Could an enrichment year be a red flag?

[woke w coke]

I was talking to a staff about how my colleague is doing an enrichment year (EY) at a 3 year school to apply to a ultra competitive specialty. 

 

They mentioned how it could actually be a red flag on their application, and most times unless they switched really last minute, it's better to not do an EY. 

 

Thoughts? 

[jb24]

Never heard of this happening in Canada, but is common in the US for "research years" to apply to competitive specialties like dermatology or plastic surgery. It still isn't that common, but it happens.

I really hope it doesn't become a trend in Canada. That's a whole additional year of no pay or negative pay as a medical student, again favouring those with connections and money to spend to build up CV's.
 

[bearded frog]

As a Mac grad, we had a few of these... I think it's limited to the 3 year program schools. I know of one person who took a year off to do a masters in a highly compeditive surgical specialty and matched to his home program the year after (who he did the masters with). Otherwise it's usually the back-up plan of those who go unmatched. The benefit of an enrichment year is actually delays your YOG so you are applying to CaRMS in your proper year of graduation, after 4 years of medical school, with a potentially advantageous focused year in a compeditive field.

[Pakoon]

4 hours ago, jb24 said:

Never heard of this happening in Canada, but is common in the US for "research years" to apply to competitive specialties like dermatology or plastic surgery. It still isn't that common, but it happens.

I really hope it doesn't become a trend in Canada. That's a whole additional year of no pay or negative pay as a medical student, again favouring those with connections and money to spend to build up CV's.
 

It will definitely happen, it's already begun actually (especially in optho). I give it a few years to fill a roster of people who went  unmatched willing to try again, and thus a research year is born.