Gap Year (or 4) Before Residency?

[Detective SnowBucket]

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Hi all, I'm trying to do the HPSP scholarship through the Navy (for all the right and wrong reasons so don't lecture me on that) and would rather pay off my time after med school & then go into residency a free man. My question is, is there reason I would be less competitive for residency because I took time off - assuming I don't make myself more competitive by doing research or anything besides working during that time?

Edit - this would be 4 years between M4 and residency, interested in more competitive surgical specialty

 

[ndafife]

Why are you taking 4 years off between M4 and residency? Are you planning on doing 4 years as a GMO?

This seems like a pretty bad decision.

 

[bluemamba7]

Hi all, I'm trying to do the HPSP scholarship through the Navy (for all the right and wrong reasons so don't lecture me on that) and would rather pay off my time after med school & then go into residency a free man. My question is, is there reason I would be less competitive for residency because I took time off - assuming I don't make myself more competitive by doing research or anything besides working during that time?

Edit - this would be 4 years between M4 and residency, interested in more competitive surgical specialty

Worry about getting into medical school first before you worry about residency

 

[allantois]

More years out of med school, less chance to match

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Worry about getting into medical school first before you worry about residency

No, because this decides what medical school I go to, if I have to pay for it myself or not.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Why are you taking 4 years off between M4 and residency? Are you planning on doing 4 years as a GMO?

This seems like a pretty bad decision.

That's the plan, why so though?

 

[mariposas905]

Hi all, I'm trying to do the HPSP scholarship through the Navy (for all the right and wrong reasons so don't lecture me on that) and would rather pay off my time after med school & then go into residency a free man. My question is, is there reason I would be less competitive for residency because I took time off - assuming I don't make myself more competitive by doing research or anything besides working during that time?

Edit - this would be 4 years between M4 and residency, interested in more competitive surgical specialty

Does the HPSP require you to take 4 years off after med school? I'm confused..

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

No, its just an option, you can do the payback (I believe) whenever you want just about

 

[ndafife]

That's the plan, why so though?

Because willingly taking 4 years off of your training is a huge red flag when trying to get into residency

 

[sunshinefl]

My understanding is you will be further removed from the information, skills, and clinical experience with each year as well as the general undesirability of not being a senior at the time of app.

Besides making getting a residency harder, what exactly would you do in the military during that time if they signed you up as a doctor (but you aren’t a fully functioning one with GME)?

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Biggest reason is to get the payback over so I can go to a civilian residency (I guess)

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Because willingly taking 4 years off of your training is a huge red flag when trying to get into residency

Not when those four years are spent practicing medicine. GMOs complete an internship and then do 2-3 years practicing essentially urgent care. Some elect to complete their 4 year obligation as a GMO and then enter the civilian match. Many HPSPers do that. It is not a disadvantage and in fact can give you bonus points at some programs.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

More years out of med school, less chance to match

This doesn’t apply as much to military docs. GMOs don’t usually have a hard time matching when their commitment is up, though having to redo intern year is not unheard of.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

No, its just an option, you can do the payback (I believe) whenever you want just about

You must complete pgy-1. You then enter the match and can elect to do GMO time to fulfill your obligation and separate. Or if you match into pgy-2, you can complete residency and then finish your obligation. Which specialty are you interested in (keeping in mind that like 75% of med students change their minds)?

 

[raiderette]

Not when those four years are spent practicing medicine. GMOs complete an internship and then do 2-3 years practicing essentially urgent care. Some elect to complete their 4 year obligation as a GMO and then enter the civilian match. Many HPSPers do that. It is not a disadvantage and in fact can give you bonus points at some programs.

Even if you do this, you still need to be competitive for the specialty. I heard of a guy that is doing this, but he already has the scores and pubs to be competitive. By doing GMO tours only he will complete his service and go to on to something like ENT. He decided to do this after hearing that the surgery volume can be a problem for military residency. Still, if you want to do a high-paying specialty, it may not make financial sense to do military first, and it wouldn't make sense to delay if you are doing family practice, peds or IM.

 

[Tenk]

Terrible idea.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Even if you do this, you still need to be competitive for the specialty. I heard of a guy that is doing this, but he already has the scores and pubs to be competitive. By doing GMO tours only he will complete his service and go to on to something like ENT. He decided to do this after hearing that the surgery volume can be a problem for military residency. Still, if you want to do a high-paying specialty, it may not make financial sense to do military first, and it wouldn't make sense to delay if you are doing family practice, peds or IM.

I’m not sure where you got that he wouldn’t have to be competitive.

And actually, even if you were to do residency in the military and then pay back your commitment, when you factor everything in, the difference is quite small (and you might even come out ahead depending on specialty). But I personally don’t think money is a good enough reason alone to join. And I’m Navy.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Money is good but I’m also looking for an excuse to serve, would never live it down if I didn’t and would regret it for the rest of my life so this is the easiest way to fit it in with medicine. Interested in ortho, actually shadowed a team of navy orthopods.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Terrible idea.

Why. if you’re not going to explain you might as well not even post. @Matthew9Thirtyfive doesn’t seem to think so. Also, Matthew you say most don’t have any problems matching when their time is up, does that hold for more competitive specialties?

 

[raiderette]

I’m not sure where you got that he wouldn’t have to be competitive.

.

I only bring it up because this is premed forum. I am sure you have met a lot of future Ortho surgeons that change plans after Step 1.
I don't think it is a bad plan to do GMO tours if you want to pay back and get out, but if you are destined for an IM residency as a civilian, I think the cost/time benefit analysis can be reexamined.

 

[Tenk]

Why. if you’re not going to explain you might as well not even post. @Matthew9Thirtyfive doesn’t seem to think so. Also, Matthew you say most don’t have any problems matching when their time is up, does that hold for more competitive specialties?

Because HSPS is a terrible idea if you really want a competitive specialty to begin with. Also, you can do everything you want but without HSPS. Ie: go to med school, match ortho on your own, then enlist. They will still take you and you can come out financially superior this way AND have a better chance of matching ortho.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

Terrible idea

Just shows how you don’t understand the residency/match process.

 

[deleted480308]

Just go to the cheaper school and have options. If you stay healthy the military will still take you after residency

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Why. if you’re not going to explain you might as well not even post. @Matthew9Thirtyfive doesn’t seem to think so. Also, Matthew you say most don’t have any problems matching when their time is up, does that hold for more competitive specialties?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s a great idea or even easy. I’m just trying to say that the conventional wisdom that more years out from graduation means less chance of matching (which is true normally) does not really apply here. Lots of military docs do this.

That said, you still have all the barriers to getting into a competitive specialty that civilians do, plus additional ones. What happens if you get an extremely busy command that isn’t willing to give you time off to interview? What if you have to deploy during interview season? Now you get to sit a cycle out and match even later.

And competitive surgical subspecialties might want to see continued commitment to the field, which will be hard to do as a GMO.

You can totally do it. Docs do it every year. But if you really want to serve but not be a full time military physician, why don’t you just go to the cheaper school, do residency, and then join the reserves? You’ll get a nice sign on bonus and get to play Navy.