Switch from anesthesia

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freeheeler

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Hello all,
i am currently a pgy-3 anesthesia resident. after three years of training, i'm finally realizing that i should have stuck with my gut in my fourth year of med school and gone into em. now, the question is how feasible a transfer would be? i was a good student with 230 boards, aoa, etc. i've also gotten good reviews to this point from my residency. i think i would be a good candidate, but i'm not sure how transferring into a different specialty would look at this point. also, with having completed an internal medicine internship and nearly two yrs of anesthesia, would i qualify to enter as a em-2 resident? any help/thoughts would be much appreciated.

regards.

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If you have an EM program at your institution, I would go and talk to the PD. I know that the RRC will only give credit for months. I imagine that you will probably have to reenter the match.

Perhaps BKN can offer up some advice.

People switch, it happens. But it probably won't be easy. I don't think it will be possibly for you to go into an EM2 position, unless its a 2-4 year program.

Best of Luck!
 
I can say I personally know people that have transferred from ophtho, surgery, and medicine but all had to start from PGY I. One, I understand, filled a vacant spot at a program without going through the match. You will place out of ICU, anesthesia, etc. But everyone I know is putting or had to put in a total of 3 years, basically doing more ED months and electives. Appears to be an RRC requirement. On the bright side you qualify for 2nd year standing at 2-3-4 programs, as Roja said, which opens more opportunities.

Good luck! Welcome to the family.
 
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It's not uncommon for someone with an anesthesia background (either still in residency or even boarded) to retrain in EM.

Advanced placement is limited to 6 months. You need to match exiting rotations in the EM program that selects you with prior identical types of rotations done in ACGME accredited programs. You also need to have completed 48 months of ACGME training elsewhere (it sounds like this is the case). Clearly you would get credit for anesthesia. If you have rotations in medicine or ICU or anything else that fits with the EM program, these could all be used. Often you can also use the elective time in the ED program for advanced placement. Of course, you won't get any elective time as a resident if you choose this. This whole thing has to be worked out by the PD of the program that takes you who will send a letter to the RRC. Advanced placement needs to be approved by the RRC *before* you start in the EM program. Finally the program director has to be willing to give you advanced placement, something that usually makes coverage somewhat more complicated.

You may well have to go through the match again, but it is worth watching for posts about open resident spots as there is always a bit of attrition each year and some places get approval for expansion.

Besides getting advice for a local EM PD, you should think about talking to your own PD about your need for a career change, as there is a mixed feeling out there among program directors about recruiting residents without the blessing of their former program.
 
With all the CRNA midlevel mess in anesthesia, do you ER folks notice any increased interest in switching from anesthesia>EM?

I am a PGY1 with a CA1 spot secured but I am definitely having doubts after the future of anesthesia....
 
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