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What according to you guys is the best back up plan for a person who fails to match? Is it wise to a do a prelim/ty year or wait for a year doing observership or try for a research spot?
What according to you guys is the best back up plan for a person who fails to match? Is it wise to a do a prelim/ty year or wait for a year doing observership or try for a research spot?
My plan for not matching is prelim and reapply. Worst case scenario you don't match again, and I can finish an internal medicine residency in two more years . . . I bring this up to put some perspective into this conversation . . . if my worst case scanrio is an internal medicine residency, with board eligibility, after three years post-grad, it's not like you've lost your wife, dog died, and your house burned down . . . look at the bigger picture. You can even reapply again. I guess everyone has to do an internship, and a transitional year will be pretty useless unless you have a confirmed PGY-2 year spot somewhere. You can bounce off a prelim into PGY-2 categorical spot without much trouble - hell many places offer it to you anyway. An extra year of research as a supersenior MS4 is not very satisfying to me, and Im not convinced from talking to three different PD's that it helps that much (of course 3 is not represetitive of the whole, perhaps it might speak louder to some programs)
i agree with your perspective and think that it is a healthy one. OP asked the question what a "good back-up plan would be?" i agree with you that there are some great fields in internal medicine and that not matching into an ophthalmology residency is far from the end of the world. however, if ophtho is your dream and you do not match the first time around, i am not sure how doing an internship and reapplying again during your intern year (when you have little time for anything else but eating, sleeping and enjoying the brief instances you are not at the hospital) will help your chances if you have not added ophtho related activities (research, international work, etc) to your CV.
Hmm...so, any particular resources or places they were thinking about for that consulting backup?My plan B (and many of my friends') would have been to go into consulting.
kulkarka - what you say makes sense BUT i do not want to settle for IM.
beggars cant be choosers.
what kulkara describes seems to be the best bet for setting yourself up to get in if you dont match the first time around
After all, if you cant match into ophtho, chances are you cant match into the other competitive specialties, and doing a prelim medicine or surgery year will give you the most options PGY-2 -whether it be a year of research or entering a categorical med/surg program.
Your crappy condenscending post is really inspiring.
How about you take your sh*ty opinion somewhere else?
Would you rather have people blow smoke up your a$$?
Are the only valid opinions the one that allow you do exactly what you want to do even if it isn't realistic?
I think everyone applying to eye realizes that ortho or ENT or some other compeitive specialty isnt a viable backup plan. doing a prelim med or surg year followed by a year of research while reapplying IS a good plan with many options. If that is a sh*tty opinion and condescending, then so be it. As someone that plans to apply to ophthalmology, I have accepted that I cant realistically have another "lifestyle specialty" as a backup. We dont have that luxury applying to something this competitive. Sorry if sounded condescending
I think everyone applying to eye realizes that ortho or ENT or some other compeitive specialty isnt a viable backup plan. doing a prelim med or surg year followed by a year of research while reapplying IS a good plan with many options. If that is a sh*tty opinion and condescending, then so be it. As someone that plans to apply to ophthalmology, I have accepted that I cant realistically have another "lifestyle specialty" as a backup. We dont have that luxury applying to something this competitive. Sorry if i sounded condescending
I think I might be able match in successfully in ophthalmology or another specialty with some flexibility in choices if I chose to reapply.
http://matchapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?myid=1
I think I might be able match in successfully in ophthalmology or another specialty with some flexibility in choices if I chose to reapply.
http://matchapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?myid=1
I can't resist responding to this thread because I do not want people to get discouraged into going into Ophtho.
Anyone who does not match with strong numbers/ application must have not done very well during interviews. That's where program committees get to see your personality and whether you would be a good fit for the program.
If you have a personality that would not be ideal in a team approached environment where you are willing to learn, and get along with your peers and attendings, that will show during the interview.
I ranked all twelve programs at which I attended interviews. Our dean of education, who was formerly our ophthalmology chair, said (as quoted from from an e-mail) "Your rank list looks great and appropriate. I'm confident you will end up at one of your top choices. There really is nothing more you should do about (your top choice) - I'm sure your application will speak for itself."
Obviously, I wrecked my application simply by showing up; I must have done something in my interviews? The feedback I've received from programs I've contacted didn't indicate any red flag - nothing that would have obviously disqualified me from candidacy at every single place I interviewed at. And, theoretically, if you were really impossible to work with, and no one liked you, you'd think you'd have some negative evaluations during your clinical years. But, everyone has some kind of block and lack of insight when evaluating themselves, so I really have no idea what happens to me in interviews that's different than anyone else.
I think I might be able match in successfully in ophthalmology or another specialty with some flexibility in choices if I chose to reapply.
http://matchapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?myid=1
At first I was skeptical, but seeing people like xaelia not match, and also seeing a number of SDN posters report that they were surprised at where they matched given that they had a good chance at their home program, are we really sure that the match ran correctly?
It's not like SF match hasn't messed up before. I find it hard to have much confidence in them.
I wasn't going to do my Prelim year mostly because there wouldn't be enough time during the year to travel to interviews; you don't feel like it's an issue?
Don't worry about that. They'll let you take your vac time during interviews. I've never seen this become an inhibitory function of a prelim yr.
The only reason I wouldn't to a prelim year if it was not a good medical center or if I got an amazing opportunity in research
I don't mean to be rude, but beware that everyone does not have the same experience Wande has. See the link below. In addition, I did a prelim year and thought it would be impossible to schedule interviews. I saw one girl do it and I think it hurt her. Remember, even if you get to the interview, you will be tired because you will be working 80 hrs at some places with only 1 day off per month! If you show up cranky and unenthusiastic because you are sleep deprived, it won't be to your benefit. Your co-interns may be willing to switch with you, but you will have to make up that time which may mean your interview days off may be your only days off that month!
On the other hand, he does have a good point about how the prelim year can help. I know someone who dropped out of her prelim year for personal reasons and thus could not enter the ophtho part. Thus, the program scrambled to find someone and that person got a great deal. I know three people who have this story (one in ophtho, one ent, and one radiology) and these were all top places not bottom of the barrel places! Please do stay in touch with your home PD, since most of these openings are not posted. No program wants to advertise their retention rate is not perfect, so most of these arrangements occur through PD to PD discussions.
Bottom line is both are difficult paths and you have to choose the one that is best for you.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=1127555