Applying to a second specialty?

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JustSomePreMed

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I know it's not uncommon for derm applicants to apply for a second specialty area, given the fickleness of the application process within dermatology. I was curious to hear what other people on here (students, residents, and attendings alike) may have applied to in addition to dermatology, and what your thoughts were on applying to multiple fields at once.

Thanks.
 
JustSomePreMed said:
I know it's not uncommon for derm applicants to apply for a second specialty area, given the fickleness of the application process within dermatology. I was curious to hear what other people on here (students, residents, and attendings alike) may have applied to in addition to dermatology, and what your thoughts were on applying to multiple fields at once.

Thanks.
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It happens and I cannot fault people for "protecting" themselves given how rigorous the application process is.

But I would do my best to keep it quiet from everyone. It is NOT something you want to share during the interviewing process.
 
Oh I agree. I would never mention that on the interview trail. I just wanted to hear what others' experience with it has been.
 
I did it. Your nosey classmates WILL find out. And word will get around. All anyone wants to talk about 4th year is "What are you going into?" You will be asked by someone also going into your backup (and you have to be honest if you're going to see them at the interview). I also ran into some folks on prelims (who frequently put your specialty on your nametag) and then also ran into them at my backup specialty (not what was on my nametag).

I think word may have leaked out to my home program, and I did not match there. That's not a big deal for me, b/c my home program was probably the least desirable one on my list (ranked it high for other reasons).

Bottom line, people will find out, and it's very stressful wondering if some gunner derm applicant is going to torpedo you at each interview. But, I still think it'd be crazy to apply to derm with no backup. My dean told me the same thing when I asked him.
 
Thanks a bunch SierraPoppa, that's helpful. If you don't mind me asking, what other specialty did you apply to as your backup? I feel like it will be very difficult to swing a second specialty area for application purposes as far as completing electives/sub-Is that are relevant to that second field, and managing LORs, etc. I suppose some fields lend themselves to "backup if I don't match into derm" better than others.
 
JustSomePreMed said:
Thanks a bunch SierraPoppa, that's helpful. If you don't mind me asking, what other specialty did you apply to as your backup? I feel like it will be very difficult to swing a second specialty area for application purposes as far as completing electives/sub-Is that are relevant to that second field, and managing LORs, etc. I suppose some fields lend themselves to "backup if I don't match into derm" better than others.
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I found integrated plastic surgery was a good backup. 🙂
 
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JustSomePreMed said:
Thanks a bunch SierraPoppa, that's helpful. If you don't mind me asking, what other specialty did you apply to as your backup? I feel like it will be very difficult to swing a second specialty area for application purposes as far as completing electives/sub-Is that are relevant to that second field, and managing LORs, etc. I suppose some fields lend themselves to "backup if I don't match into derm" better than others.
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Radiology. If you've got any chance at all to get a spot in derm you have a pretty decent chance to do anything else. I thought I was going to do Rads all through med school until I did my derm elective. I really liked the patient interaction I saw in derm (as opposed to the constant drug-seeking patients in family and medicine), and after some soul searching I realized I would rather go into a specialty where I could still see patients.

I didn't do a sub-I in rads, but I did do an elective. It's not a big deal. At my school at least, almost everyone tried to get a Rads elective. My sub-I was in Family, so I didn't do one in derm either. I don't think it's really very important. LORs are relatively easy to manage in ERAS for multiple specialties.

Also, a number of my prelim interviews told me they would make me a categorical spot if I matched with them but not with an advanced program, so I guess I had medicine as a backup as well.
 
I think the best advice I can give you is to not let anyone make you feel guilty about having a backup, whether they're on SDN or a student or faculty from your school. Derm programs don't want you to have a backup, but it's no skin off their nose if you don't match and you get left out in the cold. And none of them will lose any sleep over you. Lots of people didn't match this cycle, some of them probably for the 2nd or 3rd time. That's devastating for those people, but all I've heard from programs is how happy they are that they matched student x and student y.

This is a game, and you didn't make the rules. All you can do is play the game to the best possible end for yourself. You determine what "best" is for you, but I'm a person who hates unknowns in my life. I would not be able to stand taking a year off or doing a research fellowship not knowing if I was just wasting my time or if I would ever get a derm spot. I have close to $200k in loans that are coming due soon, and I can't afford to get jerked around by a program about whether or not they're going to have a spot for me next year. You have to decide what's important to you and do what needs to be done to make it happen.
 
SierraPoppa said:
Radiology. If you've got any chance at all to get a spot in derm you have a pretty decent chance to do anything else. I thought I was going to do Rads all through med school until I did my derm elective. I really liked the patient interaction I saw in derm (as opposed to the constant drug-seeking patients in family and medicine), and after some soul searching I realized I would rather go into a specialty where I could still see patients.

I didn't do a sub-I in rads, but I did do an elective. It's not a big deal. At my school at least, almost everyone tried to get a Rads elective. My sub-I was in Family, so I didn't do one in derm either. I don't think it's really very important. LORs are relatively easy to manage in ERAS for multiple specialties.

Also, a number of my prelim interviews told me they would make me a categorical spot if I matched with them but not with an advanced program, so I guess I had medicine as a backup as well.
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Radiology is what I was also considering applying to at the same time; the problem is, I feel like it would be difficult to keep the fact that I was primarily applying to derm a secret from the radiology department at my school.
 
SierraPoppa said:
I think the best advice I can give you is to not let anyone make you feel guilty about having a backup, whether they're on SDN or a student or faculty from your school. Derm programs don't want you to have a backup, but it's no skin off their nose if you don't match and you get left out in the cold. And none of them will lose any sleep over you. Lots of people didn't match this cycle, some of them probably for the 2nd or 3rd time. That's devastating for those people, but all I've heard from programs is how happy they are that they matched student x and student y.

This is a game, and you didn't make the rules. All you can do is play the game to the best possible end for yourself. You determine what "best" is for you, but I'm a person who hates unknowns in my life. I would not be able to stand taking a year off or doing a research fellowship not knowing if I was just wasting my time or if I would ever get a derm spot. I have close to $200k in loans that are coming due soon, and I can't afford to get jerked around by a program about whether or not they're going to have a spot for me next year. You have to decide what's important to you and do what needs to be done to make it happen.
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I couldn't agree more with Sierra. You have to play by the rules as best as you can. Not matching is such a disheartening process...I've seen friends go through it in derm and it breaks your heart. The truth is that the science in the admissions process is half-baked at best and that an optimistic perspective. There are ways to really stack the deck in your favor but having a backup is smart. Does that mean you have to apply to a second field within medicine...not necessarily. If you are thinking fellowship/internship make sure you talk this through with trusted mentors and other trusted dermies ahead of time so that you can minimize getting jerked around if you go this route.

Word gets around the 4th year class faster than you think so if you apply to a backup specialty keep that to yourself as much as you can.
 
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