Transfer out of FM

[anon24k]

I know this gets asked every year, but I was unable to find actual advice or answers looking back at previous posts. This year I applied to peds and family med as a back up, with lots of interviews in peds. Due to some personal reasons, ultimately ranked based on staying in a certain geographical area leading to ranking FM much higher than I would've liked. Ended up matching to FM. I was and still am okay with FM, however am still quite disappointed to be missing out on the career I truly want. Before anyone asks, my rank list was well thought out and I don't regret my choices. 

Having said that, while I am hopeful that I will enjoy family med, I am considering attempting to transfer to peds if there are spots through an internal transfer. Does anyone have any advice for how to go about this and have the best possible chance, or any success stories moving out of family into a royal college specialty? I know that my school has a transfer process in winter of R1 for any open spots and of course there is no guarantee peds will have an opening but I am hopeful.

[radd]

7 hours ago, anon24k said:

I know this gets asked every year, but I was unable to find actual advice or answers looking back at previous posts. This year I applied to peds and family med as a back up, with lots of interviews in peds. Due to some personal reasons, ultimately ranked based on staying in a certain geographical area leading to ranking FM much higher than I would've liked. Ended up matching to FM. I was and still am okay with FM, however am still quite disappointed to be missing out on the career I truly want. Before anyone asks, my rank list was well thought out and I don't regret my choices. 

Having said that, while I am hopeful that I will enjoy family med, I am considering attempting to transfer to peds if there are spots through an internal transfer. Does anyone have any advice for how to go about this and have the best possible chance, or any success stories moving out of family into a royal college specialty? I know that my school has a transfer process in winter of R1 for any open spots and of course there is no guarantee peds will have an opening but I am hopeful.

Hi!

I know someone who initially applied to pedsneuro and FM. She matched to FM (Québec). She didn't like FM and really felt like you are feeling (about missing out on the career she really wanted). So during her first year of FM, she saw that there was a spot open in peds (NOSM) (2nd iteration I think). She applied and got in, with plans to do a fellow in neuro. But then, during her 2nd year of peds, she saw that there was a spot in pedsneuro (Ottawa), so she applied. And she got it!

So yes, it is possible to switch from FM to something else. I know her case is rare, but it gives a little hope so don't give up!

[bearded frog]

On 3/21/2024 at 2:08 PM, anon24k said:

I know this gets asked every year, but I was unable to find actual advice or answers looking back at previous posts. This year I applied to peds and family med as a back up, with lots of interviews in peds. Due to some personal reasons, ultimately ranked based on staying in a certain geographical area leading to ranking FM much higher than I would've liked. Ended up matching to FM. I was and still am okay with FM, however am still quite disappointed to be missing out on the career I truly want. Before anyone asks, my rank list was well thought out and I don't regret my choices. 

Having said that, while I am hopeful that I will enjoy family med, I am considering attempting to transfer to peds if there are spots through an internal transfer. Does anyone have any advice for how to go about this and have the best possible chance, or any success stories moving out of family into a royal college specialty? I know that my school has a transfer process in winter of R1 for any open spots and of course there is no guarantee peds will have an opening but I am hopeful.

Start your FM program, be the best resident in your program. Do electives in peds and do really well in them. Approach your PD discussing how you love your program and FM in general but find that you are really gravitating towards the peds side of things and if they would support you exploring the option to transfer. Ideally your PD is supportive and with good performance overall and especially with peds, your local peds program will have room or make room for you. I have seen this happen personally. Alternatively, ideally with your PD's blessing, you go through your PGME office through the national transfer program to any open spot in a peds program (unlikely) and apply to any available second round peds CaRMS spots (variable - peds is fairly compeditive, as you yourself have seen, but there are usually a handful of spots in the second round in less-desirable locations, and then you have to compete with unmatched MSI4s, other potential resident transfers, and IMGs).