Ophthalmology residency?

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Question: If someone doesn't match in Ophthalmology but gets a preliminary internship, is it harder to reapply? Do Ophthalmology programs take preliminary interns who apply straight to their program?

 

[bulldoc]

people have matched into ophthalmology residencies while applying during their intern year. it's definitely an uphill battle, but it can work. you'd be applying for a year in advance, so you'd be taking a year off after prelim. another thing is that many would recommend doing something to increase your chances of matching, such as a year of research, etc.

in short, yes it can be done but it's an uphill battle, and you better have a plan to strengthen your app as compared to when you applied and didn't match your 4th year.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

I agree with the above that it is possible, but it is difficult. Your chances of matching is less. If you look at the previous match stats for matching seniors, US Seniors matched in the high 80s percentile (369-399 seniors matched from 2004-2007). The rest who matched are about 20-30 IMGs and ~40 US non-senior applicants who are reapplying. Based on the percentile of US seniors who matched, US seniors make up about 400-500 of the total applicant pool (~800 +/- candidates). IMGs and US applicants who are reapplying make up the remaining 300-400 applicants resulting in about a 15% match rate for IMGs and non-senior US grads.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Question: If someone doesn't match in Ophthalmology but gets a preliminary internship, is it harder to reapply? Do Ophthalmology programs take preliminary interns who apply straight to their program?

If you reapply and have a year to spend out, doing a pre-residency fellowship can improve your chances. Is it harder? Well, you will be competing with another class of medical school seniors, so it isn't easier, but the connections you make during the fellowship year can help you along. Many preceptors are interested in having good things happen to their departing fellows.

 

[Eyesore]

As previously stated, your best chance to match the traditional way is as a US senior. With that being said, I have seen a few people backdoor their way into a program. By that I mean, they were in the regular pool of applicants as an intern, then a spot opened up someplace for the next year (so regular applicants were not eligible because they still had to do internship), so they pulled out of the match and took the spot. Should you expect this to happen? No. But some people get lucky.

In this scenario, if you were doing a pre-residency fellowship, then you couldn't snag that spot while as an intern you potentially could.

 

[ttuhscaggie]

If you didn't match ophthalmology as a US senior there was a reason and you need to do something to improve your application for next year. Doing an intern year won't improve your application in the eyes of residency program directors unless you're able to do research during your internship (good luck with that). Doing a pre-residency ophthalmology research fellowship will give you the best chance to match as a re-applicant imo.