Pediatrics to Anesthesiology?!

[djsbaseball2014]

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Hey all,
Current PGY-2 at a high ranking Peds Residency in California who is considering a transition to Anesthesiology! Just wanted to see what the path looks like for someone who would be applying this year as a new PGY-3 to hopefully start after pediatrics residency. Would i apply to advanced positions only? Any advice on this would be very helpful 🙂

 

[ethernet]

Yes, you could try to get advanced positions, but you should also talk to other programs with categorical spots. They might be willing to still waive your intern year. Some places (I think MCW did) have a combined pediatrics and anesthesia residency option. They might be worth considering too.

 

[CopaceticOne]

If you’re applying as a PGY3 and want to go straight from one residency into the next, with no gap, then you need to apply to whatever R(eserved) slots are available as well. An A(dvanced) slot would mean that there will be a year gap between when you finish Peds and start Anesthesia.

If you really want to do Anesthesiology, you should strongly consider also applying Categorial because that will give you the best overall odds of matching - you could just rank those spots lower for the Match.

 

[abolt18]

Yes, apply to everything from advanced to R2 to categorical. Many programs will retroactively give you credit for most or all of your intern year rotations and move you ahead. You'll end up off-cycle but no big deal!

 

[Ashers]

Yes, you could try to get advanced positions, but you should also talk to other programs with categorical spots. They might be willing to still waive your intern year. Some places (I think MCW did) have a combined pediatrics and anesthesia residency option. They might be worth considering too.

MCW seems to love taking former peds residents, and they still have the peds and anesthesia combined residency.
University of New Mexico also has as well.

 

[djsbaseball2014]

@CopaceticOne So just want to make sure I understand this 100%. I will finish pediatric residency in June 2026. If i wanted to go straight through, i would need to apply to R spots this coming match. If i apply to advanced spots, I will not start until July 2027? If i apply to categorical spots, I would start July 2026, but would be repeating my intern year then going into CA1-3?

Just trying to figure out the timeline for this. I would ideally like to stay in CA

 

[CopaceticOne]

@CopaceticOne So just want to make sure I understand this 100%. I will finish pediatric residency in June 2026. If i wanted to go straight through, i would need to apply to R spots this coming match. If i apply to advanced spots, I will not start until July 2027? If i apply to categorical spots, I would start July 2026, but would be repeating my intern year then going into CA1-3?

Just trying to figure out the timeline for this. I would ideally like to stay in CA

Correct

 

[Gator7]

Just want to say I trained under two incredible old-timers that went Peds -> anesthesia -> Peds anesthesia fellowship. They were remarkable

 

[NVO]

I know 3 different peds --> anesthesia --> peds anesthesia fellowship physicians. Pretty incredible how not uncommon this path is.
One of them did peds --> NICU (or PICU? i dont remember) --> anesthesia -> peds anesthesia. Talk about a long time in training.

 

[kidthor]

I know 3 different peds --> anesthesia --> peds anesthesia fellowship physicians. Pretty incredible how not uncommon this path is.
One of them did peds --> NICU (or PICU? i dont remember) --> anesthesia -> peds anesthesia. Talk about a long time in training.

Probably PICU. There used to be an accelerated pathway for that combo that’s now been gone for a number of years… but there’s still a select set of people who choose to do it. They’re all ballers for sure, but that’d be way too much training for me to tolerate!

 

[Ashers]

There are several attendings at MCW that were peds to anesthesia. I did a peds intern year, and they tried to convince me to do combined peds/anesthesia (nope), but one of the PGY-3s when I was an intern did peds, worked in the PICU for a couple years after graduating did anesthesia then peds anesthesia after that.

When I was a resident one attending had done Med/Peds then anesthesia then peds anesthesia fellowship and had a 50/50 adult/peds practice.

 

[Beeftenderloin]

I know 3 different peds --> anesthesia --> peds anesthesia fellowship physicians. Pretty incredible how not uncommon this path is.
One of them did peds --> NICU (or PICU? i dont remember) --> anesthesia -> peds anesthesia. Talk about a long time in training.

We have a guy in our group that did Peds -> Peds cardiology -> Anesthesia -> Peds anesthesia. A full decade of training.

 

[nimbus]

I know 3 different peds --> anesthesia --> peds anesthesia fellowship physicians. Pretty incredible how not uncommon this path is.
One of them did peds --> NICU (or PICU? i dont remember) --> anesthesia -> peds anesthesia. Talk about a long time in training.

Very common path in our area too. I know half a dozen at our local children’s hospital.



One of my coresidents started anesthesia after NICU fellowship. He got us a CA-3 NICU month for interested residents. The q3 call and 30hr (6 hours of rounds after a 24hr call) shifts were not that great. But we learned tons about premie problems, nutrition, etc. Also got to do anesthesia for every nicu baby that went to the OR during the month.