What should I do when I don't match? I am applying ENT

[OrphanedDoc]

Who cares if you have reasons? (or more likely excuses as @Goro pointed out above). There’re are so many well qualified candidates, PDs don’t have to take chances with red flags. Do you know how many AOA, straight honors, 250+ scorers don’t match in highly competitive residencies like ENT, plastic surgery, neurosurgery, etc.?? It is not trivial

Well, then sir... I am at risk of being jobless and screwed. Life is tough and unfair, that is the way the cookie crumbles. All I can do is my best... I have done risk mitigation with this knowledge though so I feel my best foot is forward.

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[LeaveNoTrace]

Here's something...if you truly, genuinely have ADHD, get evaluated. PM me - I would honestly be willing to chip in on the cost of that. You've managed to overcome a lot of adversity and to get got by a lack of funds is sad. You might have a shot if you turned it around and started absolutely killing things...stellar step 2, stellar aways. Even then, apply to a backup. Neuro seems the least unrealistic of those backup plans, although I'd recommend community FM, IM, and EM programs unless you want to take the gamble of not matching at all. It's a bad gamble. As for ENT...ENT is a Hail Mary for sure. Better to set your sights on something more realistic. The B students don't usually go to Harvard unless Dad builds them a library there. Your dad can't build an ENT program a library. That's not saying that B students can't get into fine, reputable colleges - they can. Just not Harvard. Same for you: you can get into a residency, maybe a decent one, but ENT's unlikely. I'd recommend dual applying to ENT and neurology, with the understanding that you're most likely going to be in neuro.

Even general surgery may be a crapshoot at best unless you can get those Fs turned into Ps, then you've got a shot at that. Good luck - you'll need it.

 

[gyngyn]

Find what the bottom ENT program in the states is, or maybe abroad. Go there and tell them you're willing to do anything to get in. Also a couple of general surgery preliminary years may do the trick. Get a job as a surgical house officer at a large hospital and get to know the PD.

Residency abroad does not move the needle toward practicing in the US, sadly.
"Go there" and do what? Saying that you are willing to do anything doesn't give off an ethical vibe, I'm afraid.
Year of graduation is a common screen for PD's. A series of surg prelims is less helpful than a single year.
Where are there "surgical house officers" that are not part of a surgery program?

I do agree that applying primarily to some surg prelims (in addition to whatever field OP ultimately chooses) is a decent choice that also puts OP in position for advanced spots in more specialties.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Is OP competitive for surgery prelim years? There's a real risk with those red flags (clinical failure) that he is going to be looking at going unmatched...it's a different story if he has no failures. In that case it seems like he's got a shot. My school's dean told me that if you had red flags (any failures) you were looking at community IM, FM, and EM programs. Psych was out of the question; neuro was potentially in play as was peds. Anything else was charitably considered a crapshoot. Mid-tier US MD school. If OP's at Harvard that might move the needle a little.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Look, I am a practicing physician in Family Medicine for the past 16 years. I've done hospital medicine, rural and urban, including ICU, ER medicine, U/C and traditional out-patient from A-Z with OB and plenty of surgery. Let me make this easy for you. Get your MD and go on to Law School or Academia. Seeing patients for a living just gets worse year to year. Better yet, if at all possible, leave medicine all together and go do something else. It is absolutely not worth it. Anyone that tells you differently is at the very least masochistic and most definitely sadistic. Do yourself a favor and get out now, while you can. Because later is too late!

But if you insist, here's the plan. Find what the bottom ENT program in the states is, or maybe abroad. Go there and tell them you're willing to do anything to get in. Wait until someone drops out of the program come July or August and they are hurting for bodies and/or CGME money and see if you get lucky. Also a couple of general surgery preliminary years may do the trick. Get a job as a surgical house officer at a large hospital and get to know the PD. That's all I got for you, man. Good luck.

It's sad that your experience has been poor. I love being a physician. I've done primary care, and hospital medicine. It can be a great career. Many people really enjoy it. Law school is a complicated mess -- there are plenty of similar discussion boards documenting the issues there.

Already mentioned above, but this advice for ENT isn't feasible IMHO. Training abroad is fine if you want to practice abroad, it's of zero value here in the US. If someone drops out of an ENT program, there are plenty of people waiting to take their spot (often those in a surgical prelim). Prelim years can be a springboard to more -- but much depends on where the prelim is done, and how lucky you are. I've seen plenty of people who do a prelim (or more) and never get the spot they are looking for.

 

[gyngyn]

I love being a physician.

Me too. It's been awesome.

 

[operaman]

It's sad that your experience has been poor. I love being a physician. I've done primary care, and hospital medicine. It can be a great career. Many people really enjoy it. Law school is a complicated mess -- there are plenty of similar discussion boards documenting the issues there.

Already mentioned above, but this advice for ENT isn't feasible IMHO. Training abroad is fine if you want to practice abroad, it's of zero value here in the US. If someone drops out of an ENT program, there are plenty of people waiting to take their spot (often those in a surgical prelim). Prelim years can be a springboard to more -- but much depends on where the prelim is done, and how lucky you are. I've seen plenty of people who do a prelim (or more) and never get the spot they are looking for.

Oh yeah not just people waiting, but ridiculously qualified people. One of our top students failed to match recently. 265 S1, 270 S2, straight honors, junior AOA. Struggled to get a research year due to so many other similarly qualified unmatched applicants applying, but we were able to pull strings and get them a good one. Thankfully they matched next cycle, but it was tough.

If any spot opened up suddenly even at the bottom basement program, there are plenty of similar applicants who would be willing to jump in and take it in a heartbeat.

 

[OrphanedDoc]

Update:

Everything is set in stone. No further failures or anything! I met with PD he says if I want it I should apply and see what is feasible (I.e research year). I won’t be doing it, I was essentially offered a funded research year but declined as a year just not to match didn’t make sense. He thinks my confidence being gone will be troublesome but I worked a little before med school and usually do well in interviews (didn’t get waitlisted anywhere for med school after interview). If I’m not overestimating my social skills it’s more likely I go without interviews than interviewing at an adequate amount of programs and not matching. He seemed to liked my reasons and motivation. I talked with a few anesthesia PDs they said I have a good chance just have TYs as a back up given the trend.

Narrative came out as good as I could have hoped highlighting my strengths no red flags that I could identify but they left out the “performed as an intern comments” which I heard is helpful so maybe I’ll ask if they can include. I talked with my dean and he said they’d be willing to help with the clerkship performance by adding “context” in the narrative. No idea what that’ll entail.

I almost couldn’t pay tuition for my school (lost my plus loans) but they arranged a loan for me so now I’m not as stressed I’m honestly glad to be a doctor at the minimum. I just loved a lot of the ENT stuff since before medical school without knowing how competitive it was.

I saw a few good applicants (my friends) go unmatched so I’m applying to 10 regional spots to reduce the risk as I have relatively low risk tolerance. I’m getting letters together so I can get one away. I am also doing an away in anesthesia so they can see I’m a normal person on that end and I’m only applying to low cost of living areas to avoid a repeat crisis I don’t generally get stressed but the risk of losing everything I feel is what did it for me. Home program is supportive so I can’t complain but my home program is reallly good so if it’s my only interview I know to focus on the back up and soap. I figured since all interviews come on the same day I won’t have to scramble (4 months of prep) if I use this years soap data.

I’m prepared to soap a TY if things don’t go well.