Transferring from one EM residency to another

[skipsy]

Hi all, I would appreciate any input. My fiancé went to medical school in City A and matched to a great EM program in City B in March. Try as I (a non-medical person) might, I couldn't find a job in City B and ended up getting a fabulous job offer in City A. Does anyone have input in how he could/should approach trying to transfer to get back to City A? Any idea how the PD at his current program would react to him pursuing a transfer?

Thanks very much in advance.

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[Makati2008]

Hi all, I would appreciate any input. My fiancé went to medical school in City A and matched to a great EM program in City B in March. Try as I (a non-medical person) might, I couldn't find a job in City B and ended up getting a fabulous job offer in City A. Does anyone have input in how he could/should approach trying to transfer to get back to City A? Any idea how the PD at his current program would react to him pursuing a transfer?

Thanks very much in advance.

Personally I wouldn't ask my PD about a transfer for my Fiancé because relationships fail a lot in residency....is there no alternative job you can do for 32-33months.

Also no one know if the other program has space for an additional resident.

 

[witzelsucht]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you asked him about this, and he be all like "nah baby it ain't like that. im stuck in this bitch fo LYFE!" and you be like "naw baby with hope and prayer and determination, we CAN have it all!" and you ran to the internet to find answers because you're a strong, independent, woman who can solve anything with enough grit and perseverance, but the truth is, baby, it don't be like that... he stuck

 

[medicsb]

Hi all, I would appreciate any input. My fiancé went to medical school in City A and matched to a great EM program in City B in March. Try as I (a non-medical person) might, I couldn't find a job in City B and ended up getting a fabulous job offer in City A. Does anyone have input in how he could/should approach trying to transfer to get back to City A? Any idea how the PD at his current program would react to him pursuing a transfer?

Thanks very much in advance.

It is near impossible to transfer from one program to another as it is pretty rare for EM programs to have a resident drop out and even if one does, there can be enough of a difference between program that he would not be able to transfer. There is a resident in my program that "transferred" in, but really this person completed one year at another program and then reapplied to all the programs in my area to start at the PGY-1 level despite having already completed a year of residency. This, if he REALLY wants to do it, will likely be his best option. It may be worth it to just ride it out for residency, I also have a co-resident that has a significant other in another city (actually another country). They make it work.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you asked him about this, and he be all like "nah baby it ain't like that. im stuck in this bitch fo LYFE!" and you be like "naw baby with hope and prayer and determination, we CAN have it all!" and you ran to the internet to find answers because you're a strong, independent, woman who can solve anything with enough grit and perseverance, but the truth is, baby, it don't be like that... he stuck

Your condescending and sexist reply is gross, and even more vile for someone who is apparently a medical student.

 

[Apollyon]

I had a classmate transfer when we were interns. There was no problem. To say that it is "near impossible" is quite an overstatement. His wife had a big connection, and he went. Places can make it work.

 

[witzelsucht]

Your condescending and sexist reply is gross, and even more vile for someone who is apparently a medical student.

Honestly, its really cute that OP wants to "work" like a big girl, but residency is challenging enough for her hubby, she should really just be home in City B taking care of domestic responsibilities instead of trying to prove something that feminists have already accomplished decades ago.

 

[HoosierdaddyO]

I'm not gonna even touch this thread lol

 

[Makati2008]

Honestly, its really cute that OP wants to "work" like a big girl, but residency is challenging enough for her hubby, she should really just be home in City B taking care of domestic responsibilities instead of trying to prove something that feminists have already accomplished decades ago.

Please keep it professional.

 

[EMedGrrl]

Hi all, I would appreciate any input. My fiancé went to medical school in City A and matched to a great EM program in City B in March. Try as I (a non-medical person) might, I couldn't find a job in City B and ended up getting a fabulous job offer in City A. Does anyone have input in how he could/should approach trying to transfer to get back to City A? Any idea how the PD at his current program would react to him pursuing a transfer?

Thanks very much in advance.

Step 1: Go to current PD and explain the situation - "Really happy here, getting great training, but for family/personal reasons would like to consider moving to City A if an opportunity to do so arises." Presuming he's doing well in the current program, the PD wouldn't be excited about him transferring/leaving, but would probably be supportive given the circumstances.

Step 2: Email the PD(s) at whatever EM programs there are in City A and let them know that he is a) happy in his current EM training but b) for family/personal reasons would prefer to be in City A, and to please keep him in mind should a space become available in their program. It won't hurt (as long as you didn't skip step 1 - PDs talk to each other!), and if someone drops out and he is a good candidate, the program may be willing to reach out to him rather than sort through hundreds of applications to fill an open spot.

 

[gro2001]

Residents do drop out of EM programs. Maybe not with the same frequency as from general surgery, but it happens. Family stuff happens, illness happens. Sometimes people realize EM is not what they thought.

Make sure to check this site religiously:
http://www.saem.org/membership/services/residency-vacancy-service

Openings pop up every once in a while, but are usually gone pretty quickly.

 

[dotcb]

The easiest thing would be for you to continue to look for jobs in that city and transfer there when you are able to. You have to evaluate your relationship as well - are you willing to take a non-ideal job for awhile? How important is being geographically together?

Transferring residencies is very difficult, if not impossible.

One way is to call all the residencies in that area and see if there is an opening for transfer.

There is an official database for this purpose, although some residencies may not submit a vacancy to this website.
http://www.saem.org/membership/services/residency-vacancy-service

There is currently one listed opening in the country. I've known people who've transferred successfully, but it is not common.

 

[Apollyon]

The easiest thing would be for you to continue to look for jobs in that city and transfer there when you are able to. You have to evaluate your relationship as well - are you willing to take a non-ideal job for awhile? How important is being geographically together?

Transferring residencies is very difficult, if not impossible.

One way is to call all the residencies in that area and see if there is an opening for transfer.

There is an official database for this purpose, although some residencies may not submit a vacancy to this website.
http://www.saem.org/membership/services/residency-vacancy-service

There is currently one listed opening in the country. I've known people who've transferred successfully, but it is not common.

Dude, you contradict yourself. And maybe the guy I knew was just really slick, because it didn't seem so onerous - at ALL.

 

[gman33]

Much better chance of you finding a job in that city, then him finding an open residency spot.

The way he would go about it would be to look at all the programs in that geographic area, and see if anyone is dropping out.
It could happen, but not super likely.
There may be an opening somewhere else ( City C) that has an opening and you could find a job.

More likely is that you live apart for the 3 years and do the best you can.

 

[dotcb]

Dude, you contradict yourself. And maybe the guy I knew was just really slick, because it didn't seem so onerous - at ALL.

I'm not here to get into an online fight with you.

But when there is one residency vacancy spot available in the country, I would describe those odds as nearly impossible.

And when I say that I've known people who have transferred EM residencies, I know two people who have transferred in EM. This is uncommon.

 

[Apollyon]

I'm not here to get into an online fight with you.

But when there is one residency vacancy spot available in the country, I would describe those odds as nearly impossible.

And when I say that I've known people who have transferred EM residencies, I know two people who have transferred in EM. This is uncommon.

It's just words - "uncommon" and "very difficult, if not impossible" are quite different, in my mind, at least. I mean, you have 2, I have one, then there's that kid that Johnny Hopkins threw under the bus - he got a spot made for him at Ohio State - that's 4, and I, myself, am certainly outside the academic loop. I don't even know, but I would guess DOs matching ACGME with COMLEX only would be MUCH rarer, well-nigh impossible (but, then again, there are the York and Newark Beth dual-accredited, so whatever).

But, to suggest that someone disagreeing with you (and not even in a pugnacious or aggressive manner) is a "fight" reminds me of the shrill nurses that say that a doctor "screamed" at them when the doctor corrects the nurse. If your sensibilities are offended, I offer my apologies. I'll just avoid discussion with you (as I believe I generally have over the last 13 years).

 

[EctopicFetus]

Here is the issue. Residencies dont like holes. that would make it challenging for him to leavee. Problem 2 is that either he tacks on another year of training (starting as a pgy1) which is a 250k mistake and there may be some funding questions, or he has to get lucky that there is an opening in the city he is looking at which is pretty uncommon.

 

[wonderbread12]

there's that kid that Johnny Hopkins threw under the bus

what did hopkins do?

 

[pkwraith]

what did hopkins do?

Gratuitous work hour restriction violations and kicking out whistle blowers.

 

[Apollyon]

what did hopkins do?

Gratuitous work hour restriction violations and kicking out whistle blowers.

Yeah, the kid made "anonymous" reports, but JHU skylined him, and it wasn't "anonymous", and made his residency untenable. Then, OHSU made it right.

That is the official story, and it make sense to me. That the guy finished residency seems to add credence.

 

[wonderbread12]

Yeah, the kid made "anonymous" reports, but JHU skylined him, and it wasn't "anonymous", and made his residency untenable. Then, OHSU made it right.

That is the official story, and it make sense to me. That the guy finished residency seems to add credence.

Gratuitous work hour restriction violations and kicking out whistle blowers.

oh interesting, good on OHSU. how long ago did this happen?

 

[Apollyon]

oh interesting, good on OHSU. how long ago did this happen?

10 years, now, maybe?

 

[dozitgetchahi]

Much better chance of you finding a job in that city, then him finding an open residency spot.

The way he would go about it would be to look at all the programs in that geographic area, and see if anyone is dropping out.
It could happen, but not super likely.
There may be an opening somewhere else ( City C) that has an opening and you could find a job.

More likely is that you live apart for the 3 years and do the best you can.

Bingo.

My (soon to be ex-) wife and I went through this process when I started IM residency two years ago.

I match in city A, she's in city B with our kids and her family. She doesn't wanna move.

I head off to city A.

What ensued was a two year, knock-down drag out effort by her to get me to move back to city B. I tried to find spots in city B. They didn't exist. I asked my PD about it and he was like 'what?!'. There had been many residents with health issues and pregnancy leave and there was just no room to let anyone else go at the moment.

Wife didn't believe it. Endgame: divorce court.

All I can say to the OP is please don't take this out on your fiance...if he says he's stuck, he probably really is and no amount of strong-arming and gamesmanship on your part is going to get him unstuck. People cannot just bail out of residency...I think very few people in the real world grasp this. It's way easier for you to find a job there than it is for him to find another residency spot elsewhere, and that spot is likely to be of worse quality than what he's got (this could have big career implications down the road).

Either move there or learn to make a long-distance relationship work (ha!) for three years.

 

[goodoldalky]

Transfer, lol. In reality, you have two options, you get a job in City B, or go at it long distance for 3 years. Funding for residency spots is complex and a transfer is not going to happen. I'm just guessing that City A has a fixed number of EM residency programs and there's no open spots anyhow. Good luck.