Switching from general surgery to anesthesiology

[D1G]

Hello

I am an IMG interested in general surgery.
I am nearing the end of my first prelim year in general surgery. I have a good application with high scores on the 3 steps > 250. I have a decent research experince with 3 publications, a video presentation, and working on a project. I also have a good ABSITE score
> 90.
I applied through the match this year and as expected did not match in surgery.
I had a back up plan and I applied to anesthesiology and matched in a good program.
I have 1 year before starting the new residency.

I always wanted to do surgery in the US. I don't want to go back home and train in surgery because the training is bad.
Also doing a second prelim is a bad idea as I was told by everybody. Ironically, I know a program that had almost 4 pgy 2 residents drop out this year, creating an opportunity for prelim 2s to match.

Some times I think I should drop the anesthesiology spot, try my second year of prelim and try to follow my dream. I know it is not the logical choice.
What is your advice?
How is anesthesiology like for people that might have been in my situation?

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[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

Well, make sure you understand the implications of not honoring your match contract first. Because the chances of following your dream are going to be substantially impacted by the fact that the NRMP will suspend you from participating in a new match or starting any position at a match-participating institution for at least a year. Not to be a downer, but I think the time for wondering if switching to anesthesia was what you really wanted was before you raked an anesthesia program.

 

[Smurfette]

Since you have a year before anesthesia, go ahead and do a prelim 2 spot this year if you can find one now. However, you are committed to starting anesthesia in a year and need to plan on it. If you end up getting offered a categorical surgery spot, it's not going to work out unless the program is outside the match (i.e. this severely limits your options, which are already limited).

 

[D1G]

Thank you for the reply

I looked into it.
Since it is an advanced position I have till mid December before dropping out with little repercussions.
I already can not go through the match for general surgery, because I am an IMG I can not repeat the same year of training through the match.
So I am limited by positions that open outside the match or people dropping from my program

I had to take a PGY 2 prelim spot, since I have this gap year and I need a paying job

 

[bannie22]

From what I hear you have to absolutely drop that anesthesia program and search for a gen surg position.

Yes you should search for an open 2 position.
Residentswap is a good website.

 

[filter07]

I'd personally just finish anesthesiology residency and go on with my life...

 

[ThoracicGuy]

From what I hear you have to absolutely drop that anesthesia program and search for a gen surg position.

Yes you should search for an open 2 position.
Residentswap is a good website.

This is wrong. If the OP drops their anesthesia program, they are not likely to find a surgery spot. They should not absolutely drop it.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Thank you for the reply

I looked into it.
Since it is an advanced position I have till mid December before dropping out with little repercussions.
I already can not go through the match for general surgery, because I am an IMG I can not repeat the same year of training through the match.
So I am limited by positions that open outside the match or people dropping from my program

I had to take a PGY 2 prelim spot, since I have this gap year and I need a paying job

You seem to answer your own question here, a little bit. You can keep your eyes and ear out in the interim, and feel better that at least you have a path towards board certification in something down the line. If you find something by December, then it's a simple matter to let the anesthesia program know you don't want to come. If you really don't want to do anesthesia that's fine, but if that was the case why would you have gone through that particular match rather than something else?

Be sure to review the rules of match violation though and be SURE this is the case before you do so, I do not know the specifics myself but violating them is a severe offense and a great way to have no options for you at all.

Side note - it'll be easy for the anesthesia program to fill your spot next year, presumably they'll be able to quickly petition for an R (reserved) spot for PGY-2 opening the next year. When we have them (every few years or so) we get hundreds upon hundreds of applications for them. Or they can just fill internally from another program (we get at least 10-15 "drop ins" a year).

I agree with @ThoracicGuy above, dropping the program and going for residentswap is a bad idea. One you don't have anything to swap and I am remain suspicious about that whole idea...

 

[D1G]

Thanks for the advice

My question was hitting the following points :
1- Is dropping out possible before or after December ? and if so what are the penalties. I kinda got an idea from your answers about that.
2- How would someone who always wanted to practice surgery fair in the field of anesthesiology as a career choice ?