Surgery to anesthesiology

[Whatsupdac]

I am a categorical surgery intern looking to switch to anesthesiology next year. I did very well in medical school but I am having a tough time adjusting to surgery resident and q3 call schedule does not help. I am literally sleeping and working and can barely find time to study.
I look at my seniors in the programs and the attendings and there is not much improvement to look up. So my passion has become my burden and I get no satisfaction from the job. I am evening passing up on opportunities to go to the OR so I can cope with floor work.

My basic question is how do I go about doing the switch?

will my letters from last year still be on ERAS?

how do i approach my program?

how can i approach programs about an appointment outside the match?

If there is anything I need to consider please let me know?

I have when through the different specialties and only anesthesiology appeals to me, the lifestyle, i did well at pharmacology, i like to aura of OR environment, and the anesthesiologist are the only physicians I find not complaining about their jobs.

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[Narcotized]

I am evening passing up on opportunities to go to the OR.

One of my favorite (in a sarcastic way) calls in the middle of the night while sleeping as a surgery intern, "Hey!! We got an appy for ya!!!" Oh fuqing joy. (my other favorite call would be the nurse waking me up to inform me that the potassium came back 4.0)

The only reason I went to med school was to be a surgeon. 3 words of advice to you: GET OUT NOW!!

 

[sawthelight]

Couple of things from my experience (still psyched I got a CA-1 position1):

1. You're a little late in the game for this year, especially if you're having to go through the match again. You'll have to move quickly if you want a CA-1 2010 position, as interviews have already begun. If still trying ERAS, you'll have to move some mountains and re-do the whole application.
2. If you're looking for advanced (CA-1) positions, contact all the programs that you're curious about. I would suggest by phone to expedite the process. In general, the larger the program, the more likely they are to be interviewing for and accepting refugees. If you really want to switch, applying just regionally would obviously hurt your chances.
3. Switching from surgery to anesthesia, from what I've told, is easier than switching from medicine or other specialties.
4. If seeking an advanced position, your program director should know about it probably sooner rather than later. Any program that's going to interview you WILL ASK for his/her letter of recommendation and all your evals up to the date of interview. If you can't provide them, you're not serious about switching, and they won't be serious about you. My program director and coordinator were surprisingly supportive, and sad I was leaving, but wrote me great letters and have helped me throughout.
5. Most importantly: make sure you want to switch not just to escape surgery. There are other fields to switch to. Make sure anesthesia is what you really want to do, not just what seems pseudo-surgery-ish and a lighter work load. Almost anything is lighter than surgery, make sure you want anesthesia. The interviewers will key in on this, as mentioned copiously on this board.

Good luck, PM if you wish.