questions about 4th year

[GATORANALYST]

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Friends have been telling me that if you want to transfer to another program, a program possibly in the city you want to practice in and maybe even a prestigous program, your best bet is to do it in your fourth year.

Why is it that programs are not as competitive in 4th year then say 1st or 2nd year?

I've tried to search old threads but nothing seems to pop up. I plan on settling in Boston and would like to graduate from a program in that area. I'm thinking that making contacts would be easier if I finish up in the same city that I eventually want to practice in and it can also help my chances of getting a fellowship in that area as well. Can anyone share a little light.
thanks

 

[FURY 161]

Friends have been telling me that if you want to transfer to another program, a program possibly in the city you want to practice in and maybe even a prestigous program, your best bet is to do it in your fourth year.

Why is it that programs are not as competitive in 4th year then say 1st or 2nd year?

I've tried to search old threads but nothing seems to pop up. I plan on settling in Boston and would like to graduate from a program in that area. My thinking is that I will be able to make contacts especially if I want to do a fellowship and eventually find work in that area. Can anyone share a little light.
thanks

Some programs let their residents transfer to Child fellowship in PGY 3, so they have open spots for PGY 4. This does not mean that the program is not good, some I 've seen are actually awesome, nothing in Boston that I know of, though.

 

[GATORANALYST]

Some programs let their residents transfer to Child fellowship in PGY 3, so they have open spots for PGY 4. This does not mean that the program is not good, some I 've seen are actually awesome, nothing in Boston that I know of, though.

Do the programs with vacant spots advertise? If so where do you get this info?
THanks

 

[Doc Samson]

Do the programs with vacant spots advertise? If so where do you get this info?
THanks

Some do depending on how hard they are hit by the C&A exit - check the back of Psychiatry News. Another factor is if a "big" service at the program doesn't have an in-house PGY-4 interested for their elective/chief year - this might persuade the program to attempt to recruit from outside rather than just let the empty PGY-4 slot slide. It's worth calling programs to ask.

 

[honsano]

I have only seen C&A mentioned on the forums here as one where you can begin before your residency reaches conclusion. Can you do so with other fellowships as well or is there something special about the C&A fellowships which allow you to begin PGY4?

 

[Doc Samson]

I have only seen C&A mentioned on the forums here as one where you can begin before your residency reaches conclusion. Can you do so with other fellowships as well or is there something special about the C&A fellowships which allow you to begin PGY4?

It's limited only to C&A - intended, I believe, to try to produce as many C&A psychiatrists as possible due to the overwhelming shortfall.

 

[Still Kickin]

GA - here's some website you might want to try. (No idea if any of them are any good, they are just sites I knew existed so thought I would pass along the info in case you didn't have it already.)

APA's "Clearinghouse of Psychiatry Residency Training Program Vacancies":
http://archive.psych.org/career_corner/careers_psych/clearinghouse/CHsearch.cfm

CareerMD.com:
http://www.careermd.com/default.aspx

SDN forum: "Internship, Residency, and Fellowship Openings"
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=290

 

[OldPsychDoc]

It's limited only to C&A - intended, I believe, to try to produce as many C&A psychiatrists as possible due to the overwhelming shortfall.

That, and related to C&A being a 2-yr fellowship and the others being only 1?

 

[Doc Samson]

That, and related to C&A being a 2-yr fellowship and the others being only 1?

Not sure that would have any traction with the ACGME to allow double counting of rotations given the number of 2+ year fellowships in other specialties.

 

[whopper]

At least of the programs I've seen, if a resident left a year early to do C&A, the program would not bring in a PGY IV from another program--they'd just get more PGY Is. The logic? PGY Is do more calls & inpatient--that's where the cheap labor factor works out better for the program.

I guess though it would depend on the way each program is run & how the PD determines is the best course for that program.