Transfer: when is the best time to talk with current PD?

[littleemma]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I matched into a program which is a long drive to my family (wife and kids). I contacted another program closer to my family and they would like to interview me for transferring next year (starting this July).

I am wondering when is the good time to talk with current PD? It seems I need a letter from my current PD that I am in a good standing and OK for transfer. I enjoy my education at my current program and my PD is a nice person. However, it seems my PD is quite sensitive and anxious regarding my transfer (he/she smells it).

Should I wait until finish the interview and have a formal offer? Or talk with him now for a good standing letter to increase my chance of being accepted by the other program? I am a little scared that he/she may screw it if I tell my PD early.

Many thanks!

 

[ThoracicGuy]

I matched into a program which is a long drive to my family (wife and kids). I contacted another program closer to my family and they would like to interview me for transferring next year (starting this July).

I am wondering when is the good time to talk with current PD? It seems I need a letter from my current PD that I am in a good standing and OK for transfer. I enjoy my education at my current program and my PD is a nice person. However, it seems my PD is quite sensitive and anxious regarding my transfer (he/she smells it).

Should I wait until finish the interview and have a formal offer? Or talk with him now for a good standing letter to increase my chance of being accepted by the other program? I am a little scared that he/she may screw it if I tell my PD early.

Many thanks!

The new program will not take you without talking to your current PD. You can't usually hide a transfer until you get it and it's better for your PD to hear it from you than from the new PD. Telling him now is not too early. If you are in the interview invite stage, it's time. Now what you didn't mention is what type of residency and his far along you are. That can make a difference...

 

[meerkat111]

I matched into a program which is a long drive to my family (wife and kids). I contacted another program closer to my family and they would like to interview me for transferring next year (starting this July).

I am wondering when is the good time to talk with current PD? It seems I need a letter from my current PD that I am in a good standing and OK for transfer. I enjoy my education at my current program and my PD is a nice person. However, it seems my PD is quite sensitive and anxious regarding my transfer (he/she smells it).

Should I wait until finish the interview and have a formal offer? Or talk with him now for a good standing letter to increase my chance of being accepted by the other program? I am a little scared that he/she may screw it if I tell my PD early.

Many thanks!

This is a hard one. In general, you are expected to do your time and complete your residency no matter what your personal situation may be. This is because you ranked them knowing the geographic location. Lot of programs have hard time accepting any thing else because it is so hard for them to replace candidates. Having said that, there are nice program directors out there and a lot of this also depends on how desirable you are as a resident. Either way, you are taking a chance. If you tell your PD ahead of time before your interview, be prepared to also look on your own w/o your prospective employer because your PD may decide to start looking to replace you and your prospective program may decide not to take you. If the worst thing happens, you will be out of both programs and be looking to work somewhere else still away from wife and kids. Best case is everything goes well and you will be at your prospective program close to family. No one can decide for you. But, since medicine is so hard to get through, why can't your kids and wife just move to the location where your current program is, esp since it is only temporary?

 

[J ROD]

The more you hide from your current PD the worse it may be. You have to have a good LOR from your current PD if you want a chance at any other place.

 

[littleemma]

To clarify:
1. My current program is 5 hours drive from my family. My wife has a nice and stable job there and she could not find one at my current city. You know, our resident salary can not support a whole family.

2. I am current in a non-primary care field.

 

[WingedOx]

There's no guarantee you'll get a new spot anyway, but if your PD is mature, he/she's seen situations like this before. It's not personal.

 

[gracie369]

If your wife worked in the current city when you ranked programs there might be some criticism. I would tell the PD asap so they can start interviewing.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Definitely let PD know and let them know it's due to family related issues.
Being 5hrs away is not gonna matter, you need to take it a step further.
Good luck.

 

[rokshana]

To clarify:
1. My current program is 5 hours drive from my family. My wife has a nice and stable job there and she could not find one at my current city. You know, our resident salary can not support a whole family.

2. I am current in a non-primary care field.

did your wife and kids live 5 hours away when you ranked your current program?

i'm surprised that the other program would even give you the interview w/o a letter of support from your PD...but if this is a recent change and there is some new hardship, then you should tell your PD as soon as possible and get his/her support...without it you m/l will not be successful with that transfer.

 

[lemonlove]

This is a hard one. In general, you are expected to do your time and complete your residency no matter what your personal situation may be. This is because you ranked them knowing the geographic location. Lot of programs have hard time accepting any thing else because it is so hard for them to replace candidates. Having said that, there are nice program directors out there and a lot of this also depends on how desirable you are as a resident. Either way, you are taking a chance. If you tell your PD ahead of time before your interview, be prepared to also look on your own w/o your prospective employer because your PD may decide to start looking to replace you and your prospective program may decide not to take you. If the worst thing happens, you will be out of both programs and be looking to work somewhere else still away from wife and kids. Best case is everything goes well and you will be at your prospective program close to family. No one can decide for you. But, since medicine is so hard to get through, why can't your kids and wife just move to the location where your current program is, esp since it is only temporary?

The residency contract you sign is only for a year, so the time you are expected to do is only for one year. It is up to the program to give you a contract for next year or not.

Also, when you say how desirable you are as a resident, what do you mean? Do you mean that if this person is a fantastic resident, the program will screw him over and try not to let him transfer by giving him a bad LOR?

 

[hamstergang]

The residency contract you sign is only for a year, so the time you are expected to do is only for one year. It is up to the program to give you a contract for next year or not.

I mean, you're correct in that you sign a contract for only 1 year and then the program is the one that has to ask you to sign for more, but you're wrong in that you actually are expected to be there the whole time (however many years your residency is). Why would anyone not expect that?

 

[littleemma]

Many thanks for your all's comments. I will absolutely take into consideration seriously.

Several people have a concern: why I ranked a program 5 hours away from my family?
the answer is: I am not the luck one who matched into my top one or two. I applied for a competitive field and I ranked most of the interviewed programs in order to get a spot. In addition, the situation with a family and kids might be much more difficult than we expect. I hope this can clarify your concern.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

did your wife and kids live 5 hours away when you ranked your current program?

i'm surprised that the other program would even give you the interview w/o a letter of support from your PD...but if this is a recent change and there is some new hardship, then you should tell your PD as soon as possible and get his/her support...without it you m/l will not be successful with that transfer.

When I switched residencies/specialties, I interviewed with a program nearby without the program's letter. Then they asked for a letter, and I informed my then-current program. The program where I ended up deciding to join, wanted the program letter prior to my coming down to interview.

 

[meerkat111]

The residency contract you sign is only for a year, so the time you are expected to do is only for one year. It is up to the program to give you a contract for next year or not.

Also, when you say how desirable you are as a resident, what do you mean? Do you mean that if this person is a fantastic resident, the program will screw him over and try not to let him transfer by giving him a bad LOR?

Someone who has done stellar will likely have an easier time finding a new program. If a resident is desirable, lot of programs will be willing to give him/her interviews and offers as opposed to some one who did not match the first time, had trouble in med school so on and so forth.

 

[gracie369]

Several people have a concern: why I ranked a program 5 hours away from my family?
the answer is: I am not the luck one who matched into my top one or two. I applied for a competitive field and I ranked most of the interviewed programs in order to get a spot.

Are you really that naïve? What you are saying is bs. When you rank programs you have to be ready to accept any of them. If you didn't want to deal with the current situation you shouldn't have ranked the program. The real answer is you gambled with your wife getting a job in the same city and lost.

 

[littleemma]

Are you really that naïve? What you are saying is bs. When you rank programs you have to be ready to accept any of them. If you didn't want to deal with the current situation you shouldn't have ranked the program. The real answer is you gambled with your wife getting a job in the same city and lost.

Haha! Man, take it easy!

I am sure you are single, at least no kid. You are not in my shoe!!!!

 

[evilbooyaa]

You can try this transfer for a known reason because you wanted to apply to a competitive field and not think about consequences, but there is a > 0% chance that this blows up in your face and you're left with nothing. If you're OK with that gamble, then go for it. Regardless, you HAVE to tell your PD before the other program will even consider taking you.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

Haha! Man, take it easy!

I am sure you are single, at least no kid. You are not in my shoe!!!!

Transfer is acceptable to ACGME with a reasonable reason. Tons of people have done this!

Nothing is obligated: even the president could be replaced by the vice president under emergent situation!

I think perhaps you should be realistic.

Yes, transfers are acceptable as long as it is acceptable with the old and new PD of the respective programs. Tons of people have NOT done this. The majority of people do not change programs.

It sounds like you are in a competitive specialty, and your current program was low on your rank list. This leads me to think you are not quite the competitive resident that you may think you are. You are giving up a chance for completing your training and board certification for the possibility you can transfer to another program. What happens if the new program doesn't really want to hire you after you go for an in-person interview? At that time your PD will know about you wanting to leave and there's no guarantee that they would want to keep you in your current place when contracts for next year go out. Maybe they'll just want to go with someone they know will want to be there.

Do you want to risk all of that? Do you want to have the chance of not completing your training and having to switch to another, uncompetitive field for the chance of getting some sort of training to be able to practice medicine?

Either you stick it out and finish or see if your wife can find a job again. Maybe the answer is her quitting her job to be a stay at home mom while you are in training. For me, the risk is far greater than the reward. But it's your life and your future. Choose wisely.

 

[littleemma]

All comments taken. I do appreciate you all.

Talked with my PD and wish everything could work out smoothly.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

All comments taken. I do appreciate you all.

Talked with my PD and wish everything could work out smoothly.

"Could?"

 

[lemonlove]

I mean, you're correct in that you sign a contract for only 1 year and then the program is the one that has to ask you to sign for more, but you're wrong in that you actually are expected to be there the whole time (however many years your residency is). Why would anyone not expect that?

There are several factors that come in to play. Illness, major life events, marriage, kids, etc. that may make it hard for one to do more than 1 year at a program. The contract you sign before July 1st, is only for one year.

 

[hamstergang]

There are several factors that come in to play. Illness, major life events, marriage, kids, etc. that may make it hard for one to do more than 1 year at a program. The contract you sign before July 1st, is only for one year.

The contract you sign every year is for only one year at a time. That doesn't change the fact that you are expected to complete all the years. You coming up with examples of when that doesn't happen doesn't really address that the expectation still exists.