia]

Two pieces of advice, for your future:

(1) Never, never, never refer to a gynecologist as a "surgeon" in front of other "real" surgeons.

(2) The grass is always greener, my friend... Caveat emptor.

-copro

 

[Jeff05]

agree with copro. obstetrons are not surgeons. they are c-sectionists, at best.
still, i get what you're saying. i think if you really want to do this, you should be able to get a spot in anesthesia. i would do another elective in anesthesia asap, and not transfer out of residency for now. give it another several months.

regardless, don't feel trapped in whatever you do. there is always a way to do something else.

 

[lfesiam]

agree with copro. obstetrons are not surgeons. they are c-sectionists, at best.
still, i get what you're saying. i think if you really want to do this, you should be able to get a spot in anesthesia. i would do another elective in anesthesia asap, and not transfer out of residency for now. give it another several months.

regardless, don't feel trapped in whatever you do. there is always a way to do something else.

except for the GYN-ONC. they are surgeons who operates with VERY LONG tools...usually in very deep tight spaces.......when you get a non stop obese bleeder...whew....been in one of those....

good luck with your pursuits OP!

 

[boggy]

Your chances of making it into an anesthesia residency with those part 1 and part 2 scores are slim--certainly nothing competitive--also, program directors are very ill at ease with people who change fields after so little time--such applicants appear unsteady and in anesthesia they are always worried you will flip out and do drugs and then they will have to deal with a death or something ---I know this because as a resident i served on our department's selection committee and believe me anyone who changes fields was not seriously considered. On the other hand, there are alot of anesthesiologists out there who started in something else. think twice before you do this

 

[Bertelman]

Your chances of making it into an anesthesia residency with those part 1 and part 2 scores are slim--certainly nothing competitive--also, program directors are very ill at ease with people who change fields after so little time--such applicants appear unsteady and in anesthesia they are always worried you will flip out and do drugs and then they will have to deal with a death or something ---I know this because as a resident i served on our department's selection committee and believe me anyone who changes fields was not seriously considered. On the other hand, there are alot of anesthesiologists out there who started in something else. think twice before you do this

So there's a correlation between impaired anesthesiologists transferring from other specialties?

 

[Bertelman]

It seems that this thread is getting off topic.

Can anyone answer my questions about what the next step is to do to prepare myself as someone who is changing specialties. I'm sure someone else who is an anesthesiologist or a resident physician anesthesiologist has done this before.

AND

What can I do to make myself more competitive?

Let's leave out the "you're never going to make it" and "OB/Gyns are not surgeons" stuff. If you're not interested in this thread and want to make a different thread about those things then feel free to. Just don't clutter mine up.

So... surely someone here has gone through what I'm going through.

They have, and I'm certain there are other threads which cover the topic quite well. A search may benefit you.

 

[periopdoc]

A few FWIW thoughts from a former Gyn/OB

Also, the search button is your friend. These questions have surely been answered a thousand times over on this forum.

Hello Mr Pot, meet Mr Kettle.


Encouragement

Don't listen to people who tell you that it is too early to start planning for the switch. Reflect on when you realized that you were in the wrong profession and you may realize that this uncertainty has been going on for a lot longer than the 2 months you have been an intern. For me it was the night after my first residency interview for Gyn. I was sitting in my hotel room when it struck me, "what the hell am I doing and why am I not interviewing for anesthesia?" I stuck with Gyn to trial it, knowing that I could bail into anesthesia. It was about this time of intern year that I let my PD know that I was thinking of changing careers. I told her I wasn't sure, but I wanted to explore my options. I did it this early so that I could get my applications in for a CA-1 spot and secure a position before the end of the intern year I didn't make a final decision until February when I told my PD that I was definitely leaving. Of course, by that time I had two offers. Unless you want to do a second year of OB or you want to take a year off, or you want to snag a categorical slot, you need to start securing a position.

Historically UW has reserved a couple of "refugee" slots every year because the switchers have been some of our strongest, most successful residents. Under the new chairperson I don't think that will be the case any longer. Although you have the necessary pre-requisites in your intern year (assuming Baylor-Houston still does Medical ICU and Medical ER during the first year like they did in 2008-2009) to go straight into a CA-1 spot your best bet may be applying for a categorical spot and repeating the intern year as CA-1 spots are excruciatingly rare and difficult to come by in the current environment.



Reality Check

I'm just about to finish the first summer session here at Texas Tech. The fact that I'm losing this entire summer and next summer for a stressful courseload is making me feel like quitting.

It seems like you have had a real struggle with determining what you want to do with your life and committing to it. It sounds like you stuck it out and finished the MBA. Good for you. However, you better be damn sure you want to leave OB because you certainly aren't going back if you leave. Furthermore, if programs are aware of SDN, like UW is, you may have a difficult time securing a spot with a history like that. I do not play a roll in UW admissions any more, but I can guarantee that if I had read the above statement and I was interviewing you as a refugee from OB it would be very hard for you to convince me to take you.


Reality check number 2

It seems that this thread is getting off topic...
If you're not interested in this thread and want to make a different thread about those things then feel free to. Just don't clutter mine up.

Hey you come to our forum, you play by our rules. We derail threads with glee and it is part of what makes the anesthesiology sub-forum so popular. Your posting history across SDN sounds a lot more like a Gyne than an anesthesiologist and you might want to consider if your personality is right for anesthesia.

just some thoughts that are worth every cent you paid for them.

- pod

 

[periopdoc]

I'm at a good program...

You may be at a "good" program, but hardly a competitive program. That isn't going to help when you try to pique the interest of a PD when cold-calling. I came from a big name Gyn program and I had strong Step I & II scores, but I could hardly get my foot in the door for an interview with most anesthesia programs.

Your best bet will be to look at your home institutions, Texas Tech and Baylor, anesthesia programs since you already have an established relationship with both. Unfortunately, both are small programs meaning the opportunity will be limited, but if there is an opening you would stand a good chance.

Now comes the WHAT TO DO list:

1. Prepare for and take step 3.
2. Start sending out e-mails and calling programs about CA-1 positions that are open and if they will accept my Ob/Gyn intern year from my program.
3. ERAS it up.
4. NRMP it up.
5. Ask parents for money for interviews.
6. Ask PD for time off for interviews and cancel my vacation in September.

I'm not uber competitive and need to find a way to make myself so.

Step I: 89
Step II: 70 then 85 (Took the darn thing the first time in the heat of interview season like a goober)

MD/MBA dual degree program in 4 years.

I would only add one thing. Now that your program knows that you are planning on leaving, you must work your ass off and maintain good relationships with the people in your program. You will have to work twice as hard as the other interns for people to just have an equivalent view of you and the others. Don't burn any bridges by slacking off or having a bad attitude, it WILL come back to haunt you. Trust me on that one.

I still have a good relationship with folks from my old program and my old PD is at least a facebook friend. I have nothing but good memories, and from what I am told, the majority of people in Halstead feel the same about me.

Can you post your 3-digit scores? I don't know how to convert the 2-digit to 3-digit and all the programs look at 3-digit scores. The 2-digit scores are for medical licensing authorities that don't accept the traditional 3-digit USMLE score.

- pod

 

[civic4982]

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[Jeff05]

i think you will have a very very difficult time matching into anesthesia - unless it is an undesirable program. the combination of low scores and transfer from Ob/gyn is tough.

however, if anesthesia salaries tank and competitiveness goes down in 1 year, you may have a chance.

 

[ozzie20]

I think you should do what makes you happy. Its your life, and no one else's. If OBGYN is not something you like, and anesthesia is, go for it. You may get in this year, you may not, if you really want it, you'll apply again and get a spot at some point.

In the end, its what makes you happy.

Me personally, I love my job even though I'm a CA1. It may sound really weird, but I like setting up rooms (I set up the emergency room from time to time at the end of the day even if I don't have to), I like sitting in on the long cases (preferably longer than 4 hours), I like all the procedures right down to starting IVs. Staring at the monitors and changing the BP, HR, ETCO2 etc etc is like playing a video game for me, I could do it for days straight and not get tired of it.

Its what makes you happy at the end of the day that makes the difference.