i feel like a consummate idiot

[tmjf_sifu]

well, maybe i am not truly an idiot, but i sure feel like one. i feel like i have screwed myself. her is why:

i just applied for radiology spots about two weeks ago. yes, i know it is impossibly late and silly, but i had to, regardless. for a long time i could not decide on a specialty (i think it is criminal to make us decide less than half-way through our fourth year) but my love of anatomy made me focus on either surgery or radiology. i chose to follow the surgery course because i loved the field and have done medical missions in third world countries and wanted to continue those missions as a surgeon. i actually have always loved radiology the most, but felt it limited me in certain ways because i would not have a patient base and would not be out-and-about on the floors with the patients, etc. after spending a lot of time in/scrubbing surgery and talking to a lot of people, i realized i was on the wrong track. surgery was an abyss i did not want to dive in to for the rest of my life. i had an epiphany and realized that i had always loved radiology and still loved it more than ever. now, in a panic, i am applying to rad programs. i have talked to a few already and they tell me that even though i am a great applicant, all of the interview spots are filled. CRAP! so, basically, i am pretty screwed.

so, my question to anyone who cares is: "what should i do now?"

first, a little bio info. i am a senior medical student from an osteopathic medical school. my grades are in the top 5 of my class and my board scores are 99th percentile. i completed a pre-doctoral anatomy fellowship at my school, i have huge extracurriculars and student leadership positions and have won multiple awards and honors. i have done several papers and currently am doing research. i have teaching experience and am a student tutor at my med school. i have done stellar in clinicals and have good letters. i am appying to acgme spots only. i have not been happy with osteopathic spots and the level of didactics there. i also want to be at a larger institution so i can teach and have a better shot at fellowships. so, i think the thing that bothers me the most is that i have worked my ass off and accomplished so much, but now it really doesn't matter. i know being a D.O. will probably hinder me at some programs, but what can i do, i made the choice and i don't regret it.

if i apply next year, there are not many programs which will have slots open for me after i complete my transitional.
i might have to do an extra year if i don't get a slot this year, and i am sick of spinning my wheels. now that i know what i want to do, i want to get on with it. i have already spent five years in school due to my fellowship. it just seems a shame that i have worked to become a top candidate and will now be looked over because the interview schedule is full.

oh, and get this crap. i got an invite to interview at mayo for radiology. needless to say, i was freakin ecstatic. the next day i called to schedule my interview and was told i was not going to be granted an interview. they told me i had been sent an invitation by mistake. i literally thought i was in a waking nightmare. is that not the most insane load of crap you have ever heard? that is how my life is going right now.

any thoughts comments or criticisms are welcome.

thanks
t

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[tmjf_sifu]

an addendum: i applied to only 50 programs, should i apply to more?

 

[Celiac Plexus]

You're probably not going to get many interviews at this point. You're wayyyy late in the process. As you have learned, there are likely no interview slots open. However, since you have already sent your app off, then wait and see... theoretically it only takes one interview to get a slot. As for doing a transitional year and then trying to match to a PGY-2 slot... you would be better off taking a year of research with a well-known radiology program, and reapplying next year for PGY-1 year....

One other thing: have you take the USMLE step I? I met a guy last year from DO school who went for rads... He claimed that he was a top student but did not match. He claimed that residencies passed him over because he did not take Step I. Just something to think about....

Good luck!

 

[xraydoc]

It is unfortunate that with such a shortage of radiologists that some excellent candidates will be lost. Is there a possibility to do a transitional year and then re-apply?

Have you applied to all the DO programs out there?

 

[tmjf_sifu]

"As for doing a transitional year and then trying to match to a PGY-2 slot... you would be better off taking a year of research with a well-known radiology program, and reapplying next year for PGY-1 year...."

hmmmm...what is your reasoning behind this argument?

"One other thing: have you take the USMLE step I? I met a guy last year from DO school who went for rads... He claimed that he was a top student but did not match. He claimed that residencies passed him over because he did not take Step I. Just something to think about....""

I have considered the possibility of using the extra year to do research or an internship in health policy. It just makes me sick to think of wasting another year, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do to make it happen. as far as taking the USMLE, no, I have not. I know some programs will not look at you if you do not have it, but I did not feel led to take it. I have a friend who never took it and she got a spot at a big big name last year. She told me it didn't really matter. I have another friend who is a DO and he got a spot in derm at a big big name as well. My resume' is much bigger than both of theirs, as far as I know. If the guy you talked to was really a top candidate, it was probably just not his year. if i am forced to take another year, i will take the usmle. i want every advantage possible when i apply again.

 

[tmjf_sifu]

Originally posted by xraydoc
It is unfortunate that with such a shortage of radiologists that some excellent candidates will be lost. Is there a possibility to do a transitional year and then re-apply?

Have you applied to all the DO programs out there?

yes, i plan on doing a traditional year and then reapplying. do you know if most programs care if i do an osteopathic internship or an allopathic internship/transitional?


i have not applied to any of the osteopathic programs at all. i know i may sound elitist, but most of them are just average and i feel i rate better than that. i have settled too many times in my life. i am done settling. i will not compromise again.

 

[mandownunder]

You are so full of yourself. It is too late now to stop settling. You should have reapplied to med sch when you didn't get in. I bet your college records were just as impressive as your osteopathic school achievements.

 

[xraydoc]

I would think that an allopathic position wouold stand you in better stead if you want to go allopathic.

As far as settling for an osteopathic position. I think the competition has made many of these just as good as many allopathic positions especially at Michigan State where you are with equal # MD/DO faculty and residents.

You have to realize that timing sometimes is everything and that "perfection is the enemy of sucess" If you are self motivated and inteligent, 95% of the rads programs will suit you fine especially if you go on to do a fellowship like most of us do now.

 

[tmjf_sifu]

Originally posted by mandownunder
You are so full of yourself. It is too late now to stop settling. You should have reapplied to med sch when you didn't get in. I bet your college records were just as impressive as your osteopathic school achievements.

i am sorry you feel that way. maybe i am proud of my achievements. there is nothing wrong with that. and i feel you are incorrect. you do not have to settle. your other comments do not apply to me and are irrelevant. try anger management.

 

[Ligament]

hey buddy,

try the forums at auntminnie.com. It is a much larger rads orientated forum. They may be able to give you more mature advice, although lots of them have some serious ego problems.

You sound like a great candidate, but the interview process is so far along at this point, it may be difficult to land an interview in any specialty, let alone rads, one of the most popular right now.

good luck.

 

[tmjf_sifu]

Originally posted by Ligament
hey buddy,

try the forums at auntminnie.com. It is a much larger rads orientated forum. They may be able to give you more mature advice, although lots of them have some serious ego problems.

You sound like a great candidate, but the interview process is so far along at this point, it may be difficult to land an interview in any specialty, let alone rads, one of the most popular right now.

good luck.

thank you very much for your kind advice. i will look there and see what i can find.