Position Swap Hoping to switch specialty during internship year

[Lightbender]

I would appreciate if people here in the know or have been through similar situation can provide some insight

Background story in short. I always wanted to go into a surgical subspecialty and did a SubI out of state at a really awesome place, the training is great and has a real family feel to it and the PD likely me a lot, who also has the majority say (likely 90%) in hiring residents. However, during the interview season, both my old mentor and my dad passed away, and I slipped into a deep depression. Also, I felt I couldn’t leave my mom alone by herself since I’m the only child and she doesn’t have any family in the country. So I decided to apply for an internal medicine residency in the city where my mom lives, where I thought I wouldn’t have the energy to endure the rigorous training surgery entails while still taking care of my mom and battling my depression. Now that I have recovered and I’m starting my internship in IM, I miss surgery and the old crew where I did my SubI more than ever. I talked to the surgery PD, and he is very positive in taking me back and welcome me to apply again, although I did not ask for a written confirmation and he didn’t offer, understandably so.

I am still in the process of figuring it out and I’m willing to give IM a shot for 1 or 2 months but I’d like to know my options.

The IM program I’m at is competitive and I’m sure they wouldn’t have a problem finding replacement. I am thinking about staying in IM for 1 or 2 months, if I still don’t like it, resign and apply for the match again.

My questions are, I haven’t told the surgery PD that I’m currently doing IM, and in the surgical specialty I’m applying for, doing an IM internship is very much looked down upon even though having IM experience would help patient management. If I quit, and reapply, would other PDs find out where and which specialty I worked at? Does my current IM PD have to write a statement in order for me to reapply and switch program?

Thanks

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[123tbd]

ERAS has a separate tab titled "Training", where it asks to list all training regardless of the length of time spent. So you will have to report your current training. And there is another tab for medical license, which I assume you have one by now.

 

[Lightbender]

ERAS has a separate tab titled "Training", where it asks to list all training regardless of the length of time spent. So you will have to report your current training. And there is another tab for medical license, which I assume you have one by now.

Thanks. Would it be possible to not report my current training and my license? I do not intent to apply for a position in the state where I currently work. If I fail to report, would the programs still know this part about my training history? If so, how would they find out?

 

[123tbd]

I am not sure, but when you apply for a new license, I suppose they might ask if you have been issued licenses in other states.

They do it for driver's licenses...

 

[rokshana]

Thanks. Would it be possible to not report my current training and my license? I do not intent to apply for a position in the state where I currently work. If I fail to report, would the programs still know this part about my training history? If so, how would they find out?

lying about your training information (even if its for 1-2 months) and where you held a license has the potential to be a BIG problem…every time you get a license or request for privileges at a hospital, you WILL be asked for verification …BIG BIG MISTAKE

and leaving your current program after a month or 2 is a douchey thing to do…you leave everyone in a lurch, and force your co interns to take on the work that you decided not to do…suck it up, honor your contract, and if after an exposure to IM of greater than 8 days, you feel IM is not for you, tell your PD and re apply in ERAS…of course you take the real risk that you cut ties with you current program and don't match into a surgical spot for the next year.

 

[drcrispmd]

Agree with Rok. Your fellow interns will have to take your calls and cover essential services until or if a replacement is found. If you are not going to continue, you need to give your PD a few months notice so the schedule can be reworked and no one is getting pulled last minute.

You have to let programs you are applying to know you have been in a residency program before. If you lie and it is found out, you can lose your spot if you match. Some places will do google searches of some applicants to see what they find. I would not advise keeping your residency a secret. It will hurt you more than help.