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Dude, you'll be a general surgery resident. Even if they live close you won't get to see then more often than once a month. People move away from family all the time, for jobs in medicine or otherwise. You'll adapt.
You will need to do the Match again for a categorical anesthesia position, which starts after you complete whatever intern year you complete.
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You will need to do the Match again for a categorical anesthesia position, which starts after you complete whatever intern year you complete.
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Hello,
I have recently matched categorically into a general surgery position at a mid tier university program. I was very passionate about gen surg during my third and beginning of fourth year but I recently rotated through anesthesia and have done a month of critical care. I honestly appreciated the work that anesthesiologists put in and I think it fits my personality better than gen surg.
I was very happy to match at an acamedic institution but I am a little heart broken about moving 700 miles away from the only family I have.
My question is- if don't end up liking being a surgery resident, do I have to submit eras again to switch? Do I find spots outside the match and then tell my PD? Or is it easier to delay my medical school graduation? Please help, I really want to give gen surg a shot but I think that the dynamics change when you actually begin to move away from the only family you have and know you will only be able to see them realistically a weekend a month for 5 years
You have a number of questions/issues but the bottom line is this:
1. You need to go and start your intern year. There is no effective way to delay your medical school graduation at this point as not showing up for your intern year means a match violation. A match violation would potentially/likely bar you from participating next year in the match.
2. If you decide you want to do anesthesia, the best thing you can do is complete your intern year in good standing. A PGY1 general surgery year would qualify you for advanced anesthesia positions (i.e. you wouldn't have to repeat intern year or take a year off).
3. Advanced positions can be obtained in a number of ways. The most straightforward in all likelihood would be securing one at the same institution you do your general surgery intern year. This can be facilitated by your PD if you really decide you're not happy with your career decision and could avoid having to go back out on the interview trail. Other positions do open up too and there is always the match.
4. I think a lot of what you're feeling/expressing right now is general ennui at the result of your match. I'd recommend taking some time off to relax, showing up for intern year determined to do your best and try to figure out what career path you want to take. Don't make giant decisions rashly.
I agree completely with the above advice, and I would add: just keep quiet about your plans to switch to anesthesia. You may like general surgery after all, so you don't want to burn any bridges there. In any case, you need to do the internship year regardless. However, in my day it was quite common for surgery residents to burn out and switch to anesthesia, and spots open up all the time. So after a few months or so, if you still want to switch to anesthesia, you might approach the anesthesia residency director and discuss it with him/her. In the mean time, as an intern, be nice to the anesthesiologists and anesthesia residents, and express an interest in what they're doing.
