Degree specialization for non-residency trained?

[NotSoLucky]

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Maybe I'm hallucinating this, but I was under the impression that there were letters that can be added to the end of MD to signify that you have not completed a residency. I just graduated with both an MD and an MBA. I did not match. I need to look for work and would like to put it on my CV and business cards (for getting a job), but I am tired of people assuming I am licensed and have completed a residency. Even when I say I just graduated from medical school in a setting of professionals (business mostly, though a few in medicine as well) I commonly get asked what my specialty is. I have considered joking that my specialty is not matching (out of frustration) but needless to say that would not be wise in the situation.

Does anyone know if this designation does exist and what it is?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ray Med]

I’m sorry to hear about the match.
I’m not aware of any such designation on the degree, but perhaps a better go-to response would be to say “I didn’t specialize”?

 

[NotSoLucky]

I generally respond by explaining that I just graduated medical school and have not done residency. It works, but it would be nice to give both sides an out.

 

[ndafife]

If there was, which I don't think there is, do you think a layperson would look at your badge and see "NotSoLucky MD, MBA, **" and still not ask you what your specialty is? I doubt people would read beyond the 2 terms they actually know and dig into the ones they don't

 

[W19]

Maybe it's time for some reform regarding med education... How come dentists can practice without residency?

 

[Oso]

Maybe it's time for some reform regarding med education... How come dentists can practice without residency?

I don’t want an M4 treating patients on their own..

——
OP, I’m sorry you didn’t match, but have you really given up on medicine entirely? Sometimes it takes more than one round to match into the field of your choice, and if that doesn’t work, there are other specialties that you may be able to match into (ex. family med). Just a thought.

In terms of your original question, no I have never heard of initials like that.

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

Maybe it's time for some reform regarding med education... How come dentists can practice without residency?

I suppose the biggest difference is that you spend D3 and D4 treatment planning and performing (supervised) procedures in various related dental specialities, as opposed to getting the tip of the iceberg/trying not to get in the way across more disparate medical specialities.

You're going to be an unpolished doc either way, but the training by M4s to that point is more diffuse.

 

[W19]

I don’t want an M4 treating patients on their own..

——
OP, I’m sorry you didn’t match, but have you really given up on medicine entirely? Sometimes it takes more than one round to match into the field of your choice, and if that doesn’t work, there are other specialties that you may be able to match into (ex. family med). Just a thought.

In terms of your original question, no I have never heard of initials like that.

Neither do I, but NP/PA with less training hours are treating them...

 

[Psai]

Just take a page out of the midlevel pagebook

"I had the grades and could have done residency if I chose but I decided to do *other thing* instead"

 

[NotSoLucky]

I have not given up totally. I got sick during medical school - we are talking about a year of medical leave not a cold. It acts as a red flag, and with competition as it is right now, its making the match tough. (I have not had any disciplinary problems, just the illness which affected my grades at one point because I kept trying to push through when I really needed to take time off).

This was my second year trying to match as an outgoing senior. I graduated this year, and plan to take step 3 and go back into the match. I broadened my search this year, and will broaden it further next year. I think the step 3 score will help. I am also looking at the situation with Missouri and the assistant physician license very closely to see if it might be a good option for me.

 

[W19]

I have not given up totally. I got sick during medical school - we are talking about a year of medical leave not a cold. It acts as a red flag, and with competition as it is right now, its making the match tough. (I do have not had any disciplinary problems, just the illness which affected my grades at one point because I kept trying to push through when I really needed to take time off).

This was my second year trying to match as an outgoing senior. I graduated this year, and plan to take step 3 and go back into the match. I broadened my search this year, and will broaden it further next year. I think the step 3 score will help. I am also looking at the situation with Missouri and the assistant physician license very closely to see if it might be a good option for me.

Did you graduate from a US school?

 

[NotSoLucky]

Yes. I graduated from a US school. With the increase in class sizes in both the MD and DO schools outpacing the increase in residency spots not matching is becoming a more prevalent issue. I was by no means the only one in my class that did not match. I Think the number was between 12 and 15. There were also a few who only partially matched (they only got the first year set up and have to go back into the match next year if they hope to board in any specialty).

 

[Oso]

Yes. I graduated from a US school. With the increase in class sizes in both the MD and DO schools outpacing the increase in residency spots not matching is becoming a more prevalent issue. I was by no means the only one in my class that did not match. I Think the number was between 12 and 15. There were also a few who only partially matched (they only got the first year set up and have to go back into the match next year if they hope to board in any specialty).

What specialties have you been applying to?

 

[NotSoLucky]

The first time just neurology. This last round I applied to neurology (10), internal medicine (10), prelims (10) and about 40 anesthesia programs. The internal med and prelim ones were added a few weeks after it opened, so that hurt my chances on those.

I plan to shotgun next round. Broad and early

 

[deleted480308]

The first time just neurology. This last round I applied to neurology (10), internal medicine (10), prelims (10) and about 40 anesthesia programs. The internal med and prelim ones were added a few weeks after it opened, so that hurt my chances on those.

I plan to shotgun next round. Broad and early

Sir/ma’am. For a reapplicant to not add a ton of fm as safeties is a bad call

 

[NotSoLucky]

Sir/ma’am. For a reapplicant to not add a ton of fm as safeties is a bad call

That statement involves a lot of assumptions. The thread is also getting off topic, which was how to differentiate clinically licensed from non-clinical on a business card. Which I solved simply by putting (non-clinical) under my name and degrees. Note this thread was not an "I did not match, my life is over" thread.

I will only address one of the assumptions made in the comment. That assumption is that I would rather do family medicine than not to match. Which is false. I would in fact rather go into biotech and device development than to go into family medicine. The compensation is also similar among the two options. I already have one surgical patent and am a better fit for biotech than family medicine. My interest is pain management, and I can help that subset of patients in either a clinical or non-clinical role.

 

[deleted480308]

That statement involves a lot of assumptions. The thread is also getting off topic, which was how to differentiate clinically licensed from non-clinical on a business card. Which I solved simply by putting (non-clinical) under my name and degrees. Note this thread was not an "I did not match, my life is over" thread.

I will only address one of the assumptions made in the comment. That assumption is that I would rather do family medicine than not to match. Which is false. I would in fact rather go into biotech and device development than to go into family medicine. The compensation is also similar among the two options. I already have one surgical patent and am a better fit for biotech than family medicine. My interest is pain management, and I can help that subset of patients in either a clinical or non-clinical role.

You were looking into the asst physician program so forgive me for saying that if you also didn’t at least look at fm that you might need some strategic re-evaluation....but either way, you seem confident in your path so I wish you well

 

[NotSoLucky]

I can see how what I said could be interpreted that way. I am shotgunning simply to get licensed, if I can't get into a specialty I want (anesthesia, neuro or IM) then I would use the license to help me on the biotech end. I am looking into the assistant physician option more to bolster next years application than anything else - recent clinical experience. I am not thinking of it as a permanent option, although who knows maybe I would get out there and love it. Life has a funny way of changing our minds about things. I still haven't decided for sure to go out there. Still figuring my local options out.

I am frustrated about the situation from a systems end more than I am about my personal situation. It just doesn't feel right to me that they keep increasing enrollment faster than the spots are growing. It puts some good students in a bad situation.

 

[deleted480308]

I can see how what I said could be interpreted that way. I am shotgunning simply to get licensed, if I can't get into a specialty I want (anesthesia, neuro or IM) then I would use the license to help me on the biotech end. I am looking into the assistant physician option more to bolster next years application than anything else - recent clinical experience. I am not thinking of it as a permanent option, although who knows maybe I would get out there and love it. Life has a funny way of changing our minds about things. I still haven't decided for sure to go out there. Still figuring my local options out.

I am frustrated about the situation from a systems end more than I am about my personal situation. It just doesn't feel right to me that they keep increasing enrollment faster than the spots are growing. It puts some good students in a bad situation.

tons of spots, you just don't want the ones you are most competitive for. You could be a pgy2 right now

 

[NotSoLucky]

I don't get why you want to bash me. I am not angry about not matching personally. I specifically stated that I would rather not match than to take an FM spot. So why do you feel a need to retort like that? I'm not bashing you or anyone else. What's the deal?

 

[deleted480308]

I don't get why you want to bash me. I am not angry about not matching personally. I specifically stated that I would rather not match than to take an FM spot. So why do you feel a need to retort like that? I'm not bashing you or anyone else. What's the deal?

it's not bashing. it's correcting a false statement. You said there is a crunch of spots that caused a "bad situation" that kept you from matching, there are plenty of spots. Family medicine is not an insult

 

[NotSoLucky]

That is not what I said. I said it puts some good students in a bad situation. I did not say it put me in a bad situation.

As to the whole there are plenty of spots vs there is a crunch of spots.... I know that is a controversy. I don't expect that controversy to end on this thread, nor do I want to waste my time debating it. I saw the list of all the programs / spots in the scramble both this year and last. There were not a lot, and I know people who called the few that were reported as unfilled after round three only to find that they all had since found someone. Anyway, I am out. I found the answer to my question and this is descending into a negativity that I have no desire to be part of.

 

[W19]

Yes. I graduated from a US school. With the increase in class sizes in both the MD and DO schools outpacing the increase in residency spots not matching is becoming a more prevalent issue. I was by no means the only one in my class that did not match. I Think the number was between 12 and 15. There were also a few who only partially matched (they only got the first year set up and have to go back into the match next year if they hope to board in any specialty).

Placement rate (not match rate) has been in the 98%+ for both MD and DO... It's not a prevalent issue. Anyway, best of luck...