Graduated but owe one month

[gatorbait10]

Thank you in advance for your input.
I've matched and graduation is coming up. Due to some family issues I had to take a month off during 4th yr (at this point, I had already used up a "vacation" month for interviews) and now I owe one 4 week rotation after graduation. Anybody with an experience like this? If I were to not complete this, could the school take my diploma back and stop me from starting residency? Any other consequences?

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[scummie]

So basically you took two months off and don't want to make it up?

Sounds like a very severe case of senioritis.

 

[deleted480308]

Thank you in advance for your input.
I've matched and graduation is coming up. Due to some family issues I had to take a month off during 4th yr (at this point, I had already used up a "vacation" month for interviews) and now I owe one 4 week rotation after graduation. Anybody with an experience like this? If I were to not complete this, could the school take my diploma back and stop me from starting residency? Any other consequences?

med schools are all powerful deities that hold your ability to repay loans in their omnipotent hands.....go do your rotation

 

[gatorbait10]

No doubt about senioritis hitting me hard. With all that has happened this year, it would be nice to have a couple of weeks off before starting residency because the two months off were not vacations by any means. I'll do what I have to do but I was looking for advice from people with similar experience. Appreciate the replies anyways.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Sounds like your school has told you what you need to do, so the only logical thing would be to just suck it up and do it. Don't give them a reason to punish you. Congrats on matching!

 

[Raryn]

I'd be amazed if they actually issued you a diploma (rather than an IOU) at graduation with a requirement like that outstanding.

 

[metopic]

I'd be amazed if they actually issued you a diploma (rather than an IOU) at graduation with a requirement like that outstanding.

This is exactly what they will do. They will let you walk. They will not give you a diploma. You have not met the requirements for graduation yet OP. I have a hard time actually believing your post is real. Did you think you could just do that? OH I TRICKED THEM??? OH I GOT THAT MED SCHOOL GOOD!!! No.

Do you really think your administration would take that lying down? "oh yeah he just decided he didn't want to complete his rotations, but we forgot and gave him a diploma what a sneaky bugger have fun in residency." No. They will violate in ways you can't imagine if you try this ridiculous stunt. My guess would be expulsion. No more residency, no more becoming a doctor.

Your degree has very specific hour requirements, you have to meet them....

 

[BurghStudent]

If you think a 4 week rotation will be painful before residency, imagine the alternative... no residency!

 

[AMEHigh]

I'm not sure what kind of advice you want because other than doing the rotation, it doesn't seem like you have any options.

With that said, when I started my 3rd year there was a guy on my ENT rotation that was in the same spot. He said he already graduated but was missing a few weeks, so was there doing his rotation before residency began.

I'm sure you're not the first, nor will you be the last person to be in this situation.

 

[gatorbait10]

Thank you all for the replies. I will be doing a rotation. I must've come off wrong in the original post, that's my bad. I always appreciate this forum! Good luck to those who are entering the match this year.

 

[TopTomato]

Wasn't there a guy on SDN that was dismissed from their med school for lying about completing rotation time after they matched too? Seems like schools don't mess around with this kind of stuff. I would just do the rotation OP.

 

[Doctor Bob]

It is very common for schools to give place-holding pieces of paper out during graduation, then mail you the official thing in a month or two when all of the boxes have been checked and requirements completed. Some people have residual things to complete at the end of the year.

While you might be able to start residency without ever completing this month, you will never be able to take Step III (which as I recall requires proof of graduation prior to taking it), and you won't be able to apply for licensure (which I know with certainly requires proof of graduation). So starting the residency without completing the month would be a big mistake.

And once the program found out that you hadn't finished all of the requirements for graduation, you'd void your residency contract because many of them have things in them about how you have to have completed all requirements for graduation from med school prior to beginning the residency.

Long story short (too late)- it's not an uncommon predicament, go ahead and complete the rotation. You're in the time of year when everyone expects the 4th year students to be mentally checked out. Pass the rotation, don't fail because of silly reasons like skipping too many days (probably one of the biggest reasons we fail 4th year rotators this time of year), learn a few last minute tidbits, and move on with your life.

 

[gatorbait10]

It is very common for schools to give place-holding pieces of paper out during graduation, then mail you the official thing in a month or two when all of the boxes have been checked and requirements completed. Some people have residual things to complete at the end of the year.

While you might be able to start residency without ever completing this month, you will never be able to take Step III (which as I recall requires proof of graduation prior to taking it), and you won't be able to apply for licensure (which I know with certainly requires proof of graduation). So starting the residency without completing the month would be a big mistake.

And once the program found out that you hadn't finished all of the requirements for graduation, you'd void your residency contract because many of them have things in them about how you have to have completed all requirements for graduation from med school prior to beginning the residency.

Long story short (too late)- it's not an uncommon predicament, go ahead and complete the rotation. You're in the time of year when everyone expects the 4th year students to be mentally checked out. Pass the rotation, don't fail because of silly reasons like skipping too many days (probably one of the biggest reasons we fail 4th year rotators this time of year), learn a few last minute tidbits, and move on with your life.

All makes sense. Thank you. No doubt I'm drained but there is always something to gain from a rotation. Thanks again for an informative reply.

 

[deleted480308]

Wasn't there a guy on SDN that was dismissed from their med school for lying about completing rotation time after they matched too? Seems like schools don't mess around with this kind of stuff. I would just do the rotation OP.

IIRC that student not only didn't complete the rotation, they forged multiple preceptor reports to cover

 

[dozitgetchahi]

This is exactly what they will do. They will let you walk. They will not give you a diploma. You have not met the requirements for graduation yet OP. I have a hard time actually believing your post is real. Did you think you could just do that? OH I TRICKED THEM??? OH I GOT THAT MED SCHOOL GOOD!!! No.

Do you really think your administration would take that lying down? "oh yeah he just decided he didn't want to complete his rotations, but we forgot and gave him a diploma what a sneaky bugger have fun in residency." No. They will violate in ways you can't imagine if you try this ridiculous stunt. My guess would be expulsion. No more residency, no more becoming a doctor.

Your degree has very specific hour requirements, you have to meet them....

Where I'm from, if Is weren't dotted and Ts crossed you certainly would not be walking at graduation...

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

IIRC that student not only didn't complete the rotation, they forged multiple preceptor reports to cover

I'm guessing the latter is what led to their dismissal, and rightfully so. If you're forging documents while still a student I would hate to see what you would be doing as a full fledged physician.

 

[DocVapor]

I'm guessing the latter is what led to their dismissal, and rightfully so. If you're forging documents while still a student I would hate to see what you would be doing as a full fledged physician.

You would be bathing in $100 bills until someone figured it out.

Then you would be picking up the soap for Bubba.