Breaking the news that you want to switch specialties...

[alcmd]

Hello,

I have spent some time in my current specialty trying to "ride it out" with the hopes that the things I did not like would become less of a problem as time went on. However, it has become clear that I have made the wrong choice and I want to switch to pathology. I'm currently in pretty good standing at my program but they know I have been thinking about this so it shouldn't be a total surprise.

I don't want to burn any bridges, but I want to move on and be in what I think is really for me. If you have done this, how did you break it to your current PD? Though I do not like my specialty, a bad job is better than none at all so I don't want to be fired should they get angry when I tell them. How can I go about securing a path spot?

Though I realize I could wait, I don't have the time or desire to go through interviews and ERAS again. I am a US MD, good board scores, no snafus in medical school or residency. Has anyone out there switched outside of the match and if so, how'd you do it? If you don't want to give up your anonymity, feel free to PM me.

Thanks for any help.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[unregistered]

I'm also interested to hear about this process. I'm not particularly happy with my program/specialty and I am thinking about switching to radiology. I know radiology is difficult to match in, but I am a competative applicant and can confidently say that with my board scores etc I could have matched in a radiology spot without to much troublehad I applied through the match initially. Switching specialties is a tricky situation because you don't want to burn bridges and you don't want to be out of a job. Any suggestions? It seems like not many people switch specialties during residency. I have to wonder if it is because it's just too difficult and risky.

 

[gwen]

i switched out...pls read my answer in the internal medicine forum under "this is not for me". just some logistics abt new NRMP rules, etc.
if you have any more questions after reading it, don't hesitate to PM me.

 

[alcmd]

Thanks gwen, I can use some help.

I'm becoming less of a fan of the NRMP- I realize that it is supposed to protect American grads (or so they say) but you are punished should you want to switch specialties in that they make it so time consuming and difficult that you find yourself stuck in the same miserable specialty.

I'll see what I can do- I really hope something comes up outside of the match.