Residency matches for AUC, SGU, Ross students

[MD-iwish]

I was checking out some of the residency appts that students of the Big 3 got and was suprised that quite a number got General Surgery spots. Excuse the generalizatoin, but I was under the impression that Carib med school = IM or FP residencies mostly. Anyone have any insights into Carib residency appts? Do you have to be in the Top 10%, 20%...etc to get a GS residency?

Also, I was considering doing a residency which requires 1 year of IM residency first. As far as I know, this shouldnt be too hard to get as a Caribbean graduate. My question is, do residency committees look at your med school more or your performance (LORs) from your first residency? Do they care about where you did your residency?

Thanks a lot for your help!!

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[ny skindoc]

I was checking out some of the residency appts that students of the Big 3 got and was suprised that quite a number got General Surgery spots. Excuse the generalizatoin, but I was under the impression that Carib med school = IM or FP residencies mostly. Anyone have any insights into Carib residency appts? Do you have to be in the Top 10%, 20%...etc to get a GS residency?

Also, I was considering doing a residency which requires 1 year of IM residency first. As far as I know, this shouldnt be too hard to get as a Caribbean graduate. My question is, do residency committees look at your med school more or your performance (LORs) from your first residency? Do they care about where you did your
Thanks a lot for your help!!

Most carib med schools do not differentiate Preliminary from Categorical surgical positions on their match lists.They say only "surgery".In fact a high percentage if not most listed are preliminary.They are EASY to get.Many do not fill in the match even at top hospitals.That is because they do not lead to anything and are set up for people going into surgical subspecialties like Urology,ENT etc.Sometimes an individual who does well at them may obtain a general surgical spot but this is often difficult.Categorical surgical positions in recent matches have been highly competitive among USMGs.If you dont know how many are prelims vs categoricals on a surgery match list you do not have a real picture of the situation.Getting into IM is not a problem but in contrast to prelim surgery..prleim medicine can be competitive atsome hospitals as they are fewer in number and sought out by many going into rads,optho anes etc.

 

[MD-iwish]

Thanks a lot for your post skindoc, I didnt even know about the prelim year versus a regular residency posting. Do people ever start say, an IM residency (a whole 3 yrs) but then switch after 1 year? Is that even allowed? So from what I understand, prelim surgery is fairly easy to get into, but that would just be a lead on into other specialities, not general surgery itself. What other specialties would fit into this category (along with ENT, urology as you had mentioned)? Thanks a lot!!

 

[Mom2five]

Thanks a lot for your post skindoc, I didnt even know about the prelim year versus a regular residency posting. Do people ever start say, an IM residency (a whole 3 yrs) but then switch after 1 year? Is that even allowed? So from what I understand, prelim surgery is fairly easy to get into, but that would just be a lead on into other specialities, not general surgery itself. What other specialties would fit into this category (along with ENT, urology as you had mentioned)? Thanks a lot!!

I don't know the answer to your first question...but for the second part I think it works like this...some specialties require a prelim year but you would have already matched into that specialty. Does that make sense? It's not like you do a prelim year and then decide you want to go into ophthalmology and start that 2nd year. You would have matched for ophthalmology before you started prelim yr. but it would start 2 years later and you would participate in a separate match for your prelim yr. Hope that makes sense.

Also, about the match for Ross...I looked at it as well and then looked up the surgery placements at scutwork.com The hospitals in NY that Ross students placed at seemed to have some problems...at least according to the reviewers at scutwork. Anyway, I think you can get a good residency but just like U.S. grads you must be a well-rounded student...which means good grades, good board scores, good LORs, have interests outside of medicine, and be someone that your peers would want to be around etc etc. Really, for any school to post their match lists as some sort of "and you can have it too!" is misleading. Depending on your own stats etc you could have a worse placement or better.

 

[ny skindoc]

Thanks a lot for your post skindoc, I didnt even know about the prelim year versus a regular residency posting. Do people ever start say, an IM residency (a whole 3 yrs) but then switch after 1 year? Is that even allowed? So from what I understand, prelim surgery is fairly easy to get into, but that would just be a lead on into other specialities, not general surgery itself. What other specialties would fit into this category (along with ENT, urology as you had mentioned)? Thanks a lot!!

People do start IM 3 year programs and leave after the first year but this is dicouraged generally.Most hospitals want to know that their categorical matches will stay on if possible of course many do change their minds after 1 year of IM (who can blame them) and switch.But if you know for sure you dont want IM its usually better to find a prelim position to start.If you apply to a wide variety of hospitals it should not be a problem.
Prlim surgery can be preparation for rads,optho,Anes,EM as well but most of these applicants stick with medical internships,the hours and workload in surgery internships is generally much worse.Dont do a prlim surgery unless you a really dedicated some surgical field.I have no doubt that an IMG who does a great job in a prelim surgery year will obtain a full general surgery residency someplace if thats what they really want.

 

[MD-iwish]

Thanks a lot skindoc and mom2five, you've informed me about stuff I hadnt even considered, or been previously aware of. I'm not sure that I want to do surgery right now, but am debating whether I want to start at the Caribbean in 06 when I graduate, or if I want to take a year off and try for American schools for 07. I know that many people would say that the year off is worth it, but I am worried that I still may not get in for 07. On the other hand, I would be really mad at myself if I did decide that surgery was the thing for me, but (as per my prior impressions) would not have been able to able to a surgical residency because of my Caribbean schooling. But thanks a lot you guys! I'm relieved to know that it's hard, but not totally impossible.

 

[NRAI2001]

I have a few questions:

1) If someone were to do a prelim year in surgery, could they count that year towards a year of gen surg. or ortho surg. if they were to place in a gen surg. or ortho surg. the next year?

2) If someone really wanted to do a surgery or IM residency in a certain location or institution and they weren't able to match into there, could they do a prelim or intern (is there a difference between the two?) year at the location in hopes of getting a spot the next year, how succesful would they be? Is it tough to get prelim and intern. spots at university programs (i.e. UCLA, USC, UC san diego,...etc I am a CA resident)?

3) I know that carrib. grads are at a bit of a disadvantage when applying to residencies, especially in competitive fields and institutions. But after completing a prelim. or intern year (again is there a difference between the two?) would they be at a more equal footing as the recent US grads, considering similar grades and usmle scores?