Do you choose your residency or does your residency choose you?

[Piglet2020]

Fun question^

Wondering since I know I’m bad at picking multiple good options (like a kid in an ice cream shop).

Thoughts? How do you know this specialty is the one? Is it like a spirit animal where it chooses you?

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[FlavivirusProtease]

Fun question^

Wondering since I know I’m bad at picking multiple good options (like a kid in an ice cream shop).

Thoughts? How do you know this specialty is the one? Is it like a spirit animal where it chooses you?

It's a little bit of both.

Basically you apply to whichever residencies you want. Some of them will invite you to interview.

After the interviews, you'll rank all the residencies you've interviewed at and all the residencies will rank everyone who interviewed there.

All of those rankings from all the medical students and all the residencies then go into a magical algorithm on a computer, and the computer gives everyone the residency they will be going to (If they matched) on match day.

Once the computer gives you your residency, you're stuck with that one, no matter how far down it is on your rank list, so it's important to rank according to where you want to go. Some people try to game the system by ranking alternatively, but I don't think that's actually effective.

You know which specialty is the one because of the clerkships you've been doing in your 3rd year. Those'll tell you what you like and what you don't like to do.

 

[HomeSkool]

When I was an MS4, I had a dream. In my dream, I was walking through the woods with no destination and no path. A great bear of wisdom and power appeared before me. In one paw it grasped the Sword of Step 1, in the other it clutched the Spear of LORs. Its voice was as thunder, but to my ears its growls and snarls became words, its speech taking the form of song. "Thou shalt follow thy path into nephrology," the transcendent bear intoned. Then as it turned to leave, it struck its head on a branch and fell before me, senseless and unresponsive. I remembered what I had learned: "GCS 8, intubate." As I secured the endotracheal tube and confirmed appropriate placement, I decided to become an anesthesiologist. True story.

 

[Anti-PD1]

It's like dating. You choose each other. That's why it's called a match. (Not a Tinder match, this match lasts 3-7 years, not 23 hours).

A wise chairman told me, when you open your letter on match day, that's your family. Love your family.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

But how do you figure out which specialty is right for you? You'll hopefully find out what you're drawn towards during your clerkship year.

The problem is that there are your set core rotations (e.g. IM, general surgery, OB/GYN, etc.) with a few elective clerkships (e.g. orthopedics, PM&R, radiology) sprinkled here and there.

Unforunately, if you don't see all and experience all the specialties that are out there, you may not know what you're missing out on. And sometimes, even after people match into a specialty and start residency, they learn about these other specialties later on and sometimes wish they chose that specialty instead.

I know people who switched from OB/GYN to IM after their first year of training. I know several former ortho residents who switched into radiology. I know another person who switched from general surgery to anesthesia. But switching isn't easy, especially if you're trying to switch into a more competitive specialty.

 

[Goro]

Do you choose your residency or does your residency choose you?
Yes

 

[21Rush12]

When I was an MS4, I had a dream. In my dream, I was walking through the woods with no destination and no path. A great bear of wisdom and power appeared before me. In one paw it grasped the Sword of Step 1, in the other it clutched the Spear of LORs. Its voice was as thunder, but to my ears its growls and snarls became words, its speech taking the form of song. "Thou shalt follow thy path into nephrology," the transcendent bear intoned. Then as it turned to leave, it struck its head on a branch and fell before me, senseless and unresponsive. I remembered what I had learned: "GCS 8, intubate." As I secured the endotracheal tube and confirmed appropriate placement, I decided to become an anesthesiologist. True story.

HomeSkool you’re going to wake up my neighbors if you keep making jokes like this

 

[Alejandro]

I think you have to like what a specialty does, but I think you have to also have a feeling of "I FOUND MY PEOPLE!" If you don't, I still feel its an awkward fit and ultimately may not be the best choice. Who you work with, and how well you jive with everyone in your specialty matters.

...And be like HomeSkool.

 

[HomeSkool]

Have you been in the medicinal whiskey again?

In my defense, @Piglet2020 started it by talking about spirit animals. Plus, I was thinking about this while I wrote that post:

 

[Oso]

When I was an MS4, I had a dream. In my dream, I was walking through the woods with no destination and no path. A great bear of wisdom and power appeared before me. In one paw it grasped the Sword of Step 1, in the other it clutched the Spear of LORs. Its voice was as thunder, but to my ears its growls and snarls became words, its speech taking the form of song. "Thou shalt follow thy path into nephrology," the transcendent bear intoned. Then as it turned to leave, it struck its head on a branch and fell before me, senseless and unresponsive. I remembered what I had learned: "GCS 8, intubate." As I secured the endotracheal tube and confirmed appropriate placement, I decided to become an anesthesiologist. True story.

While reading the first half, I decided I was gonna comment "and that great bear of wisdom was Oso"

Then I finished reading

 

[HomeSkool]

While reading the first half, I decided I was gonna comment "and that great bear of wisdom was Oso"

Then I finished reading

It could still be you. Accidents happen to everyone, and I'm an equal-opportunity resuscitator. Plus, look at the pic I put in my last post. That thing couldn't possibly be any more badass.

 

[Oso]

It could still be you. Accidents happen to everyone, and I'm an equal-opportunity resuscitator.

Well, I suppose if I had to be intubated by someone...

 

[Alejandro]

oh yay! sounds good. @HomeSkool i'll call you for my difficult airway pages

also re: your spirit animal has a mallimpatti of -2 however has significant sharp teeth making him/her a difficult intubation. lololol

 

[HomeSkool]

also re: your spirit animal has a mallimpatti of -2 however has significant sharp teeth making him/her a difficult intubation.

Terrific mouth opening and c-spine extension, though.