is too late to switch to ortho?

Hello,

I am a 4th year medical student, and I have already applied to Radiology, and I'm currently doing a rotation in radiology, and not liking it very much. Primarily because it seems most of the stuff they read is very repetitive, and lacking challenge. Furthermore, it sometimes seems like all their work is inconsequential since it most clinicians, especially surgeons, can look at the study and figure out what the diagnosis is by themselves. I also realized, that as much as I'd want to, I cannot sit in front of a computer screen all day. I'm a definitely more of a doer, than a thinker.

I really miss my surgery rotation. I really enjoyed the OR. When there was some down time, I'd scrub in some ortho/neurosurgery cases, and I really liked a lot of the ortho cases..

Is it too late to start applying for ortho programs? I haven't done any rotations in ortho, and haven't worked with a single orthopedic surgeon for long enough to ask for a letter. At this point, what are my options? What would be the best thing to do?

Thanks in advance for the advice

My Step 1 score is around 250, and I have a small publication in Radiology, and some research experience (no pubs) in General Surgery. I have strong letters from a general surgeon, radiologist (chair), and an dermatologist (chair) all saying i'll be a good resident in radiology.

I guess anything's possible, but if you really want to do ortho you'll probably have to wait a year. Since it sounds like you haven't done any sort of ortho rotation, have no ortho letters, etc. it will be impossible to put together an application that will match the other 1000 people applying for ortho who wanted to do it earlier. So I guess you really have to look at what you want to do and if it's really not radiology, your best bet is to end your 4th year right now, do research, work, etc for the rest of this academic year, and then apply to what you really want to go into as a 4th/5th year med student next year. Even with your unusual story, good step I, etc., it seems you always have a better shot applying as a 4th year than as someone who already graduated from med school. Good luck with figuring out what you want to do and although it might be hard now, you're better figuring it out now than in 10 years when you hate your job.

You may like radiology when you are doing more interventional stuff instead of just sitting down reading plain films.

You may like radiology when you are doing more interventional stuff instead of just sitting down reading plain films.

Indeed, I spent the day in interventional today. I admit, they do some exciting stuff. Unfortunately most of their interesting cases are being taken by other specialities (angioplasty by vascular surgery/cardiology, verteboplasty by you guys, uterine artery embolizations by gyn) and who can blame them, why refer a patient to someone when you can do the procedure yourself?

and i don't want to drain abscesses all day

go for it. You have a step 1 score that will get you interviews. Start talking to an ortho attending and some residents now. Let them know your situation and your short time table and ask them what you would have to do for them to be comfortable writing you a letter of rec. I think that a powerful letter can come from chief residents that is signed off on by the program director or the chair of the department (I had a letter like that). Write a brief, to the point, personal statement describing your situation and hope for the best. If you get interviews, you have a chance to explain yourself and set yourself apart from the others. It isn't all about doing rotation after rotation in ortho. The bottom line is that the match can basically come down to a crap shoot. Some people match with less than perfect applications. Some people are passed by with stellar credentials. Your scores and the fact that you have a publication and are working further in that manner will get your foot in the door. You will get at least a few interviews. And remember, it only takes 1 interview at the right program to match. Don't give up.