Applying for Emergency Medicine away rotations in Southern California?

[rollingstone27]

I’m starting VSAS now for emergency medicine. Do students normally get accepted to the schools they apply? I’d like to do a rotation at UCLA, but not sure if I should apply to back-ups.

How many applications do students normally submit for Southern California schools? I am going to med school out of state.

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[EMNation]

I’m starting VSAS now for emergency medicine. Do students normally get accepted to the schools they apply? I’d like to do a rotation at UCLA, but not sure if I should apply to back-ups.

How many applications do students normally submit for Southern California schools? I am going to med school out of state.

As a california applicant who matched in california, I will tell you from firsthand experience it was NOT easy for me to land the aways I wanted. I actually applied to 2 in california - 1 was 'full' when I applied (applied 2 days after it opened..) and the other responded to me very late saying that initially I was on a waitlist and later was taken off as a spot opened up and that I had to respond within around 48 hours to get the spot (which i couldnt do as I had just finished setting up everything for my out of state away).

Short version: Apply as soon as apps open up.

My program has responded very differently depending on who you ask regarding backups. Some people say to not apply to multiple (since you would turn some down after being offered some, which would be unprofessional and potentially cause someone to remember you). The others say there are tons of applicants and they have way better things to do than to try to remember your name/school to block you later in the cycle haha. I personally wouldn't do it just because I was scared to but i doubt itd do anything.

 

[KinesiologyNerd]

My program has responded very differently depending on who you ask regarding backups. Some people say to not apply to multiple (since you would turn some down after being offered some, which would be unprofessional and potentially cause someone to remember you). The others say there are tons of applicants and they have way better things to do than to try to remember your name/school to block you later in the cycle haha. I personally wouldn't do it just because I was scared to but i doubt itd do anything.

Right? The completely rational person in me says why would they care if I *politely* turn down their away because I heard back from someone else first, but I'm still terrified I'll get bitten by it.

 

[rollingstone27]

I'm a california resident that is going to med school out of state. My goal is to match EM in southern california. Would you say that in the case that I have trouble securing an away rotation in one of those programs before Sept 15, getting an LOR from an away site outside of California would significantly lower my chances of matching there?

 

[EMNation]

I'm a california resident that is going to med school out of state. My goal is to match EM in southern california. Would you say that in the case that I have trouble securing an away rotation in one of those programs before Sept 15, getting an LOR from an away site outside of California would significantly lower my chances of matching there?

Yes I'd say that is accurate. There is no shortage of california residents at california medical schools who (almost every one of them) want to stay in So cal. And, similarly, there are tons of out of state med students (yourself included) who want to come back to so cal for residency and beyond. Thus, i'd argue the away is almost mandatory, but that's just my opinion.