your detailed feedback from SNM meet will be really helpful for people like me who wish to enter NM.
i have a NM residency offer outside the match for 2011. i am an IMG with good profile (96/96 and good experience) but i am worried bcoz of reducing match ratio for IMGs and IM becoming more competitive. if i refuse the NM offer now and wait till match and do not get IM also, it will be a bad position. how about accepting NM for now so as to have something on hand, and pursue IM afterward.
i read about some funding issues for second residency. is it true that doing a 2nd residency after NM will be more difficult?
how about doing NM residency on J1 visa? should it be acceptable?
i need your help and suggestions guys... thanks.
Do you really like NM? or you just want to get into any residency?.
In order to get into NM you need 1 year of clinical residency (PEDS,SURG,IM) and you will need to do 3 years in NM.
If you are on a J1 or you are planning to do so, my recommendation is not to get into NM. This is my case, so unfortunately I know all the cons. If get a J1 you will have a total of 7 years to finish your training, you cannot switch between specialties after the second year of training without the authorization of the DOS (Dept of State), meaning that it's possible but risky.
You need 1 year preliminary/transitional to get into NM + 3 years of NM +1 year of PET/CT fellowship (not required but in my opinion is a MUST), so at the end of your NM training you will have 2 years left in your J1, meaning you will not have enough years left to do a second residency. If the job crisis in NM does not improve, you will be heading back to your home country after the residency.
If you don't get into fellowship, you will have 3 years in your J1, so you can get into a second residency (IM,FM, ER, PM&R, PEDS, etc...). I am not aware if it's easier or not to get into a second residency after NM. I know someone who was on a J1, did IM and then RADs, but he was unable to do RADs fellowship because of the 7 years limit in the J1.
If this is the path that you want to take, do the opposite, get into IM,FM etc... and then decide about NM.
If your passion is NM, go ahead, get into residency and join us, but be aware that you cannot collect unemployment with a J1 (
).
You have good scores, you will probably get a spot in FM or IM.
Starting NM and then switching, will not be good for your CV. People will see you as an unstable person. To me that's BS, but this is the way it is.
The 2011 match is not around the corner yet, so you can work to get a spot in IM or FP. Look for Hospitals in
small cities, email the programs and try to do as many observerships as you can. Financially is an investment, all the adventure is an investment, USMLE, visa, etc..., so don't worry about money now, just keep going.
Please do not ignore the job crisis in NM. To get a good idea, just email the residents from the top programs and ask them if they are getting jobs or not.
I will be posting pictures of the JOB CENTER stand at the SNM, that will scare you. There were no jobs postings for NM physicians, just hundreds of RESUMES looking for jobs, people with 10-15 years experience in NM posting nicely organized resumes in plastic folders. TOTALLY DEPRESSING!!
Good Luck!