Elective rotation in CA

[caIM7]

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I am setting up my electives for my intern IM year, and want to do an elective (with hopes to transfer as a 2nd year) in San Francisco, CA (or anywhere in California).

Any suggestions on which electives would be impressive/show my enthusiasm/drive etc to faculty, what California IM residency programs accept visiting residents, and what programs have had openings in the past for IM-PGY2?

Thank you!

 

[gutonc]

I am setting up my electives for my intern IM year, and want to do an elective (with hopes to transfer as a 2nd year) in San Francisco, CA (or anywhere in California).

Any suggestions on which electives would be impressive/show my enthusiasm/drive etc to faculty, what California IM residency programs accept visiting residents, and what programs have had openings in the past for IM-PGY2?

Thank you!

Residency away electives are not at all like med school away electives. In general, your home program will only approve away electives that they can't provide for you. And other programs are first and foremost concerned with their own residents training.

So your best hope is to do an away rotation in something your home program doesn't do. In my experience, this means a rotation whose name includes the word "transplant." Heart transplant, transplant hepatology, renal transplant, bone marrow transplant and transplant ID. You're unlikely to get approval (home) or acceptance (away) for an ICU rotation or a cards consult rotation.

Also, for reasons beyond my comprehension, everybody wants to be in CA so that makes it exponentially more difficult.

 

[jdh71]

Plus, you need to figure out 1) how you will get paid, 2) how you be insured, and 3) how will be licensed . . .

 

[caIM7]

Thanks for writing back.

Does anyone have experience with his/her home program extend insurance coverage to the incoming hospital? Or the incoming hospital covering the visiting resident as an affiliate? I called one program and was told that the hospitals have to be affiliates and arrangements can be made if the program director wants to support the visiting resident.

Any suggestions on finding PGY2 IM positions in CA? I dont feel like programs appreciate phone calls seeking out openings.

Thanks!

 

[jdh71]

Thanks for writing back.

Does anyone have experience with his/her home program extend insurance coverage to the incoming hospital? Or the incoming hospital covering the visiting resident as an affiliate? I called one program and was told that the hospitals have to be affiliates and arrangements can be made if the program director wants to support the visiting resident.

Any suggestions on finding PGY2 IM positions in CA? I dont feel like programs appreciate phone calls seeking out openings.

Thanks!

Depends on where you want to go . . . don't expect openings at UCLA or UCSD for instance, but I don't think an email to the program coordinators at a few places would be too intrusive. As long as the reason you matched where you did in the first place isn't because you've got some big horrible red flag(s), you can probably find a PGY2 spot somewhere, but I wouldn't count on being able to do a rotation there.

 

[mrpankration]

I'm an intern at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose. I know last year they brought in 4 new PGY-2s. I'm not sure if they're planning on doing the same for this year, but if you want to be in the Bay Area it's worth a shot emailing the program director.