Signed contract, not matched, want a break for a year family issues

[sadresident17]

I signed a contract when I did not match. It was not in the SOAP.

I lost 2 family members this year in the spring, today I am going to another funeral. I feel I need to take a step back from residency altogether for a year.

How can I get out of my contract without burning bridges with this institution? I am not leaving to take a different residency position, but leaving to step back from medicine altogether for the year.

I am really grateful for them to offer me a spot to train. However, I feel given this year been really tough on our family, I need to take a momentary step back from the demands of medicine.

Is there a way to do this without burning bridges with that institution so they may consider me a year later in a re-application? I am not trying to screw them over. I feel extremely bad about this, I even looked for a replacement for them.

I feel really bad but I feel emotionally drained and want to recharge a bit and heal with my family. Can anyone offer any advice on this?

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[ThoracicGuy]

I signed a contract when I did not match. It was not in the SOAP.

I lost 2 family members this year in the spring, today I am going to another funeral. I feel I need to take a step back from residency altogether for a year.

How can I get out of my contract without burning bridges with this institution? I am not leaving to take a different residency position, but leaving to step back from medicine altogether for the year.

I am really grateful for them to offer me a spot to train. However, I feel given this year been really tough on our family, I need to take a momentary step back from the demands of medicine.

Is there a way to do this without burning bridges with that institution so they may consider me a year later in a re-application? I am not trying to screw them over. I feel extremely bad about this, I even looked for a replacement for them.

I feel really bad but I feel emotionally drained and want to recharge a bit and heal with my family. Can anyone offer any advice on this?

I suspect if you leave this position, the bridge will be burned and you'll be looking for another spot next year. You already didn't match or SOAP, but found a spot. Your next time may not be so lucky... You may be giving up a career in medicine if you do this.

 

[gutonc]

I suspect if you leave this position, the bridge will be burned and you'll be looking for another spot next year. You already didn't match or SOAP, but found a spot. Your next time may not be so lucky... You may be giving up a career in medicine if you do this.

Unfortunately, I agree with this sentiment. I think your rationale for wanting a break is completely reasonable. Unfortunately, not everyone may feel the same way.

 

[northernpsy]

Unfortunately I really think the best chance you have of preserving your career is to grit your teeth and get through this year without taking a break. Yes, it's not easy (I can relate because I actually experienced the loss of a very close family member just a few weeks before starting internship myself) but the silver lining is that you might be able to spin this into a story about triumphing over adversity when you do reapply. I'm sorry this happened to you and your feelings are very understandable but try your best to keep going.

 

[WantToBeFamMed]

Seems like the best approach would be to discuss your situation with them directly. Get a feel for their sensitivity to your situation. Find out directly how they'd feel about reserving you a spot to start in 1 year. I know my program has been sensitive to a somewhat similar situation with a resident that we'd matched with (not exactly the same but a major medical complication of the resident's own). If they can't commit to being flexible, which as others have mentioned they very well might not given that they also have to balance looking out for their best interest and it would put them in a tough spot, at least for the time being and possibly for years to come if it means they're a resident down in this incoming class all the way through residency, then you're left with a major decision to make.

Personally I'd approach it from the standpoint of asking what my options were with them. Would I be able to start next year, can I start delayed a couple months or halfway through the year? If they said no, start right away or not at all, I'd have to agree with northernpsy that I'd probably grit my teeth and go to work, but I'm also not in your situation and everyone is different in what's best for them and their family. I came from a competitiveness position where I went 1 year without matching and just felt fortunate to have the opportunity to get a residency position and looking at the long-term picture wouldn't have let anything get into the way of that, some in a better position may have more flexibility to allow opportunities pass them by, but from the sounds of it with you having not matched you may want to seriously consider not letting an opportunity get away from you if your hand is forced.

 

[Rendar5]

Do not cancel the contract unless you're OK with the chance of never working as a physician. I would talk with them and see what options they can do for you such as delaying your start date to allow you time to grieve. Be cautious making any decisions that has a chance of killing the rest of your career. For some it might be the right thing to do but for most it isn't.