Should I do a PSF?

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dockc

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I applied to a PSF and was accepted. Before I applied I thought it would be a good idea because Im really really interested in Forensic path (Id say Im about 65% sure I want to do it) but haven't seen other sides of path. I have assisted in a bunch of autopsy cases during medical school (and ive loved everything about crime since I can remember). But on the other hand I think I could be interested in Peds since I love kids or maybe something else...Not really sure since all Ive seen is book work aside from the autopsies.

But now that I have been accepted Im not sure if i should do it or not. There are many sides to this

Pros:
-one year to figure out if I like path or not and want to do it as a potential career
-Good LORs from program director that could set me apart from other residency applicants (Im an average med student)
- one year off to take a break
- Significant other could match in top ortho program without having to couples match (he's an MD student, Im a DO student)
- paid stipend and loans are deferred
- could get into a "better" path residency...although apparently its not that competitive

Cons:
- would be a year behind all my friends & an added year to medical school which is long enough
- could be back home for rotations vs. stuck somewhere I dont know
- havent been on any sort of clinical rotations (Im an MSII right now on my way to MSIII)
- unsure if I like working with patients or not and wont really figure that out until rotations
- one year behind significant other...and could potentially not match where he is.
- have no real support system there... I dont know anyone.
- may not set me apart from other applicants as much as I think, and could possibly figure out if I like path in a couple months on electives.

A few doctors and 4th year students told me that it could be a good opportunity IF I went into path but if I decided to switch into something else halfway through then it might be a wasted year and that I could have saved and used to figure out what I wanted to do faster.

I guess im just wondering are there any PSFs/ residents out there who loved it? What were the reasons why you did and would you do it again? Were there any of you who got accepted but decided not to do it and why?

ps. be nice to me 🙂 im new here.
 
You mentioned assisting in autopsies at your med school- have you gotten to know any of the pathology faculty? Have these autopsies all been hospital cases or have you been involved in some ME-type cases?
 
They've been ME type cases. Only one was a hospital type case. I have gotten to know a few pathology faculty members but they werent really able to give me the insight I needed :/
 
Well I will offer my advice, FWIW. Just so you know, I've been out in practice for 15 years and thus am not a current PSF or resident. My advice is do the couples match with your significant other and ditch the PSF. Some good reference letters from the path faculty at your institution should help with your residency applications. I can't think of how the PSF is going to help you, especially since it may interfere with you being with your significant other. And that's also a legitimate excuse for why you're ditching the PSF.
 
I did not do a PSF, and did not really know anything about them at the time, so my view may be clouded. From what I know of them now, I personally would not have tried to do one. I'm still a little unclear what one is supposed to gain from doing one. It sounds a lot like a really long med student rotation where faculty try to get you to do some of their research for them, but it's not like you're working on your PhD like others who take a year or two "off" in the middle of med school. Those who are trying to figure out what they want to do are probably better served doing "normal" rotations, those who know for sure they want to do pathology are probably better served focusing on medical school/Step I and trying to get into one of the residency programs they want, and those who know for sure they want to do research are probably better served trying to get a PhD although that may take longer.
 
Even when a PSF counted toward the required credentialing year for pathology board eligibility, it still only made sense if you were certain you were going into path (not just "65% sure"). Now it is an unmitigated waste of time. Spending six months grossing for the pure joy of it? Pass.
 
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