Switching residency programs within the specialty...what if?

[RodofEbullience]

So I've tried searching in past threads but can't seem to find an answer for these two questions (I'm a current PGY-2 in good-standing looking to transfer into a vacant PGY-3 position for next year in another program):

1. What if I DON'T get accepted into the vacant spot in the desired program? I'll remain in my current program right? Will this cause things to be more awkward then (if anyone with this experience can speak on it)?

2. How did you go about getting letters for the transfer application? They said I can use the LOR I had submitted into ERAS two years ago but obviously I can't access those now. Did you just re-contact those same letter writers to just email you their original letters?

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[Winged Scapula]

So I've tried searching in past threads but can't seem to find an answer for these two questions (I'm a current PGY-2 in good-standing looking to transfer into a vacant PGY-3 position for next year in another program):

1. What if I DON'T get accepted into the vacant spot in the desired program? I'll remain in my current program right? Will this cause things to be more awkward then (if anyone with this experience can speak on it)?

The outcome is highly variable but I would not expect to stay in my current program if I told them I was considering leaving.

In the best case scenario, you are offered the PGY 3 position well in advance of signing contracts for next year at your current program. These are usually required 120 days before start of the next year. If you have a signed contract from the other program in advance of this and let your Program know that you will not be renewing your contract for the following year, this gives them time to fill your position.

However, if you should choose not to tell them or are going through the match to obtain this PGY3 position ( in which you would be notified after the contract signing deadline ), then I would not blame your program for refusing to renew your contract if they found out before contracts were due. Keeping it a secret would be difficult if not impossible as any new program would want to have input from your current program.

2. How did you go about getting letters for the transfer application? They said I can use the LOR I had submitted into ERAS two years ago but obviously I can't access those now. Did you just re-contact those same letter writers to just email you their original letters?

I suppose you could use your letters from medical school but it seems odd to me that you wouldn't use them from residency. LORs from your current faculty detailing what kind of resident you are would be much more valuable.

Finally, are you sure your specialty board allows you to switch? Without knowing your specialty, I will advise that some boards require that you do X number of final years at the same program (for example, in general surgery you cannot switch programs as a PGY 5,as you have to do your last 2 years in the same program).

 

[Apollyon]

FM is the same way - last 24 months have to be at the same place. Ironically, I don't know about my own specialty (EM).

 

[Raryn]

The closest IM has to that same requirement comes up in clinics - you must have 130 continuity clinic half-day sessions, and rules-as-intended, they're supposed to be in the same (single) place. There's allowable exceptions for adding a *second* continuity clinic (say - 1 at the VA and 1 at the main hospital) but not for replacing the first one. Given the typical IM program has continuity clinic *at most* 70 half-days a year, that's two years in the same place.

That said, there is, very rarely, a post about a PGY3 opening. I'm not sure how they get around that rule - potentially ACGME signing off on an exception I would assume. @aProgDirector would be the one to ask.

 

[Winged Scapula]

It would be helpful if the OP, who has logged in since his post and our responses, clarified this for us.