Switch specialties mid-year, or wait for july 2019?

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I want to switch from a ROAD specialty (I am being intentionally vague for privacy) into general surgery. I already did pgy-1 surgery year and loved it way more than my current specialty and see myself being way happier in general surgery.

I'm kind of unhappy each day in my current categorical specialty. I am keeping an eye out for open PGY-2 general surgery spots, but am wondering if people ever switch mid year versus having to wait until the next year (July 2019). If you are able to switch mid-year, how do you make up the time you missed from PGY-2 year?

Thanks for clarifying

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No one is going to identify you based on wanting to go from one specialty to gen surg lol
 
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It's going to depend on a number of factors, including structure and flexibility of the program/PD, as well as how much time you're talking. Here is the ABS leave policy, which would apply. The "simplest" option would be to forego vacations in your 2nd and 3rd years, as the training time has to be an aggregate number of weeks over the first 3 and final 2 years. This probably gives you 6-8 weeks. You could also extend your chief year through August, which would give you 2 months. This would be an issue if you're interested in a fellowship, as it would impact your ability to start on time. Lastly, if you are at a program with the ability to take research/academic development time, your "make-up" time could be built into that.

All that being said, these options require a program that has the flexibility to have an "extra" resident on clinical service, as well as one willing to deal with the ABS to get approval for whatever special circumstance you have.

But on a different note you should review a few of the other threads on this same topic that have popped up recently. You ostensibly just started your "real" residency. Is it really that obvious already?
 
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