Help! I need a PGY-1 spot

[PM&Radam]

I am in my last year of med school, matched for an advanced position in PM&R, but not a PGY-1 spot. I have been unable to secure a PGY-1 spot in the scramble and afterwards.

I have been pursuing options on find-a-resident and careermd.com, but no luck so far. My med school and the PM&R program have been helpful, but I feel like we have exhausted available options. I am now obviously worried about losing my spot. For now, all I can really see as an option is hoping someone backs out of a spot somewhere and something opens up before June.

I basically would go anywhere for anything for the PGY-1 year, but I draw the line at doing a surg prelim year (no way).

Also, in the worst case scenario, any ideas of what one could do for a year if I can't find something and need to wait a year?

I would appreciate any suggestions anyone has.

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[VentdependenT]

Prelim surg at a community program may not be too bad of an option at this point. You'll get to operate and the atmosphere, in general, isn't malignant. You will still have to work yer tail off though. It would really be a bummer for you to lose your PM&R spot because of the trepidation surrounding a hellish surgery year.

I agree it would be rough, but its better than losing everything. You may have to move to land prelim medicine spots, but I'm sure there are plenty of spots open. Not sure if a university based prelim med spot would be any easier than a community based surgery prelim spot...probably not.

Best o' luck

 

[axm397]

Can you contact your PD and see if there are any requirements for what you have to spend the year doing? According to the ACGME accreditation standards, (http://www.acgme.org/downloads/RRC_prRev/340prRev.pdf)
you can do Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Ob/Gyn, or Surgery as long as you do at least 6 months of in-patient duties.

So, you may still be able to take a spot in a family med program, or another specialty with an opening. Does you school have any free spots? They may be more amenable to help their "own". Many PDs from other specialties may hesitate taking someone for only a year but as long as you're up front with them, it may be OK. Not sure if there were any transitional scramble spots. How about your PM&R program? Do they have a relationship with their IM or prelim/transitional program?

 

[doctim]

i scrambled for my TY year. i was still getting TY/prelim offers up to the day of my orientation. keep searching and if worse comes to worse, go with the prelim surgery. one year of h*ll for a lifetime of happiness

 

[APDoc]

I'm currently a second year interested in PM&R, and Emory is a program that is at the very top of my list. I've heard it is an excellent place for outpatient musculoskeletal, and residents get to perform lots of procedures as well. If you wouldn't mind my asking, what were your credentials to match at Emory (i.e. type of med school, class rank, Step I, research, audition rotations, etc)? If you don't want to post this information on a public forum, I understand-- perhaps I could email you to talk instead. I realize that PM&R became more competitive this year, and I was just wondering where Emory stood with regards to what it's looking for in its applicants. Obviously, you have it : ). Thanks doctim!