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Starting Late?
- Thread starter Waiting4Ganong
- Start date
It will be easier to negotiate a late start date in a larger program like IM, simply because there are more residents. Nonetheless, you are already at a disadvantage as a foreign grad. Have you done any clinical rotations in the U.S.? My advice is to wait and reapply next year.
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People DO start late and programs have varying ways of dealing with it. Some will let you start late but only at a pre-prescribed time (ie, January); others will let you start whenever they have a spot.
Trouble with starting off schedule are the obvious:
not only will you be two VERY IMPORTANT months behind your colleagues but some required things (ie, like ACLS courses, Orientation, Health Insurance sign up) will not be offered to you and you must either do without them (ie, be given any old health insurance rather than have a choice) or undergo them at a later date.
You WILL catch up to your colleagues by the end of your intern year but the first two months as a intern are SO important for learning your way around the hospital, the way things run, how to handle pages, getting to know and bond with your fellow interns that I might be inclined to wait out the year. Although repeating your intern year doesn't sound delightful, it will be much less unpleasant in the UK, you will come to the US a seasoned veteran and if you were so inclined by doing your intern year in the UK, wouldn't you be eligible to work there later if you passed the exams?
Trouble with starting off schedule are the obvious:
not only will you be two VERY IMPORTANT months behind your colleagues but some required things (ie, like ACLS courses, Orientation, Health Insurance sign up) will not be offered to you and you must either do without them (ie, be given any old health insurance rather than have a choice) or undergo them at a later date.
You WILL catch up to your colleagues by the end of your intern year but the first two months as a intern are SO important for learning your way around the hospital, the way things run, how to handle pages, getting to know and bond with your fellow interns that I might be inclined to wait out the year. Although repeating your intern year doesn't sound delightful, it will be much less unpleasant in the UK, you will come to the US a seasoned veteran and if you were so inclined by doing your intern year in the UK, wouldn't you be eligible to work there later if you passed the exams?
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1) Is a pain. You start behind when you're an intern which is difficult enough. I'm doing it as a second year and it's really tough. Everyone treats you like the village idiot because you don't know how to use the computer or fill out a death packet or even where to find orthoglass or surgilube.
2) Is sometimes necessary. Don't assume that all of your paperwork will be done on time. Licensing for FMGs, even training licenses, can be a pain and there isn't much sympathy from the licensing boards.
3) Will hurt your application but if a program is missing people or has an unexpected opening in the early part of the year (this does happen) you may get really lucky.
That being said, good luck and give it a shot. With an MD-PhD I'm sure you'll be a competative applicant and you'll find programs more than willing to work around your schedule.
2) Is sometimes necessary. Don't assume that all of your paperwork will be done on time. Licensing for FMGs, even training licenses, can be a pain and there isn't much sympathy from the licensing boards.
3) Will hurt your application but if a program is missing people or has an unexpected opening in the early part of the year (this does happen) you may get really lucky.
That being said, good luck and give it a shot. With an MD-PhD I'm sure you'll be a competative applicant and you'll find programs more than willing to work around your schedule.
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Waiting4Ganong said:
Sorry didn't see your earlier reply way back in October. Yes, I did graduate from an Aussie school but remember in Oz the school year runs February - December, so I was done in plenty of time for ECFMG. Had a few months to relax. 😀
"Vacation month", huh? First, I am unaware of very many residency programs that actually give you 4 full weeks of vacation OR let you take it all in one block. Doesn't mean they don't exist, as I do know a friend in Anesthesia whose program worked this way, but am not aware of them being common. Secondly, taking your presumably 2 easiest rotations/months at the very beginning of your intern year back to back will make for a miserable rest of the year. Believe me, it gets very tiring about half way through and you'd be wishing you had some down time to relax.
That said, this is not an unreasonable plan provided you are willing to accept the above conditions (that is, if they are even available to you, like taking vacation in a block).
You mention coming back 2 weeks after final rotations for graduation - are you required to do so? ECFMG only requires that you have met the REQUIREMENTS for graduation to earn the certificate; there is no requirement from ECFMG that you actually have to go through graduation ceremonies, so this means you can apply earlier if your school doesn't require presence at the ceremony. In that vein, can you take an elective or vacation your last block so that official requirements for graduation would be completed before June 30? If so, this would also allow you to apply to ECFMG earlier. The earlier you apply the faster ECFMG is in processing your paperwork; I didn't have to wait 6 weeks but I imagine the end of the Northern school year is busier.
At any rate, like beyond all hope notes, there might be some programs willing to do these things for you, especially if you are a stellar candidate, or they might have spaces open up after the beginning of the year. If you feel like you would really wonder "what if" if you didn't apply for a late start, then go ahead...the worst that can happen is that you've spent some money and they've said "no".
