Relatively easy prelim surgery programs

[sinai06]

i am currently applying for radiology and needed to do a prelim year next year. i have not really been impressed with any of my medicine programs and am realizing that i might want to do a prelim in surgery. i wanted to know if there were any programs out there that were easier than others. i dont mind working in the o.r. and getting some experience but i just was hoping to be spared of working a brutal schedule. if anyone has any insight it would be much appreciated...

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[Pilot Doc]

i am currently applying for radiology and needed to do a prelim year next year. i have not really been impressed with any of my medicine programs and am realizing that i might want to do a prelim in surgery. i wanted to know if there were any programs out there that were easier than others. i dont mind working in the o.r. and getting some experience but i just was hoping to be spared of working a brutal schedule. if anyone has any insight it would be much appreciated...

Good man! The key in your search is finding a program that is truly 80 hours compliant. (They do exist.) Factors that I suspect make this more likely are
1) community over academic
2) non-level I trauma center
3) larger program over smaller

From med school/interview experience (my program doesn't take prelims), I suspect these would be good.

1) UVa (very nice program - not sure how they treat the prelims, though)
2) Scott & White (Temple, TX)
3) Virginia Mason (Seattle)
4) Swedish (Seattle)

 

[toxic-megacolon]

i am currently applying for radiology and needed to do a prelim year next year. i have not really been impressed with any of my medicine programs and am realizing that i might want to do a prelim in surgery. i wanted to know if there were any programs out there that were easier than others. i dont mind working in the o.r. and getting some experience but i just was hoping to be spared of working a brutal schedule. if anyone has any insight it would be much appreciated...

If you want cush, why not do Transitional instead of prelim medicine/prelim surgery? Though more competitve, you'll average maybe 50 hours week in most transitional programs rather than the 70/week in Medicine and 90 in surgery. Plus chances are you'll only have one or two medicine rotations in a transitional year.

 

[locitamd]

why not do Transitional instead of prelim medicine/prelim surgery? ...Plus chances are you'll only have one or two medicine rotations in a transitional year.

add to that almost 6 months of electives and (at some) no ICU.

Sounds pretty cush to me.

 

[Pilot Doc]

i dont mind working in the o.r. and getting some experience but i just was hoping to be spared of working a brutal schedule.

It doesn't sound like he's looking for the world's laziest intern year. My take on this was the OP likes surgery but doesn't want to be abused 120 hrs a week doing all the scut rotations.

 

[tigershark]

You're crazy. Get a nice transitional year and work <40 hours/week and enjoy your life....you dont need that prelim year for anything in radiology.

 

[locitamd]

It doesn't sound like he's looking for the world's laziest intern year. My take on this was the OP likes surgery but doesn't want to be abused 120 hrs a week doing all the scut rotations.

I didn't mean to imply he was looking for the lazy option, but with 6 months of electives he could gain broad experience specifically in the areas that he is most interested.

 

[sinai06]

thanks alot pilot doc. i know im a little crazy for looking into prelim surgery but i have to because i have only received one transitional interview (i think i applied late but i also think those spots are very competitive). also, i feel finding a prelim surgery position is not a hard thing to scramble into and i would still be able to pick from some nice locations. i interviewed at some prelim med programs but i stopped because i got bored during the interiews, i couldnt imagine having to sit through those many rounds, or following someones K+ for months on end. so basically i am looking for surgery prelims that actually abide by the 80 hour work week and are pretty friendly in terms of how the residents/faculty interact (non malignant). so if anyone know of any or has interiewed at any programs like this let me know. thanks again...

 

[Pilot Doc]

Other places I can think of

Northwestern in Chicago & Sothern Illinois Univ both are nationally known for their progressive surgical education efforts. No idea if this translates into a benign internship. Northwestern does have a beautiful hospital in the nicest part of Chicago, though. Your school's surgery PD might me a good resource for more leads.

If you're really interested in this, start making phone calls now. The scramble is a zoo and the "good" spots will go quickly. If, as I suspect, you are a US grad with a reasonable work ethic and command of the English language, most programs would LOVE to have you as a prelim. You could probably arrange a position outside the match if you found one you liked.

 

[fishmonger69]

i've talked with prelims at 'cush' community programs and they get shat on with the scut/trauma months. basically, the surgical programs see them as extra help for the crap rotations, nothing more. i'd steer clear, even if you despise medicine.

to echo others, a transitional would be the best. if you got rads, you should be competitive for transitional.