Tricky Transfer Question

[JohnnyD]

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Hello,

I have a somewhat complicated issue that's come up for me and wanted to just see what others had to say.

I am a PGY1 at a US program. I am originally from Canada but have done all of my school in the US. I had thought seriously about going back to Toronto (my hometown) for residency and entered both the Canadian and US matches. However I only applied to one program in Canada, at University of Toronto (because my family is there). To make a long story short, I really liked Toronto's program, but the timing of the matches was such that the US one took place two days before the Canadian one. If one matches in the US match, you are automaticlly withdrawn from the Canadian one. This is what happened to me so I never got a chance to see if I would have matched to Toronto.

Fast forwarding to the present now. I have been in touch with the Toronto program and they told me they would have taken me if I had not been withdrawn. About 6 weeks ago, the program director told me that that in what is apparently a rare event, the program had extra funding and would be able to fund an extra spot. The director has offered me the opportunity to join the program. The slight twist is that he really wants me to start in January to make the transition smoother and because the structure of my current program and the Toronto program begin to differ at that point in time.

I am very excited and thankful that this opportunity has presented itself as I have been away from home for so long and have wanted to return for some time but circumstances have not allowed it. However, I know it is a bit odd to want to leave mid year from my program. Some people have told me I need to do this for me and that a fairly large program like mine can deal with this type of scheduling change, as when someone takes maternity leave. On the other hand I don't want to do something unprofessional or unethical by leaving mid year. I know in the end I am free to do what I choose but I would love to hear people's thoughts on this and also if anyone has heard of a situation of someone leaving not at the end of an academic year. Thanks so much and look forward to reading your thoughts.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

This all seems like a great opportunity for you. I would suggest openly and honestly presenting your situation to a trusted faculty member at your current program. Let them help you navigate the department and decide how to make it work. Is there someone at your program you consider a mentor or someone that you just happen to click with?? They can tell you how to present the situation to the PD or chairperson in the most favorable light for yourself. Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[Blade28]

Is there a faculty mentor or advisor you can talk to at your current program? If you truly want to move back home to Toronto and the program director there is, in essence, offering you a job, then you should probably communicate this with your program.

Are your future plans to stay in Canada, or return to the US?

 

[JohnnyD]

Thanks for the reply...I am only in my second month and still meeting faculty so don't really have a mentor but there are a couple of young attendings I have worked with this month who are recent grads from the program so perhaps one of them might be a good choice. Any other thoughts from you or anyone else out there would be very appreciated. Will keep you posted (probably nothing will happen for the next couple of weeks though).

And thanks to Blade28 too. I am actually waiting to hear if this offer is official and in writing before talking to anyone at my program. I am a little anxious about that potential discussion but perhaps finding another faculty to discuss with before talking to my director would be beneficial.
Thanks again.

 

[Winged Scapula]

People leave programs mid-stream quite often when finishing won't help them (ie, the Prelim who gets a Categorical position which requires them to repeat the Prelim/intern year) but I do understand your concerns about leaving your program in a lurch.

But this is your life and your career, and if this is a genuine offer and you really want to take it, you don't have much choice but to do so. Obviously you want to be as honest and open with your program as to not burn any bridges...you never know when you might need their help in the future.

 

[jennyboo]

If you get a job offer in writing and have a signed contract, I think you are home free and in safe territory. There isn't really anything your current program can do to prevent you from resigning. I think they will have to simply let you go and deal with it.

If you have definitely decided to leave your current program, the program directors will be happier knowing sooner rather than later. This gives them time to rearrange the scheduling assignments, and to interview candidates for an outside-the-match position if they need to.

A friend of mine was very open with our program director last year about interviewing for outside-the-match positions in another specialty. She was honest and open about the interviewing even though she hadn't received an offer yet, and kept the lines of communication open with our PD and kept him updated the whole time. Yes, this did get sticky and he had to start interviewing people for a possible open position even though she had no plans yet. However, she risked being out of a job in order to do this, because with no certainty that she was going to stay the PD had to interview people to fill a potential opening, and eventually he made an offer to someone else. But the open communication was still appreciated by both of them and things worked out in the end (he hired someone else, she got a job also).

Most people won't tell their PD they're thinking of leaving until after they have a firm contract. I think that's smart and a reasonable thing to do. But you shouldn't be afraid to let him/her know you plan to leave if you've decided firmly to do so, and this is not something you should need to ask permission for.

When you tell your fellow residents is also something to consider. I personally probably wouldn't mention it until Nov/Dec, just because if people know you're leaving long before you actually do, I think they feel less obligated to invest in a good relationship with you.

 

[snoopy brown]

The bottom line is to not say anything to anyone until you have actually signed the contract and have it signed by the Canadian institution and have a copy in hand. There is nothing binding or final until that point. You could sign it and send it back and they could rip it up. Since they have not signed it there is no contract because there is no agreement between parties. Once you have signed it you only need to determine how much courtesy you wish to extend to your current program. Technically you could be as cold as to just not show up to work the next day. Many people would say that is very unprofessional but then again I've seen programs be very unprofessional to residents, so it is purely up to you. If you feel your program warrants it, give them as much notice as possible. However, realize that your current program director is powerless to stop the move once you have signed the contract. You are merely being courteous in telling him in advance and don't need him to advocate for you since you are not seeking the position but have it already in hand. It is not unethical to leave a program mid-year and anyone who tells you that it is has an agenda behind their words, including anyone on SDN.

 

[Blade28]

I think you're also switching for a good reason - it's not like you're bailing on your current program because of one bad rotation, or one mean attending.

 

[JohnnyD]

I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to respond. It's given me some comfort knowing that most people feel that this is the right thing to do if it is what I want. I also appreciated the thoughts on talking to another faculty member before approaching the program director. One other sub-question I had was regarding actually telling my pd. Do you think it would be better to just straight up say I have this opportunity and then give all the background story, or rather to lead into it with the whole background story about the match etc. My problem with option 2 is that the pd will know as soon as I start on this long convoluted story where it is going. I know this is a minor question in the grand scheme of things but any thoughts again would be appreciated. Thanks again.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Eh, probably doesn't matter either way.

I would simply tell him that you had hoped to match closer to home and while your current program has been great, it is not meeting your personal needs (or some such thing) and you have an opportunity for a position closer to your family.

Allow him to ask questions about how much he wants/needs to know. A long convoluted story isn't necessary, even if its true.