MD Cross-talk when dual applying w/IM and Other Specialty?

[Indecision2017]

Hey all, I am planning to dual apply to IM and a competitive specialty; I have things on my application that hint I am at least interested in the competitive specialty (mainly research and electives on my transcript). However, I have different sets of letters and different personal statements. In my IM personal statement I essentially hedge my bets and state that I initially wanted to do the competitive specialty but now want to do IM (just to explain the research and electives). I am actually legitimately interested in both fields and literally cannot currently decide one over the other at this moment- IM was a recent interest and I see pros and cons to each.

I will be applying IM prelim and categorical separately. The other specialty and IM categoricals will overlap at several schools.

However a school adviser told me that IM program directors often talk to different departments (ie Anesthesia, Radiology, Ophthalmology, Derm, etc..). This could hurt my chances at these programs, mainly in IM. In all of your experiences, how true is this?
He also advised me in my Internal Medicine PS to take out the part that talked about the other specialty completely and just focus on why IM. What do you all think?

Thanks so much in advance!

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[masaraksh]

As someone who has been in a similar spot with a surgical sub and another field (however, ultimately just applying the former), I've been advised that if you find yourself in a position to dual apply (which is suboptimal from the start since its urged to just go full out on one thing than to half-a$$ two) to not apply to two specialties at one institution. So like if its derm and IM for you - apply to 20 places for derm and 20 different places for IM.

However - no one, not ERAS is gonna stop you from applying to two or more specialties at all the same institutions.

 

[Redpancreas]

Hey all, I am planning to dual apply to IM and a competitive specialty; I have things on my application that hint I am at least interested in the competitive specialty (mainly research and electives on my transcript). However, I have different sets of letters and different personal statements. In my IM personal statement I essentially hedge my bets and state that I initially wanted to do the competitive specialty but now want to do IM (just to explain the research and electives). I am actually legitimately interested in both fields and literally cannot currently decide one over the other at this moment- IM was a recent interest and I see pros and cons to each.

I will be applying IM prelim and categorical separately. The other specialty and IM categoricals will overlap at several schools.

However a school adviser told me that IM program directors often talk to different departments (ie Anesthesia, Radiology, Ophthalmology, Derm, etc..). This could hurt my chances at these programs, mainly in IM. In all of your experiences, how true is this?
He also advised me in my Internal Medicine PS to take out the part that talked about the other specialty completely and just focus on why IM. What do you all think?

Thanks so much in advance!

Listen to your adviser. You're over-complicating things. There are better ways to strengthen you IM application (like just making it better overall) instead of just outright lying.

Scenario 1:
A cynical IM-PD reads your application. He or she sees your Dermatology experiences. Suspects you might be applying to Derm as well and rolls their eyes but you have a strong application so they invite/rank you.

Scenario 2:
A cynical IM-PD reads your PS which says are not applying to Dermatology, but sees your Dermatology experiences. He or she does some research and finds out you lied. Your application goes in the trash.