2006 graduate considering re-entry after being SAHM 10 years

[dwil75]

Hi, I graduated in 2006 (US medical school), and left my residency program without completing it (completed 1 year of pathology residency) in order to raise children. My husband (pathologist, graduate '05, currently practicing) and I are considering what it would take (or if it would even be possible) for me to re-enter medicine. The hospital he contracts with has both family medicine and internal medicine residency programs. I would be interested in entering one of those fields. It is a small community, and we know a lot of people here.
I am fairly certain I would need to take all steps of the USMLE again, as I left residency before completing step 3 . I had high scores on Step 1, 2 and passed CS previously, but I don't think that would count for anything now.
I would probably also need to find a physician willing to allow me to shadow them to refresh clinical experience while I am brushing up on book-knowledge and taking USMLE exams. We do have personal ties/physician friends/family members which would make this possible.
Has anyone done anything like this on their own after being a SAHM many years? Is it hopeless? (Our kids are still pretty young, and my husband's practice is here, so I am not interested in having to leave my state or paying a small fortune to attend a "retraining program" somewhere. I want to train locally and then practice locally - we live in a rural "under-served" community, if that makes any difference.)
Thanks so much!

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[CUatthefinishline]

Hello, I don't really have any advice but I wish you the best of luck on your journey back to medicine! You seem to have a solid network of people rooting for you and the resources to get it done.

I am also interested in what ultimately led you to leave your path residency years ago? What made you decide that you didn't want or need to complete your current training program before or while raising children? If you don't want to share more about it that's fine, but I was just curious. I am applying this cycle and I am always interested in the different paths within medicine that people take.

 

[RuralMedicine]

If you graduated in 2006, I presume you took Step I in 2004 so you may run into an issue with taking too long to complete your licensing exams. Different states have different rules so perhaps start with looking into the rules in the state you currently live. You can also see if you might be eligible for a waiver. Specific strategies here I can’t help with because I took the traditional path and passed my Step III exam six months into internship and haven’t had to deal with this.

As far as residency, your year of graduation may get you screened out at a lot of places but since you have stated you don’t want to relocate then perhaps you have nothing to lose by using any connections you have at your husband’s hospital and see if you can net an interview. I think I would look into the licensure issue first and plan to have completed the whole series before applying.

You should also take some time to make sure you’re really committed to FM now and be prepared to explain how you are a different physician now than when you left FM mid year in 2007. I would imagine that question would come up in interviews but if you don’t address it is likely better to somehow incorporate this into your personal statement.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

You better make sure you have a good answer as to why you won't bail on residency this time. Programs will see you as a liability.


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[miacomet]

You better make sure you have a good answer as to why you won't bail on residency this time. Programs will see you as a liability.


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I don't know. I met a woman who left her OB residency after one year and moved to France and had kids. Came back and entered an EM residency no problem.