Is this even possible? I have always loved loved derm but I stupidly did not pursue it as a med student because I thought i would never have a chance, compared to the gunners in my class. I'm in IM now, first year. Would it be a remote possibility? If so, how do people do this? I would imagine that it would not be a possibility given how competitive derm is, but I thought I would ask anyway.
Have you heard of anyone switching residencies INTO derm?
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I have met attendings and seen residents who finished medicine before going into derm. Some programz like NW seem to like them.
I thought I read earlier in these forums that above scenario would mean your funding would run out and therefore other residency programs could not take you. Am confused. Do you mean "fellowship" after IM residency??
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Not sure about the funding issues, but there are actually quite a few derm residents who have previously completed IM or Peds residency.
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Other programs can take you if they somehow find alternate means to fund your residency position (I believe)
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I did it, but only had completed one year of internship. I was told throughout interviews that one year would not affect funding, but a full residency could have potentially affected it...
Hi runnergirl,
Can you tell me a little more about your situation? Did you have many connections in derm? Did you do a lot of research in derm? How did your program feel when they found out you wanted to switch? Thanks so much for any help you can give🙂!
Can you tell me a little more about your situation? Did you have many connections in derm? Did you do a lot of research in derm? How did your program feel when they found out you wanted to switch? Thanks so much for any help you can give🙂!
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The funding issue is true. I asked attendings and fellows about this and they said bigger programs can absorb that. UCSF, PENN, and NorthWestern are a few examples that can absorb that cost because the dept will fund you. Smaller programs will likely not accept someone without funding.
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I can also vouch for this. Know a resident who completed Peds residency and practiced for some years before derm. Know faculty who completed IM residency and chief residencyship before doing derm. Another faculty I believe also did IM before derm. All in pretty big programs who probably have the funding to absorb this. I of course am not sure of all the politics of this but I'm guessing they must have to really want you at their program (i.e. connections) to jump through hoops for you though, unless they have this sort of built into their program.
I also know residents who switched into derm from various fields (path, radiology, etc). It can happen if you prove you are serious and aren't just switching because you are disillusioned with your current field or superficially like derm. Personally, I would think you've got to show you know derm and love derm. Research and making connections can never hurt. It may take some time (i.e. perhaps a fellowship, or several) but this is true for anyone who wants derm (and really wants it).
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Presumably you were in a preliminary medicine spot. If you had been in a 3 year categorical program, then the derm program would have to find funding for your PGY-4 year (last year of derm), as overall funding is set by the categorical specialty into which you first match.
For example: let's say you did 2 years of categoical general surgery (5 years of funding) and then switched to derm. Your first year of gen. surg. would likely cover the first required prelim year by derm. Then, you'd have 3 remaining years (since you were allocated5 total years as a gen. surgery resident minus the 2 years you've already done == 3 remaining years) of funding.
However, if going from categorical medicine to derm after one year, you've been allocated 3 total years of funding because you chose categorical medicine (the clock started ticking once you were "assigned" a categorical "spot". You'd then have 2 remaining years of funding, and programs will have to fund your last year (since you'd need 4 total years of funding to do dematology [1 prelim year + 3 advanced years]).
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Thanks so much everyone for the replies!!
Yes, I'm in a categorical medicine program. Funding seems like it would be an issue. I just love derm and feel so excited about the prospects of making that my career. I keep trying to convince myself that I am interested in doing an IM fellowship, but really in my heart of hearts, I'm just not. I wished I was focused on this earlier. I am willing to work for it, do research, make connections, anything really. But I foresee a few problems. How am I going to connect with dermatologists and do research and have my home program find out? I don't think this is going to make me look good to my IM program. Even if I were committed to finishing my IM residency and then doing a derm residency, how awkward is this with the home program? I know there are times when people do different residencies after a first, how do they navigate the politics of this?
If I can figure out a way to not do this in an awkward way, I will go at it full force. I will connect with dermatologists and start doing research asap. I guess I just need to think it is at least a somewhat real possibility. What do you all think? How should I approach this?
Yes, I'm in a categorical medicine program. Funding seems like it would be an issue. I just love derm and feel so excited about the prospects of making that my career. I keep trying to convince myself that I am interested in doing an IM fellowship, but really in my heart of hearts, I'm just not. I wished I was focused on this earlier. I am willing to work for it, do research, make connections, anything really. But I foresee a few problems. How am I going to connect with dermatologists and do research and have my home program find out? I don't think this is going to make me look good to my IM program. Even if I were committed to finishing my IM residency and then doing a derm residency, how awkward is this with the home program? I know there are times when people do different residencies after a first, how do they navigate the politics of this?
If I can figure out a way to not do this in an awkward way, I will go at it full force. I will connect with dermatologists and start doing research asap. I guess I just need to think it is at least a somewhat real possibility. What do you all think? How should I approach this?
