Future of traditional (5+2, 5+3) pathways?

[heyyouduh]

I'm a 4th year applying to surgery. I know eventually I want to do some sort of subspecialty surgery but I'm not sure what exactly. My home program's surgery rotation lacked any meaningful subspecialty exposure (just general and trauma) and I have completed a sub-i in PRS (which I enjoyed, but at this point not enough to apply to integrated PRS) and will be doing another sub-i in vascular. My step1 is competitive for GS and avg for the subspecialty surgeries, 4/6 Honors 3rd year, including surgery. I have no presentations or pubs. My plan was to do GS and then a fellowship or one of the 3+3/4+2 programs, but it seems like more and more many subspecialty programs are moving towards integrated residencies and are phasing out the traditional fellowship route. I'm worried that this will be something that continues to happen should I do the traditional route. While I'm sure there will still be traditional fellowship programs around, I'm weary that my choices will diminish. Anyone facing something similar or can chime in on this topic? TIA.

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[SocialistMD]

I'm a 4th year applying to surgery. I know eventually I want to do some sort of subspecialty surgery but I'm not sure what exactly. My home program's surgery rotation lacked any meaningful subspecialty exposure (just general and trauma) and I have completed a sub-i in PRS (which I enjoyed, but at this point not enough to apply to integrated PRS) and will be doing another sub-i in vascular. My step1 is competitive for GS and avg for the subspecialty surgeries, 4/6 Honors 3rd year, including surgery. I have no presentations or pubs. My plan was to do GS and then a fellowship or one of the 3+3/4+2 programs, but it seems like more and more many subspecialty programs are moving towards integrated residencies and are phasing out the traditional fellowship route. I'm worried that this will be something that continues to happen should I do the traditional route. While I'm sure there will still be traditional fellowship programs around, I'm weary that my choices will diminish. Anyone facing something similar or can chime in on this topic? TIA.

I wouldn't worry about it for the time you'll be in training. Yes, more specialties are going to the integrated model, but until everyone is integrated, fellowships will still exist. Given that you don't even know what you want to do, stressing about it now is a complete waste of your time and energy.

I do know that Wash U and about 8 other programs will be trialing an integrated residency for the interns of 2013. Basically, anyone will be allowed to fast-track into any general surgery specialty of their liking. We will see how it goes, but ultimately, I think everything now considered general surgery will be like this.

 

[heyyouduh]

I wouldn't worry about it for the time you'll be in training. Yes, more specialties are going to the integrated model, but until everyone is integrated, fellowships will still exist. Given that you don't even know what you want to do, stressing about it now is a complete waste of your time and energy.

I do know that Wash U and about 8 other programs will be trialing an integrated residency for the interns of 2013. Basically, anyone will be allowed to fast-track into any general surgery specialty of their liking. We will see how it goes, but ultimately, I think everything now considered general surgery will be like this.

yea it makes no difference that i worry about it now, you're right. when you mean fast tracked you mean match into gen surg residency, then essentially go into a 3+x subspecalty track? I'v always wondered how they select applicants to go into those tracks.

 

[maxheadroom]

As the number of integrated Plastics spots has increased, we've seen a decrease in the number of Independent (traditional) applicants. Part of that is almost certainly due to the ABPS shift to requiring 3 years instead of 2 years, too.

 

[heyyouduh]

As the number of integrated Plastics spots has increased, we've seen a decrease in the number of Independent (traditional) applicants. Part of that is almost certainly due to the ABPS shift to requiring 3 years instead of 2 years, too.

that seems to be the trend. hope the fellowship spots dwindle down to nothing for ppl like me.

 

[SocialistMD]

yea it makes no difference that i worry about it now, you're right. when you mean fast tracked you mean match into gen surg residency, then essentially go into a 3+x subspecalty track? I'v always wondered how they select applicants to go into those tracks.

If they deem you academically and technically acceptable, it is your spot. We have yet to encounter more than one person (two, in CT) fighting over the same spots, but I imagine it would be based on who the strongest residents were.