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Failed to match a second time, what do i do?
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Definitely do NOT do a 3rd surgical prelim year. A friend who is a surgical resident told me that there is some new rule that you cannot train @more than 3 different surgical programs total or you cannot be board certified...thus if you take another prelim spot you are hosed. You need to check on this, b/c I don't know much about it but I think it is the surgical accreditation body's rule. Also, I think you've probably learned what you can learn from being a surgical prelim.
I think the best way to find research jobs is just to pound the pavement, spam people with your CV and cover letter, and network like crazy. In your situation, I'd start with the PD of your current program, especially if you're at a large academic medical center. Just ask him if he knows any general surgeons looking for research assistants. If you are in a large city, start surfing the web, and/or networking with surgical colleagues, and find out which labs are doing research that looks interesting. I think NIH funding is going up this year, so I think you still have a shot even though it's late to be looking for a research spot for this year.
A friend was in a similar situation to yours and ended up doing anesthesia. For whatever reason, there tend to be more open spots that open up than there are surgical spots. I have seen occasional general surgery and ENT surg. spots on Findaresident in the past, so IMHO it would be worth signing up (if you do, you can also see open IM, anesthesia, and other spots).
To get an IM spot somewhere shouldn't be that hard, although you'll have to try and convince them you are committed to IM.
I think in your situation, you have to start thinking about what's most important to you. Is it to live in a certain city, or get a certain specialty even if it means move to Timbuktu? In other words, if you liked ortho better, is it still worth it to you to move to any place at all to be let into general surg.? If not, would you rather just look for any and all spots in your current city?
I think the best way to find research jobs is just to pound the pavement, spam people with your CV and cover letter, and network like crazy. In your situation, I'd start with the PD of your current program, especially if you're at a large academic medical center. Just ask him if he knows any general surgeons looking for research assistants. If you are in a large city, start surfing the web, and/or networking with surgical colleagues, and find out which labs are doing research that looks interesting. I think NIH funding is going up this year, so I think you still have a shot even though it's late to be looking for a research spot for this year.
A friend was in a similar situation to yours and ended up doing anesthesia. For whatever reason, there tend to be more open spots that open up than there are surgical spots. I have seen occasional general surgery and ENT surg. spots on Findaresident in the past, so IMHO it would be worth signing up (if you do, you can also see open IM, anesthesia, and other spots).
To get an IM spot somewhere shouldn't be that hard, although you'll have to try and convince them you are committed to IM.
I think in your situation, you have to start thinking about what's most important to you. Is it to live in a certain city, or get a certain specialty even if it means move to Timbuktu? In other words, if you liked ortho better, is it still worth it to you to move to any place at all to be let into general surg.? If not, would you rather just look for any and all spots in your current city?
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And I'm sorry you didn't match. That totally sucks. Ortho is uber-competitive.
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I wonder if you'll have better luck by doing something non-clinical for a year, and then reapplying. Research, publications, medical education, etc.
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I don't think his situation is real : he has posts from 2006 about applying to pharm school. Even if he had changed his mind and went MD instead, he would be 6 years from starting medical school today if he finished med school and tried to match twice.
Another flaw :
If you do M4 year, and try to match Ortho : that's ONE ortho try. Then, you start a preliminary gen surg program and apply to Ortho that year as well. After two tries to match ortho, he would be just finishing up ONE preliminary year right now.
Unless he didn't try a year, which is not the mark of someone who successfully matches Ortho : I would imagine PDs are looking for people who take the short, fast track to their goals.
Another flaw :
If you do M4 year, and try to match Ortho : that's ONE ortho try. Then, you start a preliminary gen surg program and apply to Ortho that year as well. After two tries to match ortho, he would be just finishing up ONE preliminary year right now.
Unless he didn't try a year, which is not the mark of someone who successfully matches Ortho : I would imagine PDs are looking for people who take the short, fast track to their goals.
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Maybe that's his problem. It's really really hard to match into an ortho spot as a pharmacist.
🙂
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How does one go about finding research to do for a year?
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??????
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Um, in the first post you said "I", not "my sister" (or otherwise indicate that you are asking for someone else). So yes it matters. People don't like to waste their time answering disingenuous threads. (And there are too many trolls with too much time on their hands that do post similar scenarios to yours).
Usernames are anonymous and there is no reason your "sister" couldn't get her own login and ask her own questions. If she's already through med school she is old enough to do this for herself.
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To get research spots, you just network like crazy, and then also send your CV and cover letter stating your research interests and send it around to academic faculty members (even to folks you don't know that well, etc.). There might be research positions/options posted somewhere such as on web sites of surgical professional organization(s), etc. I really don't know. She should honestly speak with surgical faculty that she knows and trusts, and see what the options are right now. I don't think ortho is a possibility any more...I know it is probably hard for her to accept because she obviously wanted it, but life will go on. Now she needs to pick either general surgery, and/or try for another specialty like anesthesia or internal medicine or pathology.
On the plus side, if she does do a research year, it will be nice to be able to have some months with no call, some time to think about what she wants and potentially interview in a new specialty.
On the plus side, if she does do a research year, it will be nice to be able to have some months with no call, some time to think about what she wants and potentially interview in a new specialty.
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Sorry to hear your sister has been having so much trouble matching (I don't care if it is you or your sister who's asking - the question is an important one either way).
Has your sister tried to talk to the program directors of the general surgery programs at the places she did her preliminary years at about the likelihood of being able to do categorical general surgery with their program? Maybe if they already know and like her, they would be willing to consider taking her outside of the match. Perhaps later on down the road she may end up finding a subspecialty of general surgery she likes just as much or more than ortho.
I hope that something works out for her. 🙂
Has your sister tried to talk to the program directors of the general surgery programs at the places she did her preliminary years at about the likelihood of being able to do categorical general surgery with their program? Maybe if they already know and like her, they would be willing to consider taking her outside of the match. Perhaps later on down the road she may end up finding a subspecialty of general surgery she likes just as much or more than ortho.
I hope that something works out for her. 🙂
