The prospects for switching to a different specialty

Could you comment on how an applicant switching into general surgery compares to one that applied directly from medical school would be viewed? I had a very difficult time choosing between specialties and have been regretting my decision not to apply into surgery. I am currently in a prelim year in medicine and am currently matched into radiology. I want to reenter the match process this year but am nervous to give up my guaranteed radiology position at a top program for an unknown where I can go unmatched or matched into an undesirable program. I graduated from a US med school. My USMLE Step 1 score was 235, Step 2 252, and I have published 2 articles in a surgical sub-specialty field.

You are what is known to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) as an "independent applicant" (graduate of a US med school going back into the match).

Go to the NRMP website, download the PDF "Main match results and data 2016" and look at Figure 6, you will find that 52.2% of independent applicants in general surgery failed to match compared to only 9.9% of US seniors.

 

This holds true for most specialties. Note that 43% of independent grads did not match in neurology.

Your USMLE scores are quite good, and the fact that you have published to articles will probably help a little. However, the reality is that you probably have about a 50-50 chance of matching in general surgery.

I wish I could explain why this is. All I know is it has been this way for years.

I can't tell you what to do. I suggest you give this some serious thought. It is probably not ethical for you to reenter the match and not tell your anesthesia program that you are doing so, but I suppose that is an option. If you don't match in general surgery, you would still have your anesthesia spot, but if you do match, you will leave your anesthesia program high and dry.

If you decide to apply to general surgery, you should go with mostly community hospital programs and send out lots of applications. By lots, I mean more than 50 or as many as you can afford.

You will be able to better assess your chances as you see how many interviews you are offered.

Good luck with your decision and please let me know how it turns out.