SOAPing into a field other than the one you applied?

[yanks26dmb]

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Lets say you applied for psychiatry, didn't match, and now have to fall back onto something else (anesthesia, EM, or rads for instance). Do other fields typically take students who were set on something else entirely?

 

[Stagg737]

Depends on the field. Ortho or neurosurg, probably not. IM/FM/peds it happens all the time. Unless a residency is an elite program or every resident at the program has an elite pedigree then it looks worse to not fill than to take someone from another field (in which case no one will statistically know the difference anyway).

 

[yanks26dmb]

Depends on the field. Ortho or neurosurg, probably not. IM/FM/peds it happens all the time. Unless a residency is an elite program or every resident at the program has an elite pedigree then it looks worse to not fill than to take someone from another field (in which case no one will statistically know the difference anyway).

Gotcha. I figured fields like NS, ENT, etc. would likely be no. That's why I was curious about the mid-tier competitive fields like gas, EM, rads.

I'm just getting a bit spooked...I've got the scores for those fields and thinking worst case scenario with the psych match this year.

 

[Stagg737]

Gotcha. I figured fields like NS, ENT, etc. would likely be no. That's why I was curious about the mid-tier competitive fields like gas, EM, rads.

I'm just getting a bit spooked...I've got the scores for those fields and thinking worst case scenario with the psych match this year.

Not sure about those fields. I know people who failed to match into surgical fields who SOAPed into gas, but not sure how it would look going from psych -> gas. Might be best to ask directly in those forums.

 

[NVO]

people applying for competitive fields (surgical subspecialties and such) end up falling back on anesthesia

people applying to mid-tier competitive fields fall back on FM/IM

 

[yanks26dmb]

people applying for competitive fields (surgical subspecialties and such) end up falling back on anesthesia

people applying to mid-tier competitive fields fall back on FM/IM

Even if their numbers make them competitive for anesthesia, etc. from the getgo?

Would it be better to do a prelim year then apply for a specialty that requires a prelim the following year?

 

[NVO]

Even if their numbers make them competitive for anesthesia, etc. from the getgo?

Would it be better to do a prelim year then apply for a specialty that requires a prelim the following year?

I heard that in general, doing just a prelim year isnt worth it. It doesnt make you any more competitive (you wont get the exposure you want to other fields, itll also make you look like someone who failed to match). Also, I imagine its hard to go to a bunch of interviews during a prelim year.

This is different from purposefully taking a research year though, and graduating 1 year later, which lots of people do.