Medical Residents Quitting Bad Programs

Questions about medicine as a career, about which specialty to go into, or from practicing physicians wondering about changing specialty or location of practice are welcome here. Posts of this sort that…

“I just wanted input as to what I should look for when choosing an FM residency other than the obvious like location, if you could go back and give yourself advice what would it be. I am still between IM and FM residency, I don’t think I want to do a fellowship and am more of an outpatient person but still want some hospitalist. Long term wise would love to open a practice and include aesthetics alongside medicine. Long story short, I’m open to any advice in choosing residency and things to consi”

“Hi everyone! I’m currently an Internal Medicine resident in a European country, and I’ve been thinking about switching specialties. I’m considering ENT, Plastic Surgery, or Ophthalmology because I would like to pursue a surgical specialty, but ideally one that still allows for a reasonable work-life balance and some time for yourself. Which specialty would you recommend between ENT, Plastic Surgery, and Ophthalmology? I’d also like to know how difficult it is to pursue a fellowship in facial aes”

“Does the residency programm impact the salary as an attending or not ?? . Cauz i don't understand this pressure to apply to a top programm ?? submitted by /u/usmle_medicine [link] [comments]”

“M4 applying EM this cycle. Are there any lists/rankings available of programs that provide the best training? Or rankings of prestige in the EM world? Working on my program list now and cannot find anything like this. submitted by /u/Hour-Election5128 [link] [comments]”

“the spreadsheet i tried to save as image I've been stalking thsi thread, and collected a lot about what people recommended I look into while research em residency programs, but not all em programs list their important info on their websites (UMD doesn't even have their curriculum broken down by weeks :')). So I've come here for some help on things I couldn't find anywhere. In general, I would love a program where there's a lot of off-service experience, autonomy, very ver”

“I like to ask my co-residents this question. I think it interests me more than the academic achievements that come with being a doctor. My hobby is writing and during residency, I noticed that my writing became more humane and sensitive, which is something I really like. What about you? submitted by /u/Winterof2019 [link] [comments]”

“Why would you not spend time with your family. PE is not going away. Solo practices are out of style now”

“Offered an ICU position as a new grad at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus. It’s 10–12 weeks precepted orientation + a year-long ANCC-accredited residency. I keep seeing on here that it’s very do-or-die. Is it worth the experience? Looking for input from people who have actually worked there. submitted by /u/WorkingImmediate5154 [link] [comments]”

“I have been doing well with my SubIs, comments are overall positive. 248 step 2. Getting top 1/3 for my mid rotation evaluation. Some comments specifically mention the particular task I did and mention “will be a great emergency physician”. However, there was one concern regarding punctuality. Don’t know where it comes from. I always arrive on time and have no problem with my previous SubI. Does that consider a red flag? How will that affect my chances? submitted by /u/Substantial_So”

“I was wondering how bad the residency really is for IM like I’m between the 2 but also I’m so burnt out from med school I just wanna choose FM and call it a day. I love medicine but i need to protect myself. Lmk what ur thoughts are and if ur happy in residency submitted by /u/meowvillian [link] [comments]”

“I’m an IM intern interested in a competitive fellowship. I wasn’t planning on doing research early on, but I had a senior nice enough to put me in contact with a research group. At first I was just thankful for the opportunity to meet contacts, but then I was given my first assignment (nothing crazy case report stuff). But I’m coming home after working 12+ hour shifts 6 days a week— how the hell do people actually fit in research during residency? I feel like I have no time during inpatient mont”

“I'm going to be starting to do hospital medicine again after a break of doing only outpatient. I'm not too far out of residency, so it's not like it's been many years, but I want to make sure I'm up to snuff. Anyone here have recommendations for resources to refresh my knowledge? submitted by /u/Ornery_Caterpillar_4 [link] [comments]”

“unsure how it works compared to medical school where I was advised to take both level and step to be competitive for residency. I'm a DO PGY-1 IM resident. If I’m interested in fellowship, is it recommended to take both step 3 and level 3, or does it not make a difference if I just take level 3 alone (which I’d much rather do for obvious reasons) thanks! submitted by /u/Hansrid [link] [comments]”

“PGY2 in neurology. I’ve been contemplating quitting altogether. I have my resignation letter ready to go, I’ve warned my friends and family it might happen, I’ve started to look into other jobs to do in the meantime while I figure out my future. I’ve been so miserable and overwhelmed with everything. One possible avenue I’ve been exploring is dropping anything that isn’t work and home and seeing if things get better. I’m on two research projects, and I’m on a committee that helps improve the cur”

“Hi! I was curious because I am currently really intersted in pursuing cardiology, possibly pediatric cardiology, which would require a Peds/Internal Medicine / Med-Peds residency, all of which are generally options to pursue with programs like theirs. I'm curious about if that pathway is possible, perhaps working in primary care for 4 years and then applying to cardiology fellowship later on.. does anyone have any insight into this or is it better to just apply normally? submitted by &”

“bonus: what specialty did you think you were interested before med school? submitted by /u/Educational-Lake9839 [link] [comments]”

Questions about medicine as a career, about which specialty to go into, or from practicing physicians wondering about changing specialty or location of practice are welcome here. Posts of this sort that…

“Hi everyone, I am a current Family Medicine resident actively looking for a PGY-2 transfer position within the state of Michigan. Due to personal and family reasons, I am looking to transition to a program in Michigan. I am fully open to exploring opportunities across the state—whether that's in Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Flint, or community/rural programs elsewhere in the region. If your program has an unexpected opening or a vacancy for a PGY-2 spot, or if yo”

“Hi! I’m a PGY-2 looking to build a strong knowledge base. If anyone wants to connect to read UpToDate articles on our own and then discuss them over a video call few times a week, that would be great! submitted by /u/8Avocados [link] [comments]”

“As in the title. Current job: - gen surg at large academic center, employed by state - no OR time. Inpatient rounding with residents, but mainly outpatient admin tasks, placing pre-op orders, handling post-op patients, and all of the attendings’ inbox - 120k salary in MCOL area, no guaranteed yearly bonus. No COL adjustments. Very difficult to get raises - ~10 minute commute, which could change as I plan to move - schedule M-Th 4 x 10, no weekends, holidays, or call - paid parental leave Job off”

submitted by /u/Ok_Fish_1719 [link] [comments]

“I’m a third-year IM resident who recently decided to pursue heme/onc. I’ll be chief resident next year and plan to apply afterward, giving me about two years to strengthen my application. I’m at a small academic program with an in-house fellowship, but research opportunities are mostly limited to case reports. Aside networking, What should I focus on now to become a competitive applicant? If anyone has a project or case report that could use an extra set of hands, I’d be happy to help! sub”

“I finished one year of FM residency and will be starting pediatric residency now for three years. Can I somehow finish two years of FM residency after this? I know this will raise a lot of qs I was at an FM program where an attending really had something against me. I was issued a good standing certificate and there were no professionalism concerns but they said they wont be able to train me anymore and that I should look into other places. This was all one attending’s doing. I got an off cycle”

“Current 3rd year FM resident in NJ. Trying to find moonlighting gig in urgent care. Have called around and no one is hiring resident (even with a license). Any suggestions for moonlighting?! submitted by /u/Sea-Service-4490 [link] [comments]”

“As an intern who wants to switch to Internal Medicine, I have already spoken with my PD, who is supportive of my decision. What is the most professional way to approach the IM PD? submitted by /u/Valuable-Poet6183 [link] [comments]”

“Hi all, Starting off PGY3 year in a well known academic/community multi-hospital program in the Midwest. Where should I start looking for work? I heard about EMDocs Facebook group. Of course also working with my program for connections with alumni. If youd rather not share publicly PM would be cool. Thank you submitted by /u/moonlandingfake [link] [comments]”

“Pathology is already chill, I won’t argue. But if we removed the grossing requirement after first year, it would be leagues better. It’s just free labor if you’re doing your 100th lymph node for a lung resection. Or your 60th partial nephrectomy specimen. Even for the most complex cases, how many malignant colons/uteri do you need to see? The sections are the same. The relationships you need to evaluate to fill out the CAP synoptic are the same. We would be way more competent if we didn’t have t”

submitted by /u/trucutbiopsy [link] [comments]

“How has your experience been on inpatient rotations? Have you dealt with more illness? I may be starting a biologic and very nervous about side effects and being immunosuppressed especially while in residency. But appreciate any advice or thoughts! Thanks! submitted by /u/tropicalness [link] [comments]”

“Howdy family docs, I am a med/psych intern. I have a hospital system I'm eying that has an FM residency. I am obviously not an FM doc, but interested in inpatient medicine and outpatient psychiatry. I think it would be cool to teach these two areas to FM residents as there is obvious overlap. Is it common at all for a non-FM doc to teach limited amounts of FM to FM residents? I completely recognize that FM is uniquely FM, however inpatient medicine and outpatient general psychiatry are both”

“Program type and location? Traditional schedule or dedicated clinic block? Would like to know about how it's scheduled and how many patients do you see? submitted by /u/Gloomy-Wolverine-643 [link] [comments]”

Great feedback. Audience is anyone interested in medicine or doctors.

“So we are exact same age, similar specialty, NW and kids. Having the exact same questions. 100% work part time. My wife and I transitioned to this a few years ago and it has been career (and life saving). I also believe Middle school is the most important time for kids…they really need us now more than ever. be there for them as much as possible. Work locums if your job gives you push back about part time call with a part time job. DM if interested me as I have some (a lot) of experience in this”

“I’m an IMG and originally had my mind completely set on Internal Medicine. I scored very well on Step 2 and thought IM was the obvious choice, especially because of the flexibility and subspecialty options. But after coming to the US and doing a few Family Medicine rotations, I honestly started questioning everything. I really loved FM. I loved the people, the clinic environment, the relationships with patients, the continuity, and honestly just the overall vibe. People seemed much less stressed”

“Graduated IM residency 3 years ago and fellowship this year. Basically what and when am I supposed to do MOCs or CMEs? This stuff is not really clear submitted by /u/No_Jaguar_5366 [link] [comments]”

“I’m a PGY-3 in general surgery and I’m starting to feel like I may not be able to keep doing this. I enjoyed another specialty in med school, but at this point it feels way too late to switch, and I’m terrified I’d be making a huge mistake. I’ve spent so much time, effort, and money getting into surgery. Basically all of my research, electives, and sub-Is were surgery. Now I’m already PGY-3, and I genuinely don’t know what else I could even do or how switching would work. The bigger issue is tha”

submitted by /u/stresstomycin [link] [comments]

“Hi, as the title says, I am a US PGY-2 FM resident interested in EM. I come to find out after my EM block, that I chose the wrong field for myself. I really love EM, I like the faculty, I like the lifestyle. Does anyone have advice on how I can get this process started? I passed step 3. Please help. submitted by /u/IndirectPatho25 [link] [comments]”

“I don't know how simple. I SOAPed into my current specialty. I did not get my first choice. Now I don't know what to do with my life. Do I re-apply? Can I apply as a PGY2? How? I got FM, I wanted Psych. Help please. submitted by /u/Particular-Feeling28 [link] [comments]”

“This is a very long shot but I'm in a non-surgical residency at one of the TMC programs and I would love to swap into almost any surgical specialty. If you're in a surgical specialty and are having second thoughts, please reach out to me. submitted by /u/Electrical-Use7760 [link] [comments]”

self explanatory. submitted by /u/InitialToe5472 [link] [comments]

“I’m working on secondaries that ask what I would contribute to the medical school learning environment/class. I’m Polynesian/Pacific Islander, and because there are few Polynesians represented in medicine, I’m wondering whether this is something worth discussing in a contribution essay— especially at schools/clinical sites where there may be very few or no Polynesian patients. I wouldn’t frame it simply as “I’m URM, therefore I add diversity.” My thought is that growing up with a Polynesian cult”

“Hello everyone, I am looking for an open position at a university or academically oriented Internal Medicine program. My long term goal is to pursue fellowship training and academic Internal Meidicine so I am particularly exploring for programs with strong subspeciality exposure, mentorship and scholarly opportunities. Although I am fully aware how rare it might be to have a open position in such programs, I wanted to try my luck. I would greatly appreciate any leads or contacts. Thanks! s”

“I’m a PGY-1 resident with a prior Army medical officer background and solid procedure volume already logged. After this year I’ll qualify for a full unrestricted medical license in my state. I’m seriously reconsidering whether finishing the full EM residency is the right move. My goals are: High autonomy / mostly be my own boss Controllable clinical hours Maintain useful procedural skills Income at or above typical EM attending levels Room for entrepreneurial work and longer-term influence in he”

“Hi everyone! I just wanted to hear about everyone’s experience in the MABS program, especially from former students. I’m a current student who just started in July, and we had our first biochemistry exam last week. I ended up with a 77.78% 🥲, which was definitely lower than I was hoping for. For those who have been through the program, what were you typically averaging on exams? Is a score like this on the first exam something that is reasonably possible to come back from? I’m hopeful that I ca”

“Hey guys, I’m a PGY2 currently realizing I’m cooked for the upcoming ITE. I’ve been doing MKSAP questions, but I feel like I forgot a lot of the stuff we don’t see regularly during inpatient. I was looking into getting a board review course because I usually perform better when I watch videos first and then do question banks. My plan for PGY2 is to get either MedStudy or MedQuest. We get about $1,500 in educational funding, so that would cover either one, but I really can’t decide between them.”

“Having finished internal medicine residency, the journey from near the bottom to just under the 50th percentile on the ITE by my third year has been a grind. Currently hitting 75% on the first pass of MKSAP 20 with one subject remaining, and seeing improvement on my second pass of UWorld.... moving from 63% first pass to 75% second pass. Honestly, I'm just exhausted. There's this lingering fear that I'll ruin everything after all the hard work I've put in. With the ABIM exam only”

“My own! Outpatient HIV with a team that travels to a few different sites in the city. Clinic ends at noon. Case conference on Fridays”

Questions about medicine as a career, about which specialty to go into, or from practicing physicians wondering about changing specialty or location of practice are welcome here. Posts of this sort that…

“I am currently a third year resident and have received an offer from a large private for-profit health organization and would like to know your thoughts. It is located in a large low to medium cost of living city in the south. The location is appealing because it is where most of my family and friends are located. Here are the details: 100% outpatient. 1st year minimum guaranteed total pay of $275,000 (base pay of $205,000 + $10,000 performance payment + $60,000 minimum productivity). The perfor”

“How can I do just enough to be competent on my pediatric rotations? I really don’t enjoy peds at all. I prefer geriatric/adult populations. I don’t want to ruin my future employment potential though submitted by /u/ThrowawayRatatouille [link] [comments]”

“Coming across this quite a bit and in the past, even if patient’s permanent residence is in my practicing state, I ask students to get a pcp or psychiatrist in their new state to manage their stimulants. Some of my partners are continuing the prescriptions regardless of geographical location. I’m just doing a gut check because I hate to add extra work to out of state college students (especially if they don’t have vehicles) but have set a pretty hard guideline on not rx controlled substances out”

“Going into junior year. Not asking this to be sweaty, just wondering if anyone who went thru the residency application process looked back on undergrad and wished they would have done something differently. Like for example, would it have been easier to start research in that specialty now so that you continued that role throughout med school? submitted by /u/12321bruh [link] [comments]”

“FM Post I’m a 3rd year resident in a rural program designed to train residents to practice in clinic, ED, and in the hospital and I feel I have gotten good training for these things. Headed to practice in a rural location in the SE after residency. I had planned to work in all 3 settings when starting but I’m having second thoughts and really considering just working in clinic. My contract is for outpatient only but there will be plenty of opportunity to pick up ED and hospitalist shifts. My hes”

“Hi, could anyone who do their residency at the Marshfield Clinic, Marahfield WI give some reviews about the hospital and the city? submitted by /u/Natural_Chicken_2267 [link] [comments]”

“I would narrow it one step further than doctors in general. Time-constrained doctors with a specific practice type or career stage, such as early-career primary care physicians, gives you a clearer problem, vocabulary, and place to find them. You can widen the audience later if the same message works across adjacent groups. I would also separate the audience test from the investment topic itself. Lead with the decision they are struggling to make and invite a small number of qualified people to”

“Basically the title. My schedule is so messed up that I dont feel confident in taking the exam any time before April. Would pushing it that far make me forget things? Edit: when did you all take it? I was advised to take it in my first half of intern year so was just wondering what people's experiences are submitted by /u/Puzzleheaded_Bus9462 [link] [comments]”

“Hi all , I have been offered a position to take over a continuity clinic for a small IM program . They currently have a small clinic , very low patient volume . The current attendings are both leaving . The hospital itself is kinda hanging on by a thread . Seems to have low admission rates mostly due to changing demographics where it is and proximity to a larger more full service hospital. So my boss I think floated the idea of opening up additional office space and having me do this , but my pa”