Declining VSAS Electives and Chances for Residency

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meliora27

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Does declining an elective have negative repercussions when it comes to applying for residency at a given place. Say you do a shot-gun approach and apply for a bunch of different electives for the same month, just to maximize the chances that you're not left without a rotation come a certain month. If you take the first offer that you get and then decline the second, do you still have a chance for residency at the place you decline from?

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I actually think it can hurt your chances at some places. See the other thread that was just started today: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/accepting-a-vsas-rotation.1067431/

Bottom line is that away rotations are not all that competitive, and you should do your research beforehand and apply selectively.

Perhaps that it true at some places but it has been my experience that the clerkship coordinator has little input into residency selection aside from noting whether residency applicants did a rotation with us. There is no notation that you scheduled and cancelled so we would never know. #SDNparanoia
 
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Perhaps that it true at some places but it has been my experience that the clerkship coordinator has little input into residency selection aside from noting whether residency applicants did a rotation with us. There is no notation that you scheduled and cancelled so we would never know. #SDNparanoia
Our visiting students coordinator told us something to this effect last year
 
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Perhaps that it true at some places but it has been my experience that the clerkship coordinator has little input into residency selection aside from noting whether residency applicants did a rotation with us. There is no notation that you scheduled and cancelled so we would never know. #SDNparanoia

That makes sense for programs where no one beyond the coordinator sees who is scheduled. I think you're probably right that most programs are included in that category.

I know of a couple, though, where the PD reviews the VSAS applications. In that situation I can see how scheduling something and canceling later could be detrimental.
 
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If one was to decline an away rotation, would it be appropriate to send a nice thank you note acknowledging the acceptance? Saying something like, "Thank you for the chance to rotate with your program. Unfortunately, my evolving senior schedule conflicts with my plans to do an away rotation with your institution at this time. I am grateful for the opportunity, and look forward to applying for residency at XXX in the near future."
 
At my program no one involved in residency selection would ever know. And unless you cancelled at the last minute and were exceptionally rude...our rotation coordinator wouldn'tcare
 
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