What's the difference btwn PGY1 and PGY2?
Started by maymee3
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PGY1 = intern/preliminary year. Some residencies (derm, rads, ophtho, gas, etc.) require a preliminary year prior to starting their residency. The PGY-2 year refers to the year after intern year and the year the student starts their categorical residency.
For example: Sue matches:
PGY-1- X Hospital Prelim Medicine
PGY-2- Y Hospital Anesthesiology
Transitional year is a PGY-1 year (intern year) but tends to be cushier than straight preliminary medicine or surgery years. You rotate through different specialties, like 3rd year of med school, and you tend to have more electives and less call. They're pretty competitive spots to get.
For example: Sue matches:
PGY-1- X Hospital Prelim Medicine
PGY-2- Y Hospital Anesthesiology
Transitional year is a PGY-1 year (intern year) but tends to be cushier than straight preliminary medicine or surgery years. You rotate through different specialties, like 3rd year of med school, and you tend to have more electives and less call. They're pretty competitive spots to get.
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No, in most cases it's a necessary thing. The only time it's a "bad" thing is if the student did not match to a PGY-2 spot.
Here's the way it works. If you are applying for an "advanced" residency (such as neuro, rads, anesthesiology, derm, optho, rad onc, PM&R), you have to also apply for a preliminary year (prelim or transitional) residency, generally in medicine or surgery. So someone who gets an advanced slot plus a prelim is a very good thing. Someone who just ends up with a prelim year probably didn't get what they wanted and is going to have to try their luck again later (to either turn the prelim path into a categorical one or to line up an advanced residency path). And in no case does it mean the person isn't ready for an actual first year of residency, it IS the actual first year of residency. It's the "intern" year, the year in which you learn how to be a generalist before you further specialize. It's not an optional thing or a remedial thing, it's your first year of residency.
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