Prelim year, how does it work?

[Seriousquestion]

So, say a doctor, for whatever reason, matches into a preliminary surgery or transitional year instead of a categorical position (someone interested in general surgery, or orthopedics, not a specialty that requires a prelim year). What happens to them after they finish that year? Can they re-enter the match along with new medical school graduates to look for a position? Do they have to scramble? Do they re-start as PGY-1's again?

I ask because I've shadowed a doctor who went from a transitional year (he wasn't sure what he wanted to specialize in) to general surgery, and I was curious how that works.

Thanks

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[FDoRoML]

...What happens to them after they finish that year? Can they re-enter the match along with new medical school graduates to look for a position? Do they have to scramble? Do they re-start as PGY-1's again?

They can match outside of The Match if they are VERY lucky in some cases. They can reapply through ERAS and the NRMP for the regular match for a categorical position.

At the point that they don't match and end up as a prelim or transitional, that means they "scrambled" into that position or perhaps applied to it as a backup and only matched there and not to a categorical spot. The following year's scramble is only open to those who entered the the match for THAT year and did not match.

As for repeating internship, most will end up in that situation. If they match during the reapplication process, it is pretty much guaranteed. If they go outside of the match and are extremely lucky to find a PGY-2 position available, and a program that wants them, they can eek into that. Most of the time this occurs at the place where they are doing their prelim year.

And, finally, if they apply and go through the match again and are unsuccessful, they can end up in a PGY-2 non-designated prelim year. And hope that a PGY-3 position opens up that they can eek into. Statistically, it is the PGY-3 year which most often becomes available as residents change careers or decide not to come out of the laboratory that year for whatever reason (if there is a research option/requirement).

Did that make sense?

FD

 

[filter07]

magnets, how do they work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-agl0pOQfs

Surgery and Surgical Subspecialties require a surgical intern year. Transitional, medicine, or peds internships don't count and so one will have to repeat internship in surgery.