Scared, depressed, hopeless

I was an FM resident until about a month ago and had completed PGY-1. Unfortunately, some things happened over the year that ultimately led to me leaving the program (not by choice). I did pass my rotations with good evals, except for one attending’s who drove this entire tragedy. I spoke with a lawyer who reviewed the situation and told me the program had committed multiple ACGME violations, but I decided not to pursue anything legally.
As an IMG with visa restrictions, I also couldn’t afford a gap in training. I looked for off-cycle opportunities, found a pediatrics position, and took it. I genuinely enjoy pediatrics and loved my pediatric rotations during intern year, but I already miss adult medicine and cannot imagine practicing exclusively pediatrics forever.
Because of my visa situation, I cannot switch back or reapply to FM until I complete pediatric residency and the required waiver. So I’m trying to make the best of a path I never envisioned for myself, while knowing that I may eventually want to return to caring for adults. Honestly, I’m scared about how I’ll feel several years from now. Just wanted to write this down and share how I am feeling pretty depressed because

  1. the situation with the FM program, being forced to leave against my will because an attending created drama,
  2. in a specialty I cannot exclusively practice forever, with training that is known to be brutal with eventual obscenely low compensation

No one seems to understand. (As an IMG I am grateful, I truly am, for the opportunities but at the same time.. it just sucks and is unfair)

Posted Aug 27, 2026, 1:08 PM UTC

11
Loading comments…