Did you get the specialty you wanted?

[snoopy69]

I was just curious as to who entered med school wanting to enter a highly competitive specialty such as derm, ent, etc.. and had to choose something else since they could not get in? It seems unfair that people who really want to do a certain field regardless of salary or hours cannot get into it simply because their board scores arent in the elite category. What are your feelings on this? By the way, I'm not trying to bash the less competitive fields so please don't take it that way.

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[blue2000]

I was just curious as to who entered med school wanting to enter a highly competitive specialty such as derm, ent, etc.. and had to choose something else since they could not get in? It seems unfair that people who really want to do a certain field regardless of salary or hours cannot get into it simply because their board scores arent in the elite category. What are your feelings on this? By the way, I'm not trying to bash the less competitive fields so please don't take it that way.

I have to say, and I'm going to come across snotty, that fairness really has nothing to do with it. Competitive specialties are competitive because the supply of applicants is higher than the number of positions. A person's desire to do one of those fields is really only a small peice of the process. At some point, life is no longer about how hard you try or how much you want something. It's about your actual success and accomplishments.

 

[snoopy69]

yeah i guess that's how life goes. can anyone answer how common it is for people not to match in their most preferred specialty?

 

[Gfunk6]

For US Seniors, the match rate for the most competitive specialties is ~70-80%. One reason for this is that the applicant pool is self-selecting. The avg. Board scores are usually well known and med school advisors are generally upfront about how competitive an applicant will be for a match.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I didn't match into Integrated Plastics out of medical school. While it might not seem fair, and I was disappointed, one has to be realistic when applying to competitive specialties --- even those with high scores, LORs, etc. will not match---there are simply too many applicants for the number of positions.

 

[Leukocyte]

When do you "give up" persuing your prefered speciality?

Is it better to persue a back-up speciality rather than to "waste" 1-2 years doing research work/pre-resideny fellowships in order to be more competetive for your prefered speciality?

 

[roja]

As the wise Dr.Cox said: its not just about fair. If you go in, knowing you want a competitive field, then you need to make ALL the sacrifices that go with it. adn realize you still may not get it. This is real life. Its not fuzzy bunnies and marshmellow peeps.

If its a field you really LOVE then most people find a way. Research, etc etc etc.

But also realize, some people bust thier hump working for what they think they love and then get to third and fourth year and realize they HATE it. I knew someone who was 2nd in class out of 210. Research, awesome letters for derm, all set to match. realized she HATED derm. didn't want to do it. went into FP, which she loves.

I, personally, was NEVER going to work in an ER. Never contemplated it. Was certain I was goign to go into a rare peds subspecialty.

And yet, here I ma. I hated peds. I love EM. You just never know.