FM transfers

[luvpuppies101]

Hi, I noticed that the US residency system has a method of direct residency transfers swaps (ex. If you match to Toronto and someone in your class matches to Vancouver and you want to swap programs/locations). Has anyone heard about transfer opportunities such as this or the options to transfer to another family medicine program in the country (from a FM residency)?  Thanks for your input! 

[Lactic Folly]

Although it could be helpful to have a reciprocal spot is available, I don't think that a program can be forced to take a specific person to fill a spot being vacated by someone who wants to leave. They still have the right to consider all those who have approached them for transfers and select whoever they feel is the best fit. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[DermJuly2018PGY1]

no, a program is not forced, but if two applicants want to switch, it makes sense. a program doesn't want an individual that doesn't want to be in their program and would rather be somewhere else for XYZ reason

[anj88]

I just want to share my transfer experience. 

I'm a PGY1 in Family Med in a big city, urban program. 

I applied broadly to OB and ranked it high as well as applying to family as a back up across the country. I didn't get in to OB, I was very bummed. I matched to FM in the first round. 

I knew I wanted OB from the start and pursued the transfer path. 

The two options for me was to wait for the second round of CARMS and apply to any spots available and/or pursue the transfer process laid out by my school. 

Carms R2 had no spots, thus I only did the school's transfer process. 

Overall, it was very difficult: very challenging to start residency with your heart and mind really not in it; with one foot out the door trying to change your path; with even more uncertainty than CARMs year with way less transparency and more unknowns. 

At my school there was a formal email that was sent Dec of first year to all PGY1s saying if they were interested in transferring to formally apply to the dean listing the programs and places you would consider, with a letter of intent stating what you want to transfer to and why and include your CV.  This was end of Dec

All the people who applied through that had a formal meeting with the Dean discussing basically the same thing where the dean also tells you the process and how likely it is to happen.  This was mid Jan

Then you wait for a committee to meet at some time without your knowledge to determine if you meet the academic and professionalism standards to transfer (it was explained to me that they want to make sure you are not transferring because you are failing our or a red flag). You have to get approved from this committee to be considered for transfers at your own school as well as schools in the same province/across Canada. This meeting gave me approval end of Feb. 

Then my school took my application and sent it first to my home school; then to schools in the same province; then to schools across the country to see if there were 1. any spots/funding available and if so 2. would they be interested in me. 

End of April I started to hear back that 9 out of 11 of the schools I listed had no funding/spots whatsoever, including my home school. It was challenging to hear my home school had no spots as multiple residents from my home school told me there was at least 1 or 2 spots open, but alas. 

It's May now and I've been told my application is still in the hands of 2 more schools who haven't confirmed even if there is funding or spots and was told they will contact me for an interview if they are interested. 

No one can tell me what is the deadline for which I would potentially hear from these schools. Repeatedly I asked and was given the answer, "the goal would be for you to start July 1." I personally feel that it is a no from them but I just haven't heard yet.

I've had a long year of waiting and uncertainty and I just wanted to share this because I certainly felt very much in the dark about this process. 

I'm unsure if other schools do it differently, but I just wanted to lay out my path so far for people. I still very strongly feel that one should go after the path you really want. I don't regret trying to transfer, but this year has taken a lot out of me. It's a lot of disappointment all over again. 

So I wish all the people wanting a transfer lots of luck; evidently it is what we all need in this increasingly challenging Carms matching world. 

[LittleDaisy]

14 minutes ago, anj88 said:

I just want to share my transfer experience. 

I'm a PGY1 in Family Med in a big city, urban program. 

I applied broadly to OB and ranked it high as well as applying to family as a back up across the country. I didn't get in to OB, I was very bummed. I matched to FM in the first round. 

I knew I wanted OB from the start and pursued the transfer path. 

The two options for me was to wait for the second round of CARMS and apply to any spots available and/or pursue the transfer process laid out by my school. 

Carms R2 had no spots, thus I only did the school's transfer process. 

Overall, it was very difficult: very challenging to start residency with your heart and mind really not in it; with one foot out the door trying to change your path; with even more uncertainty than CARMs year with way less transparency and more unknowns. 

At my school there was a formal email that was sent Dec of first year to all PGY1s saying if they were interested in transferring to formally apply to the dean listing the programs and places you would consider, with a letter of intent stating what you want to transfer to and why and include your CV.  This was end of Dec

All the people who applied through that had a formal meeting with the Dean discussing basically the same thing where the dean also tells you the process and how likely it is to happen.  This was mid Jan

Then you wait for a committee to meet at some time without your knowledge to determine if you meet the academic and professionalism standards to transfer (it was explained to me that they want to make sure you are not transferring because you are failing our or a red flag). You have to get approved from this committee to be considered for transfers at your own school as well as schools in the same province/across Canada. This meeting gave me approval end of Feb. 

Then my school took my application and sent it first to my home school; then to schools in the same province; then to schools across the country to see if there were 1. any spots/funding available and if so 2. would they be interested in me. 

End of April I started to hear back that 9 out of 11 of the schools I listed had no funding/spots whatsoever, including my home school. It was challenging to hear my home school had no spots as multiple residents from my home school told me there was at least 1 or 2 spots open, but alas. 

It's May now and I've been told my application is still in the hands of 2 more schools who haven't confirmed even if there is funding or spots and was told they will contact me for an interview if they are interested. 

No one can tell me what is the deadline for which I would potentially hear from these schools. Repeatedly I asked and was given the answer, "the goal would be for you to start July 1." I personally feel that it is a no from them but I just haven't heard yet.

I've had a long year of waiting and uncertainty and I just wanted to share this because I certainly felt very much in the dark about this process. 

I'm unsure if other schools do it differently, but I just wanted to lay out my path so far for people. I still very strongly feel that one should go after the path you really want. I don't regret trying to transfer, but this year has taken a lot out of me. It's a lot of disappointment all over again. 

So I wish all the people wanting a transfer lots of luck; evidently it is what we all need in this increasingly challenging Carms matching world. 

I am really sorry to hear this. The thing is that you could always do FM obs part-time, and do 3 months of enhanced experience in FM obstetrics. 

If you really want  to devote more time to do obstetrics, you could definitely tailor your clinic to do a lot of prenatal, and convince your prenatal patients to be followed by FM obstetrics group at your practice, you might not deliver everyday, but you could definitely deliver weekly and enjoy the joy of welcoming newborns to the world. 

You could always assist at C-sections, it is very common in community hospitals and in rural area 

Obs-gyn is not one of the top specialties where there is high need, I doubt that the government or PGME at your school would push for transfers, unless a resident switched out of OBS-GYN, 

The upside is that there are increasing number of medical students who went unmatched,  at least you matched to a FM residency program at an urban area. You could practice wherever you want after 2-year of residency, and definitely tailor your practice to FM obstetrics. A lot of family physicians do not feel comfortable doing low-risk vaginal deliveries, and would automatically refer past 20 weeks GA pregnancy to their FM Obs colleagues, there is a high need for more GPs doing OBS in rural area. 

 

[Dermviser]

@anj88

Are you an incoming PGY1 starting in July 2018?

[someoneelse]

It looks like anj88 is a current PGY 1 in family medicine (2017-2018) from their post.

[mikejones]

Another FM PGY-1 here in Ontario ... tried to transfer into IM this year. I have to say my experience has been very similar to anj88's

Basically still waiting in the dark as we enter mid-May ... I've been told two schools in Ontario (one is my own school), considering my application, but still in the dark.

I heard from one program director that this year the government is pushing schools to use any excess funding towards creating new spots for unmatched MD graduates, so that may be a factor. I heard from another source that there are extra spots created this year tied to ROS agreements in FM across the country.

So bottom line ... not impossible, but certainly challenging to transfer here.

[happycookie]

I'm a PGY1 in a specialty also looking into how transfers work (aka do they ever work). Thank you so much for sharing about it here. We find so little information out there... 

Have you guys been able to transfer after all the effort?  

[LittleDaisy]

On 9/1/2018 at 10:15 PM, happycookie said:

I'm a PGY1 in a specialty also looking into how transfers work (aka do they ever work). Thank you so much for sharing about it here. We find so little information out there... 

Have you guys been able to transfer after all the effort?  

I think that everyone in the forum's experience is that transfer from FM----> specialty is very difficult, but from specialty----> FM is very easy.

The Ontario Minstry of Health is pushing for more FM due to high demands, I know a few people into their PGY4-PGY5 years who have no trouble into transferring into FM without any electives nor LORs.

I would suggest that you go through second tour of CaRMS to increase your chances. 

[GrouchoMarx]

I recommend that you stop wasting time on the opaque Canadian system and instead devote your efforts to USMLE