ER away rotation was cancelled, would an observership be worth it?

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elkhead71

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Hey Guys,

So I'm a rising 3rd year American IMG who was planning on doing an away rotation in 2 weeks that was suddenly cancelled on me. Needless to say I was upset by the news. I only have one month off to do a planned away rotation and it seems too late to have anything lined up. I have mid-November to mid-December free. I might be able to scramble for a observership but I would like to know is it worth it? Will I get any good experience out of it, could I get a letter of rec from it? I really don't like the whole "hands free" and can't touch the patients or do procedure approach. I do all my rotations in the US and will have my ER rotation done at my main hospital and will get a SLOR and a couple of LOC from the ER doctors there.

Even though it's a long shot does anyone know of a program that might accept me for an away rotation?

Thanks for the advise.
Elkhead71

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If you're a third year... isn't this a bit early to be doing an ER rotation? 2 of the top goals of an away rotation is to get a SLOR and to get higher on their rank list. The SLOR I don't think will be as good for an observer-ship, as a regular EM rotation. They will also forget about you by next year. This years interview season has just begun and to rotate for the next year before even this match has come back or rank order list being in is a bit pre-mature. If that's how your schedule works out you have to do it, then fine. But I would say rotate in the ER in July, August and September. The case could be made for June (same problem of them forgetting you) and October (but the SLOR may be in late).

When I evaluate med students that being said, the most important skill is the presentation being succinct/relevant, ddx appropriate and a reasonable plan for an MS-IV. The second is that you don't have any behavioral pathology which would make it hard to teach or annoying to interact with. Procedural skills I don't evaluate harshly on because residency will teach you that and I'm most of the time not listening to you interview the patient so as long as you're presenting cases to someone during this observership, it may be worth it.

a PGY-3
 
What is the type of rotations that was on your plan and cancelled?


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That sucks that the program screwed you. Sorry to hear that.

In any case, if you have to pay for the observership, then I think it's worse than useless.
 
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