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[deleted1095841]

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[aldol16]

If you are in a specialty where aways are common, do an away in California. The fact that you're from California is a plus for you.

 

[gyngyn]

Currently in medical school in the Midwest, but want to come back home to California for residency.
Other than doing well in medical school (good clinical grades, good step 2 score, research publications), is there anything I can specifically do to increase my chances for matching in CA? Ideally Northern California?

If this varies somewhat by specialty, here's what I'm considering:
Neurology
Neurosurgery
Radiology
Endocrinology
Hepatology
Allergy/immunology
Pulmonary critical care
Ophthalmology
Nephrology
Pathology

If anyone successfully matched back in CA this season, please share your story!
Thank you all so much!

Five of your options require an IM residency. There are lots of spots in So Cal., Relatively fewer in NorCal. Fellowship applications vary in competitiveness, but often require a broad geographic application.
You can match path or Neurology in CA quite easily with a good ap.
Ophtho and NS will require a research year and you need to be prepared to apply almost everywhere in the country.
Radiology will also require a large geographic inclusion for a decent chance at matching, though a research year will not be needed.

 

[gyngyn]

Appreciate you sharing your wisdom!
During a research year, is it better to stay at the same school you did your MD and continue at the lab you were in? Or is it like an away (but for research rather than clinical) where you try to work in a lab at a place you want to go?

In most circumstances, you stay at the med school you are attending and delay graduation.

 

[hemobrobin]

If you're applying IM and do well on your boards and clinical rotations you'll have no problem matching into CA. Even in nor-cal if you're not picky -- places like Davis, CPMC, Santa Clara, St. Mary's, and Kaiser are all options!

I went to school in the south and wanted to go to CA and had a ton of options for IM.

 

[mrbreakfast]

All depends on where specifically you want to match and how strong of a candidate you are. For example, if you just want to match neurology somewhere in California, you'll probably succeed. That being said, Northern California has some of the most competitive neuro programs in the country, and if you have your eyes on a specific program, you may need to do an away. I'm sure the same applies to other specialties.

I will add that the people I know who matched into a surgical subspecialty in California had remarkably strong applications.

 

[hebrewBAMmer]

Before doing an away, must I have done the corresponding rotation at my home institution? For neurology this isn't an issue, since neurology is one of the required clerkships at my school (though it is only 4 weeks). But for something like neurosurgery, do I have to do the neurosurgery elective rotation at my school first?

No you shouldn't have to. I got accepted for a peds neuro away rotation and didn't do the peds neuro elective at my school. That being said, I ended up not doing any aways and matched neuro in CA

 

[mrbreakfast]

Before doing an away, must I have done the corresponding rotation at my home institution? For neurology this isn't an issue, since neurology is one of the required clerkships at my school (though it is only 4 weeks). But for something like neurosurgery, do I have to do the neurosurgery elective rotation at my school first?

I would say so. Aways are partially/mostly to make a good impression at that program. You probably don't want it to be your first "go-through" with that rotation. Many away rotations are at/near the level of intensity a sub-I at a program.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

If one wants to match in California, is the general consensus that he or she will have to settle for a program that is a tier or two down? Ie if one could match mid tier academic IM in Midwest or south, would he/she need to do high tier community or low tier academic IM on coasts?

 

[mrbreakfast]

Ie if one could match mid tier academic IM in Midwest or south, would he/she need to do high tier community or low tier academic IM on coasts?

I would say not really. There are good programs everywhere in all regions of the country; it's not accurate to say programs in the midwest or south are "less competitive" in an academic sense.

What makes things difficult with the coasts is that there are a number of applicants who are going to apply to programs in Cali, Chicago, NYC/Boston, and nowhere else. There's also people who are going to apply to the "Ivy League" programs regardless of how good they are for their given specialty. Because of the volume of applicants, places can have strong regional biases. So I would say a strong applicant from the midwest or south has a higher chance of matching in a top tier program in those regions than on the coasts.

Zoom interviews have made things weird. Programs that do a good job of selling themselves can attract applicants who would otherwise rank them much lower if they actually visited the city.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

What are some examples of mid-tier academic IM?

Cincinnati, Minnesota, Indiana, UVA, Cleveland Clinic, Utah, Iowa, VCU, Case Western, Maryland, Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio State

I think in California it is (Note: some of these are community)

High: Stanford, UCSF, UCLA, UCSD

Mid: Cedars Sinai, Scripps Green, UCLA Olive View, UCI, Kaiser SF, UCD

Low: UCLA Harbor, UCSF Fresno, Scripps Mercy, Loma Linda, Huntington, Kaiser Santa Clara, Kaiser LA, USC

thoughts?

 

[mrbreakfast]

Cincinnati, Minnesota, Indiana, UVA, Cleveland Clinic, Utah, Iowa, VCU, Case Western, Maryland, Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio State

I'm not in IM so don't really know, but I just opened doximity as a rough estimate and these programs are essentially all top 5-10% in reputation, so not sure I'd call them mid-tier. But everyone's personal rank list is their own.

 

[MDMechEngr]

from the ERAS '21-'22 - MONTH 2 [MEGATHREAD] for IM.

 

[longhaul3]

Definitely can't count on matching in neurosurgery in California. There are around 10 programs in the state, each of which would take 1-4 interns a year. So figure 20-30 people out of an applicant pool of around 400 (and growing every year).

There are probably more IM programs in California than neurosurgery programs in the US.

 

[hemobrobin]

Thanks for the perspective! It's good to know there are quite a few options.
I have a question about research: I know UC Davis has tons of research opportunities, but do the other hospitals you mention engage in research much? And do they let residents take part in it?
I do some research now in my (admittedly little) spare time and really like it and want to continue during residency.

Yes, out of all of those programs, Davis has pathways and infrastructure in place to facilitate resident research. The other programs all have opportunities and obviously if you want to pursue a fellowship you need to be doing research, but it will require you to be more proactive and "find" the research opportunities. Though it is totally doable.

 

[Redpancreas]

Currently in medical school in the Midwest, but want to come back home to California for residency.
Other than doing well in medical school (good clinical grades, good step 2 score, research publications), is there anything I can specifically do to increase my chances for matching in CA? Ideally Northern California?

If this varies somewhat by specialty, here's what I'm considering:
Neurology
Neurosurgery
Radiology
Endocrinology
Hepatology
Allergy/immunology
Pulmonary critical care
Ophthalmology
Nephrology
Pathology

If anyone successfully matched back in CA this season, please share your story!
Thank you all so much!

You'll have a very small advantage over others not from their area because people tend to believe you more when you say you're serious about California. For Internal Medicine this season, I heard they're doing something so you can narrow your location of interest so you;ll have some opportunity to do that when the time comes. Obviously you'll want your CA address on your residency application which will be a tiny flex. You;ll probably want to make mention of your location in your PS.

Note: Transplant Hepatology is a 1 year fellowship after a GI fellowship of 3 years. Pulm/Crit is a 3 year fellowship after IM, IM residency is 3 years. Endocrinology is a 2 year fellowship s/p IM residency. Same with Allergy/Immunology and most Nephrology programs. Tl;dr you'll be looking at IM programs in Cali (numerous) and unless you're interested in GI, where you go will be of limited importance.

Pathology should be easier to match anywhere in California.

Radiology, Neurology will be tough to match in California specifically without a solid application. Opthalmology will be tougher. Neurosurgery will be the toughest.

Best of luck.

 

[deleted555445]

Do the same tips apply the opposite way, for someone attending school out West who wants to go back to the East Coast (with family ties)? Specifically for something like GS or plastics?