Quitting Prelim Year Early after Successful Match

[Bookwalter]

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Ladies and Gents,
I am currently a PGY1 prelim who has reapplied for the match this year and am fairly certain I will be matching as a PGY1 Categorical. Would it be Kosher to quit a month early to look for an apartment, sleep, see family etc. given that I owe nothing to my current institution and have been punished the last year? The last rotation is the worst rotation at that.😱 Do you think there could be any repercussions? I have never quit at anything I have started but I just can't imagine staying at my current program to be abused only to transition July 1 to another program without having gotten settled in. Thanks for the thoughts in advance.

 

[squareknot]

usually the match is contingent upon you completing the current internship/resident year. i wouldn't recommend screwing your current program. if you don't finish off the year in a way that's satisfactory with your current program, they may not be obligated to release you to your next place, which may then cause problems for you.

if i were you, i'd try to stick out the current year. and if you have pressing issues (ie absolutely need time off/etc/etc), bring that up with your current PD right now and arrange it...better sooner rather than later.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

Wouldn't just leave. Poor form and has a lot of potential negatives both short and long term. Its not like you are going into another field. Speak to your PD about leaving a week or two early or something like that. I imagine they will work with you to help you get to your new place in a timely fashion and still have their services covered. Do you have any vacation left?

 

[BlondeDocteur]

Everything SouthernIM said. It reflects really, really poorly on you that you're even thinking about it. It's the nature of the beast that people make 1-2 day transitions (graduating chiefs often have 48hrs between finishing up and starting fellowships; prelims who have found spots have similar intervals). And if you think your current PD won't give your new one a call, you're hopelessly naive.

 

[Smurfette]

Also would like to point out (other than the great points made by others) that you will have to explain why you did not complete a full training year EVERY time you apply for privileges, licenses, change jobs, etc. It will raise eyebrows and make people reviewing your background question whether you quit or were forced out, neither of which reflect positively on you.

 

[SLUser11]

Ladies and Gents,
I am currently a PGY1 prelim who has reapplied for the match this year and am fairly certain I will be matching as a PGY1 Categorical. Would it be Kosher to quit a month early to look for an apartment, sleep, see family etc. given that I owe nothing to my current institution and have been punished the last year? The last rotation is the worst rotation at that.😱 Do you think there could be any repercussions? I have never quit at anything I have started but I just can't imagine staying at my current program to be abused only to transition July 1 to another program without having gotten settled in. Thanks for the thoughts in advance.

Quitting is a horrible idea. However, it is reasonable to sit down with your PD, and ask if you can have a couple weeks to move, etc. This may take vacation time, or the PD may just give it to you. A lot of categorical responsibilities start before July 1 anyway (e.g. orientation).

 

[Bookwalter]

How about if I were a PGY 2 or PGY 3? Would it matter then? And what if I was going into another surgical subspecialty? The comeraderie in my program is such that screwing over each other is a weekly occurence, thus the reason I am looking forward to the change. I guess I will talk to my PD and see if they can accomodate this. The difference between the Chiefs going to fellowships and my situation is that my advancement is not contingent on me completing my PGY year. And if I do match, it will have been without the help of my current PD.

 

[ajimd]

I would try really hard to not quit at "ANYTHING".... Know when you are defeated, but quitting is poor form
Don't let other peoples' actions/behaviors dictate how you carry yourself - No matter how malignant the program may be.
As for the help from your PD, or what you may feel is a lack thereof, believe me - you matched because you were given a prelim spot. Don't take that for granted

 

[dpmd]

Don't you have vacation? Our prelims routinely use their vacation for part of the last rotation which gets them out as much as 3 weeks early (if they didn't use any vacation days, probably could squeak another week out with holiday comp days and planned sick days). Some abused the system and took a bunch of time off (for vacation earlier in the year) and they still got to end early. It isn't like programs with prelims don't know you need to leave. I don't see why you would need to quit just to get moving time.

 

[NEEDLE DRIVER]

Yeah. I would talk to your current PD and see if they can make an exception for your or find coverage. Quitting may not go over so well.

 

[Bookwalter]

I would love to use my vacay, but unfortunately we are given one month and I have used it all.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

Talk to your pd and be a professional about this.

 

[navymd]

BAD IDEA. Every program you are part of needs to write a final summation letter of your time at the program. It follows you from program to program and hospital to hospital.
Leaving early violates your contract and technically as a physician you have patient care responsibilities and leaving "abandons" those patients. This is unprofessional behavior and needless to say that is a big red flag.
You do not want this following you even if it was for a month.

 

[Miami_med]

No. (I think that sums it up nicely).

 

[Winged Scapula]

I haven't much to add as I agree wholeheartedly with what has been stated above: this is a bad idea.

When I was in residency we had a Prelim who just turned in her pager and left after getting a position elsewhere; our PD made sure her incoming PD knew what he was getting. To say he was less than pleased was an understatement.

 

[Buzz Me]

I also don't have much to add that hasn't already been stated in the above posts. I agree that the most mature, professional thing to do is schedule a meeting with your program director and ask to leave about a week early to allow for packing, moving, settling in, etc. If you can, try to schedule a trip to your new program (assuming it's in a new city/state) earlier to look for housing, etc.

Definitely DO NOT burn any bridges now, or later.