NRMP waiver question

[pedsdoc20212022]

Hi everyone. Unsure where to go or what to do, hoping someone can help in some way. The long story is that I’m pretty devastated by my Peds sub-specialty match result, to the point that I’m considering quitting pre-45 days, which I know would jeopardize the specialty for me pretty much permanently. I’ve been trying to peruse the NRMP website, so questions for you all:
1. Is transferring after 1 year of fellowship (crit care for reference, which I know makes it harder) even possible? Even if I transferred and started over as a first year fellow?
2. If I quit post 45 days, am I blacklisted from the speciality forever?
3. Would the NRMP consider “unanticipated feeling of bleakness and complete lack of motivation being stuck in the same city and concern for subsequent mental health” a good enough “hardship” for waiver requests?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Sorry to be a downer

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[Oso]

I’m no expert, but this is what I think:

1. Not sure, maybe possible if someone quits and leaves a spot open

2. Yes, I don’t see how anyone would be willing to interview/rank you again if you quit your current program, especially given that all the spots were filled this year

3. No, sorry but that doesn’t seem like a good reason. Mental health in general yes, but not tired of being “stuck in the same city”, and even if you did get a waiver (unlikely) I doubt you’d be able to match again (as above).

I know you know this, but you shouldn’t have ranked this program if you were going to be that unhappy with the location. I think your options are 1. Stick it out if it’s the field you want to be in and at least you already live there or 2. Quit eventually, knowing you’ll probably never get another fellowship spot. Either way I say start the program and see how the first few months go (ie don’t quit before 45 days)

 

[pedsdoc20212022]

I’m no expert, but this is what I think:

1. Not sure, maybe possible if someone quits and leaves a spot open

2. Yes, I don’t see how anyone would be willing to interview/rank you again if you quit your current program, especially given that all the spots were filled this year

3. No, sorry but that doesn’t seem like a good reason. Mental health in general yes, but not tired of being “stuck in the same city”, and even if you did get a waiver (unlikely) I doubt you’d be able to match again (as above).

I know you know this, but you shouldn’t have ranked this program if you were going to be that unhappy with the location. I think your options are 1. Stick it out if it’s the field you want to be in and at least you already live there or 2. Quit eventually, knowing you’ll probably never get another fellowship spot. Either way I say start the program and see how the first few months go (ie don’t quit before 45 days)

Thanks for responding! I think deep down I know all this, just looking for any semblance of a plan or hope haha, which I know may be fruitless. Appreciate you

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Once you quit fellowship in a subspecialty, might as well call that subspecialty over. Since you are breaking a contract, you’re not just leaving the program, you are leaving the field.

That said, sometimes, people are just done. I had a co-fellow who was a third year PCCM fellow. They quit with 6 months left to go. They were just done.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Hi everyone. Unsure where to go or what to do, hoping someone can help in some way. The long story is that I’m pretty devastated by my Peds sub-specialty match result, to the point that I’m considering quitting pre-45 days, which I know would jeopardize the specialty for me pretty much permanently. I’ve been trying to peruse the NRMP website, so questions for you all:
1. Is transferring after 1 year of fellowship (crit care for reference, which I know makes it harder) even possible? Even if I transferred and started over as a first year fellow?
2. If I quit post 45 days, am I blacklisted from the speciality forever?
3. Would the NRMP consider “unanticipated feeling of bleakness and complete lack of motivation being stuck in the same city and concern for subsequent mental health” a good enough “hardship” for waiver requests?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Sorry to be a downer

Sorry you're unhappy with your match. I've said this before, but I matched at my 6th choice for fellowship. It wound up being absolutely the best program for me. Given that realistically your best chance to be a PICU doc involves completing the fellowship you matched at, I recommend you give it a shot.

Concretely:

1) I've never heard of this happening. It may theoretically be possible, but I doubt that it is easy given that you have to do one unified scholarly activity. If you start over as a first year, then I suppose anything is possible if someone would take you, but I am not sure why you would expect that you would do better in the match next time around.
2) Pretty much yes. It shows a lack of commitment to the specialty, and any future programs will worry that you will do this again.
3) Nope. But even if you did successfully get a waiver, I would consider yourself basically done with the specialty.

 

[Pemmypem]

If you figure out something, let me know. I'm in a similar boat. I wish I could just give away my spot since my subspecialty also filled. I saw you have to tell your program if you're initiating a waiver. If I end up having to stay, don't wanna start with bad blood. I feel so dumb.

 

[NurWollen]

OP I'd stick it out for a while at least. You never know some people match low on their list and end up loving it; others match high on their list and end up hating it. Stick it out long enough to be sure in your decision. No need to stay in a toxic program or anything but al least hang on long enough to know you're not making a mistake, and make sure you're comfortable doing gen peds if you do decide to leave your fellowship because as others have said, it's going to be hard to transfer to a different program.

 

[BabyDoc86]

I think the actual problem is that we are largely discouraged from openly discussing any disappointment in this Match system. I know someone that had a similar situation, and we had several hot chocolate dates to discuss her disappointment and various options, and we came up with the same answers as above. Sometimes the only way out is through. Finish the program and then land the job you want; fellowship is a finite time period. Some people do discover that they are just done with it and do leave fellowship programs. For what it's worth, I know two people who transferred to other programs during fellowship; one in NICU, one in Adolescent, so it does happen.