Are there any success stories of re-applying to CaRMS to a small competitive specialty and getting it?

[averagemedstudent]

Say that I am interested in a small specialty ( like plastics) but don't get in the first year applying to CaRMS, what are chances that I would get it the second time around? Is there any hope to be successful in subsequent years. 

I have heard of applicants, for instance, applying to optho, who continued to do research, and succeeded later on. However, I have also heard of applicants who did an extra year, but were still unsuccessful.

 

[blah1234]

I know people that have been successful in subsequent years but I don't know if the public CaRMS data is granular enough to show the cases by year. I don't even know if the number is high enough to understand any trends as it's really case by case at this point.

If I had to guess it would be even harder now given how competitive the match is compared to when I did it.

[CaRMS2021]

1 hour ago, averagemedstudent said:

Say that I am interested in a small specialty ( like plastics) but don't get in the first year applying to CaRMS, what are chances that I would get it the second time around? Is there any hope to be successful in subsequent years. 

I have heard of applicants, for instance, applying to optho, who continued to do research, and succeeded later on. However, I have also heard of applicants who did an extra year, but were still unsuccessful.

 

Easiest way is to see if there are any current residents who succeeded on their second attempt, I have heard of this happening in Uro, Neurosurg and of course Ophtho it is almost an expectation to have a gap year. For other competitive specialties it may be rarer leaning towards nonexistent. Since these are small fields, it would not be difficult to scope out residents of each program to see if any at all got in on their second try 

[bearded frog]

It happens, people do an extra year of research and clinicals and then get in, but these are usually relatively compeditive applicants who just were unlucky (like 7th best applicant for the 6 spots in derm) and so would be able to match the following year. Those that are long shots in the first place usually doesn't make enough difference in one year. Regardless they should definitely back up with something else when applying the second time around because I've never heard of anyone getting in on the third try and thats an obvious red flag.

[Aetherus]

1 hour ago, bearded frog said:

It happens, people do an extra year of research and clinicals and then get in, but these are usually relatively compeditive applicants who just were unlucky (like 7th best applicant for the 6 spots in derm) and so would be able to match the following year. Those that are long shots in the first place usually doesn't make enough difference in one year. Regardless they should definitely back up with something else when applying the second time around because I've never heard of anyone getting in on the third try and thats an obvious red flag.

I know of one applicant who got in on the third try to a very competitive specialty in a very competitive location. But I’m general I agree with your sentiment

[averagemedstudent]

16 minutes ago, Aetherus said:

I know of one applicant who got in on the third try to a very competitive specialty in a very competitive location. But I’m general I agree with your sentiment

which competitive specialty if you don't mind me asking?

I know of a girl who wanted anesthesia - interviewed first year at several location but did not match, and this year she matched at her home school ( which was her top choice anesthesia program).

[CaRMS2021]

11 hours ago, averagemedstudent said:

I know of a girl who wanted anesthesia - interviewed first year at several location but did not match, and this year she matched at her home school ( which was her top choice anesthesia program).

Does the school rhyme with LackLuster or are there multiple cases of this happening?

[averagemedstudent]

1 hour ago, CaRMS2021 said:

Does the school rhyme with LackLuster or are there multiple cases of this happening?

haha not lackluster

[Edict]

On 12/22/2021 at 6:10 PM, CaRMS2021 said:

Easiest way is to see if there are any current residents who succeeded on their second attempt, I have heard of this happening in Uro, Neurosurg and of course Ophtho it is almost an expectation to have a gap year. For other competitive specialties it may be rarer leaning towards nonexistent. Since these are small fields, it would not be difficult to scope out residents of each program to see if any at all got in on their second try 

Not sure I would say ophtho there is an expectation to have a gap year, the majority still match directly after med school but some will take a gap year.