The graduating class of 2006

[pathstudent]

Anyone going into path that year will have the pick of the litter.

Due to the shortening of training from 5 to 4 years there will be two years of residents finishing up. This will double up the number of available spots for the next year.

With MGH taking about 10 now, they will need to take more like 15-20.

Stanford, UCSF, Yale all the top names will need 12-15.

You guys should be pumped.

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[ioana]

Don't hold your hopes too high.... The number of ACGME approved positions and the number of actually funded positions are two very, very different things.... I was surprised at the interviews to find out that the real number of PGY-1 positions was considerably lower than I expected. At one program it was half (2 out of 4). Other program was unmatched last year and didn't take anyone in post-match so I assumed they would have 1 more PGY-1. Surprize... Not that they didn't have 1 more, they actually had 1 less than they use to have .... Politics, money problems...Plus the number of positions includes residents and fellows together.. One program told me that they want to attract more faculty so they'll increase the number of fellowship positions...in others there are residents who are not very confident that they'll pass the board and they want to do the fifth year (and the PD didn't know how many positions will go to PGY-1 till that resident wouldn't make up his mind)... And by the way... Yale has just 8 positions (they advertised 6) and already had a PGY-1 drop-out...

 

[yaah]

It's true. Programs get a certain number of funded positions, which they can use to fill with 1st year residents or fellowships. Some programs actually lose money by training a resident in a fellowship slot. I don't think the change will have a huge impact on # of slots. It will probably increase fellowship opportunities though, I agree. A lot of people actually used to do fellowships as their 5th year of training anyway.

The way I look at it is this: Pathology residency will decrease by one year, thus instead of funding the same number of positions spread over 4 years instead of 5, the extra positions will be eliminated. if Program A has 5 residents per year, once everyone is on the 4 year track they will find that they are now only budgeted for 20 spots instead of 25 as previously (thus, still 5 per year). The almighty $$$ is the ultimate arbiter. The hospital can then use that money to spend on a new surgeon's lounge!

Wow 2006. I will be 30 in 2006. Frightening to think about.

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

30??!!

I'll be 33!! By the time I pay off my debt to almighty St. George's University (and Sallie Mae), I'll be ready to retire!!

Oh well, I better go puree my dinner...

 

[Primate]

Eh?? What's that?? (bent over on cane with hand cupped to ear). 33 or 36, still younger than I'll be.

Hoping to collect Soc Sec by the time I'm done residency. Go AARP!

 

[yaah]

I'll send you both some linament oil for graduation. Seriously, though, you should try for a residency in south florida, or perhaps the Phoenix area. There are lots of people your age down there. I bet they wouldn't even object to pureeing a dinner. The menus often have BIG TYPE and are easy to read.

 

[gungho]

Try 47 y/o and hoping for PGY-1 match into
Path. But if I keep doing what I'm doing (primary care), I'll be 67 in 10 more years.

 

[yaah]

One of the residents in my program when I did my PSF was 45 years old. He was actually just about the least mature individual in the program, oddly enough. One of the other PGY-1 folks had an 18 year old daughter. Needless to say, I felt young. Now, however, when I see all the first and second year med students around, I feel old. It's only natural. I'll lay off the Florida and linament oil jokes for now. And, as a reminder, since it is 10:30 am here, time for lunch!

I am not trying to discourage my elders from joining the best field in medicine, on the contrary!

I can see what you mean about primary care though. My family practice "6 week" rotation lasted 3 1/2 years. I went through a marriage, divorce, reconciliation, remarriage, and second divorce (that one was REALLY bitter!). All the time I was forced to drive 75 minutes each way to the clinic. In the snow! Uphill! Both ways! With no heater! And no windows! And the radio only received the station with continuous preaching!

This is getting off topic, but what else can we do while we wait? Vive la digression!