Stuck taking year off?

[BolderNewfy]

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So I am completing my intern year in internal medicine but want to transfer in to psychiatry. I have been contemplating the switch for a few months now but wanted to give IM a chance as I wasnt sure it was IM itself or just intern year. Lots of people have said that it is normal to be unhappy during intern year and I have really given it thought and come to the conclusion that IM is just not a good fit for me. I am going to complete my intern year where I am so as to have completed an intern year and also so that my current program isnt left shorthanded. But the problem is that becuase I haven't applied for PGY2 spots through ERAS when next July comes around I will be out of my current residency without a new one. It feels so risky to leave one program with no new job lined up but I cant figure out any other way to transfer at this point other than trying to scramble or call programs next July. Anyone ever end up taking a year off to reapply after intern year or is there a better way to go about it? Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Since you'll have completed an IM PGY-1, you'd be able to switch into a psych PGY-2 (perhaps with some modifications, to catch up on what you missed in a psych PGY-1 which includes 6 months of medicine anyway). Hence, you don't need to "match" since a psych PGY-2 spot is not in the match. Best option is to contact psych programs directly and see if they'll have a pGY-2 position available in July.

Also, you might be able to work out a situation where you resign your IM spot in March and start in Psych in March. This would allow you to do at least 3 months of psych PGY1 work. Last, if you have any electives as a pgy-1, you could do psych and that would count towards your ultimate training needs.

 

[BolderNewfy]

wow . Thank you so much for that reply. You have no idea how much that made my day.

 

[Buzz Me]

So I am completing my intern year in internal medicine but want to transfer in to psychiatry. I have been contemplating the switch for a few months now but wanted to give IM a chance as I wasnt sure it was IM itself or just intern year. Lots of people have said that it is normal to be unhappy during intern year and I have really given it thought and come to the conclusion that IM is just not a good fit for me.

You just started intern year in July? Or you finished already, and have been contemplating a switch for the last few months?

 

[BolderNewfy]

just started in July and have been contemplating the switch for a couple months.

 

[Buzz Me]

What did you discover in those first 2-3 months that turned you off IM so much?

 

[BolderNewfy]

I just dont find IM as interesting as I thought I would. At least at my program internal medicine is synonymous with geriatrics. Every single patient seems to be the same, CHF, A fib, CKD, blah blah blah. Not interesting and not nearly as intellectual as I thought it would be. Just protocols. At least with Psych there is some amount of abstraction and room for creativity.I dont find memorizing the latest guidelines on HTN control in X or Y interesting or intellectual at all.

If I tried to match into something that required a prelim year in medicine such as PM&R would I apply through the match? And lastly if I am not able to find a PGY2 spot and I end up taking a year off, does my chance at matching the next year diminish greatly? Thanks again everybody for the help!