Unfilled positions in surgery according to NRMP

[YoungestBrother]

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So I've been procrastinating by doing research on the Match, and have specifically been looking at surgery programs. I've noticed that, unlike other specialties, surgery tends to have significant numbers of PGY-1 spots that go unfilled. What gives? Doing a little digging reveals that almost all of the unfilled positions are preliminary spots and not categorical, but still, it's a bit surprising to me that there would be so many open spots. Can anyone shed some light on the logic of this for me?

 

[Mad Jack]

So I've been procrastinating by doing research on the Match, and have specifically been looking at surgery programs. I've noticed that, unlike other specialties, surgery tends to have significant numbers of PGY-1 spots that go unfilled. What gives? Doing a little digging reveals that almost all of the unfilled positions are preliminary spots and not categorical, but still, it's a bit surprising to me that there would be so many open spots. Can anyone shed some light on the logic of this for me?

Most of those programs are garbage roads to nowhere. They are a necessary evil though, due to the massive rate of attrition in GS compared to other specialties. A good one can be a decent shot at a categorical position down the road if you're a US grad, but a bad one will label you as damaged goods forever and waste a year of your life. Prelims should be your last of the last resorts.

 

[Winged Scapula]

RE: attrition rates

They are actually the highest in Psychiatry. GS attrition rates have been frequently cited to be so high, ignoring the fact that in the past, Ob-Gyn was included in the "Surgery" data. In addition, the oft quoted 20% is spread across the PGY1-5 years, not an annual rate.

GS attrition rates are about the same as Ob-Gyn (between 3-5% per year), Anesthesiology and Family Med. Psychiatry is about 8% per year.

Finally, in answer to the OP: the reason so many Prelim GS positions go unfilled during the match is that people just don't apply for them until they have to SOAP and it looks better than a year without a job.

 

[YoungestBrother]

Whoa. These are scarier answers than I had expected. Time to kick step 1 studying into higher gear.

 

[qwerty89]

Those psych numbers are probably inflated by the hoards of FMGs from India that go into psych as a backup to internal medicine. As soon as they see an exit...poof.