too late to apply??

[scrupulous79]

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I need advice about applications for anesthesia. I've sent out a bunch of applications for internal medicine, but after finishing my Sub-I in Medicine and some medicine electives, i'm not entirely sure if IM is for me. I'm now thinking of applying for anesthesia because its the other specialty that i really liked during third year. My problem is that I have no anesthesia letters (my letters all say glowing things about how i'll be a good internist) and its now november which is pretty late in the game. Would it be very difficult to get a PGY-2 position if I do a year of medicine or a rotating internship and then leave that program? How would I go about doing this? Would I be able to scramble in march for an anesthesia spot? I'd appreciate any advice.

 

[Tenesma]

i was in the same situation you are in now... i had all of my letters from surgeons, and already had interviews set up for gen. surg.... then i saw the light... i made all the necessary changes on ERAS so that the programs could access the information, then I made calls to the programs I was interested in and asked to speak to the program director to share my issues with him/her... it is better to take care of it now then match into a categorical medicine spot and then have to worry about it during internship!!!

by the way, this will be one of the best decisions you will make... and that will be truly hard to fully comprehend until you are the one providing the anesthesia

 

[gaslady]

If the match this year is like it was last year there will be very few anesthesia positions available for the scramble. Some of those unfilled spots are sometimes filled from within or through the back door and aren't really available to a person in the scramble.
If you apply now you won't do as well with interviews than if you had applied on time, however you will still get some if your application warrants it. I know a few people last year who put off submitting their applications for various stupid reasons. They matched at less well known places. Calling PDs is a good idea. Also, schedule an appointment with someone in your anesthesia dept ASAP and get a letter from them.
If you do ending up matching in medicine and switching don't fret It's a difficult position to be in, but it happens sometimes and you will be able to work it out. Once you match, you are only bound to do the first year. It's unfair to the program and others in the program to go into one initially knowing you're going to switch so it's best to avoid doing that. However, it might be a better option than not matching and scrambling into a program you don't want to be at or losing a year. You still have some time and may be able to avoid this option. Many applicants apply to too many programs and will cancel interviews as the season goes on. You may not get interviews for a bit but then some may open up. Be sure to apply to a few extra safety programs.
If you think you aren't going to match in anesthesia by the time you're making your list then you should rank the more prestigious medicine programs higher. Anesthesia programs will look more favorably upon a strong internship rather than an easy one.

 

[scrupulous79]

thanks so much for your help.....i've been talking to friends about this alot and i guess all i have to do now is start cancelling interviews and arranging new ones.....the only problem is that the good anesthesia programs are at the same places which I applied to for medicine....it looks suspicious to have applied to two programs within the same institution...i have no idea if the two will speak to one another ever.....what makes the decision even harder is that my top choice for IM (Yale New-Haven) offered me an interview today.....😕
anyway, thanks again for your help...

 

[gaslady]

You could talk to the PDs at some of the IM programs and change your application to prelim if they offer it. I've heard of people doing that who were in a similar situation.