Preliminary Year

[lilybriscoe]

Hi Friends,
I am a 3rd year (almost 4th year) med student planning to go into ophthalmolgy. If I would like to do my pgy1 year in preliminary surgery, does it matter which surgery sub-i I do? For example, could I do ENT rather than Trauma? Does it really matter?
Thanks for your advice!
Lily

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Hi Friends,
I am a 3rd year (almost 4th year) med student planning to go into ophthalmolgy. If I would like to do my pgy1 year in preliminary surgery, does it matter which surgery sub-i I do? For example, could I do ENT rather than Trauma? Does it really matter?
Thanks for your advice!
Lily

Doesn't matter much. Pick the sub-i that interests you. Good luck!

 

[Tx Guy]

Hi Friends,
I am a 3rd year (almost 4th year) med student planning to go into ophthalmolgy. If I would like to do my pgy1 year in preliminary surgery, does it matter which surgery sub-i I do? For example, could I do ENT rather than Trauma? Does it really matter?
Thanks for your advice!
Lily

Just curious, why do you want to do a prelim year in surgery?

If it's because that's your preference, then great...but if it's because you think doing a prelim year in surgery will help you be a better ophthalmic surgeon by giving you surgery skills, then I could try to convince you that would be a mistake. As I'm sure you know, surgery interns are extremely busy and rarely get much time in the OR, and even those that do don't usually do much in the case. Also, the surgery skills you would even potentially be able to pick-up wouldn't help you much at all in opthalmic surgery...microsurgery is very different! I would recommend a year of IM or a transitional year, but just my opinion! Good luck!

 

[lilybriscoe]

Thanks, Tx Guy. I have been starting to come to the same conclusion the more I consider it. I very much enjoy surgery, but would enjoy IM or atransitional year, too. So, like you said, I might as well do something that is more applicable.
Cheers!

Just curious, why do you want to do a prelim year in surgery?

If it's because that's your preference, then great...but if it's because you think doing a prelim year in surgery will help you be a better ophthalmic surgeon by giving you surgery skills, then I could try to convince you that would be a mistake. As I'm sure you know, surgery interns are extremely busy and rarely get much time in the OR, and even those that do don't usually do much in the case. Also, the surgery skills you would even potentially be able to pick-up wouldn't help you much at all in opthalmic surgery...microsurgery is very different! I would recommend a year of IM or a transitional year, but just my opinion! Good luck!

 

[Redhawk]

That's what I would recommend. Remember, you can always add difficulty to a transitional year (surgery, extra medicine, etc.) if you really feel it's something you need. You can't in most cases, however, make a prelim year less difficult. You may need time to travel, go to friends weddings, or move for your pgy2 year. You'll also need to find time to study for and take step 3. Also, when you're compulsive like me, you'll enjoy having a few easy rotations at the tail end of the year so you can study for the transition to ophthalmology. Plan wisely...

 

[bre77]

Hi y'all,
I have a quick question about scheduling. I'd like to do some research to beef up my ophthalmology application, but since I'm a fourth year, time is short. I was thinking about applying to ophthalmology next year, and this year applying to IM while in the meantime doing research. Do you guys see any drawbacks to this plan? Would I still have to do another transition year, or does it not matter whether you've applied to opthalmology before or after doing a year in medicine/surgery? If it's the same before or after, it seems to me that I'd come out with a stronger application without having lost a year. Do you think this would change the way residency programs view my application? What do you guys think?