Residency and USMLE

[quantum]

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Does the residency you get determine what type of doctor you will become?

What happens if, say, you want to do surgery but you are not matched with any surgery residencies? Does this mean you can't be a surgeon?

Also, is your type of residency dependent mostly on your USMLE scores? What other factors are involved, if any?

 

[skypilot]

Clinical grades and recommendations are considered most important because they are hiring you to do a job and they want someone who is easy to work with and dependable.

As far as getting a surgery residency, it should not be a problem as long as you are willing to do your training anywhere in the U.S.

Dermatology might be a problem if you don't have stellar qualifications.

I also know a couple of people who switched residencies. It cost them a couple of extra years but it allowed them to spend their careers doing what they wanted to do.

 

[quantum]

Clinical grades and recommendations are considered most important because they are hiring you to do a job and they want someone who is easy to work with and dependable.

As far as getting a surgery residency, it should not be a problem as long as you are willing to do your training anywhere in the U.S.

Dermatology might be a problem if you don't have stellar qualifications.

I also know a couple of people who switched residencies. It cost them a couple of extra years but it allowed them to spend their careers doing what they wanted to do.

How important are USMLE scores?

 

[skypilot]

How important are USMLE scores?

Depends on the residency. I have heard that if your clinical grades are excellent and your recommendations are excellent, a mediocre USMLE score is ok for most residencies.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Moving to General residency forum...

 

[Winged Scapula]

Does the residency you get determine what type of doctor you will become?

What happens if, say, you want to do surgery but you are not matched with any surgery residencies? Does this mean you can't be a surgeon?

Also, is your type of residency dependent mostly on your USMLE scores? What other factors are involved, if any?

IF you don't match into a surgical residency, you could practice surgery as long as you have a license to practice medicine. Your medical license is not specific to certain types of procedures or practice.

HOWEVER, try and get hired by a practice, HMO or hospital or be reimbursed as a surgeon or for doing surgical procedures without having done a surgical residency. It will be difficult at best. Of course, you could cater to a cash paying patient population and not deal with insurance companies or trying to be hired anywhere. Your best luck would be doing Botox and the like, or the extremely unsavvy consumer that doesn't seem to care whether or not their surgeon is trained.