Transfer from 1st year family med to 2nd year internal medicine

[loku]

Hi Guys,

Is it possible to transfer from 1st year Family medicine residency to 2nd year internal medicine residency program? Or do I have to reapply again? I'm trying to save a year.

I really don't mind moving anywhere in US but I would prefer to stay in Texas. Does anyone know of any programs who will take guys like me?

Thanks

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[gutonc]

No.

You may be able to find an unfilled/off-cycle spot in IM, but you won't get to start as a PGY2 in a different specialty.

 

[Raryn]

At the discretion of the IM program director, you may be given up to 6 months of credit towards an IM residency.

Emphasis on may. Most of the time they give zero credit, for a wide variety of reasons, including the need to actually have warm bodies fill the ward teams.

 

[loku]

No.

You may be able to find an unfilled/off-cycle spot in IM, but you won't get to start as a PGY2 in a different specialty.

So if there is an unfilled spot in PGY2 in an IM program, would they let me start as a PGY2 or will they make me go back to PGY1?

 

[Raryn]

So if there is an unfilled spot in PGY2 in an IM program, would they let me start as a PGY2 or will they make me go back to PGY1?

It is absolutely, positively, impossible to get 12 months of credit going from a different specialty to IM. Period. Full stop.

See: http://www.abim.org/certification/p...-subspecialty-policies/internal-medicine.aspx

For trainees who have satisfactorily completed some U.S. or Canadian accredited training in another specialty, ABIM may grant:

1. Month-for-month credit for the internal medicine rotations that meet the criteria listed under (1) above PLUS
2. Maximum of six months' credit for the training in a family medicine or a pediatrics program or
3. Maximum of three months' credit for training in a non-internal medicine specialty program.

You *might* be able to get a maximum of six months credit. At the discretion of your program director. If the ABIM approves.

The only specialties I know of which will accept a full year of training from a different one are the specialties that don't have an integrated intern year required (Anesthesia, Derm, PM&R, etc), the surgical specialties that share intern years with GS (which is getting less common anyway) or Psychiatry.

 

[gutonc]

So if there is an unfilled spot in PGY2 in an IM program, would they let me start as a PGY2 or will they make me go back to PGY1?

No. You will be a PGY1 again. And you'd do well to forget that you had any prior training since things will be quite different.

Most IM PDs will make a PGY2 transfer from another IM program repeat at least part of their rotations as an intern. This is basically an audition period.

My program accepted 3 IM transfers while I was an intern (we had lost 1 resident and the program had been allowed to expand). All of them started off with 2 months of wards, 1 month of ICU and 1 month of primary care clinic. They were then formally evaluated by program leadership and either allowed to move back up to their PGY level or "held back". In this particular scenario, 1 was allowed to proceed as a PGY2, and the other 2 repeated their intern years. One of the 2 was not offered a PGY2 contract (with very, very, very good reason) and went on to complete another full 3 years of IM at a different program (5 years total).

 

[loku]

It is absolutely, positively, impossible to get 12 months of credit going from a different specialty to IM. Period. Full stop.

See: http://www.abim.org/certification/p...-subspecialty-policies/internal-medicine.aspx


You *might* be able to get a maximum of six months credit. At the discretion of your program director. If the ABIM approves.

The only specialties I know of which will accept a full year of training from a different one are the specialties that don't have an integrated intern year required (Anesthesia, Derm, PM&R, etc), the surgical specialties that share intern years with GS (which is getting less common anyway) or Psychiatry.

Oh wow! Thanks man.
So it looks like the Program director would have to get approval from the ABIM to get my credits transferred? I'm just trying to understand the process. If I can save 6 months, i'll take it

 

[Raryn]

Oh wow! Thanks man.
So it looks like the Program director would have to get approval from the ABIM to get my credits transferred? I'm just trying to understand the process. If I can save 6 months, i'll take it

Yes. And chances are they won't even ask.

Feel free to inquire with the program director when you're interviewing for a new spot.

 

[gutonc]

Yes. And chances are they won't even ask.

Feel free to inquire with the program director when you're interviewing for a new spot.

I would argue that this is something you should bring up once you're matched and well established in the program. Probably not until you've been promoted to PGY2.

As a transfer, you will be under greater scrutiny than the average bear. Once you give the program good reason to keep you on, bring up the "extra credit" issue. If you've done well, the PD may be inclined to support it. But as an applicant, when you bring this issue up, you're basically asking, "how fast can I GTFO?", and nobody wants to hire that guy.

 

[loku]

Yes. And chances are they won't even ask.

Feel free to inquire with the program director when you're interviewing for a new spot.

Ok thanks. Do you think its a wise idea to apply internally in the same hospital?. My hospital has both FM and IM program, albeit IM residents are being trained in a different hospital couple of hours away?

 

[Winged Scapula]

I would argue that this is something you should bring up once you're matched and well established in the program. Probably not until you've been promoted to PGY2.

I assumed @Raryn was being sarcastic.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Ok thanks. Do you think its a wise idea to apply internally in the same hospital?. My hospital has both FM and IM program, albeit IM residents are being trained in a different hospital couple of hours away?

If you have a good reputation with your FM program, then the local IM program is probably your best bet in terms of "transferring" (which is not really what you're doing) since its a lot easier to get "intel" on you.

 

[Gastrapathy]

They can shorten intern year only and have to get permission up front. So it's ok to ask.