Transfer?

[Dermpath]

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How difficult is it to transfer programs within the same institution? Or to complete a certain specialty and then do a different specialty within the same institution? I've seen a number of people do say peds or IM and then complete derm residency at the same institution. How likely is it?

 

[Buzz Me]

If that second specialty is Derm? Very, VERY hard (unless you've got killer stats).

 

[gutonc]

How difficult is it to transfer programs within the same institution? Or to complete a certain specialty and then do a different specialty within the same institution? I've seen a number of people do say peds or IM and then complete derm residency at the same institution. How likely is it?

Has it ever happened? Of course, pretty much every possible residency switching scenario you can imagine has happened once.

Does it happen regularly enough that one should count on it as a way into Derm (or any other competitive speciatly)? No.

Not saying you can't try it, but you need to have a Plan B that you're really happy with because that's the most likely outcome.

 

[DrAwsome]

Has it ever happened? Of course, pretty much every possible residency switching scenario you can imagine has happened once.

Does it happen regularly enough that one should count on it as a way into Derm (or any other competitive speciatly)? No.

Not saying you can't try it, but you need to have a Plan B that you're really happy with because that's the most likely outcome.

Interesting. I see it frequently enough, I wonder how common it is. In programs I've rotated at, i've seen 1-2 residents/program doing this.

 

[gutonc]

Interesting. I see it frequently enough, I wonder how common it is. In programs I've rotated at, i've seen 1-2 residents/program doing this.

Doing what? Going from IM/FM/Peds/Psych to derm? If so, those are some seriously crappy Derm programs. If you're talking about switching specialties of one sort or another, it's fairly common.

 

[DrAwsome]

Doing what? Going from IM/FM/Peds/Psych to derm? If so, those are some seriously crappy Derm programs. If you're talking about switching specialties of one sort or another, it's fairly common.

I've seen a ton of people finish im/peds residency and go on to derm. any derm program is a good program btw.

 

[Dermpath]

Doing what? Going from IM/FM/Peds/Psych to derm? If so, those are some seriously crappy Derm programs. If you're talking about switching specialties of one sort or another, it's fairly common.

I don't really see your distinction between "transfering" and switching honestly. If you are doing say radiology and then you go onto rad onc, you've transferred/switched out from one field to the next. If you are doing surgery and go onto anesthesia for example, same thing. You are leaving one field and moving onto another one. I have seen it done more times than I can count.

 

[gutonc]

I don't really see your distinction between "transfering" and switching honestly. If you are doing say radiology and then you go onto rad onc, you've transferred/switched out from one field to the next. If you are doing surgery and go onto anesthesia for example, same thing. You are leaving one field and moving onto another one. I have seen it done more times than I can count.

The distinction I'm making is not between "transferring" and "switching." It's between going from IM --> Rads/EM/Gas vs. IM --> Plastics/Derm/Rad Onc. Two very different scenarios.

And if you already had an answer in mind, why ask the question in the first place?

 

[mlw03]

At my residency program's institution I saw someone go from IM--> path (and then subsequently to FM at another institution), and someone go from path --> FM.

 

[45408]

I've seen a ton of people finish im/peds residency and go on to derm. any derm program is a good program btw.

Finishing an entire residency and then re-applying for derm is a far cry from applying as a PGY-1 medicine resident for a derm spot.

 

[Law2Doc]

I've seen a ton of people finish im/peds residency and go on to derm. any derm program is a good program btw.

As prowler suggested, you kind of missed the point. The OP was contemplating transferring to derm after starting a different residency, not completing residency and applying to derm as a second residency de novo. There will be some movement among competitive fields ( ie the person who starts out in ortho but decides to go for something more lifestyle frindly after a year or two). But coming from IM to derm after a year or two is a different story. It happens, but most good derm programs aren't going to have a "ton" of openings, and aren't going to want to be known as a place that routinely let's less competitive people backdoor their way into the program.

 

[45408]

Just look at it this way: why would they take you? If there's an excellent reason (impressive research, a 275 on Step 1), then they might take you. If not, why wouldn't they just match someone new?

You might have a year or two of experience, but unless they have an opening for a PGY-2 spot, then they're looking for people to start at the beginning and are willing to train them as such.

 

[Law2Doc]

Just look at it this way: why would they take you? If there's an excellent reason (impressive research, a 275 on Step 1), then they might take you. If not, why wouldn't they just match someone new?

You might have a year or two of experience, but unless they have an opening for a PGY-2 spot, then they're looking for people to start at the beginning and are willing to train them as such.

bear in mind that derm is an advanced path, so it really starts at PGY2.

 

[member0007]

does anyone know anything about transferring in the final year of training to a different institution and remain in the specialty?

 

[gutonc]

does anyone know anything about transferring in the final year of training to a different institution and remain in the specialty?

Depends on the specialty but overall it is borderline impossible. This is primarily because your last year of pretty much any residency program is largely supervisory. No PD, who doesn't really know you, is going to let you wander in and supervise the interns/juniors. I know that the ABFM requires that you spend the last 2 years of your training in the same program. I don't know if other specialties have similar requirements (IM doesn't) but it's a virtual requirement.

 

[Smurfette]

Depends on the specialty but overall it is borderline impossible. This is primarily because your last year of pretty much any residency program is largely supervisory. No PD, who doesn't really know you, is going to let you wander in and supervise the interns/juniors. I know that the ABFM requires that you spend the last 2 years of your training in the same program. I don't know if other specialties have similar requirements (IM doesn't) but it's a virtual requirement.

Surgery also requires you spend your last two years at the same program in order to be board certified. I suspect most surgical subspecialties have a similar requirement, but do not know this for a fact.

 

[mlw03]

does anyone know anything about transferring in the final year of training to a different institution and remain in the specialty?

don't know about final year. do know somewho who transfered in as a pgy-3 to an AP/CP pathology residency (a four year residency). seems to have worked out fine for the resident and the program.

 

[45408]

bear in mind that derm is an advanced path, so it really starts at PGY2.

*a "D2" position a la CA-2

 

[dragonfly99]

There was someone from my med school who went from a prelim surgical position to a research year and then into derm at the same institution. And this wasn't a "crappy program" it was a very famous and well known place. But I'm assuming the person had a productive research year and did a ton of networking/sucking up as well. I'm sure the person had decent scores and grades, but I don't think was top of our class. But I agree this (switch from peds or IM to derm) is tough to do.

 

[pupster]

You'd need to see first if there is even an opening at the institution for a PGY-2 (first year) spot in dermatology.