Author
Comment
dr bones
Local user
(6/4/00 7:47:34 am)
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Safety plan for applying to residencies?
I am almost a fourth year med student (solid candidate) who will be applying for ortho residencies in the fall. I
was wondering if it is a good idea or not to apply to a couple general surgery spots as a safety net. I guess
what I really need to know is do programs know where else you are applying to and if so what specialty they
are in? I don't want to explain at my interview to the general surgery guys that I am only applying to their
program as a way to avoid scrambling.
Kent
Unregistered User
(6/4/00 2:25:08 pm)
Reply
Backup, dammit, I need backup!
I don't believe that any particular program knows which fields you've applied to or where. You will, however,
probably get the question, "So, where else have you applied and where have you interviewed?". I know some
of my classmates applied in three rather disparate areas and allowed the match to decide what they would be
doing (none were interested in orthopaedics). My personal opinion is that if they find oout you applied in three
seemingly unrelated areas, then you're obviously not sure what you want to do. But when talking about
orthopaedics, you NEED to have a back-up plan waiting. What you've proposed sounds okay but you might get
those probing questions. You mustn't let on that general surgery is only some sort of backup, because this
conveys a lack of committment. If you're going into a 5-year (or longer) general surgery program, you better
be hell bent for leather about it. I think a better plan is two build the strongest orthopaedics application you
can, apply wisely and in sufficient quantity (but don't do a hundred programs like some of the idiots last year.
It's self-defeating, unless your application is weak, because it clogs up the system, programs start using even
more ridiculous weed-out protocols and the nasty cycle continues), do away rotations (and work very hard) at
the two places you would rally like to go, get the top grades in your orthopaedic electives AND the other
required rotations (even if you'd never consider something like OB/Gyn in a million years). It shows that you
are a hard worker, even in things that probably don't interest you. Get yourself known as a "team player", but
avoid being an ass-kisser. If your Step I was good, then don't worry. If it wasn't, study and make a stellar
score on Step II (and do it early enough so the programs can see that awesome score). Try to get some
orthopaedic research experience (and make it something long-term, not the four-week "gettin' articles at the
library" crap that people try to claim as research). If you've got a good application, you'll get interviews. Then
it's all about fit, my friend. Programs will pick residents that fit, even that the best-fitting guy wasn't AOA or
240 on the boards. There are a lot of good guys and gals with outstanding credentials, but there 's probably
more @#%$s that nobody could stand for five years. We've all heard the anectodal stories about the
superstar that got 30 interviews and then didn't match or match at their last choick) and the good, but not
standout, candidate that got a handful of interviews and then got their top choice. It's FIT! Okay, now back
to your backup plan. I'd personally recommend going all out in orthopaedics and forget interviewing for general
surgery (do you really want to do that stuff?). As your backup plan, consider some preliminary surgery
programs. There are lots of 'em, everybody is looking for labor, and you can apply again for orthopaedics
(granted it's a little harder time-wise). Contact the program directors at the programs near you and be
honest.....tell them you're applying for orthopaedics, but would be interested in doing a year of preliminary
surgery is things don't work out. Do it early and keep in contact with these people. If the future is looking
bleak come early March, express your interest again. Don't wait until the Match results to make these
contacts because you'll be competing with all the other unlucky souls. You want to be fresh in their mind for
the Scramble, so that when you don't match you can call them and say, "I'm so-and-so and I didn't match in
orthopaedics. But we've already talked several months ago about me doing a year of preliminary surgery if the
match didn't work out. I'd like to be strongly considered for one of those spots now." The answer's gonna be
"Yes".
John Brown
Unregistered User
(6/5/00 4:39:40 am)
Reply
back up
I think preliminary surgery programs are an excellent back up plan. I once considered applying to general
surgery but nah...I'm 100% ortho, and there's no turning back.
Kent
Unregistered User
(6/5/00 11:24:28 am)
Reply
Preliminary Surgery backup plan
I ran into several guys out on the interview trail who were using this plan. Now, it was a real nut-buster in
terms of time and hassle to be a surgery intern and trying to do interviews at the same time (most commented
that they had to do things like q2 call for a few weeks to make up the lost time). But somethimes you gotta
do what you gotta do. And if it gets you into your choice field, you'll quickly forget how bad those times were.
Generally, the people who have a year of general surgery and make it into ortho on a second or third try don't
repeat the intern year. They'll usually do a year of research instead. Even when they do have to repeat the
first year (God forbid), it sucks but they look like superstars and get to do so much more. Remember, they've
got a year's experience and you're the dumb intern. And since everybody has to be whipping boy or girl for
general surgery if you're going into a surgical specialty, you don't lose as much time as you might think if
you've gotta go the prelim year route.
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