scrambling from ortho

[HP11]

I'm a 4th year med students that has applied to ortho. It is a possibility that I may not match. I have done a lot of thinking about what exactly I should do.

Before, ortho, I was considering general surgery and was playing around with the idea of cardiothoracic surgery down the line because it so freaking awesome field.

My questions are:

1) if I don't match into ortho, how likely is it that I can scramble into a general surgery spot?

2) Is it a good idea to do a preliminary surgical year and then try to get a spot in a PGY-2 general surgery program? (this is in case, I decide not to give ortho another shot)

3) I don't care about the current rumors about CT surgery being a potentially non-lucrative field in the future. I like it and if I don't make a lot of money, it won't bother me. Is it possible to graduate from a lesser known general surgery program and land a CT surgery fellowship?


thank you in advance for helping me out with this dilemma.

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[FliteSurgn]

1) You'd be unlikely to scramble into a categorical spot. In fact, I'd say that it would be impossible since you'd be using it as a back-up. On the other hand, a preliminary spot would be very attainable.

2) Yes, but there aren't a ton of 2nd year categorical spots just waiting for you either. There's usually a few spots that open up each year. The best place to find them is through your program director...or the Association of Program Directors in Surgery's website. (www.apds.org) It's more likely that you'd have to reapply to the match and then repeat your internship if you match to a categorical spot.

3) Yes. If you want to do CT and you have a pulse, you would likely find a fellowship willing to take any general surgery residency grad.

 

[HP11]

Why can't I scramble into general surgery? Aren't there a lot of spots unfilled in recent years> If I'm a good candidate, why would it be so difficult?

 

[Winged Scapula]

The reason why scarmbling into a Categorical Gen Surg position would be difficult is that the match has become increasingly competitive over the past few years. Last year, only 7 Categorical positions remained unfilled after the match (and one of those was a combined Plastics spot). Your chances of getting one of these positions would be decreased assuming a) you hadn't interviewed at any of the unfilled programs (they tend to offer spots to people they've already interviewed who haven't matched) and b) that your letters and personal statement are geared toward Ortho and c) that you didn't previously apply to Gen Surg, leaving people to presume that you are using Gen Surg as a back up for Ortho. Just having high scores and being a "good candidate" are not enough if trying to scramble into a competitive match from a different field.

The vast majority of open/unfilled positions in General Surgery are Preliminary 1 or 2 year positions. These are much easier to obtain.