Question about Match

[brodaiga]

I am a first year and interested in Ophthalmology. I also have an interest in anesthesiology but would prefer Ophthalmology. I understand the competitive nature of this specialty. When I apply, would I apply for both residencies? Will I end up being screwed in anes because I spent my time doing away rotations for optho? What happens if I don't match somehow. I will be a DO, and so will be doing the DO match first the way I understand it. Anybody with any insight help. I am trying to understand what I should be doing. If I don't get optho, I still want anes.

Thanks

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[beponychick]

I am a first year and interested in Ophthalmology. I also have an interest in anesthesiology but would prefer Ophthalmology. I understand the competitive nature of this specialty. When I apply, would I apply for both residencies? Will I end up being screwed in anes because I spent my time doing away rotations for optho? What happens if I don't match somehow. I will be a DO, and so will be doing the DO match first the way I understand it. Anybody with any insight help. I am trying to understand what I should be doing. If I don't get optho, I still want anes.

Thanks

Hey,

Just curious, why are you interested in optho?

 

[vwhan]

I am a first year and interested in Ophthalmology. I also have an interest in anesthesiology but would prefer Ophthalmology. I understand the competitive nature of this specialty. When I apply, would I apply for both residencies? Will I end up being screwed in anes because I spent my time doing away rotations for optho? What happens if I don't match somehow. I will be a DO, and so will be doing the DO match first the way I understand it. Anybody with any insight help. I am trying to understand what I should be doing. If I don't get optho, I still want anes.

Thanks

I'm in the midst of applying for ophtho, so let's see if I can help out.
1. First of all, it's great that you have interests now, but keep an open mind once you get through 3rd year. A lot of people change there minds after doing rotations and seeing what it is really like.
2. Ophtho is an early match and Anes is a regular match. So you find out if you match in ophtho in mid January and for Anes in March. Therefore, it is possible to apply to both. Keep in mind you will have to write 2-3 personal statements - one for ophtho, one for anes and one for prelim year (which will most likely be exactly the same as for ophtho or anes. If you match in ophtho you can withdraw from anes match.
3. I don't think you will be screwed in anes if you do your away rotations in ophtho, b/c 4th years still change their minds about what path they want to pursue. But if you are interviewing for anes spots and they see you that you did 4 ophtho rotations, that may raise some red flags. Hard to say.
4. If you don't match, then you don't match. You will have an advisor that will help you formulate a 4th year schedule and you should ask him/her for backup plans/ideas until you reapply the next year.
5. If you decide to apply for both, then you will have to worry about the possibility of having to travel for several ophtho interviews, anes interviews and prelim interviews. Yikes.

 

[Taus]

your specialty choice will likely change as you go through med school.....make sure to fully learn about every aspect of your fields of interest and don't rule out any fields until you rotate through them.

 

[sscooterguy]

You are a first year and probably don't need to stress this early. That being said, knowing what you want to do early helps - many go into 4th year undecided. You may/will change your mind multiple times.

At least for the MD match, you can apply to both, have separate letters of rec, write separate personal statements. NO ONE but you knows where you apply. If you get a ton of Ophtho interviews, you can decline all of your Anesthesia interview offers.

Some recommend against interviewing in two specialties. My IM residency director has told me no one really knows that you are applying to both. It would be rare, unless you are in a TINY hospital, that you would run into the other program on your interview.

You also have the option to explain other obligations in consideration like family and such, as to why you would apply to both. Although some residencies would like to hear that you will reapply and do anything you can do to get into the specialty, that you are ready to make that sacrifice, that is not the real world.

good luck.
sscooterguy

 

[brodaiga]

Thank you for the help. So you can reaplly to the match if for some reason you don't match the first year? Would you lose a year then?

 

[Taus]

If you don't match you do whats called "scrambling" for a spot....do a search for it on sdn and you'll find plenty of info

 

[vwhan]

Thank you for the help. So you can reaplly to the match if for some reason you don't match the first year? Would you lose a year then?

Yes, if you don't match nor scramble then you lose a year. Think of it as not getting into medical school on your first try. If you don't get in, then you find something to do for another year and reapply.

 

[deleted109597]

If you match and don't go, you can't do anything for 3 years.
I'm pretty sure they have a website that answers these questions and more though.