What Are the Perks for Graduating Early from Medical School?

[medsRus]

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Aside from being called "doctor" earlier, what are the perks for getting my MD half a year before residency starts (like the preceding December)? What can I do? Research? Jobs? Anything special (i.e. programs)? Thanks! 🙂

 

[Blade28]

Why would you be graduating half a year early?

Or is it half a year late?

 

[medsRus]

Ok, it doesn't really matter a half a year "early" or "late".

Simply put, with neither a license nor post-graduate training, what can a recent MD grad do?

 

[minstral]

get a low stress job and enjoy the extra money...
possibly as a medical office assistant if you wanna stay in the game.

you can also do research. good start for your fellowship resume.

 

[Blade28]

Ok, it doesn't really matter a half a year "early" or "late".

Simply put, with neither a license nor post-graduate training, what can a recent MD grad do?

Relax?
Research?
Volunteer?
Learn a foreign language?
Travel?
Reconnect with friends/family?
Certification classes if not offered by your residency program (e.g. BLS/ACLS)?
Study for Step 3?

Don't forget it's going to be your last long stretch of free time for a while, so I'd enjoy it as much as possible!

 

[Winged Scapula]

Lay around on your parent's couch and sponge off them for a few months (its what I did).😀

 

[Blade28]

Lay around on your parent's couch and sponge off them for a few months (its what I did).😀

Nice! 🙂

 

[yaah]

Not pay tuition? That would be a big perk.

Technically, if you graduate before the match, I believe that makes you eligible to take a spot outside of the match. I don't know the exact timeline though.

 

[medsRus]

How can I match outside the normal match timeframe? Thanks!🙂

 

[Winged Scapula]

How can I match outside the normal match timeframe? Thanks!🙂

You ask individual programs if they offer alternative start dates. The match run by the NRMP only runs once a year so you would have to arrange a different start date with the programs, not with the match program.

Programs that do such generally allow you to start in January or July. For a January start, you would need to have your diploma, etc. already before your official start date (ie, you can't graduate December 31 and expect to start January 1).

 

[medsRus]

Thanks for the info. Are there any programs known to take people outside the match usual date? 😀

 

[Winged Scapula]

Thanks for the info. Are there any programs known to take people outside the match usual date? 😀

Lots of them...you can check on FREIDA...it lists start dates and whether or not the program offers alternative ones.

 

[Blade28]

Thanks for the info. Are there any programs known to take people outside the match usual date? 😀

Have you graduated already, or are you planning for the future?

What year are you in?

 

[medsRus]

Planning for the future.

 

[yippyskippy]

does your school offer a winter graduation? at ours, they only have one graduation time a year -- so if you finish early, you are done but have not graduated. which is kind of a bummer.

 

[medsRus]

does your school offer a winter graduation? at ours, they only have one graduation time a year -- so if you finish early, you are done but have not graduated. which is kind of a bummer.

Exactly, we have a winter graduation. Still don't know what I can do... Any guidance would be appreciated... Thanks!😉

 

[NotAProgDirector]

You really have to ask around. My program does not offer off cycle starts in general. However, if I happen to have an opening, I'll happily put an off cycle person into it. You'd only know by asking.

When I have an off cycle spot, after I interview someone if I'm interested in having them in my program AND if it wouldn't be a match violation to take them, I'll offer them an early start.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Just curious APD...

if a candidate graduates before Match Day (or closure of applications to NRMP), is he no longer considered an American Allopathic medical student but could rather be considered an independent applicant and therefore available to sign outside of the match?

Could an applicant in the OP's situation register for the match, make it known that he could start in January, and then drop out of the match once graduated and take a contract offered outside of the match?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Well, the NRMP puts it this way:

A U.S. senior is a fourth-year medical student in an LCME-accredited U.S. allopathic school of medicine. A student with a graduation date after July 1 in the year before the match is considered a U.S. senior. U.S. seniors are sponsored by their medical schools in the NRMP Main Residency Match. Information about the results of the Match is sent to the U.S. senior's school of medicine.

If a senior student is withdrawn from the Matching Program because he/she will be ineligible to enter graduate medical education on July 1 in the year of the Match, the student may accept a position outside the Matching Program provided training will begin no later than February 1 in the year following the Match; however, if the student elects to participate in the Match, he/she will be a sponsored applicant.

I find this incredibly confusing. But, here's what I think it means:

The first paragraph suggests that, for this year's match (2008), the definition of a US senior would be anyone with a graduation date after July 1, 2007. Therefore, someone graduating in December would still be required to be part of the match.

However, the second paragraph suggests that if you register for the match and then are withdrawn because you graduate after July 1st, then you can sign outside the match as long as you would start work prior to Feb 2009. This is very confusing, because it suggests that if you are already a few months off-cycle prior to starting your fourth year (i.e. you will graduate in August) then you'd be stuck not participating in the 2008 match and be forced to wait for the 2009 match. However, if you thought you would graduate on time and then something happens and graduation is delayed, then you can sign outside the match. Or, I guess if you know you are off cycle you could register for the match (pointless), get withdrawn, and then fit this rule. This makes no sense to me.

I should probably call them and clarify next week.

 

[billbob]

This happened to me. I took a semester off between 2nd and 3rd year for a family illness, started third year in Dec and graduated this Dec. I will begin residency in July of this year.

At the time, it was a tough decision to make, however, it turned out to be the BEST decision I have ever made in my life and, looking back, I can't imagine applying to residency on the regular track.

If you plot out your semesters, you will see that I had a full semester of fourth year BEFORE the application process began in July/Aug. That meant that I had more than enough elective time to explore subspecialties that I would not have had the elective time to explore. I also was able to set up my subI and other electives in order to have the strongest letters of rec that I could find. I ended up going for a competitive subspecialty that I would have never DREAMED of applying for three years previously. I took two weeks of it becasue I had no exposure to it in med school, fell in love with it, took a month elective in it, got a strong letter and applied.

I also decided to back up with another specialty, if I did not get in. As a result I did twice as much as any other applicant. I got 7 letters of rec total, wrote 2 PS, interviewed at 30 places! (1/2 one spec, 1/2 another, + a few prlims) I would never have been able to pull this off on the regular track.

So, it is my opinion that if you are not sure as to what you want to go into, it is a great decision to get off track and give yourself more time and opportunity. I could have done a bunch of research as well. In addition, I was NOT a strong applicant coming out of 2nd year, but I took step 2 super early (at the end of MY 3rd year, in Dec) got a strong grade, took CS, got double the clinical evals of other applicants, and in the end I matched at my first choice in the competitive specialty. I got 12 interviews in that field.

I spent all of this dec and jan traveling, no worries about days off (I took dec off so i actually ended in nov).

I WAS offered by my home school to start my prelim year early, but i had such a packed interview schedule into Jan, I did not want to do that.

I honestly have not had alot of down time, but starting next week, i have nothing to do until the end of June, (some prelim programs I applied to start June 15) so I am looking into international work.

I must add, however, that it is awkward not walking with your class. I graduated in Dec, and it was so anticlimactic, no ceremony, no party, nothin. But I will walk in May- with another class. all of my friend's are interns now, that is sorta weird, but I would never change my decision. Taking time off certainly set my career up well for the rest of my life.

good luck.