need some advice

[liney]

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Hello guys!

I am an IMG, desperatly needing some advice!!!!!
I have been offered a prematch position at suny downstate (Brooklyn) and have also got offered a position at Beth Israel (New york)
I am supposed to decide by the end of the week , wheter or not I accept the prematch position...
What do you think?

 

[mosche]

Hello guys!

I am an IMG, desperatly needing some advice!!!!!
I have been offered a prematch position at suny downstate (Brooklyn) and have also got offered a position at Beth Israel (New york)
I am supposed to decide by the end of the week , wheter or not I accept the prematch position...
What do you think?

Hey Liney, I know very little about your situation; but, I wish you the best of luck.

One thing that you should think about is "Did you like either of those programs well enough to rank them?" If you were not planning to rank them -- I'm assuming that you had planned to go through the match -- you ought NOT sign with them. I would suggest that you take an anonymous "walk through" visit, just to get a feel of the hospitals when they are not trying to put on a show for a potential resident. The fact that they are pressuring you to decide by Friday seems questionable -- akin to a car salesman who trys to intimidate a buyer by emphasing that "the car won't be here tomorrow". Don't allow the intimidation to sway you to make a decision that you will not be happy with.

I know that you may be worried that if you go through the match and, for whatever reason, don't match, you may have a more difficult time trying to scramble since you will be competing with unmatched AMGs. Still, make no hasty decision.

Good luck! Let us know how this turns out, since it will likely help future IMGs in similar situations.

 

[Solideliquid]

Hello guys!

I am an IMG, desperatly needing some advice!!!!!
I have been offered a prematch position at suny downstate (Brooklyn) and have also got offered a position at Beth Israel (New york)
I am supposed to decide by the end of the week , wheter or not I accept the prematch position...
What do you think?

Im also an IMG matching into Psychiatry this year. How many interview offers have you had? I have had about 15 but no one offered me a prematch. Then again I think that is my own fault since I did not interview in places like Brooklyn and the like. Not thats theres anything wrong with that, just not my cup of tea.

Back to your question, if you have not had a good number of interviews I would take the prematch offer. I mean if I could just sign a sheet of paper and end all this stressing out and waiting I would do it, sit back and have me some umbrella drinks on the beach.

 

[The Pride]

I second the opinions above. More specifically though, where would you rank these programs? If its #1 and #2, then I think you clearly should take the prematch offer. If they're #3 and #4, how confident are you about the ones ahead of them? I don't know any specifics about the programs themselves.

 

[cpep]

Suny Downstate and Beth Israel are not exactly quality programs. The nursing staff are infamous for abusing residents here. Email the other programs you interviewed at and ask them if they plan to rank you highly. Like others said, if Suny and beth i. are your #1 and #2 (highly unlikely unless you failed your boards multiple times or need a visa) then take the pre-match offers but if they're #6-7 then don't take it.

 

[Anasazi23]

SUNY vs. BI

BI, hands down...for the location alone.

 

[Poety]

Sazi, what exactly is a "QUALITY" program? I'm so lost on this one...

 

[Anasazi23]

Quality is whatever works for you, in some ways.

Some want bigtime research, others lots of autonomy with good clinical supervision.

In general, a quality program is one that is in good standing, has some good teaching clinicians, may or may not have some interesting research, allows you a diversity of clinical experiences. All else is bonus. Residency is supposed to be somewhat hard, so expect work. But that shouldn't mean that you're scutted constantly or are expected to act as social worker or case manager. Make sure of that, or you'll hate your life very quickly.

A program should have good, solid didactics. The curriculum is pretty much standard from the psychiatry residency boards, but ensure that they live up to the hype. The faculty should be approachable and allow guidance but also give room to grow and let you have independent thought and decision making.

See where graduates go...private practice? prestigious fellowships? any fellowships at all? academic appointments?

I'm sure others could add quite a bit more.

In the end, solid is what ends up being a quality program for you, while ensuring that you get a respectable foundation in psychiatry and neurology.

 

[Poety]

thank you. 😀

 

[Doc Samson]

Sazi, what exactly is a "QUALITY" program? I'm so lost on this one...

A quality program is one that when you tell other psychiatrists that you trained there, they don't:

a) roll their eyes
b) look slightly ill
c) look slightly scared
d) run away screaming

 

[Poety]

A quality program is one that when you tell other psychiatrists that you trained there, they don't:

a) roll their eyes
b) look slightly ill
c) look slightly scared
d) run away screaming

😱 😡