Change of residency (R1 Familly Medicine → Radiology)

[pokidou]

I'm an R1 in Familly medicine at my 8th month of residency and I'm considering changing residency for Diagnostic Radiology or Internal Medicine.

Familly medicine was initially my first choice, but I know realize that it is not the best specialty for me (For reasons I will no detail).

I was wondering if someone has done something similar and has an idea about the overall process/Odds of success. 

Thank you all for your input !

(Also I'm in Quebec, so there might be some differences in processes but I'm still curious to know how it went for others).

[rmorelan]

does happen - people do attempt to transfer all the time, and success is variable really (best odds are within your current school, which depends then on if there is room for you. Some places have more capacity, and in some years someone may have left which frees up a spot!).

I am not sure about Quebec but in Ontario the only other real issue is the funding for the residency - radiology needs 5 for instance same as internal of course and family medicine comes with two. That means someone some where has to drop down into family medicine to free up the funding for other to move. In practise this seems to happen from time to time as well as people move around - as much as CARMS is this big thing and so much prep goes into it, people are people and do change their mind. 

You won't have much time though I suspect - usually around now is when the options to apply for moving occur - if you wait until next year it is well another year of what you are doing (and at that point you probably should just finish anyway as you are right at the end). First step usually is learning your local school's policies and then reaching out to both internal and radiology in your case for any options - you will also have make sure you all your ducks in a row as well - your performance on your prior rotations is fair game for evaluating you in terms of a transfer. 

 

 

[lovemedicinesomuch]

1 hour ago, rmorelan said:

does happen - people do attempt to transfer all the time, and success is variable really (best odds are within your current school, which depends then on if there is room for you. Some places have more capacity, and in some years someone may have left which frees up a spot!).

I am not sure about Quebec but in Ontario the only other real issue is the funding for the residency - radiology needs 5 for instance same as internal of course and family medicine comes with two. That means someone some where has to drop down into family medicine to free up the funding for other to move. In practise this seems to happen from time to time as well as people move around - as much as CARMS is this big thing and so much prep goes into it, people are people and do change their mind. 

You won't have much time though I suspect - usually around now is when the options to apply for moving occur - if you wait until next year it is well another year of what you are doing (and at that point you probably should just finish anyway as you are right at the end). First step usually is learning your local school's policies and then reaching out to both internal and radiology in your case for any options - you will also have make sure you all your ducks in a row as well - your performance on your prior rotations is fair game for evaluating you in terms of a transfer. 

 

 

Yes, transferring is an option - but it may not work ( especially for radiology). I know several PGY-2 in FM who are trying to transfer, but have been unsuccessful.  There are +++ residents in OP position of wanting to transfer out of FM, and the system can't accommodate the request of all these individuals. I know at least 10 residents in FM interested in transferring out to IM and surgical specialties. I think you may need to also consider the US. I don't know much about US residencies though.

 

[MDLaval]

At Laval we recently (this Fall/Winter) accepted a transfer from IM. We also had a position given by the Faculty of Medicine to admit 1 candidate through the "contingent particulier" last Summer and we admitted one candidate who was a GP already in practice for a couple years. So, yeah, there's hope. I'm not saying it's easy or that it'll happen, but there's definitely hope.

[pokidou]

Thank you for your answers !