Prelim Love?

[sunnyskies345]

Just wondering whether you guys are hearing back from prelim programs? It's almost Nov now, and I haven't heard much (applied to prelim medicine). I'm assuming that they're taking care of their categoricals first, but it's making me kind of nervous now.

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[karizma098]

Just wondering whether you guys are hearing back from prelim programs? It's almost Nov now, and I haven't heard much (applied to prelim medicine). I'm assuming that they're taking care of their categoricals first, but it's making me kind of nervous now.

same..i've only gotten interviews from 3 prelims so far.

 

[ArMed]

Yeah, I've only gotten 5...2 of which were at my home institution and its affiliate, and 2 of which I really really really don't want to attend. The other one would be golden, but is a huge stretch.

 

[anesthesiabucky]

yeah i have gotten interviews from a good amount of anesthesia programs but barely any prelim programs (i applied to a BUNCH of transitional and prelim med programs because i want to avoid prelim surgery at all costs). i was getting worried too but i talked to a couple friends who are extremely competitive and they are also not gettin much transitional or prelim love (although that was a week or two ago). its kind of annoying because the cities that i got anesthesia interviews at are not the cities that i got prelim invites (and i applied to the same cities for both)

 

[DrBeaker]

I don't understand why people don't want to do a surgery prelim. Is it the the perceived work hours (only 16 hour shifts now), or the perception you will be scutted out? You are going to be working in an OR for the rest of your life. I did a surgery prelim and am thankful every day that I did. Sure I worked my butt off, but you will do the same as an anesthesia resident and probably as a prelim medicine resident as well. I did more A-lines, central lines than any of my fellow CA-1's. I actually was in the OR a lot (which I realize is program dependent) and doing the cases. I took care of surgical patients, which is what you will do as an anesthesiologist.

I guess my point is: surgical prelims are great and I wish people would consider them more. IMO

Plus you won't look like a lost puppy trying to do a central line on day one of your CA-1 year

 

[givesmegas]

I don't understand why people don't want to do a surgery prelim. Is it the the perceived work hours (only 16 hour shifts now), or the perception you will be scutted out? You are going to be working in an OR for the rest of your life. I did a surgery prelim and am thankful every day that I did. Sure I worked my butt off, but you will do the same as an anesthesia resident and probably as a prelim medicine resident as well. I did more A-lines, central lines than any of my fellow CA-1's. I actually was in the OR a lot (which I realize is program dependent) and doing the cases. I took care of surgical patients, which is what you will do as an anesthesiologist.

I guess my point is: surgical prelims are great and I wish people would consider them more. IMO

Plus you won't look like a lost puppy trying to do a central line on day one of your CA-1 year

Unless I'm mistaken (and I could be because I haven't looked into surg prelims), I think it's because med prelims, and tys especially, offer more elective time.

 

[Per4mer8]

Unless I'm mistaken (and I could be because I haven't looked into surg prelims), I think it's because med prelims, and tys especially, offer more elective time.

Also, lets be honest, most people want a more cush intern year with no more than 2-3 months of wards/ICU (lets ignore the argument about how that doesn't exactly help you in the long run). But I think some of it comes from stories/2nd hand knowledge of prelim surg programs that never let you sniff the OR because they know you aren't going into surgery so they use you as the rounding scut-person which basically makes it a 12 months of wards kind of year.

 

[Josh1]

I'm equivocal on surg prelim because of the question of being a scutdog vs. actually being in the OR and learning...DrBeaker where was your program? You can PM me if you would prefer.
Anybody with specific surg prelims they thought were good: it would be helpful to post which ones and some experiences

 

[El Dooderino]

1) It's early, my TY hasn't even looked at apps yet

2) Do not do a surg prelim under any circumstances, anyone advising you to do one are people who did them and now have some Stockholm-like syndome where they have to justify that getting treated like crap for a year was worth it

 

[DrBeaker]

1) It's early, my TY hasn't even looked at apps yet

2) Do not do a surg prelim under any circumstances, anyone advising you to do one are people who did them and now have some Stockholm-like syndome where they have to justify that getting treated like crap for a year was worth it

Your second point is ridiculous.

I have never been to Sweden nor was I treated like crap.

 

[IgM]

On a related note, I have gotten some love from prelim/TY programs (and a couple rejections). If I am an average applicant applying to do a prelim/TY in a big city, is 110 positions total (at 11 different programs, 7 of which are in my big city, 4 of which are transitionals outside the city I wouldn't really want to go to) enough to rank to ensure a prelim match if I need one?
How many prelim programs are most people thinking of ranking?