Getting credit for intern year rotations after switching specialties...how to?

[maesunlight]

I am currently applying to Family Medicine after completing an intern year in Pediatrics. I am hoping that some of my Pediatric rotations ( e.g. inpatient, NBN, NICU, ambulatory and/or ER) could be counted towards my new Family Medicine program requirements, if only to give me extra elective time (versus reducing total # of months.) Some PDs I have spoken to during interviews seem open to this idea but haven't been able to give me specifics. I'd really like to know specifically which programs would give me credit for purposes of creating my rank list, but I don't know if there is any appropriate way to ask at this stage. Any advice?

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[Shikima]

Just ask the PD what you can get credit for and towards. Very common question and isn't a big deal. Just provide a list of your rotations and what they can count..

 

[maesunlight]

So, if I have interviewed somewhere already, I could send a follow-up e-mail? I was afraid that it might make an unfavorable impression--like that I was high maintenance or something.

 

[gutonc]

So, if I have interviewed somewhere already, I could send a follow-up e-mail? I was afraid that it might make an unfavorable impression--like that I was high maintenance or something.

You don't ask now, you ask after you match. Otherwise yes, you will look high maintenance.

And programs are under no obligation to grant you any credit for rotations in other specialties, it's at the discretion of the PD. They're being vague because they want to see your intern certificate and maybe evaluations from your prior rotations before saying what they will and won't give you credit for.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

It's a tough situation, since your rank list will depend on the answer. You'll need to decide how to best proceed. You could ask programs to be more concrete -- that would help you with your rank list. It's possible that programs MIGHT see this negatively, which might hurt your chances of matching. The problem is that if you get credit for your PGY-1, even if you use the extra time for "electives" and not to get promoted early, that means that they have less PGY-1 workforce for the year.

Bottom line: how much does this matter to you? If not much, forget about it. If you want extra elective time, forget about it. If you want to shorten your training, may be worth pursuing but could limit your match options.

 

[maesunlight]

Thanks for the responses! To clarify, I'm interested gaining more skills versus repeating pediatric rotations that I passed. I don't feel the need to shorten my family medicine training per se, I just believe I could benefit from more training time in other areas like orthopedics or dermatology. I've done the NICU twice already and don't anticipate that as a family doctor I will need much more neonatal intensive care experience--delivery and neonatal resuscitation experience yes--managing neonatal vent settings and TPN--probably not. So, while it would be nice to know prior to making my rank list who will give me credit for which rotations, I can just wait until after the match to ask.

 

[gutonc]

Thanks for the responses! To clarify, I'm interested gaining more skills versus repeating pediatric rotations that I passed. I don't feel the need to shorten my family medicine training per se, I just believe I could benefit from more training time in other areas like orthopedics or dermatology. I've done the NICU twice already and don't anticipate that as a family doctor I will need much more neonatal intensive care experience--delivery and neonatal resuscitation experience yes--managing neonatal vent settings and TPN--probably not. So, while it would be nice to know prior to making my rank list who will give me credit for which rotations, I can just wait until after the match to ask.

As aPD pointed out, the main issue here is a program having enough warm bodies to move the meat (although he said it in a nicer way). So you're unlikely to get out of basically any of your intern rotations regardless of how many times you've done them before. But it won't hurt to ask...after Match Day.

 

[DocBlin]

Interesting issue. I can only add what my son went through. He matched into Prelim GS residency in 2010. But he desired FM. Even though the GS program decided to offer him a cat GS spot after his prelim year he "wanted" FM. At all his interviews(during his GS 1st year) which where the 1st 5 of them (he pre matched at the 4th one, went to the 5th since it was scheduled and close in time to the 4th. like the next day), he was told he "could" receive partial credit for his GS year. So from my memory this issue will come up whether you bring it up yourself or the program does. In his case the FM PD gave him 3 months of GS credit. He has taken electives to fill in the 3 months. But he still has to complete the 3 years of FM residency. On another note, one of the 1 year ago chiefs in FM at his program had done 3 years of GS than switched. She receive 1 year credit in FM.