Doctor Forum
Resources

Features

Resources

(Views)Popular Topics
FUN - Word Association Game 508101
McCain's MomVP 378876
married momof3 medschool2004 364420
MomMD Member Mosaic - Introductions and Reintroductions!! 268899
starting a journal 152515
Anyone else on Clomid? 149145
married momof3 resident2008 126999
My Heart's Desire 125509
2010 Pregnancy updates 119006
illegal immigration and impact on medical field 109702
Who's Online
2 registered (southernmd, OnExtendedLeave), 122 Guests and 2 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Topic Options
#75897 - 09/01/10 12:25 PM Can this be done?
kalil Offline
Member

Registered: 09/01/10
Posts: 3
Has anyone left a residency program, stayed home for several years and then decided to finish their residency where they left off? Is it even possible to be accepted in a program after such a long gap? Am I crazy to even think of resuming? I have had nothing to do with medicine while I have been away. Big mistake, I know!

Top
#75898 - 09/01/10 02:58 PM Re: Can this be done? [Re: kalil]
AnnaM Offline
Super Elite Member

Registered: 08/22/05
Posts: 1004
Loc: midwest
How many years? Which specialty? You might not be able to finish where you left off. You might have to start over.

Top
#75899 - 09/02/10 12:04 AM Re: Can this be done? [Re: AnnaM]
kalil Offline
Member

Registered: 09/01/10
Posts: 3
6 years ago, quit in the last year. Start over? Wow!

Top
#75900 - 09/02/10 01:49 AM Re: Can this be done? [Re: kalil]
sahmd Offline
Super Elite Member

Registered: 06/15/05
Posts: 1391
I'm sure you remember a lot of what you learned during med school and residency and intellectually would be able to complete your residency successfully. The trick is to convince your residency program or another residency program to give you a chance. I imagine their first question would be whether the reason you quit still exists (motherhood, illness, disillusionment with specialty or with medicine, etc.). Then hopefully they would give you full or part credit for the time you already put in. I don't think you would have to relearn everything. The skills you had already mastered should come right back. You could spend some time now making sure that you are up to date knowledge-wise.

I don't know of anyone who has returned after a long break during residency, but that does not mean that you can't do it! I think one of the biggest hurdles to re-entry is self-confidence. The longer you are away from medicine, the more impossible it seems to return. But once you are back taking care of patients, those feelings should resolve pretty quickly. Be brave!

I took a long break during practice, so feel free to PM me if you would like more details about that.

Top
#75931 - 09/03/10 09:35 AM Re: Can this be done? [Re: sahmd]
kalil Offline
Member

Registered: 09/01/10
Posts: 3
I am new to this board. What does 'PM me" mean?

Top
#75933 - 09/03/10 10:01 AM Re: Can this be done? [Re: kalil]
Docmomof4 Offline
Elite Member

Registered: 01/06/10
Posts: 452
Loc: MA
Kalil-PM-send a personal message-click on her name and it will come up as a option

Top