Last minute switch?

[crisis]

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Well, I feel somewhat screwed by my own inability to figure out what type of doc I want to be when I grow up. I've gone all the way through ERAS with apps out for radiation oncology. But I've finally decided I don't want to spend the rest of my life arguing with med oncs about why frying tissue is better than drugs or mabs.

So, please offer up your best advice about my strategy to get into anesthesiology. I have already completed two different two week rotations in anesthesiology. Do any schools have a real interest in late-late applications, or is it best to just wait for the scramble? I still need to get another rotation in and actually ask for letters of recommendation. That itself will be a little awkward since my indecision will be obvious.

I suppose it's better I do this now than after a year into a rad onc residency. Right?

 

[cak]

I don't think it's too late at all. I don't know exactly how ERAS works once you've submitted your application, but you could always type a second personal statement and get another LoR or two and either upload them to the system or send them to your programs separately in addition to ERAS. In my experience, most Anesthesia programs are very flexible and accommodating when it comes to stuff like this. I would apply and then contact those programs and let them know what's up.

Good luck!

 

[joshmir]

i am consistently suprised as to why more people don't just wait out a year, do research, or an intern year, and go back through the match if they don't get/do't think they'll get what they want

man, if you've got numbers for rad onc, wy would you want to limit yourself to the scramble? do an intern year, then do research for a year/moonlighting wile re-applying if you can't get into a program outside the match. plus exposure to intern rotations may help you clarify wat you really want to do.

********************

I don't think it's too late at all. I don't know exactly how ERAS works once you've submitted your application, but you could always type a second personal statement and get another LoR or two and either upload them to the system or send them to your programs separately in addition to ERAS. In my experience, most Anesthesia programs are very flexible and accommodating when it comes to stuff like this. I would apply and then contact those programs and let them know what's up.

Good luck!

 

[crisis]

I suppose in part, I have diminished interest in doing research and am now looking for more of a "job to live" vs. a "live to work" medical career. Besides, anesthesiology is a cool. Now I have to begin cancelling the rad onc interviews. Uggg.

Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty hopeful something will work out.

 

[CambieMD]

I suppose in part, I have diminished interest in doing research and am now looking for more of a "job to live" vs. a "live to work" medical career. Besides, anesthesiology is a cool specialty. Now I have to begin cancelling the rad onc interviews. Uggg.

Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty hopeful something will work out.

Hi Crisis,

I am glad that you found out what you want to do. I have spent three years in fp and will be starting anesthesia july of 2005.

You did apply for prelim positions , right. You can apply for a gas position outside of the match next year. If you were applying to rad onc you must have decent stats. It is better to find out earlier than later that you want to change course.

All the best,

CambieMD

CmbieMD

 

[CambieMD]

I suppose in part, I have diminished interest in doing research and am now looking for more of a "job to live" vs. a "live to work" medical career. Besides, anesthesiology is a cool specialty. Now I have to begin cancelling the rad onc interviews. Uggg.

Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty hopeful something will work out.

Hi Crisis,

I am glad that you found out what you want to do early on. I have spent three years as a practicing fp doc and will be starting an anesthesia residency July of 2005 as a CA-I.

You did apply for prelim positions , right. You can apply for a gas position outside of the match next year. If you were applying to rad onc you must have decent stats. It is better to find out earlier than later that you want to change course.

All the best,

CambieMD

p.s.
I touched up my previous reply.

 

[joshmir]

you are missing my point, crisis-

ithink you should do gas, but it think since you have worked so hard to get rad onc stats, you should go to a program in the city you want with the all schedule you want with the prestige you wat. a year to do research/moonlighting, or just an inter yar before comiting to a backup residency, could help you decide if you have sbspecialty interest.

don't sell yourself short b/c of just one year.

at the least just apply for prelis and then re-apply early next year for residency.

I suppose in part, I have diminished interest in doing research and am now looking for more of a "job to live" vs. a "live to work" medical career. Besides, anesthesiology is a cool. Now I have to begin cancelling the rad onc interviews. Uggg.

Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty hopeful something will work out.

 

[dbiddy808]

By the sounds of it, it is not that he can't get into rad-onc, its that he doesn't want to.

I am similar to the previous poster, completing an entire medicine residency. So, at least you decided to change long before I did.

 

[joshmir]

i totally understand he wants to do gas and not rad-onc.


the pont i'm trying to make here is that too many people sacrifice going to the city they want, the program they want, when they could just wait a year to apply correctly, and with a stronger application.

research, or an intern year, and then re-applying gives you a stronger app and a better sense of direction.

just my 2.

By the sounds of it, it is not that he can't get into rad-onc, its that he doesn't want to.

I am similar to the previous poster, completing an entire medicine residency. So, at least you decided to change long before I did.

 

[dbiddy808]

And that's what I did. At the start of my PGY-2 year I emailed a bunch of programs asking about available 2004-2005 positions and the only ones available were at crappy programs or decent programs in places I wouldn't want to live. I ended up going through the match and I will be going to Miami next year which is a good fit for me.

So............yeah I agree with joshmir. Don't sacrifice your training just because you don't want to "lose a year".

I don't think it is too late to apply through ERAS though. Just DO IT NOW! And if you don't have anesthesia or critical care letters, just apply with what you have and explain your situation in your personal statement. There are alot of anesthesia positions and not as many top applicants such as yourself (I assume you are pretty darn good if you are getting rad-onc interviews).

Best of luck.

 

[HomerSimpson]

crisis

are you absolutely sure about getting out of rad onc? i've heard that it's great. not for everyone of course. maybe you could try it out and see before making a switch like that. remember anesthesiology has its own issues as well. just look at the crna threads and you'll know what I mean.

 

[Jefe]

Been reading this thread and it's somewhat of what I have been feeling too. Here is my stats: GPA 3.1, Step 1: 210, bottom half of class (have not taken Step 2 yet). I've applied 30 programs and have only gotten a small amount of response (less than 10). So, I've been feeling pretty crappy. I do not want to settle on a program that sucks or to be in a city that will make me miserable if I don't match and have to Scramble but I honestly don't know what type of chance I have. Right now just looking at my stats (and reading on SDN anesth for a while) I think that I am weeded out by secretaries and program directors because of my stats; they have too many applicants and of course they are going to have to screen by some criteria. The thing is that I don't consider myself "bottom of the barrel" because I work damn hard and always get the job done whatever it is. I have not taken Step 2 yet because I want to do well on it and have been studying a good bit.

Questions for those who have been in similiar situations or who just want to give a guy some good advice:
If I don't match in anesth categorical then should I scramble and take whatever program is left over or should I just do a prelim medicine year and then re-enter the match next year?
Also, logistically is it a nightmare to try to schedule interviews while being an intern? It seem like once you are an intern there is really very little time off and attendings are NOT understand when it come to that; they just want to use you to work.

I know that interveiw invites may not be finished yet but I'm thinking that it's getting pretty close and if you haven't heard from the rest then you're probably rejected. Just don't know what to do but I know that I do not want to be unhappy or to settle for less.

 

[UTSouthwestern]

Jefe, if you don't get an interview with a program you like and don't want to go through the match and end up with a crappy program, I would wait and see what happens with the scramble (small chance of getting into a good program), get a good prelim year somewhere, WORK YOUR ASS OFF AND TAKE ANESTHESIA/CRITICAL CARE ROTATIONS AT SOME POINT THE REST OF THE YEAR, take elective rotations at programs you might be interested in reapplying to next year, and basically get yourself into the mindset and preparation for reapplying next year.

It is not that difficult scheduling interviews during your prelim year. You will be using vacation days and creative scheduling to get them in and you will be tired through it all, but if you really want to get into anesthesiology and not "settle" for another residency, you have to do it. I am currently helping some IM, FP, surg, and rad residents in going through this transition by helping them arrange externships/off time work days through Southwestern. It gives them a chance to first see if they want to change to anesthesiology and second, gives them a chance to ask for some letters of recommendation. One of the IM residents has so impressed the faculty that we are trying to create a spot to take her into the incoming class (ACGME is being a ***** by saying we are exceeding our limits, but we have the clinical volume to take 5 more residents if we wanted to).

You can make a play to get into a program you like by doing a prelim year in something at that program and spending as much of your free time at that program trying to impress that program. That is what the aforementioned IM resident did and she will be rewarded for her efforts, if we can only get the bureaucrats to stop being ***holes.

 

[CambieMD]

I know that interveiw invites may not be finished yet but I'm thinking that it's getting pretty close and if you haven't heard from the rest then you're probably rejected. Just don't know what to do but I know that I do not want to be unhappy or to settle for less.[/QUOTE]

Hi Jafe,

the first thing that you should do is to call the programs that you haven't heard from. More than one applicant has been offered an interview when they called to, "check the status of their application." Some applicants offered interviews may decline offers as the number of offers that they receive add up.

Focus on doing well during the interviews that you have received. Look interested and energetic. You sound like a hard worker. That should come through during your interview.

If you want gas, go for gas. Do not settle for anything less than anesthesiology. Have you spoken to the gas dept. at your school. Someone may be able to make a call for you.

Rank all of the programs that interview you. Do not worry about programs in so called bad locations. You will be able to sit the anesthesia board no matter where you train.

Good luck,

CambieMD

 

[UTSouthwestern]

I know that interveiw invites may not be finished yet but I'm thinking that it's getting pretty close and if you haven't heard from the rest then you're probably rejected. Just don't know what to do but I know that I do not want to be unhappy or to settle for less.

Hi Jafe,

the first thing that you should do is to call the programs that you haven't heard from. More than one applicant has been offered an interview when they called to, "check the status of their application." Some applicants offered interviews may decline offers as the number of offers that they receive add up.

Focus on doing well during the interviews that you have received. Look interested and energetic. You sound like a hard worker. That should come through during your interview.

If you want gas, go for gas. Do not settle for anything less than anesthesiology. Have you spoken to the gas dept. at your school. Someone may be able to make a call for you.

Rank all of the programs that interview you. Do not worry about programs in so called bad locations. You will be able to sit the anesthesia board no matter where you train.

Good luck,

CambieMD[/QUOTE]

Very good advice regarding contacting the program, from a person that knows what they are doing. 😀

 

[cak]

Jafe,

I just want to try to reassure you and others that, from my experience last year, it is still not too late to get interviews. If you haven't heard from a program, it's possible that that's equivalent to a rejection, but that's not always true. Some of my interviews last year (for gen surg) came in late December and even early January!! As applicants complete all their early interviews, many of them will feel satisfied that they have done enough and will cancel their late interviews. Start contacting programs next month when the cancelations start rolling in and they may have an invitation for you. Don't get discouraged.