Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

[MrsK]

Hi Everybody!

I am putting some feelers out and I hope that someone can help us. DrK is is presently in an off-cycle rotating internship. He wants to begin a psych residency ASAP thereafter (Autumn 2009).

He was advised to submit his application to ERAS – which he did – although off-cycle candidates are not eligible for the Match. I know that finding an off-cycle psych residency is like finding a needle in a haystack. So, we are setting aside any geographical preferences.

The program can be either an MD or DO program that accepts DO physicians.

1. Can you please ask around or have your spouses ask whether there are any off-cycle programs in your regions?

2. Does anyone have any advise about securing an off-cycle residency?

[KCwife]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

I'd start here....

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2997.html

and then start calling unmatched programs.

[MrsK]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

Thank you! Will do.

[madeintaiwan]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

Just curious..
I have never heard this term used before...

What is "off cycle"?

Is this different than being unmatched, doing a prelim year, and entering the match again?

We have quite a few friends who are DO's and they all completed MD residencies which they matched into during MS4 (rads, anesthesia, pm&r).

[MrsK]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

Off-cycle means that the program did not begin in June and therefore is not ending in May. His training is not on the annual cycle that begins in June so he needs to find a residency that will allow him to start/finish late.

[madeintaiwan]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

Ok. Thanks. Are DO residencies different in that they start in June and end in May? I know that for MD residencies the start date is July 1st thru the end of June of the following year.

[MrsK]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

Nope. All residencies are on the same cycle and DO residencies the same as MD residencies. (I think they all start in July. I guess I was thinking that we had to move in June for orientation.)

[madeintaiwan]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

Thanks for the clarification. Good luck with all that. Would it not be easier to apply via ERAS for a psych residency for next year [start July 1, 2009] and basically repeat the partial year that you have done? They let a PGY4 go in our program and he went into FM. FM gave him one year credit for the 3 he had completed in ortho. He seemed pleased to just have a spot somewhere.

[MrsK]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

He won't be done until Oct. 2009. So he'd have to apply for the 2010 match and spend 9 months in limbo. Not exactly ideal but it could happen.

[spotty_dog]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

He won't be done until Oct. 2009. So he'd have to apply for the 2010 match and spend 9 months in limbo. Not exactly ideal but it could happen.

I think what she's suggesting is that he scraps this year altogether, not worrying about when the program will finish. He'd still have to do the full 3(?) years of psych but at least he'd have a shot at the relatively large number of positions through the match.

[poky]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

I'm not sure I understand why he couldn't apply to 2009 spots at places that say they accept out-of-cycle, and talk with the ones that seem interested about starting 3 months late? :huh: Am I missing something?

[madeintaiwan]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

He won't be done until Oct. 2009. So he'd have to apply for the 2010 match and spend 9 months in limbo. Not exactly ideal but it could happen.

I think what she's suggesting is that he scraps this year altogether, not worrying about when the program will finish. He'd still have to do the full 3(?) years of psych but at least he'd have a shot at the relatively large number of positions through the match.

Yes, that is what I was trying to say. The R4 [ortho is 5 years] accepted "trading" in his 3 years already served for just one year credit towards a FM spot versus not being able to practice medicine.

[MrsK]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

He has a 1-year contract for his internship so he must finish. Possibly, he could get credit for part of his intern year in a psych residency but he still has to finish his intern year. (I belive psych residency is 4 years btw.)

Apparently, the "rules" of the Match prohibit him from participating if he is not available July 1, 2009. So although he is in ERAS, he needs to apply outside the normal channels. The next Match for which is is eligible is March 2010.

[HouseofWool]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

Thanks for the clarification. Good luck with all that. Would it not be easier to apply via ERAS for a psych residency for next year [start July 1, 2009] and basically repeat the partial year that you have done? They let a PGY4 go in our program and he went into FM. FM gave him one year credit for the 3 he had completed in ortho. He seemed pleased to just have a spot somewhere.

Holy Carp - scraping four years worth of work? If that were DH, I'm not sure I could hang tough that long!!!

[MrsK]

Re: Off-Cycle Psych Residency Wanted!

For those of you who are wondering what off-cycle means, this is a helpful article. On one hand, it makes skipping the Match sound like nirvana but it also accurately discusses the challenges of applying for residency outside the match.

http://www.amsa.org/tnp/articles/article.cfx?id=186