Advice on Ortho Surgery for a new Med Student?

[SoulinNeed]

I just started med school, and I know it's early, but I was interested in Ortho surgery as a specialty. I'm not set on it, of course, but it's something to look into as I do have a general interest in surgery. My issues are that I'm not really all that interested in research, even though I'm attending a big name and top research institution. I'll likely have one or two research experiences when I graduate, but that's it, really. I obviously don't know what my Step 1 score will be, but I want to do a residency in the midwest (WI/IL/IN/maybe Iowa), though my current school isn't in that area, and I don't really have any preferences for community or academic setting program, as I'll likely be in private practice in the future, no matter what specialty I choose.

Do you guys have any general advice considering my very early preferences?

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[RueTay]

Ortho would be a great choice. I'm just starting residency and its great.

- at this point your biggest and most important hurdle is doing well on step 1. No matter what you decide to go into.
- if you are successful at that, 1-2 research experiences will be all you need.
- get to know some attendings and residents in the ortho dept by going to conferences, shadowing, or doing research. This will help you greatly in the long run so they know you when you rotate and have stuff to write about in your LORs.
- when you get to the end of third year you will schedule a couple of 4th year ortho away rotations at the programs you are most interested in getting into. Strong performances on these rotations is the second most important thing in order to match well in ortho.
- get good grades on ALL third year rotations.

If you are able to accomplish these things, you will certainly match well into ortho or whatever specialty you chose.

 

[SoulinNeed]

Thanks, that's really what I wanted to know. Work hard and do well on Step 1 and rotations. I was just wondering how my general lack of interest in research (resulting in just one or two experiences would affect me, and I thank you for your advice on that.

 

[Orthojoe]

How many like rectal exams? The dread of walking to your patient with vaginal bleeding while rotating through the ED will teach you that there is just some dirty things you've got to do. Research is important, particularly for competitive fields. Not to mention understanding how to evaluate it is key. So besides doing awesome on step one, bite the bullet and do some research to increase your chances of matching. Once you are an attending you can dump what you don't want to do, but until then you've got to play the game.

 

[bleeker10]

It seems most of us that ulitimately matched ortho came in wanting to do it. You've received great advice from the other posters. Here's my two cents:

1) Doing well in pre-clinicals and really learning the material well will make reviewing/studying for boards and doing well on them a whole lot easier. Board studying is a time when you want to review, not learn, the material.

2) Keep an open mind in third year. It's good to have a goal of what you want to do, but don't keep the blinders on the whole year. Try to learn something on every rotation that can mold the way you practice later in your career. Watch how different attendings interact with their patients. Think about other specialties and move them around on your list based on pros/cons. For instance, I hated IM because of dealing with lazy adults who don't want to get better and instead just want to complain about their chffromhypertensionneuropathiesandkidneyfailurefromdiabetescopdfromsmoking, all diseases they could've prevented years ago. But I really enjoyed my peds rotation because kids want to get better for the most part and you can usually make them laugh and forget they are at the doctors about to get poked with a needle. So now I'm considering a peds fellowship because of that.

3) When you are on surgery rotations, pay attention to the procedures they do most often. Those will be the bread and butter that you will probably spend most of your career doing. Remember that rotating at a residency program and rotating with a community PP doc will be completely different based on variety of cases.

4) Research sucks IMO. I didn't do too much (1 paper, 1 chapter for an online e-book). I don't plan on doing research during my career other than residency. Just mark the box off on the checklist and move on.

5) Aways in 4th year are important, not just to show yourself off to other programs but to also so you can see what your top programs are really like on a day to day basis.

6) Enjoy med school. It will fly by. Just remember to take it one day at a time and not get too far ahead of yourself. Also no matter how bad the suck is, they can't stop time. You will get through it.

 

[SoulinNeed]

How many like rectal exams? The dread of walking to your patient with vaginal bleeding while rotating through the ED will teach you that there is just some dirty things you've got to do. Research is important, particularly for competitive fields. Not to mention understanding how to evaluate it is key. So besides doing awesome on step one, bite the bullet and do some research to increase your chances of matching. Once you are an attending you can dump what you don't want to do, but until then you've got to play the game.

Well, like I said, I will do research. We have to do at least one at my school, and it will have to be presented as a board and oral presentation. I'll likely do another research opportunity after that, as well, but I really don't want to do anymore than that.

 

[SoulinNeed]

It seems most of us that ulitimately matched ortho came in wanting to do it. You've received great advice from the other posters. Here's my two cents:

1) Doing well in pre-clinicals and really learning the material well will make reviewing/studying for boards and doing well on them a whole lot easier. Board studying is a time when you want to review, not learn, the material.

2) Keep an open mind in third year. It's good to have a goal of what you want to do, but don't keep the blinders on the whole year. Try to learn something on every rotation that can mold the way you practice later in your career. Watch how different attendings interact with their patients. Think about other specialties and move them around on your list based on pros/cons. For instance, I hated IM because of dealing with lazy adults who don't want to get better and instead just want to complain about their chffromhypertensionneuropathiesandkidneyfailurefromdiabetescopdfromsmoking, all diseases they could've prevented years ago. But I really enjoyed my peds rotation because kids want to get better for the most part and you can usually make them laugh and forget they are at the doctors about to get poked with a needle. So now I'm considering a peds fellowship because of that.

3) When you are on surgery rotations, pay attention to the procedures they do most often. Those will be the bread and butter that you will probably spend most of your career doing. Remember that rotating at a residency program and rotating with a community PP doc will be completely different based on variety of cases.

4) Research sucks IMO. I didn't do too much (1 paper, 1 chapter for an online e-book). I don't plan on doing research during my career other than residency. Just mark the box off on the checklist and move on.

5) Aways in 4th year are important, not just to show yourself off to other programs but to also so you can see what your top programs are really like on a day to day basis.

6) Enjoy med school. It will fly by. Just remember to take it one day at a time and not get too far ahead of yourself. Also no matter how bad the suck is, they can't stop time. You will get through it.

Thank you very much for the advice.

 

[HolySmokes]

- get to know some attendings and residents in the ortho dept by going to conferences, shadowing, or doing research. This will help you greatly in the long run so they know you when you rotate and have stuff to write about in your LORs.

I have a fair amount of research in a general surgical subspecialty and know the faculty pretty well, but am just now starting to get interested in Ortho. How much of a detriment (if any) is not knowing anyone in the Ortho department at my uni? Obviously I am going to try to get electives early in 4th year and whatnot, but I'm wondering if there's anything I should be doing now to get my name out there.

 

[SoulinNeed]

What if we don't want to do our residency at our home institution? Should we still be looking to get to know the Ortho faculty here? What about away rotation faculty?

 

[joker2400]

What if we don't want to do our residency at our home institution? Should we still be looking to get to know the Ortho faculty here? What about away rotation faculty?

Somebody has to write your LORs. Might as well have it be an Ortho attending that actually knows you.

 

[Shjanzey]

Also, make sure you can bench 300 by 4th year.

 

[JCTWP46]

I'm in the same position as you OP. I just started med school. I really like ortho. from what I've experienced, shadowed, researched so far. I always appreciate threads like this. Thanks to you guys taking the time to respond.

Also, make sure you can bench 300 by 4th year.

I did that in high school

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

It seems most of us that ulitimately matched ortho came in wanting to do it. You've received great advice from the other posters. Here's my two cents:

1) Doing well in pre-clinicals and really learning the material well will make reviewing/studying for boards and doing well on them a whole lot easier. Board studying is a time when you want to review, not learn, the material.

2) Keep an open mind in third year. It's good to have a goal of what you want to do, but don't keep the blinders on the whole year. Try to learn something on every rotation that can mold the way you practice later in your career. Watch how different attendings interact with their patients. Think about other specialties and move them around on your list based on pros/cons. For instance, I hated IM because of dealing with lazy adults who don't want to get better and instead just want to complain about their chffromhypertensionneuropathiesandkidneyfailurefromdiabetescopdfromsmoking, all diseases they could've prevented years ago. But I really enjoyed my peds rotation because kids want to get better for the most part and you can usually make them laugh and forget they are at the doctors about to get poked with a needle. So now I'm considering a peds fellowship because of that.

3) When you are on surgery rotations, pay attention to the procedures they do most often. Those will be the bread and butter that you will probably spend most of your career doing. Remember that rotating at a residency program and rotating with a community PP doc will be completely different based on variety of cases.

4) Research sucks IMO. I didn't do too much (1 paper, 1 chapter for an online e-book). I don't plan on doing research during my career other than residency. Just mark the box off on the checklist and move on.

5) Aways in 4th year are important, not just to show yourself off to other programs but to also so you can see what your top programs are really like on a day to day basis.

6) Enjoy med school. It will fly by. Just remember to take it one day at a time and not get too far ahead of yourself. Also no matter how bad the suck is, they can't stop time. You will get through it.

Peds. Do it. That's what ill be doing my fellowship in come August 2014.