confused, unsure, need guidance and clarification

[neutro]

backgorund:
i am a caribbean med student (one of top 4 carib schools) in my 3rd year currently doing my core rotations. i wrote my step 1 in november, and thankfully got a 232/97.
i am really interested in anesthesiology, but it turns out that I cannot finish my rotations before may 31, 2010 (as per my clinical co-ordinator, that is the deadline if i am to start my residency in july 1, 2010). if i do ALL my rotations back to back with no time off in between, i am falling behind by 1 month. i cannot apply this year, because i dont think i will have time to write my Step 2 CK and CS before the ERAS application.

I started med school in January' 07...so it puts me kinda off cycle.

anyhow, this all boils down to the fact that i will have to sit out a year after i graduate. granted, it gives me AMPLE time to prepare for my step 2, maybe do some research, and attend as many interviews I can...and maybe write step 3 before my residency starts.

however, thats a whole year we are talking about...and i dont know if i can physically take that...

then I came across this whole concept of pre lim year, and transitional year, etc.
i know that for anesthesiology I need 1 year internship + 3 years CA...making it total 4 years.
so, my question is, can I pull off a miracle, and actually do a pre-lim year or transitional year, and then start anesthesiology? this is based on my understanding that a pre-lim or transitional year is widely available? please someone clear these concepts for me...i dont know how they differ exactly, except the fact that a pre lim is either in surgery or medicine and its more 'focused' than a transitional year.

if i want to start my anesth residency in 2010, when do i apply for it? do i apply this year? do i scramble to get a pre-lim spot in 2010, and while im doing my prelim, look out for an anesthesiology spot?

also, what does it mean to 'go out of match'? does this mean that if i finish in August of 2010 and have written my step 2 CK and CS, I can start in 'september'? I dont know how true this is, but this came up during a convo that i was listening in on...

so what should i do? should i apply this year for an anesthesiology spot for the heck of it even though i would not have my step 2 scores in, or any letters from anesthesiology electives in... (LOL...sounds very ridiculous to me).

as you can see, im very lost in this whole process and dont really have a good idea about the time line.

if anyone could help me out, then that would be great.

thanks.

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[RxBoy]

backgorund:
i am a caribbean med student (one of top 4 carib schools) in my 3rd year currently doing my core rotations. i wrote my step 1 in november, and thankfully got a 232/97.

If I understand your story correctly its that you can't finish in time for July 1st residency and wondering if you can do an intern year in the mean time. Its a complicated scenario but I'll try to explain.

First off note there is a 50/50 split between anesthesia programs with a built in intern year (Categorical) and ones without (Advanced). But for simplicity sake lets say someone wants to only apply intern year->advanced position route for the 2010 residency year.

In the M4 year, they will apply for 2010 intern years and 2011 advanced anesthesia positions through ERAS (match). They will interview for those spots the same year. Find out if they matched in those spots the same year. By the end of match week, all 2010 intern years and 2011 advanced anesthesia positions will be taken.

Now lets talk "out of match" intern year spots.... They typically start July 1st as well, only difference is they are offered outside the match. Positions available are usually in undesirable locations or the dreaded prelim surgery year (slave workshop). Same goes for "out of match" anesthesia positions.

With that said, you probably can't start an intern year match or "out of match" because you won't finish medical school in time. But lets say somehow you did get that prelim surgery spot in Anchorage, Alaska. All of the advanced positions for 2011 anesthesia spots will already have been taken through ERAS as discussed above, so you will have to find an out of match spot for anesthesia as well. This is nearly impossible.

Best chances to match: Apply for the match, and apply for all spots at the same time. If this means losing a year, well be it. You'll just have to find something to do (research, work, ect.) for that year. You def. don't want to rush into an intern year without guarantees afterwards.

 

[neutro]

If I understand your story correctly its that you can't finish in time for July 1st residency and wondering if you can do an intern year in the mean time. Its a complicated scenario but I'll try to explain.

First off note there is a 50/50 split between anesthesia programs with a built in intern year (Categorical) and ones without (Advanced). But for simplicity sake lets say someone wants to only apply intern year->advanced position route for the 2010 residency year.

In the M4 year, they will apply for 2010 intern years and 2011 advanced anesthesia positions through ERAS (match). They will interview for those spots the same year. Find out if they matched in those spots the same year. By the end of match week, all 2010 intern years and 2011 advanced anesthesia positions will be taken.

Now lets talk "out of match" intern year spots.... They typically start July 1st as well, only difference is they are offered outside the match. Positions available are usually in undesirable locations or the dreaded prelim surgery year (slave workshop). Same goes for "out of match" anesthesia positions.

With that said, you probably can't start an intern year match or "out of match" because you won't finish medical school in time. But lets say somehow you did get that prelim surgery spot in Anchorage, Alaska. All of the advanced positions for 2011 anesthesia spots will already have been taken through ERAS as discussed above, so you will have to find an out of match spot for anesthesia as well. This is nearly impossible.

Best chances to match: Apply for the match, and apply for all spots at the same time. If this means losing a year, well be it. You'll just have to find something to do (research, work, ect.) for that year. You def. don't want to rush into an intern year without guarantees afterwards.

ah i see!

thanks for the great info!!!

so lets say i do my intern year in ooompa loompa land in alaska in 2010, i will have to apply AGAIN for a CA-1 year through ERAS which starts in 2011?