switching specialties?

[diel]

Hello, I would appreciate your input.
I am a general surgery categorical resident, intern.
I love my program, it is definitely not malignant. But I am just not so sure if surgery is right for me anymore.
If I would switch to IM [I'd love to do Heme/Onc] do I have to restart the whole ERAS process again? Would I have to repeat my intern year if I decide to switch to IM?
I just heard from somebody, somewhere, that the surgical intern year qualifies as an intern year and I could just continue IM PGY2 [if I find that program that is willing to take me].
Anybody knows anything about this?
aPD , anybody, please help me.

Thank you in advance.

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[Winged Scapula]

Hello, I would appreciate your input.
I am a general surgery categorical resident, intern.
I love my program, it is definitely not malignant. But I am just not so sure if surgery is right for me anymore.

Its July 12th. That didn't take long.

If I would switch to IM [I'd love to do Heme/Onc] do I have to restart the whole ERAS process again?

Yes, in terms of finding the most open positions.

Would I have to repeat my intern year if I decide to switch to IM?

Most likely. Very few of your Surgical intern rotations would be credited toward an IM year - probably only SICU (and even that would be up to the program).

I just heard from somebody, somewhere, that the surgical intern year qualifies as an intern year and I could just continue IM PGY2 [if I find that program that is willing to take me].

You heard wrong. The surgical intern year does not meet the qualifications for an IM intern year. You may, as noted above, get some credit for a rotation or two, but that would be unlikely. You should expect to repeat your intern year.

 

[diel]

Thank you, Winged Scapula. I appreciate the answer.
I know it is early, but, I can't stop this thought in back of my head ...: "What if it doesn't work out?" Just wondering if I made the right decision....


Thank you for the information.

 

[RTrain]

I believe the ABIM will accept a maximum of 3 months of a surgical internship toward IM internship, but it would have to be requested by the IM program - the resident may not appeal to the board for credit. If I'm wrong on this, someone who knows more please correct me.

I don't recommend making any decisions about whether or not you made the right choice about your career this early in the year. Change is always difficult, and at the beginning of a new training program, it's almost normal to have that sinking feeling that you don't want to be doing what you're doing. You feel frustrated that you went from being at the top to being at the bottom, you don't know what you're doing, and you feel like turning to something that feels more comfortable. Don't do anything while you have that sick, cold-feet feeling. In a few months, after you've gotten your bearings and gotten used to all the things that seem new now, if you want to be an internist, then consider pursuing it.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Thank you, Winged Scapula. I appreciate the answer.
I know it is early, but, I can't stop this thought in back of my head ...: "What if it doesn't work out?" Just wondering if I made the right decision....

Those are exceedingly common feelings. As RTrain notes, you go from being a fantastic 4th year student who is so smart, so skilled, so helpful to being a lowly intern who somehow knows nothing and can't do anything.

Couple that with the instability of learning the procedures at a new hospital, making new friends, perhaps even moving to a new town and I'd think that anyone who didn't have questions wasn't being honest with themselves.

Residency is scary. You invest so much of your life and realize that THIS IS IT. I CAN'T GO BACK (which isn't true, but it seems like it). WHAT IF I MADE A MISTAKE?

Maybe you did and maybe you'll regret your decision. But its also true that you might just be experiencing buyer's remorse...the program that you thought was so great, the specialty you were so enamoured of, becomes a job...that sucks sometimes and sometimes is just alright. Not great, but just alright.

At any rate, its too soon to make any rash decisions.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

Those are exceedingly common feelings. As RTrain notes, you go from being a fantastic 4th year student who is so smart, so skilled, so helpful to being a lowly intern who somehow knows nothing and can't do anything.

Couple that with the instability of learning the procedures at a new hospital, making new friends, perhaps even moving to a new town and I'd think that anyone who didn't have questions wasn't being honest with themselves.

Residency is scary. You invest so much of your life and realize that THIS IS IT. I CAN'T GO BACK (which isn't true, but it seems like it). WHAT IF I MADE A MISTAKE?

Maybe you did and maybe you'll regret your decision. But its also true that you might just be experiencing buyer's remorse...the program that you thought was so great, the specialty you were so enamoured of, becomes a job...that sucks sometimes and sometimes is just alright. Not great, but just alright.

At any rate, its too soon to make any rash decisions.

Were you ever/often afraid of failing, losing the clinical career, and not being able to pay off debt?

 

[Winged Scapula]

Were you ever/often afraid of failing, losing the clinical career, and not being able to pay off debt?

Of course.

I thought about quitting ALL THE TIME. My ex used to tell me it was ok to quit..trouble was, he had no loans and had well to do parents who helped him out all the time, so didn't understand what it meant to quit with those burdens.

I was afraid that I would be fired and be without a job and no means of repaying my loans.

Frankly, I'm sure a lot of people stay in medicine because of those reasons.

 

[diel]

Thank you guys, you are very supportive..
I am not making a decision now, that's for sure... it is REALLY early...
I know it sounds so stupid, but at the end of med school I was torn between surg and medicine...I know, it is weird... I even interviewed for both... In the end ranked surgery on top..everybody and their dogs that knew me (family, friends, mentors) advised me to rank surgery...."we only see u as a surgeon!" .......matched.... was happy and a little little bit bitter in the back of my throat.
Started residency... yep, it is a job... not like medical school surgery... I know IM is not a vacation either... Im not afraid of hours and work... it is my future that concerns me.
But you are right... too early now... I;m actually doing pretty well for my first days as I'm willing to poke and examine every moving body thrown my way. Paperwork and the hospital itself are big puzzles though..

The city is also a big change for me... very small... maybe that is one of contributing factors... but my SO is very supportive and not crying about the lil town at all...

Well, here I am ...unloaded a bit..
Thank you again , for the info and the support. Time will show what's right. And if I did chose surgery for the wrong reasons, I will do what it takes to fix that. Wont be easy.... but better early than never.

What is even better... and I am SO lucky... I had a scholarship throughout med school.... no loans.... so, it's not the money that keeps me waking up at 4 AM every day...