Second residency after completing current residency?

[afrothunderman1]

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I know that previous threads have been posted about this topic in the past but I still do not understand as I've seen mixed explanations. I am an IMG. My scores are good for the less competitive fields like family medicine, psych, and peds. Internal medicine is looking very very tough. Assuming I match into Family Medicine and complete all 3 years of residency, can I then again apply for a second residency such as Neurology, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Rads, IM, Orthopedic Surgery etc? I am assuming that completing a residency and doing well in it will enhance my application. I figured that hey I don't have the credentials to get into a desired field so why not work with what I have and use it at a stepping stone to eventually get into a field that I'll enjoy?Anyways I came across something related to a funding issue for a second residency. How the government won't fund someone trying to start a second residency. At the same time I have seen threads where people mentioned that it is possible to complete 2 residencies and I know of some individuals that completed for example an IM residency and then a Dermatology residency(in the 90's). If someone can please break this down in english for me, that would just be great. Whether or not this is possible. Thanks.

 

[evilbooyaa]

I believe it is something to do with the portion of Indirect Medical Ed funds is cut out, or by 50%, or something after your 5th year residency (unless your terminal residency is > 5 years long, like neurosurgery).

I would post more details but even I'm not entirely sure on the process

However, to answer your question: It is definitely possible to do a residency and then switch careers, but it is quite rare because people don't want to turn down an attending salary for another 3-5 years as someone's bitch (especially in a surgical subspecialty).

 

[gutonc]

Yes you can theoretically do a second residency. There is a funding issue but it's not that big of a deal and you're still funded at something like 70% (varies by program) of what you'd get doing your first residency.

But this is not something you really need to worry about because...it is highly unlikely that as someone who isn't competitive enough for IM, that you'll magically become more competitive after completing an FM or Psych residency. If you're not competitive enough for a specialty now, training in some other specialty for 3 or 4 years won't change that. So pick a specialty to apply to that you can live with now, not one that you think will help you get some other rainbow-farting unicorn residency 4 years from now, because that's not happening.

 

[afrothunderman1]

Yes you can theoretically do a second residency. There is a funding issue but it's not that big of a deal and you're still funded at something like 70% (varies by program) of what you'd get doing your first residency.

But this is not something you really need to worry about because...it is highly unlikely that as someone who isn't competitive enough for IM, that you'll magically become more competitive after completing an FM or Psych residency. If you're not competitive enough for a specialty now, training in some other specialty for 3 or 4 years won't change that. So pick a specialty to apply to that you can live with now, not one that you think will help you get some other rainbow-farting unicorn residency 4 years from now, because that's not happening.

Appreciate the responses guys. Thank you very much

 

[Law2Doc]

Yes you can theoretically do a second residency. There is a funding issue but it's not that big of a deal and you're still funded at something like 70% (varies by program) of what you'd get doing your first residency.

But this is not something you really need to worry about because...it is highly unlikely that as someone who isn't competitive enough for IM, that you'll magically become more competitive after completing an FM or Psych residency. If you're not competitive enough for a specialty now, training in some other specialty for 3 or 4 years won't change that. So pick a specialty to apply to that you can live with now, not one that you think will help you get some other rainbow-farting unicorn residency 4 years from now, because that's not happening.

More or less agree. You will be a little more competitive for some of these fields after completing a residency, just not a lot. You won't make the jump from FM to derm/optho/ortho if you didn't almost have those stats to start with. It would be a very hard sell to go from FM to IM because there's so much practice overlap. Would be a hard sell. Could you make a switch to neuro or maybe even a low end community rads program in a bad application year? Hard to say until you try. You'd have to kill at your residency, have glowing evaluations, good LORs, and probably do some decent research along the way. Not impossible, but not an easy back door. As for funding, you still would get some, but not to the same extent a a first time resident, which also makes you a bit less competitive.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Yes you can theoretically do a second residency. There is a funding issue but it's not that big of a deal and you're still funded at something like 70% (varies by program) of what you'd get doing your first residency.
.

This is quickly changing. I'm at a major academic center that anyone would recognize, and ALL programs have been informed as of this year that NO field can rank someone without FULL funding. Programs that break this rule will have their respective funding cut to replace lost cash flow.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Our hospital is so far over the cap no one cares

No one cared 1 year ago at my academic center. Budgets are becoming more scrutinized. Departments don't have the money to fund residents out of pocket. Other academic centers in my state are following. I expect the trend to continue.

 

[Raryn]

No one cared 1 year ago at my academic center. Budgets are becoming more scrutinized. Departments don't have the money to fund residents out of pocket. Other academic centers in my state are following. I expect the trend to continue.

It really varies. If a hospital is over their "cap", it doesn't matter. If they have 400 residents between all the specialties and are funded for 350, they just shuffle the remaining 50 spots around.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

Hehe, I've contemplated surgery after IM-peds. When I'm floridly psychotic, that is.

 

[sazerac]

Yo dawg, you should try for community rads second. That way after you follow your residency with a residency, you could follow your fellowship with a fellowship!

 

[Mad Jack]

What about community IM programs? You can open more doors with community IM than you can with FM, unless you're in a rural area where you've got a broader scope of FM practice.