Leaving residency

[prostate]

I am about to start intern year and was trying to find out what my options are for trying to take time off for a legit reason for one year.

Do program allow taking time off in the middle for the year and then coming back at the some point on year later? Would it be better to take time off after completing my intern year? How accommodating do you thing they might be if i tiried to take it off right now?

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[michaelrack]

They would be pretty angry if you try to take off time now. It would be best to complete the intern year.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I am about to start intern year and was trying to find out what my options are for trying to take time off for a legit reason for one year.

Depends what the "legit" reason is. If you used the NRMP or other match service to get your position, without a waiver from the match, you are potentially in danger of violating the match if you are considering not starting.

If you start and work at least 1 day, then the NRMP plays no role in any potential sanctions.

Do program allow taking time off in the middle for the year and then coming back at the some point on year later?

Depends on the program; would be unlikely for a call heavy specialty as this puts them in a severe bind.

Would it be better to take time off after completing my intern year?

Yes. That gives them time to find a replacement for you. What people fail to realize is that by taking time off the amount of work does not change. Most programs function on bare bones resident staff. One person leaves means more work the rest left behind, especially if you leave in the middle of the year. Its awfully hard, if not impossible to find a replacement. If you give them advance noticed about taking a year off at the end of the year, its much easier to finagle the call schedule, rotations, etc.

Most contracts require 90 days notice of a desire not to sign a contract for the following year.

How accommodating do you thing they might be if i tiried to take it off right now?

Not very.

What you are contemplating is not only a match violation, but is horribly inconsiderate. The year has been planned out assuming you were coming...call schedules, rotations, vacations, etc. You can almost assuredly expect that if you bail now that you will not fare well in the match next year (ie, I do not imagine your program will "save" your spot for you until next year). Residency is not like medical school - you can't enter and leave at will.

If you leave now, do so with the expectation that it will not be well received and that you will not get a match waiver which means you are not allowed to participate in the match for a period of 3 years. Hope its a legit reason that you just found out about for your sake.

 

[Strength&Speed]

welcome to slave labor (oh, i'm sorry---training) prostate. As you can see, they own you purty good.

 

[IndyXRT]

If there is any way you can avoid taking this time off, I recommend completing your intern year as planned. This will look better for you and leave you with more options (e.g. in many states you can get a licence with one year of internship and completion of step 3). I realize that some things are more important than your career. Just be aware that to take a large amount of time off at this juncture may be career suicide.

 

[chrisisinnocent]

If there is any way you can avoid taking this time off, I recommend completing your intern year as planned. This will look better for you and leave you with more options (e.g. in many states you can get a licence with one year of internship and completion of step 3). I realize that some things are more important than your career. Just be aware that to take a large amount of time off at this juncture may be career suicide.

I agree with this. A friend of mine was in a pretty decent Anesthesia program. He left in the middle of his intern year for personal reasons and he had to go through the Match four straight years before matching again in Path in the middle of nowhere. His old PD did a pretty good job of blackballing him.

 

[Strength&Speed]

I agree with this. A friend of mine was in a pretty decent Anesthesia program. He left in the middle of his intern year for personal reasons and he had to go through the Match four straight years before matching again in Path in the middle of nowhere. His old PD did a pretty good job of blackballing him.

Without knowing the details of the case, I'd say that's equally unprofessional of the PD to blackball him that severely. I really think the residencies should try to be more accomodating to people who have serious family issues. It's just sad and unfortunate the number of people slogging through because they have to. Creates a lot of resentment on the back end. Not good for anybody, especially patients.

 

[shag]

The type of residency you have chosen may play a part. Kinder, gentler programs such as IM, Peds, and Psych may cut you more slack than specialists such as surgery, OB/GYN, etc.

To be a bit more serious, your ultimate responsibility is to yourself and your family. If you have a truly legit reason, your program may be empathetic. Quitting early is considered unprofessional, but your PD may work with you. I have known of a resident with a critically ill child who remained in the program, but was given significant leeway when needed.

Good luck...

 

[Blade28]

I am about to start intern year and was trying to find out what my options are for trying to take time off for a legit reason for one year.

Does this have anything to do with Step 2 CS?