Medical school application to specific department?

[Endoxifen]

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I was talking to my PI, an academic physician at my university, about my medical school plans. He recommended that I apply directly to the oncology department at the school I was most interested. He said this approach is gaining popularity and would allow me to decrease my time in medical school by a year and should things go well, immediately begin a residency at that department. I've never heard of a program like this. Does anyone know anything about this path? Is this something you negotiate yourself outside of the standard application?

Thank you!

 

[chaim123]

I was talking to my PI, an academic physician at my university, about my medical school plans. He recommended that I apply directly to the oncology department at the school I was most interested. He said this approach is gaining popularity and would allow me to decrease my time in medical school by a year and should things go well, immediately begin a residency at that department. I've never heard of a program like this. Does anyone know anything about this path? Is this something you negotiate yourself outside of the standard application?

Thank you!

This may be very particular to the school you're applying at. This isn't a thing you do at most schools.

 

[Catalystik]

I was talking to my PI, an academic physician at my university, about my medical school plans. He recommended that I apply directly to the oncology department at the school I was most interested. He said this approach is gaining popularity and would allow me to decrease my time in medical school by a year and should things go well, immediately begin a residency at that department. I've never heard of a program like this. Does anyone know anything about this path?

First, you have to be accepted to med school, so I'd be amazed if one could gain access to a medical education through a subspecialty department in the United States (rather than through AMCAS, AACOMAS, or TMDSAS). But I enjoy being amazed. Try to chase this down and get more details to clarify.

 

[gyngyn]

I was talking to my PI, an academic physician at my university, about my medical school plans. He recommended that I apply directly to the oncology department at the school I was most interested. He said this approach is gaining popularity and would allow me to decrease my time in medical school by a year and should things go well, immediately begin a residency at that department. I've never heard of a program like this. Does anyone know anything about this path? Is this something you negotiate yourself outside of the standard application?

Thank you!

The LCME requires that the admission committee be the only body that can accept medical students into an MD program (of any kind).
Standard 10.2:
"10.2 Final Authority of Admission Committee
The final responsibility for accepting students to a medical school rests with a formally constituted admission committee. The authority and composition of the committee and the rules for its operation, including voting privileges and the definition of a quorum, are specified in bylaws or other medical school policies. Faculty members constitute the majority of voting members at all meetings. The selection of individual medical students for admission is not influenced by any political or financial factors."

 

[Endoxifen]

First, you have to be accepted to med school, so I'd be amazed if one could gain access to a medical education through a subspecialty department in the United States. But I enjoy being amazed. Try to chase this down and get more details to clarify.

Have you ever heard of an applicant being sponsored by a subspecialty department? I can't imagine there's a backdoor to medical school acceptance, but something like a sponsorship might make more sense. I'll be entering medical school with a cancer-centric PhD, so interacting with an oncology department makes sense in theory. For other students though, it seems odd.

 

[gyngyn]

Have you ever heard of an applicant being sponsored by a subspecialty department? I can't imagine there's a backdoor to medical school acceptance, but something like a sponsorship might make more sense. I'll be entering medical school with a cancer-centric PhD, so interacting with an oncology department makes sense in theory. For other students though, it seems odd.

This is specifically not allowed.
Even OMFS candidates have to be found acceptable to the admission committee (though they are already matched into a residency).

 

[Endoxifen]

This is specifically not allowed.

I suppose that does qualify as a political factor. I wonder what he was talking about then. I'll have to ask him for clarification next time I see him. The closest thing I can think of is Harvard's Health Sciences and Technology curriculum, but that's a bit of a stretch.

 

[deleted480308]

I was talking to my PI, an academic physician at my university, about my medical schoolth plans. He recommended that I apply directly to the oncology department at the school I was most interested. He said this approach is gaining popularity and would allow me to decrease my time in medical school by a year and should things go well, immediately begin a residency at that department. I've never heard of a program like this. Does anyone know anything about this path? Is this something you negotiate yourself outside of the standard application?

Thank you!

That’s not a thing

 

[Catalystik]

Have you ever heard of an applicant being sponsored by a subspecialty department? I can't imagine there's a backdoor to medical school acceptance, but something like a sponsorship might make more sense. I'll be entering medical school with a cancer-centric PhD, so interacting with an oncology department makes sense in theory. For other students though, it seems odd.

The closest situation I know of: Back in the day, I recall some residency programs offered spots to current med students outside of the Match. This was probably more common with foreign medical grads than US grads, but I myself was offered a spot for which I had not applied prior to the Match, so I can witness to the possibility. (Did not accept it, though.)

Things have tightened up considerably since then: In 2013, the NRMP implemented a policy requiring Match-participating programs to place all positions in the Match, spurring significant increases in the number of primary care positions offered. In the six years since implementation of the policy, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics have added a combined 2,900 positions, a 25.8 percent increase. Press Release: 2017 NRMP Main Residency Match the Largest Match on Record - The Match, National Resident Matching Program

 

[bae2017]

NYU has a 3-year MD program - you interview and "match" to an NYU residency before or while enrolled in medical school and the curriculum is accelerated (essentially you don't do 4th year). Oncology wouldn't work though, as that's an IM subspecialty. You could apply to IM and make your intent to go into oncology known in the app and interview.

Also, if you will have a PhD, Columbia has an accelerated 3-year MD. It doesn't match you directly to a residency, though.

 

[Endoxifen]

NYU has a 3-year MD program - you interview and "match" to an NYU residency before or while enrolled in medical school and the curriculum is accelerated (essentially you don't do 4th year). Oncology wouldn't work though, as that's an IM subspecialty. You could apply to IM and make your intent to go into oncology known in the app and interview.

Also, if you will have a PhD, Columbia has an accelerated 3-year MD. It doesn't match you directly to a residency, though.

I've heard about the Columbia program, but never the NYU program. One of his other students is going to NYU for residency (I think), so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what he was talking about.