Can You Apply To 3 Different Competitive Specialties?

[QuebecMD1]

I want to apply to three different specialties that are all quite competitive. I see myself liking all three, even though they are all at opposites of each other. Do PDs talk to each other and weed out the people who apply to different specialties? Did anyone you know do this and match or is it a recipe for disaster? I would rather match into one of those 3 than go unmatched and wait a year to reapply to something that I might not even like. If you did this, did PDs ask you questions on that during your interviews?

 

[Snowmen]

I believe it would be VERY difficult to build a competitive application for 2 competitive specialties, let alone 3. The usual pattern is to gun for 1 competitive specialty and then backup with a safer one, not even more competitive ones. Basically, your applications wouldn't directly hurt each others but they would hurt you in the sense that they'd all make each others average or sub-par because you wouldn't be able to dedicate enough ressources to all of them.

[W0lfgang]

At one of a handful of my backup FM interviews an interviewer asked me whether I was gunning for rads, but he could tell from my list of electives.  In your case, it wouldn't be obvious which specialty you were going for.  It would be a silly question to ask without any flags in your application.

 

I agree with snowmen.  The problem with going for 3 specialties is you spread your elective time too thin and won't gain any momentum.  Elective time is your most valuable resource for carms.  Typically students get better in their target specialty over the course of their electives tour.  You may not reach a level that would impress.  Same goes for your reference letters.  Also, in my opinion, it would hurt your chances if your electives show no dedication to any one particular specialty.  I would question how devoted you would be to our program, should you match here.

 

If I see a Carms application going for three competitive specialties, I would think that you are 1- arrogant, 2- stupid, and 3- uncommitted.  You are likely not all three, but your application would appear that way.

 

Do your best to find your one true calling and gun for it.  Otherwise, you risk going unmatched.

[QuebecMD1]

Did you only apply for rads and FM? What would be an alternative to FM for dual applications? Have you heard of PDs talking to each other? Thanks a lot guys/gals.

 

At one of a handful of my backup FM interviews an interviewer asked me whether I was gunning for rads, but he could tell from my list of electives.  In your case, it wouldn't be obvious which specialty you were going for.  It would be a silly question to ask without any flags in your application.

 

I agree with snowmen.  The problem with going for 3 specialties is you spread your elective time too thin and won't gain any momentum.  Elective time is your most valuable resource for carms.  Typically students get better in their target specialty over the course of their electives tour.  You may not reach a level that would impress.  Same goes for your reference letters.  Also, in my opinion, it would hurt your chances if your electives show no dedication to any one particular specialty.  I would question how devoted you would be to our program, should you match here.

 

If I see a Carms application going for three competitive specialties, I would think that you are 1- arrogant, 2- stupid, and 3- uncommitted.  You are likely not all three, but your application would appear that way.

 

Do your best to find your one true calling and gun for it.  Otherwise, you risk going unmatched.

[W0lfgang]

Yes only rads and FM.  PDs between specialties are unlikely to share their applicant lists with each other.  It wouldn't be a good use of their time.

[rmorelan]

Yes only rads and FM.  PDs between specialties are unlikely to share their applicant lists with each other.  It wouldn't be a good use of their time.

 

they are just too busy ha 

[rmorelan]

I want to apply to three different specialties that are all quite competitive. I see myself liking all three, even though they are all at opposites of each other. Do PDs talk to each other and weed out the people who apply to different specialties? Did anyone you know do this and match or is it a recipe for disaster? I would rather match into one of those 3 than go unmatched and wait a year to reapply to something that I might not even like. If you did this, did PDs ask you questions on that during your interviews?

 

This would be a lot easier if CARMS let you have different profiles for each specialty - including and not including somethings on the CV for instance that make it look like you are more scattered than. even the way you phrase things can put your efforts towards a particular specialty in better light. 

 

It is very hard to apply to three competitive things at the same time, even if they are somehow related (ie three competitive surgery fields). 

[QuebecMD1]

0

[UnmatchedClub]

Sure you can apply. You just wont match.

[Lactic Folly]

Someone in 4th year is actually applying to neurosurg, ophth, and obgyn... Probably spreading the wings too large... Don't you send a personalized CV to each program?

 

I've seen some stats that say people gunning for really competitive programs apply to on average 2.6 specialties. Is this true? What would be the common rule for those competitive specialties? Apply to that competitive one and FM only? Or Apply to several competitive and also finally FM?

@rmorelan, since you're in rads, do you know anyone that applied to two competitive specialties (excluding FM)?

At least those 3 are all surgical. OP said their 3 choices were "opposites" of each other.

 

A "backup" can be anything less competitive than your top choice. Doesn't have to be FM.

[Dermviser]

How do programs like FM look at you when you are obviously backing up with them?

[LittleDaisy]

We can send personalized C.V to each program....But if you are seriously committed to 3 specialties...it will be hard to even have 2+ electives in each discipline...

Someone in 4th year is actually applying to neurosurg, ophth, and obgyn... Probably spreading the wings too large... Don't you send a personalized CV to each program?

 

I've seen some stats that say people gunning for really competitive programs apply to on average 2.6 specialties. Is this true? What would be the common rule for those competitive specialties? Apply to that competitive one and FM only? Or Apply to several competitive and also finally FM?

@rmorelan, since you're in rads, do you know anyone that applied to two competitive specialties (excluding FM)?

[QuebecMD1]

We can send personalized C.V to each program....But if you are seriously committed to 3 specialties...it will be hard to even have 2+ electives in each discipline...

@Littledaisy, you seem to be from Quebec too. Have you known anyone applying to opposite competitive specialties? (Let's say opth and derm).

[LittleDaisy]

I don't know anyone applying to opth and dermatology

However, I know people applying to opth backup with FM this year...

same thing with dermatology backing up with FM.

@Littledaisy, you seem to be from Quebec too. Have you known anyone applying to opposite competitive specialties? (Let's say opth and derm).

[mononoke]

I know of people who applied to rads+derm, as well as opth+anes, they matched to one of the two

[codebar]

If I see a Carms application going for three competitive specialties, I would think that you are 1- arrogant, 2- stupid, and 3- uncommitted.  You are likely not all three, but your application would appear that way.

 

I just applied to three competitive surgical specialities. I am problably arrogant, a little bit stupid but certainly not uncommited. 

In fact, I am gunning for one and backing up with the other two. My attendings convinced me that I had a good shot anyway and that I had nothing to lose. 

Well, applying to three specialities is very time consuming, so I did lose a lot time... but it is doable. Though, I wouldn't do it again...

[rmorelan]

How do programs like FM look at you when you are obviously backing up with them?

 

location specific I think  - I mean backup doesn't mean you won't do well in that field or a great asset to that program. If true it doesn't hurt the program to rank you and even rank you well. 

[FailureToThrive]

On 11/22/2016 at 3:59 PM, mononoke said:

I know of people who applied to rads+derm, as well as opth+anes, they matched to one of the two

what are the similarities between ophto and anest?

[Edict]

On 11/17/2016 at 5:30 PM, QuebecMD1 said:

I want to apply to three different specialties that are all quite competitive. I see myself liking all three, even though they are all at opposites of each other. Do PDs talk to each other and weed out the people who apply to different specialties? Did anyone you know do this and match or is it a recipe for disaster? I would rather match into one of those 3 than go unmatched and wait a year to reapply to something that I might not even like. If you did this, did PDs ask you questions on that during your interviews?

 

Drop one at the very least. You should really explore further because if they are all very different, your application will look really unbelievable by PDs. 

[JohnGrisham]

On 2/10/2018 at 1:45 PM, médecine said:

what are the similarities between ophto and anest?

$$$

[Edict]

On 2/11/2018 at 6:42 PM, JohnGrisham said:

$$$

Does anesthesia really make that much? 

[MDLaval]

12 hours ago, Edict said:

Does anesthesia really make that much? 

Yep.  Top 10 in Quebec.