re-entering medicine

[lostinnewyork]

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I graduated medical school in 2005 and was dismissed during my third year of pediatric residency in 2008. I was 25 and did not know how to negotiate the politics and the hierarchy of the hospital. I was not prepared for the pace and responsibility of residency and was late to work and behind on discharge reports.


Now that I am ten years older, I feel like I am better prepared and ready to go back into medicine. I have learned from my previous mistakes and have matured as a person. However, since then I have not worked in the medicine since and I am unsure of how to get back into the field. I have my medical license in the state in which I reside, but I have no recent experience. I found a program at Drexel that works with people that have taken time off, but most of those applicants have finished residency or are foreign medical graduates. They have 2 tracks: one in a 6 week program designed to make oneself a better candidate to match in a new residency program and another that is longer and structured to get the candidate back into clinical practice.

Given the amount of time that I have been out of residency and medical school, is there any chance that by doing a longer, more structured program I could obtain an open 2nd or 3rd year residency position? Or, is it so unlikely that it is better to re-start residency from the beginning to improve my chances? Even if I do this program, what is the likelihood that I will be able to obtain a residency program given my history? I know I need to spend this next year building up my resume and volunteering, but what is the best way to go about this? Any other advice for someone that is desperate to get back into medicine?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Your situation is unique enough that it's going to be difficult to get advice. My sense is that you will need to start again as a PGY-1. In order to compete for PGY-2 spots (of which there are not many) you'd need to convince a PD that you're able to supervise a PGY-1 usccessfully and manage a crashing patient with limited supervision. I don't know anything about the Drexel program, but I doubt that it will prepare you for that. And unfortunately your training 10 years ago is dated enough that it won't count for much anymore.

 

[Crayola227]

Did your program try to remediate you? Odd that you were let go your last year over stuff like that, but maybe at that point they didn't think you would be able to make the pace. You were in NY it sounds like from your handle, so I don't know if you were IMG or in a sweatshop, that makes a difference. The NY programs from what I hear can be hard to keep up in, and woohoo the feel of East Coast med culture burns.

I'm only wondering not to cut you down, but trying to gauge what you had working against you and what might be the case now. I'm suspicious that your former PD wouldn't be much help in trying to help you now, as dismissals tend to be pretty acrimonious, but maybe?

I don't know how inpt vs outpt peds tends to be vs FM, maybe that would be a better route if it is more outpt? The pace is still fast but for me at least easier to keep up. That might give you the advantage of switching specialities (or disadvantage I dunno) but I would guess in FM you could try to gear your practice more for kids? Just thinking out text.

 

[Crayola227]

I don't know how expensive those programs are, definitely would be good to get clinical experience. If you got someone to take you under the wing (I've heard of docs looking to get back into practice doing that) Maybe that could lead to you getting a gig with your license that would be paid. I think in terms of cost of applying it might make sense to spend more rather than less time getting clinical exposure, if you got to where you were practicing with your license (under someone in their practice to start) and at some point making money and gaining experience, like if you got to that point that might prove you could handle residency and hopefully get you another chance.

It might help to check out the ACGME website for peds and the board website and find out what kind of credit if any you could get. If you've accumulated enough direct experience that's more independent you could put feelers out to programs about a second year spot. And if that doesn't get you anywhere try for a PGY1 then.

Contact your alma mater med school too for help.

 

[Taurus]

What the OP do for the last 10 years?

 

[Law2Doc]

Why you were dismissed, whether you were given a chance to remediate and failed, how helpful/unhelpful your PD will be, what you have done/accomplished over the past decade will all be relevant here. I agree that you'd likely have to start over, and you'd have to make a strong case why you'd be a better option than some other person on the rank list without any red flags. So personal connections/help and a good word from prior PD and/or faculty could be huge here. The Drexel program sounds like it would be helpful to you to get you back up to speed, but doesn't sound like it would help in getting interviews as much as a targeted phone call from your prior PD or attendings might. If there's nothing but bad blood there though, I'd say this ship has sailed.

Also FWIW, saying that age 25 was too young for you to appreciate issues with being habitually late to work or behind in reports, even if true, doesn't resonate well. I'd come up with a better story than that.

 

[RuralMedicine]

I think it would be helpful to know what you have been doing since leaving residency in 2008 (or did you mean 2005 since you say that ten years has passed?).

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Why you were dismissed, whether you were given a chance to remediate and failed, how helpful/unhelpful your PD will be, what you have done/accomplished over the past decade will all be relevant here. I agree that you'd likely have to start over, and you'd have to make a strong case why you'd be a better option than some other person on the rank list without any red flags. So personal connections/help and a good word from prior PD and/or faculty could be huge here. The Drexel program sounds like it would be helpful to you to get you back up to speed, but doesn't sound like it would help in getting interviews as much as a targeted phone call from your prior PD or attendings might. If there's nothing but bad blood there though, I'd say this ship has sailed.

Also FWIW, saying that age 25 was too young for you to appreciate issues with being habitually late to work or behind in reports, even if true, doesn't resonate well. I'd come up with a better story than that.

Right? The showing up to work late thing...just never get it. It seems to be common theme among these dismissal stories too. It's as if grown adults didn't realize that showing up on time to work would be important.