Transitional/ Prelim. advice for PGY2-4 EM programs

[Purulent DC]

I have plenty of interviews including four at PGY2-4 programs (Jacobi, USC, Kern, Cook County). I haven't yet applied to any transitional or prelim. positions. Since I'm planning to interview at least 2 of these PGY2-4 positions, I now have to apply to some PGY1 spots. I'm looking for advice on the following:

-It seems a little late to apply to transitional programs, no? Will it just be a waste of money to ERAS?

-Should I just wait 'til match day to see if I get a spot at a PGY2-4 EM program only then scramble at a nearby prelim med. (or even prelim. surg. position?)

-Wouldn't it be advantageous to do a prelim. year at the same institution where the EM Residency is going to take place, even if it's a "dreaded" surg. prelim. spot? The experience would seem likely to place me ahead of the curve in terms of knowing the consultants, the hospital quirks, etc., plus I wouldn't have to move again.

- Any prelim. surg. spots out there where you get to do more than pre-op/post-op scut?

Thanks for the help.

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[jazz]

i don't think it's too late. i think a lot of prelim programs offer interviews late. however, it may be too late for the real cush prelim/trans year programs.

i'm not sure about the scramble idea. take a look at last year's unfilled list -- "the scramble list" see if there were any free prelim spots in the areas you applied to -- it may not be as easy as you think.

again, it depends on what you want from the first year. one resident told me he did a real cushy prelim year b/c he knew that his pgy-2,em-1 year at jacobi was going to be so hard and he didn't want to be burnt out by the time he started em. i know both gw and bu offer guaranteed prelim spots if you want them and match with them. bu's prelim is pretty rough. see, the problem is this. em is funded for 3 years. thus, most 2-4 want the additional year of training but don't want to pay for it. that's why there are so few 1-4 programs -- the residency sucks up the extra year of cost. thus, if you do the prelim year at the 2-4 hospital, likely, it's a county hospital/low funded hospital etc... thus translating into a somewhat malignant pgy-1 year. i don't think the learning curve is that high -- it takes about a week to figure out admissions, names of docs, etc. one way you can not move before is to only apply to prelim years at where you go to med school. live an extra year there, then move for your 2-4 em residency.

no idea about point number 4. didn't look at any prelim surg spots. my friend who did a prelim surg spot never got to go to the or -- that was the policy. prelims didn't go to the or. how much does that suck? pure scut

 

[limabean]

A lot of the deadlines are on Dec. 1st so check around. It is not too late but it could be a waste a timeand money if you don't think that you'll end up ranking it very high. Some of the programs(GW and Cook County) will automatically set it up for you to interview at their preliminary without doing ERAS(for Cook County make sure you verify this-although they have in their email to apply to ERAS for their prelim they told me that this is the last year they would forward our application when I asked..saved me 60 bucks.)My strategy is just to do those two since most of my top choices are 1-3, but if you are really thinking that they will be in your top five, I would consider applying to more up front....I would also at least apply to your home school because if nothing else it will save you from moving twice.
-limabean