Do I need to apply to preliminary surgery

[nm825]

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234 Step 1. Decent clinical grades from Top 40 school. Step 2 pending, Applying to 60-70 gas programs.

I am applying to probably 30ish prelim medicine programs. Do I need to apply to any surgery prelims? I do not have any surgery letters.

 

[abolt18]

234 Step 1. Decent clinical grades from Top 40 school. Step 2 pending, Applying to 60-70 gas programs.

I am applying to probably 30ish prelim medicine programs. Do I need to apply to any surgery prelims? I do not have any surgery letters.

1. Why on Earth are you applying to so many anesthesia programs? I'd apply to less than half that if I were you.

2. Are you applying to a lot of advanced programs? I would apply only to TY and prelim medicine. I would not electively subject myself to getting crapped on and abused for an entire surgical prelim year.

 

[pocafx]

I agree, if you are MD student, I wouldn't even apply advanced programs.

 

[AdmiralChz]

With so many programs cutting their advanced programs in favor of converting to mostly categorical and physician (R) spots, there’s no real reason to pursue many prelim spots.

In general, there are few reasons to really apply for surgery prelim positions straight up like you are - the majority are very malignant and full of scut rotations. Leave those positions to SOAP’ers and more marginal IMGs looking to break into the states.

 

[deleted697127]

I agree, if you are MD student, I wouldn't even apply advanced programs.

This line of thinking is increasingly common and opens the door to sneaking into programs above your pay grade. I’m not saying to do a surgery prelim year. That blows and I know people that did 100% surgery and have to make up required intern year rotations they missed later in residency. Despite trends, there are a lot of programs that have a significant amount of advanced only spots. For me, where I am doing residency and the associated alumni network for private practice was far more important than intern year.

 

[Low Flow]

This line of thinking is increasingly common and opens the door to sneaking into programs above your pay grade. I’m not saying to do a surgery prelim year. That blows and I know people that did 100% surgery and have to make up required intern year rotations they missed later in residency. Despite trends, there are a lot of programs that have a significant amount of advanced only spots. For me, where I am doing residency and the associated alumni network for private practice was far more important than intern year.

Did you land an advanced spot at an institution where a categorical spot was out of reach?

 

[deleted697127]

Did you land an advanced spot at an institution where a categorical spot was out of reach?

Yes. I ranked each program categorical 1a advanced 1b and so on. I don’t think the data is released to confirm this but i would wager the majority of applicants rank either categorical only or categorical higher than advanced. I’m sure there are many exceptions like if you want to stay close to your med school cause your SO is a year below you or to give your SO a year notice on where to look for jobs, etc. I was hardly upset with ending up with an advanced spot and a TY. Prelim medicine at my medical school would have been a no brainer backup.

Applying to both won’t get you any more interviews. Rank lists by programs are essentially the same order categorical and advanced minus people in the advanced list who didn’t even click the button to apply advanced.