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- May 1, 2006
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On my last rotation (FM) I worked with at least 3 residents who were in their 2nd choice career. 2 of them had failed to match in EM and 1 had wanted to do EM but hadn't even tried to apply (Carribean, low steps, think he had failed some stuff too).
This is just madness to me, especially considering the article I recently read that said med schools are slated to add 17% more spots by 2012 (this doesn't even count DO schools). Every time I cruise over to Pre-Allo there's the student with very marginal numbers asking about his "chances." Yes, yes, I know that there are plenty of people who do badly in UG and then turn it around in med school (that's not the point here).
Seriously though, what do you tell this guy/girl with the 3.1 GPA and the 26 MCAT? Because "go for it! you can do anything you want!" is almost certainly a lie.
As I think about my career choice, I imagine I would be absolutely sick if I knew that realistically I had no shot at my first choice. There is something to be said for tenacity and dogedness - the prelim year followed by the reapplication. But at the end of the day some people will end up in a residency they never wanted to do.
So I guess I don't have any questions, I'm just sort of thinking out loud.
(P.S. This is not a bash FM thread, I liked FM alot and most of my residents were ecstatic to be doing it.)
This is just madness to me, especially considering the article I recently read that said med schools are slated to add 17% more spots by 2012 (this doesn't even count DO schools). Every time I cruise over to Pre-Allo there's the student with very marginal numbers asking about his "chances." Yes, yes, I know that there are plenty of people who do badly in UG and then turn it around in med school (that's not the point here).
Seriously though, what do you tell this guy/girl with the 3.1 GPA and the 26 MCAT? Because "go for it! you can do anything you want!" is almost certainly a lie.
As I think about my career choice, I imagine I would be absolutely sick if I knew that realistically I had no shot at my first choice. There is something to be said for tenacity and dogedness - the prelim year followed by the reapplication. But at the end of the day some people will end up in a residency they never wanted to do.
So I guess I don't have any questions, I'm just sort of thinking out loud.
(P.S. This is not a bash FM thread, I liked FM alot and most of my residents were ecstatic to be doing it.)