What if I changed my mind on residency ...

[randomerasquestion]

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I am at the tail end of the radiology and prelim interview trail, have interviewed at countless programs with thousands invested, and am beginning to doubt my residency choice. I think I might be a better fit for Internal Medicine after all, and I believe I let one bad experience push me toward a specialty I am not as passionate about. I understand that around this time many people start to have doubts (when all of their work is coming to fruition) but if I actually decide I want to pursue IM, what is my best option? Should I still rank residency programs? Should I do a prelim year at a no-name hospital and apply next year? Should I defer the match, find a research gig, and apply again in the Fall of next year? Has anyone else gone through this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

There are several options:

1. Match to Prelim IM and Rads. See how things go. You can resign your Rads spot and get an automatic match waiver if you declare that you've had a change of heart about Rads and no longer want it, and request the waiver before Jan 15th of your PGY-1 year. You might decide to continue in Rads if IM isn't what you hoped. Your PD will then help you find a PGY-2 year -- perhaps staying at the same program if they have an opening, or looking for an opening elsewhere.

2. Match to Prelim IM only, don't list any Rads programs. Same plan as above -- need to find an IM PGY-2.

3. Contact some of the prelim programs with whom you have interviewed. Maybe they will consider you for a categorical position? They have already met you. Perhaps they will just video chat with you. You should assume that if you do this, the Rads program at that institution will drop you.

4. Take a year, sort it out.

 

[gutonc]

As usual once aPD steps in...

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[evilbooyaa]

I think the best option out of aPD's choices is #1 for sure. Give yourself 6 months in the trenches to decide if it's really for you. If it is then you can jump ships. Despite your feelings now, I wouldn't jump ship without having lived the life of an IM intern. There had to be some reason you liked Radiology initially, right?

 

[Sightless]

I empathize. I'm six months into my first year of Radiology and still miss clinical medicine sometimes. I'm honestly still debating switching, and it would've been simpler if I had done it during my PGY-1 year. I agree with the above sentiment of at least doing the first few months of medicine before deciding if it's truly for you, because intern year can be eye-opening, and not all of medicine is pretty, as you probably know.

 

[byaaaaaaah23]

Kind of having similar doubts myself although I think part of it is being jealous that all my IM friends are essentially done interviewing while us advanced program people still have many (if not most) interviews coming up, plus the annoyance of interviewing for prelim in addition to what we are actually going into. At least for me it's taking a huge toll. But I think option #1 is the best bet as others have stated as we are unlikely to be in a competitive position for IM programs just given the timing.

 

[Lemart]

WOW. I wish I could do the opposite. Im going into IM and think I might want to switch to rads

 

[J ROD]

I could not imagine doing medicine everyday.........