Did you apply to general or subspecialty surgery programs? Concerned you didn't receive enough interviews to have a competitive chance of matching?
Consider the IU School of Medicine Preliminary Surgery program! The IU Preliminary Surgery program is a one-year (PGY-1) training program in general surgery. Residents get the same first-year experiences as someone who matched in the Categorical General Surgery program!
This program may count as your first year of residency and makes you eligible to apply for a restricted PGY-2 spot in surgery the following year if any are available in ERAS.
Importantly, this preliminary year will provides additional surgical clinical experience and allows you to get additional letters of recommendation from surgeons and the residency program director for use in your residency application next year.
You can only be considered and ranked for the IU preliminary surgery program if you apply to the program in ERAS. It is not too late!
Add the IU Surgical Preliminary program in ERAS and email the surgery program coordinator—Mimi Arrington—and the surgery program director—E. Matthew Ritter, MD. Express interest in the preliminary positions and let them know you applied.
Preliminary interviews will be in January/February.
If you have questions, contact your surgery career mentor, Katie Stanton, MD, or Deb Rusk, MD.
Remember to put the IU Preliminary Surgery Program on your rank list!
