Prelim/Transitional Year, Advanced positions, Categorical positions

[pandagirll]

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I understand that many fields (ex. PM&R which I'd like to go in to) require a prelim/TY prior to starting residency at their institution as a PGY2, but I am confused about how the match actually works.

In fourth year, does one apply to EITHER categorical OR prelim/TY positions? Or does one apply to both programs?

If one matches into a prelim/TY, does that mean that they would have to try participate in the match again the following year, only applying to advanced positions?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Sea Otter]

Most people apply to both categorical and advanced programs.
If you apply to an advanced program, you should apply to prelim/TY programs as well because you match into both during the same match cycle. It is possible to match only into a preliminary/TY program and have to re-apply the next year for a PM&R program. Or you could only match into an advanced program and have to scramble into a prelim/TY. Lots of variations possible but hopefully you'll just match into a categorical program or a prelim/TY + advanced.

 

[yoyohomieg5432]

what's the diff between categorical and advanced?

 

[pandagirll]

Most people apply to both categorical and advanced programs.
If you apply to an advanced program, you should apply to prelim/TY programs as well because you match into both during the same match cycle. It is possible to match only into a preliminary/TY program and have to re-apply the next year for a PM&R program. Or you could only match into an advanced program and have to scramble into a prelim/TY. Lots of variations possible but hopefully you'll just match into a categorical program or a prelim/TY + advanced.

Great, thank you for that explanation, exactly what I was looking for.

yoyohomieg5432, categorical positions mean that you enter the residency program right away as a PGY-1... in other words, you only have to relocate once. Advanced positions require that you have one year of prelim or transitional year, so you would only be eligible to start as a PGY-2 after having completed one year at their institution or elsewhere.

 

[mvenus929]

what's the diff between categorical and advanced?

Categorical programs have all their training in one institution/program. Peds, IM, EM, Psych, General surgery, etc all have this structure.

Advanced means that the final specialty does not begin until PGY-2, and you do either a medicine/surgery prelim year, or a transitional year to gain general medicine exposure prior to starting your final specialty. Derm, Rad Onc, some anesthesia, Radiology, Ophthalmology, etc, have this structure. Some programs will link the intern year and the advanced program, so they do occur at the same institution, but are technically two different programs, run by different administration (since the intern year can be applied to multiple specialties).

 

[Bru]

As an added wrinkle, you can also do a prelim (or TY) at the same institution as your advanced slot if they have those available. Or you can do a prelim/TY in the same city so you only have to move once.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

As an added wrinkle, you can also do a prelim (or TY) at the same institution as your advanced slot if they have those available. Or you can do a prelim/TY in the same city so you only have to move once.

That's what I did. You get a leg-up in terms of knowing the hospital system, the faculty, and the general area early on. Plus, you don't have to move twice.

 

[CharlieBillings]

.

 

[Dr. Jan Itor]

How do you find out if a specialty is categorical vs advanced. Doximitry?

It depends on the program, not just the specialty. For instance, 28 of the 80 PM&R programs are categorical while the rest are advanced. A few programs have both categorical and advanced positions.

Doximity may have that information, but FREIDA is probably a better place to start looking.


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