Hey guys,
Unfortunately I came up short in the match this year and I am looking for some advice on how to proceed next. I know my prognosis is poor, but I feel ortho is my calling and I really owe it to myself to try again next year. I was planning on entering a traditional internship, but I'm not sure what to do after that. Do people typically reapply with the 4th years or do they try to slide into a PGY2 spot? If anyone out there has been through this or can put me in touch with someone who has, I would appreciate a PM. I am pretty bummed right now, so any success story, even if anecdotal, would really be welcomed.
Just quickly about me: I had board scores in the top 3%, non-ortho research, publications/posters, good grades, and solid letters; overall I thought a pretty solid application. I feel I am a nice guy, with no glaring social deficiencies, who works hard. I think I just had some bad luck in this crazy game of musical chairs.
1) Do a traditional rotating internship/transitional year at the program that you thought you had the best chance at. Hope to match as a PGY1 the next year or even better yet, someone drops out and you slide in as a PGY2.
2) Do a prelim surgery internship at a well respected academic institution, let them know you're interested in ortho so you can do some ortho electives. Get some great letters of recs from there and then you can reapply next year with better LORs. This will most likely be at an MD institution, so you could potentially slide into an MD PGY2 spot (if you took USMLE).
3) Do a research ortho year to get some good LORs and a lot of publications. Reapply to DO > MD programs next year.
4) Not sure if they exist anymore, but you could reapply for some of the ortho programs that don't take categorical "ortho" interns...so you could apply for a PGY2 spot. Not entirely sure about this option though, if it is possible.
You could call the programs that you thought you had a great shot at and ask them what your deficiencies were and any other comments.
The problem is, if you didn't match at a DO program, it'll be very hard (nearly impossible) to later match into an MD program. And, DO programs heavily rely on first hand experience with potential residents (sub-i, internship, etc at the institution).
thanks cuddlepuppy. I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say "if you didn't match at a DO program, it'll be very hard (nearly impossible) to later match into an MD program" could you clarify? Did you know anyone personally that went through any one those routes?
Oh, one other thing. Do DOs slide into MD PGY2 spots? I didnt even think of that as an option. I did take USMLE and did well on it ( 240+)
i guess i was saying that a DO has a much GREATER chance of getting into a DO ortho program than an MD ortho program (in terms of competition...and not to mention the DO vs MD thing). so, if you don't match ortho in the DO world, it would be extremely hard to match in the MD world. or, it's very unlikely that someone would match MD and not DO.
DO's can slide into a MD PGY2 spot. If you do a preliminary surgery internship at an MD program then you could get a PGY2 spot if one opens up (which does happen). It would be similar to you doing a categorical MD ortho residency (MD prelim surgery internship + MD ortho residency). I know of at least one person who did that, he was a stud though. the fact that you did well on USMLE will easily land you a prelim surgery internship at an MD program.
beware though, that's a huge risk because if you do an MD prelim surgery internship...you'd be closing most of your DO ortho options. a) because if you don't rotate or do an internship at a DO program, it's very hard to match or b) you couldn't jump into any PGY2 openings.
I would recommend the research route. Cleveland Clinic Florida offers a six-month research fellowship, which would keep you sharp and give you that to put on your CV. It would also give you six months to ROTATE WITH PROSPECTIVE DO PROGRAMS.
Don't waste your time with MD programs. The reality is, even IF they took you, they would have to explain why they didn't take a qualified MD. It happens, but it's rarer than rare. Play the odds.
Forget the traditional DO rotating internship year. Again, you'd be pigeon-holing yourself into only the possibility of a PGY2 spot, which are rare themselves. Rather, schedule consecutive rotations at 5 or (if you can fit them) 6 DO ortho programs followed by the 6-month research fellowship. That way, you max your chances of getting interviews at most of the places you rotated at, and complete your research fellowship before you start in July.
