Switching Med-Peds Programs?

[Furio83]

Very short background: I am beginning a med-peds program that was ranked very low on my list. The program is nice and I feel I will get a great training experience. The main problem is that trainees do not often leave the state; my impression is that this (and general lack of notoriety) will hinder me when I try to apply for fellowships (I'm thinking sleep or adolescent medicine). There are other issues that bug me ranging from geographic location, local weather, local culture to name a few; individually they are not enough to make me want to leave, but combined with the above it makes me anxious about the possibility of needing to seek another program.

So my questions are:
1. Has anyone heard of leaving one program for another within the same specialty? Any advice on doing this?

2. How much time should I give trying out the program before I let my program director know?

3. When I should I put the gears in motion if I decide to go to another program?

4. How should I go about inquiring if any spots open up at other programs?

Thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Lanvin]

Very short background: I am beginning a med-peds program that was ranked very low on my list. The program is nice and I feel I will get a great training experience. The main problem is that trainees do not often leave the state; my impression is that this (and general lack of notoriety) will hinder me when I try to apply for fellowships (I'm thinking sleep or adolescent medicine). There are other issues that bug me ranging from geographic location, local weather, local culture to name a few; individually they are not enough to make me want to leave, but combined with the above it makes me anxious about the possibility of needing to seek another program.

I'm just a lowly medical student so take this with a grain of salt.

If I was a PD and was considering you into my med-peds program I would want to know why you even ranked your designated program in your match list (or maybe why you didn't rank my program in the first place, if you hadn't).

I highly regard commitment and I know I am not the only one. If you are so quickly willing to leave your current program, I would likely believe that you might feel the same about my program a year or two down the line.

Be wise in your actions. If things don't go as planned and you end up staying at your current program, things could be very uncomfortable for you during the next 4 years. You don't want to be working/learning at a site that believes that you do not want to be there.

 

[group_theory]

Ideally you will need to switch as early as possible. Although Med-Peds are RRC accredited, each programs have their own unique requirements so switching early will minimize any mismatches between your current programs and new program. Whether this can be done before you finish your PGY1 year is up to the two programs to decide (since you're leaving a blank spot in the rotation/call schedule)

You will also have to find a medpeds program with an open spot. You will also need the support of your current PD along with the new program's PD.


And for sleep or adolescent medicine - do you intend to pursue pediatric sleep, adult sleep, or a combination of both?

 

[Bitsy]

I'm just a lowly medical student so take this with a grain of salt.

If I was a PD and was considering you into my med-peds program I would want to know why you even ranked your designated program in your match list (or maybe why you didn't rank my program in the first place, if you hadn't).

Furio, didn't you scramble into this program? I would at least give your program a chance (i.e. start the program) before you decide that you want to switch. You might actually end up liking the program. After all, this program gave you a chance to do med-peds when you otherwise might not have gotten to do med-peds (don't know if you had other med-peds scramble offers, but I know they were few and far between this past scramble). Good luck!

 

[Furio83]

And for sleep or adolescent medicine - do you intend to pursue pediatric sleep, adult sleep, or a combination of both?

I was thinking of pursuing both adult and peds sleep medicine.

Furio, didn't you scramble into this program? I would at least give your program a chance (i.e. start the program) before you decide that you want to switch. You might actually end up liking the program. After all, this program gave you a chance to do med-peds when you otherwise might not have gotten to do med-peds (don't know if you had other med-peds scramble offers, but I know they were few and far between this past scramble). Good luck!

I know this and I appreciate the opportunity. I even feel bad starting this thread and thinking about this stuff. I am totally going to start the program before I make a decision, but one reason I feel that its possible is that my med school's program recently had one of its interns switch over to radiology. So I figure that if a PGY2 spot opened up this year, there might be a chance for a PGY2 spot to open up next year somewhere I might like to be. I am aware that if I do switch, the next place might not be as good (even if it does have more prestige).

I'm hoping that I will love my program and that I won't want to switch in a few months. Like I said before, a lot of things about the program/location are not deal-breakers in terms of staying there, but they add up. One of the things that really gets me is that the location is too south for my close friends in the Northeast and still too north for my family in Florida.

 

[J-Rad]

I know less about sleep medicine than adolescent (and even less about adult vs. peds sleep) but you are wayy overestimating the importance of residency "prestige" in fellowship selection. Your performance in residency will almost infinitely outweight the nominal benefit you might have from being at a more prestigious program (and, thruth be told, unless you're training [on the peds side] at the likes of CHOP or Boston or equivalent programs, there isn't all that much of a prestige difference amongst the rest). I have never heard of sleep med being a hugely competetive fellowship (though admit I could be wrong) but adolescent is non-comptetive (and, for many, one of the least desirable peds subs [lower pay for a more difficult patient population and a three year delay to full salary to treat a population that you could treat anyway]).
You have a bird in the hand. The truth is the only two factors that are really important in your decision are "the great training experience" and the stuff about your family (and how "non-survivable" you really find that separation).

 

[Furio83]

Thanks J-Rad, that really helps. It makes me a little less anxious about the situation.

I'm not planning on setting anything into motion in the immediate future. I just wanted to know what was possible in case it was a few months down the line and I decided it was best for me to go somewhere else. I probably won't need to.