Match question

[Socialite MD]

If you match a prelim spot but not a derm residency, does that year count and are you eligible to apply for PGY2 spots without repeating the first year?

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[Long Dong]

If you match a prelim spot but not a derm residency, does that year count and are you eligible to apply for PGY2 spots without repeating the first year?

Yes and Yes. Those who match into a prelim spot as a 4th year and not into derm usually reaply during their internship and if match into a pgy2 year as an intern have a year to chill or do whatever before they start their pgy2 spot.

 

[abefromann]

Seriously? I thought advanced spots would start right after the match if you applied during your PGY-1. Dong, any thoughts on medicine prelim vs. TY? I'm interviewing for both now.

 

[Long Dong]

Seriously? I thought advanced spots would start right after the match if you applied during your PGY-1. Dong, any thoughts on medicine prelim vs. TY? I'm interviewing for both now.

Those spots are usually already taken from the match the year before. For example if I applied this year for an internship in july 2008 and for a derm spot in july 2009 and don't match, mostly all those 2009 derm spots would be gone. If I reapplied again as an intern in 2008, I'd be reappling for a derm spot to begin in 2010. Only if a spot became available in 2009 (someone droped out rare, new program, new spot) would I be able to start right away after intership.

TY all the way. As a TY you can do more electives like plastics, burn unit, path, rhum, allergy/immuno which I think well help prepare you for derm then a whole year of just medicine. Unless you really love medicine or find a prelim that is even more cush. I have a classmate at Santa Barbara Cottege (prelime medicine) and I've heard it is the ultimate cush.

Only catch is if you don't match into derm, the conventional wisdom is to do prelim medicine at a program with a strong medicine program and derm program. So that when you reapply as an intern you can get strong letters from your medicine PD and do a derm rotation at that program and get letters as well. Doing prelim medicine, I've heard, is also looked better apon when doing a research fellowship if you end up having to go that route to eventually match derm.

 

[Socialite MD]

Thanks for your wealth of knowledge Long.