Applying to Radiology Q!

[medlover5885]

Hi guys, 

 

If one does 8 weeks of Radiology electives and 2 weeks in family, does anyone know roughly how many family MD interviews you should expect to get if you have a strong application? Has anyone ever done 8 weeks of a specialty Precarms elective and 2 weeks of family and then ranked family programs first and successfully matched to family?

Thanks!

[daleader]

Are you open to any family spot across the country? My understanding is that family is not competitive if you are applying broadly and people can match even with no electives, specially if you end up ranking them high. Also, family electives post-Carms can help as well. 

Why do 8 weeks of rad if you are planning on ranking family first? Are you talking about a hypothetical scenario where you might end up changing your mind mid-way through your elective cycle? It would be helpful if you expand and tell us more about your plan, and which pre and post carms electives you are planning on?

 

 

[medlover5885]

41 minutes ago, daleader said:

Are you open to any family spot across the country? My understanding is that family is not competitive if you are applying broadly and people can match even with no electives, specially if you end up ranking them high. Also, family electives post-Carms can help as well. 

Why do 8 weeks of rad if you are planning on ranking family first? Are you talking about a hypothetical scenario where you might end up changing your mind mid-way through your elective cycle? It would be helpful if you expand and tell us more about your plan, and which pre and post carms electives you are planning on?

 

 

Thank you for your reply! And yes open to going anywhere for family 

So I was really between fam + 1 in care of elderly/ER/palliative (or not a +1) and radiology but I just love many aspects of radiology>family. But yes in a hypothetical scenario if I love my family elective next fall precarms >radiology ones I definitely want to go into the next school year knowing that if I dislike my rads electives I can rank family first and still match haha! 

 

I currently have 1family and the rest rads electives booked 

[gangliocytoma]

11 minutes ago, medlover5885 said:

Thank you for your reply! And yes open to going anywhere for family 

So I was really between fam + 1 in care of elderly/ER/palliative (or not a +1) and radiology but I just love many aspects of radiology>family. But yes in a hypothetical scenario if I love my family elective next fall precarms >radiology ones I definitely want to go into the next school year knowing that if I dislike my rads electives I can rank family first and still match haha! 

 

I currently have 1family and the rest rads electives booked 

Don't quote me on this, but in the current state of radiology, it's unlikely you'll need to max out with 8 weeks of electives. Could probably spend 6 weeks (at centres you'd be most willing to end up in) to give yourself more time to explore other stuff.

[heydere]

It is not true that you can match to family without any electives, even if you are willing to go everywhere. You most definitely do need to do at least 1 elective in family. Perhaps do 1 in FM and 1 in EM and the rest in rad?

[1D7]

In general I'd advise someone to spend essentially the maximum number of weeks in their specialty of preference if it's truly your top choice. Programs across the country can be very different and doing more electives helps the applicant decide how to rank programs.

Anyway, to match FM I advise at least 1 elective. With 1 elective you should be able to obtain 1 interview at your home school and maybe a few in sites that are traditionally less competitive.