How hard is it to get a residency in a certain state?

[TheBossDoctor]

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I went to undergrad in California (I didn't grow up in California though), and its looking like I'm going to be going to medical school in another state across the country. I want to practice medicine in California, so how hard would it be to get into a residency program in California after medical school?

Is it like applying to medical school all over again where my chances are slim? Or is it better in that as long as I apply to enough residency programs in CA, I'll get matched into one? Do residencies place a lot of weight on where you went to medical school (geographically)?

 

[pietachok]

it depends on the field b/c some residencies are more plentiful than others & thus if you prioritize location rather than quality of program, you can have a pretty good chance of matching to California, however for a small or competitive field I would say it's pretty difficult.

 

[gyngyn]

I went to undergrad in California (I didn't grow up in California though), and its looking like I'm going to be going to medical school in another state across the country. I want to practice medicine in California, so how hard would it be to get into a residency program in California after medical school?

Is it like applying to medical school all over again where my chances are slim? Or is it better in that as long as I apply to enough residency programs in CA, I'll get matched into one? Do residencies place a lot of weight on where you went to medical school (geographically)?

The challenge in applying to residency in CA is that the 1000+ medical students in CA apply as well as 1600 CA applicants who had to leave the state for med school. This does not include all the people who just want to train here who have no other connection to the state.

 

[TheBossDoctor]

it depends on the field b/c some residencies are more plentiful than others & thus if you prioritize location rather than quality of program, you can have a pretty good chance of matching to California, however for a small or competitive field I would say it's pretty difficult.

Oh ok. I'm undecided on which field I want (as are most people before beginning medical school) but my early interests are more along the lines of family medicine, EM, ophthalmology, and internal med.

 

[TheBossDoctor]

The challenge in applying to residency in CA is that the 1000+ medical students in CA apply as well as 1600 CA applicants who had to leave the state for med school. This does not include all the people who just want to train here who have no other connection to the state.

Oh wow that sounds bad 🙁 is the ratio of applicants to positions at least better for residency applications than it is for medical school applications?

 

[PreMedOrDead]

Oh wow that sounds bad 🙁 is the ratio of applicants to positions at least better for residency applications than it is for medical school applications?

Kind of inconsequential. Do your best in medical school, find your passion, and maybe do some away rotations in CA when you're doing clinicals. Live in the present, don't worry about what you can't change.

 

[gyngyn]

Oh wow that sounds bad 🙁 is the ratio of applicants to positions at least better for residency applications than it is for medical school applications?

As previously observed, it depends on the program and the specialty. NorCal and SoCal tend to have an excess of applicants while the Central Valley has fewer.

 

[mvenus929]

Oh ok. I'm undecided on which field I want (as are most people before beginning medical school) but my early interests are more along the lines of family medicine, EM, ophthalmology, and internal med.

FM, EM, and IM will be easier to get back to Cali for than Ophtho.

 

[yanks26dmb]

The challenge in applying to residency in CA is that the 1000+ medical students in CA apply as well as 1600 CA applicants who had to leave the state for med school. This does not include all the people who just want to train here who have no other connection to the state.

I'm a CA resident. If I attend med school in another state, are you saying I'll have an easier chance landing a CA residency than someone who is resident of another state?

 

[gyngyn]

I'm a CA resident. If I attend med school in another state, are you saying I'll have an easier chance landing a CA residency than someone who is resident of another state?

no.

 

[mvenus929]

I'm a CA resident. If I attend med school in another state, are you saying I'll have an easier chance landing a CA residency than someone who is resident of another state?

Maybe. Law2Doc emphasizes 'nexus' a lot when this comes up in the ERAS forum. If you're from California, and have family there, you may be seen as having more of a reason to attend (particularly outside of the well respected institutions), and thus might be more likely to get an interview and be ranked higher than someone who has never been to CA before, assuming similar stats. But this is all a big maybe.

 

[gyngyn]

Maybe. Law2Doc emphasizes 'nexus' a lot when this comes up in the ERAS forum. If you're from California, and have family there, you may be seen as having more of a reason to attend (particularly outside of the well respected institutions), and thus might be more likely to get an interview and be ranked higher than someone who has never been to CA before, assuming similar stats. But this is all a big maybe.

This works better in reverse. Californians applying to residencies in the East have to overcome the PD's perception that the east coast programs are a back up to CA. PD's in CA have no problem ranking excellent east coast applicants because we believe (right or wrong) that everyone wants to be here.

 

[rainbowbrite76]

This works better in reverse. Californians applying to residencies in the East have to overcome the PD's perception that the east coast programs are a back up to CA. PD's in CA have no problem ranking excellent east coast applicants because we believe (right or wrong) that everyone wants to be here.

Yes! This x10, even for medical school applications. I'm a CA resident applying to med school and interviewed in NYC. The interviewer asked if I interviewed in CA, I responded yes, and then he said I had to convince him I would move to NYC. Must have not done such a great job- I was waitlisted.

 

[gyngyn]

Yes! This x10, even for medical school applications. I'm a CA resident applying to med school and interviewed in NYC. The interviewer asked if I interviewed in CA, I responded yes, and then he said I had to convince him I would move to NYC. Must have not done such a great job- I was waitlisted.

Poor baby. Hang in there.
This happens to my students when applying to residency. We often recommend that they do an elective on the East coast to prove their adaptability and commitment to ranking programs on their merit and not just location.