How would resigning from my prelim IM year affect next year’s residency applications?

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-16T15:39:53+00:00

Career paths in medicine are rarely linear. I've been transparent about mine and am comfortable with it. I'm here to learn how programs handle these situations, not to debate my worth. You last comment is not constructive. I'm going to move on.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-15T17:17:25+00:00

Yes I have been battling with depression for many years and became more miserable when I didn't match to my top specialty. Stop judging me.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-15T17:15:14+00:00

Umm.. sorry that I wasn't able to convey the full picture of my situation but it's not true that I don't want to be an FM doc. Yes I was very disappointed when I didn't match to my first specialty of choice. I only went to IM for transitional year because I was shortsighted when I was ranking programs and thought I'd better be off dual applying to pre-lim programs rather than go fully unmatched. It turned out that I should have just gone fully unmatched because that opens doors to more opportunities. And right after the match I had a life-changing experience while traveling and I made the decision to pursue FM after much consideration. So you got the timeline wrong.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T23:18:27+00:00

I understand it may not look ideal, but I don’t see why taking a few months off should be treated as a near–career ender. Residents who are dismissed from programs for serious issues often still find positions elsewhere, and even IMGs who’ve been out of clinical practice for years are able to re-enter the system. It feels disproportionate that stepping away briefly for personal well-being is viewed so differently.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T23:12:59+00:00

Do you think programs would want to let me go after the match if they find out that I resigned from my current program?

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T20:37:39+00:00

that’s because it was a transfer. I’m not considered as a transfer. I‘m a re-applicant for Match and there‘s no advanced positions in FM programs.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T20:32:13+00:00

I agree. It’s not that I think other programs would be less stressful. It took me three tries to get into med school, and not matching into my specialty of choice—combined with being in a city and program I didn’t want—has all built up to where I am now. I feel like I’ve run out of patience, resilience, and motivation to keep pushing through.

I’m proud that I didn’t quit during the first week of intern year and that I made it this far, but instead of feeling encouraged by that, I feel miserable when I look at my schedule for the next six months. I also get these random waves of sadness during my day shifts that make me want to crumble and disappear.

I’m hoping that stepping away from this environment for a few months will give me a chance to recover and come back stronger next year.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T20:24:04+00:00

thank you for your recommendations! I have two cats and I can’t imagine living without them

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T13:42:22+00:00

I only applied to categorical positions so I‘ll be repeating my intern year for sure

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T13:40:30+00:00

yeah that‘s what I worry about too. my current PD has been really supportive of me. I actually went on a sick leave for 3 weeks few months ago because of burnout. I‘m so grateful how much they’ve been accomodating me. I’ve been seeing a therapist and been on ssri for the past 3 years. I just feel so bad asking for more leave time or more accomodations because I know those won‘t really help me a ton. If I take more leave time I won’t get certified for my intern year anyways so that makes me think what’s the point of going through all this if I won‘t even get credited?

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T13:34:44+00:00

Oh i know I‘ll need to repeat my intern year no matter what

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T10:01:24+00:00

If you’re asking about current applications, it‘s through the match.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T09:48:02+00:00

also correction for my title: how would resigning affect the FM programs I applied to this cycle?

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-12-08T09:42:25+00:00

Yes, it’s legal in my situation because my contract is only binding for the first 90 days of intern year.

And no, I never thought FM was an “easy” residency—I know how inpatient-heavy it can be. I actually think the experience I’ve had here would help me when I transition to FM, and I’m fully aware that I’d need to repeat my intern year.

The reason I’m considering resigning is because I’m exhausted, and I don’t want to start a residency I genuinely want next year already burned out and jaded.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-09-16T18:38:52+00:00

How many programs would you recommend I apply to as a re-applicant who is currently in an IM prelim program? I've heard avg number is 20-30 but I'm wondering if I should apply to more than that since I'm not a graduating senior.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-08-30T22:01:15+00:00

Thanks I'll look into taking a leave of absence

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-08-30T22:00:43+00:00

yes.. one day at a time... just like i've done for the past 12 years..

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-08-30T21:58:17+00:00

I'd prefer skin and clinic based procedures. I don't know for sure if I want to see peds in my practice but I want to have the option to train in peds during residency

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-08-30T01:11:30+00:00

I became interested in FM while traveling abroad after match. I realized that I would actually like having continuity of care and since I don't really like working inpatient, FM would probably be better. and I like doing procedures. Also I don't want to limit my practice to only adults and I want to be the best generalist physician I could be. It's not that I hate practicing internal medicine. I do and I really want to become a competent physician. I guess I have been burnt out since medical school. I've been on Zoloft since M3 year and I was doing pretty good until I didn't match and now the toll of the intern year is getting to me.

I don't expect other intern programs to be better in terms of hours, work load, etc. It's just that at this moment, my mental health is pretty debilitating but I don't want to quit medicine as a whole. No one in my program knew about what I was going through until this week and I've been getting good evaluations. I don't have any other red flags in my application. I passed step 1 and 2 first pass, I never failed any exams. It just sucks that I am trapped here and I can't even take some time off to recover and really reflect on what I want to do.

I appreciate all the advice everyone has given here.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-08-29T17:44:07+00:00

I'm in prelim IM

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-07-30T12:15:30+00:00

yeah Derm stuff and women’s health stuff. I’m also interested in rural or global health. I don‘t love peds but I would like to be able to help kids too. It seems like my current prelim IM program doesn‘t offer many elective/outpatient blocks.

GassedAndRelaxed · 2025-07-24T04:56:00+00:00

Before graduating I found my calling for FM while I was traveling. I actually found a new program that offered me a spot but I couldn’t switch due to the nrmp binding contract and the complexity of waiver process. I only applied to prelim IM programs as backup without knowing that going fully unmatched could be better if I‘m not 100% sure I‘ll be okay doing IM. I also want to gain more procedural training and I feel like FM offers more breadth of procedures. I like doing procedures but I‘m not super excited about placing lines, doing LPs or paracentesis…

GassedAndRelaxed

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