Choosing Im Subspecialties

[carbapenemase1]

How much time do you generally have to explore subspecialties for the MSM match during an IM residency? Hypothetically if you are considering a competitive subspecialty, do you need to decide early on (so that you can get into research in the field, etc)? I can't get a good sense of what all the program structures are like from the CaRMS site. I'm wondering mostly about subspecialty time in first year and how easy it is to get your first choice for rotations you're interested in. If anyone has firsthand experience from their own IM program, I would appreciate it!

[ACHQ]

How much time do you generally have to explore subspecialties for the MSM match during an IM residency? Hypothetically if you are considering a competitive subspecialty, do you need to decide early on (so that you can get into research in the field, etc)? I can't get a good sense of what all the program structures are like from the CaRMS site. I'm wondering mostly about subspecialty time in first year and how easy it is to get your first choice for rotations you're interested in. If anyone has firsthand experience from their own IM program, I would appreciate it!

 

For UofT:

 

- We can do a MAX of 5 blocks (4 weeks each) in any ONE sub-specialty form PGY-1 to PGY-3.

- We get to pick 4 subspecialty blocks in PGY-1 (any except cardio and Nephro because we have to do those in PGY-1)

- We get to pick sites in PGY-2 and PGY-3

- We get to pick "when in the year" i.e. beginning or end of the year you want you're "career specialty" in PGY-2 (PGY-3 they know its for CaRMS so they schedule it for block 1-2). 

 

Generally speaking for PGY-1 I got all my subspecialty choices, and I don't know anyone who didn't. Same goes for the rest of the years.

 

Hope this helps

[LittleDaisy]

Do the majority of R1 in internal medicine know what subspeciality they are aiming for at the beginning, like cardio, nephro , GI?

If I get accepted into internal, I am still hesitating between 2-3 subspecialties...so I might up booking electives in 2-3 disciplines..Does that make me less competitive?

It's really hard for me to know what IM subspecialties to go for, even at the end of my clerkship

[ACHQ]

Do the majority of R1 in internal medicine know what subspeciality they are aiming for at the beginning, like cardio, nephro , GI?

If I get accepted into internal, I am still hesitating between 2-3 subspecialties...so I might up booking electives in 2-3 disciplines..Does that make me less competitive?

It's really hard for me to know what IM subspecialties to go for, even at the end of my clerkship

 

No I wouldn't say most know exactly what subspecialty they want. Some have an idea between a few. Some are gunning, just like med school.

 

In my program we have to do 1 block of each medical subspecialty anyways.

 

Usually people have an idea of at least a few areas they are interested in and so do 1 block of each in PGY-1. That way by the end of 1st year you have a better idea. 

 

People who are gunning will do 2 blocks of that specialty in 2nd year and 2 blocks in 3rd year. That's the max you can do. Just like medical school the more rotations you do in that specialty the more competitive you become (assuming you are "good").

[A-Stark]

There's plenty of time to get exposure to different areas. It's fairly easy to figure out early on whether you want more general, more acute or less, more procedural or not, and most people already have some sense of this from the get-go.