Switching Fields

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mailee88

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If I am doing my intern year and planning on switching to another field the following year, how will I have time for interviews. Just got my schedule and I have Ward months Dec and Jan. Definitely not going to have much time then...Really worried about this...
 
I suggest you speak with your PD about taking your vacation time during one of these 2 interview-heavy months. If that fails, contact your co-interns and see if they are willing to swap either vacation time or elective months.
 
Agree with previous poster.

You have to talk to your PD and make sure s/he is on board. Your PD may even help you, make calls for you, etc. Some PDs take it personally if you try to jump ship, but if you explain that it's not about the program its the specialty s/he will probably understand.

If PD is not helping, than you'll have to work it out with your co-interns. Make sure to keep up the quality of your work, or it will catch up to you. Leave with a good impression and you'll always have friends to fall back on. Leave with a bad impression (as I've seen happen many times) and you only make enemies.
 
mailee88 said:
If I am doing my intern year and planning on switching to another field the following year, how will I have time for interviews. Just got my schedule and I have Ward months Dec and Jan. Definitely not going to have much time then...Really worried about this...

You will find that applying outside of the match is very different from applying through ERAS. Going through ERAS would be time consuming and possibly expensive. Start writing programs now . Apply ouitside of the match. By December you could have a position if you get your applications completed and you find a program that wants you. Get your letter writers lined up,again. Rework your personal statement. try to have everything done by the end of June. So stop worrying and start writing. You should be in good shape if you start now. Applying outside of the match means committing to a program early sometimes without doing a lot of interviews but it is less involved for the program.

Your school will help you with applying through ERAS. It probably would make sense to do both but be willing to take a pre-match position if you are offered early.Make a list of programs that you are interested and start contacting them.

CambieMD
 
CambieMD said:
You will find that applying outside of the match is very different from applying through ERAS. Going through ERAS would be time consuming and possibly expensive. Start writing programs now . Apply ouitside of the match. By December you could have a position if you get your applications completed and you find a program that wants you. Get your letter writers lined up,again. Rework your personal statement. try to have everything done by the end of June. So stop worrying and start writing. You should be in good shape if you start now. Applying outside of the match means committing to a program early sometimes without doing a lot of interviews but it is less involved for the program.

Your school will help you with applying through ERAS. It probably would make sense to do both but be willing to take a pre-match position if you are offered early.Make a list of programs that you are interested and start contacting them.

CambieMD

even if you're looking to go outside the match, it can't hurt to use ERAS. It will, if nothing more, make distribution of application materials a little easier.
 
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