rank question

[amyl]

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so I have some interviews I am really excited about and then some at places I REALLY would rather not go, but I still want to be an anesthesiologist. I also have some prelim invites as some supposedly nice places. should i just rank places i really want to go followed by prelim and then try again for advanced programs for ca-1 year or is it just better to rank the rest of the anes programs...?

 

[bubalus]

That's a choice only you can make. Lots of things to consider. If you ended up not matching in anesthesia because you didn't rank the less desirable programs, what would be your odds of matching if you reapply? Applying during internship sucks. You'd also lose a year, and that's a year of $. It also sucks being in a program or city you hate. Bottom line is look at all the options and decide for yourself--would I be better off not matching and would I be able to match in a better place while applying as an intern or would I be better off getting a spot, finishing residency and moving on with life?

 

[amyl]

why would i loose a year? i meant doing a prelim year or ty and then reapplying for ca-1 status.

 

[FuzzyBK]

why would i loose a year? i meant doing a prelim year or ty and then reapplying for ca-1 status.

I think what bubalus means by lose a year is that you can't reapply the same way you are now for CA-1 spots. If you try to reapply through ERAS and the match, the only CA-1 spots available are starting 1 year from that match cycle, ie this year's (2008) match clas will start as CA-1's in 2009. You would have to fill in the year in between.

The only way to move straight into a CA-1 spot is to find programs with open spots for the next year. These aren't in the match. They aren't particularly rare since a significant programs have spots they hold out the match or they lose residents. Another less common way is that a program gets RRC approval to expand and can all of a sudden take x number of new residents.

 

[amyl]

oh, i guess i didn't understand. so next years match will not offer ca-1 spots starting in july 2009?

 

[FuzzyBK]

oh, i guess i didn't understand. so next years match will not offer ca-1 spots starting in july 2009?

That is correct. There will not be any 2009 CA-1 spots offered in the 2009 match. The 2009 spots are all being matched into this year.

As for the my previous posts, it should say a significant number of programs

 

[anestheticman]

personally i am going to every interview i can and would rather scramble into prelim surgery than not match into anesthesia...

life will be good in january.... but right now i am stresssssed out about this!

 

[me454555]

Amy,

Read my post in this thread

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=460208

It should answer most of your Qs. As for how many interviews to go on, make sure you have at least 7 or 8 interviews after that you can start cutting back

 

[DrN2O]

Programs go unfilled by the match all the time. I was told to only rank places that you really want to go even if you feel you are reaching for some of them. You may be better off scrambling rather than be stuck with a program that you actually hate. Also, I don't see the difference between scrambling in march 2008 and applying during your prelim year, out of the match, for an open spot that starts in 2009. Plus, what would have changed your qualifications in the next year besides a few months of research possibly?

On a related note, I have just been told to go to at least 15 interviews and rank at least 12 by my program director from a top-20 med school and anesthesia department (if there are such things). So I really wouldn't cancel too many interviews at this point. Best of luck.

 

[lushmd]

On a related note, I have just been told to go to at least 15 interviews and rank at least 12 by my program director from a top-20 med school and anesthesia department (if there are such things). So I really wouldn't cancel too many interviews at this point. Best of luck.

Even as an MD/PhD student (by which I mean that sounds a bit excessive even for someone without the added qualification)? Food for thought I suppose...

 

[amyl]

Amy,

Read my post in this thread

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=460208

It should answer most of your Qs. As for how many interviews to go on, make sure you have at least 7 or 8 interviews after that you can start cutting back

so i read this thread and i guess there is something else i don't understand. how do you know that your advanced anesthesiology program would accept a DO internship year? i thought some didn't. the advanced programs i am concerned about are UPitt and Temple.... anyone know if they will let me do a DO intern year?

 

[smgilles]

so i read this thread and i guess there is something else i don't understand. how do you know that your advanced anesthesiology program would accept a DO internship year? i thought some didn't. the advanced programs i am concerned about are UPitt and Temple.... anyone know if they will let me do a DO intern year?

You can for UPitt. Many DO's there that did exactly that. I interviewed there last year and was told the samething. I specifically ranked them lower because I didn't want to do a DO internship to practice in PA.

 

[amyl]

why didn't you want to do a DO internship? Upitt will accept any DO internship? or does it only approve the ones up in PA?

 

[lushmd]

Amy, just ask/e-mail the Temple PD (he is a DO and the program itself is known, at least around here, for being DO friendly).

 

[Bertelman]

Programs go unfilled by the match all the time. I was told to only rank places that you really want to go even if you feel you are reaching for some of them. You may be better off scrambling rather than be stuck with a program that you actually hate.

I don't understand that logic. First, few people can predict how many spots will go unfilled every year. Last year had a seemingly large number of unfilled anesthesia spots, that no one had predicted. Many were at "prestigious" programs. Meanwhile, OB had a grand total of 5 unfilled spots. Thus, hedging your bets on the scramble didn't work out too well for them

Second, if you are afraid you may not like a program, how can you possibly think your selection will be BETTER once the number of ~120 available anesthesia programs is cut down to 10% of that number of programs with unfilled spots.

I agree that you should only rank programs you would be satisfied with, but I don't think anyone should count on getting a spot through the scramble. Remember that once you enter scramble mode, you are now competing against a different group of candidates, and the outcome is much less objective.

 

[smgilles]

why didn't you want to do a DO internship? Upitt will accept any DO internship? or does it only approve the ones up in PA?

I had no desire/nor plan on living in the 5 states that require the DO internship and I didn't want to mess around with Resolution 42. I valued my first year too much as I plan on moonlighting, that is why I did a prelim medicine year at a large academic institution. I had heard too many horror stories about sub par osteopathic internships. Plus, I didn't want to move twice so I only ranked categorical programs. When I was at PITT I was told they would accept any DO internship. You can always email or call the secretary as she was super friendly.

 

[me454555]

so i read this thread and i guess there is something else i don't understand. how do you know that your advanced anesthesiology program would accept a DO internship year? i thought some didn't. the advanced programs i am concerned about are UPitt and Temple.... anyone know if they will let me do a DO intern year?

Most places will accept a DO intership and it wasn't a problem. You can do the same thing if you apply to allopathic transitionals. its even easier there b/c you can just rank it like normal, no need to scramble.

 

[amyl]

i just heard that the DO internship at the hospital closest to my house is ridiculously easy with no real responsibility. i wanted to go there for convience sake -- now i don't want to get killed intern year but i want to be able to function well as a doc. i guess i might have enough time off to memorize harrisons ;-) what do you guys think about doing a light intern year?