Residency Match Question (Complicated?)

[NervousNerd]

---

Members do not see this ad.

...

 

[mvenus929]

There are so so so many variables that go into this question. Including which program you want to go into, your board scores, your third year grades, etc etc etc.

But if no one from your school has matched there before, it is unlikely that you will break the trend. This is when it's useful to check the recent match lists from schools you're looking at.

 

[NervousNerd]

Thanks for quick reply!

The schools I am looking at typically match about 20 or so in Cali. Is that a pretty good selection from a pool of about 120 seat school?

 

[WaylonS]

Before I begin, let me give some background:

NY State Resident
Will be attending medical school in NY (most likely or somewhere in Pennsylvania or Mass)


That being said let me get to my question:
Bluntly stated, how difficult or what is needed to be done to match to a residency program in California from a NY medical school? More specifically, UC San Diego medical residency?

Why? California is basically my dream state, I would love to live there. My wife and I both love and she has an opportunity for work out in San Diego as well.

So how does this work? Does one school favor in placing Cali residencies more? or is it just what fits each person best?

If the latter is the case, what types of things should i be focusing on to be placed in a Cali residency program?

1. Don't say "Cali," especially if you want a program in California to take you for residency

2. Are you in med school yet? If not, it definitely helps to do med school in CA, but it's not the end all. Even if you go to med school in a different state, doing an away can help you break into the area.

3. There are multiple programs in the San Diego area, so if you goal just to move to SD, you may have more options than just UCSD (for example, if you want to do IM, Scripps has programs). Besides, the competitiveness of psychiatry or radiology at UCSD is going to be totally different, so you may not even be competitive for programs in SD depending on what you want to go into

4. Mods, you may want to move this to pre-allo

 

[Winged Scapula]

1. Don't say "Cali," especially if you want a program in California to take you for residency

QFT.

2. Are you in med school yet? If not, it definitely helps to do med school in CA, but it's not the end all. Even if you go to med school in a different state, doing an away can help you break into the area.

In state residency is not as important for residency as it is for medical school. There are numerous other factors which will be much more important - USMLE scores, LORs, etc.

Looking at the number of medical students your potential school would place in California for residency is somewhat unhelpful if you don't know how many are California residents/have family there etc.

4. Mods, you may want to move this to pre-allo

Agreed.

 

[gyngyn]

what types of things should i be focusing on to be placed in a Cali residency program?

Clinical evals, USMLE scores and applying to a specialty with a significant number of positions. That said, remember that 2/3 of successful CA (not Cali!)medical school applicants had to leave the state for med school. Where do you think they all want to return?

 

[gimghoul]

Doing a Sub-I in California as a 4th year can help get your foot in the door and establish that you're serious about moving to the state. I matched to California as a lifelong east coaster.