Question about Audition/Away Rotation Timing and FM Chances

[deleted1099829]

Hey everyone,

Is there any point or value to doing audition/away rotations from September-December, particularly November and December?


My situation:

I am a 3rd year DO student who has decided on FM.

My school usually gives us 2 weeks of dedicated period for Level 2 + 4 months of audition/away rotations, between 2nd half of June-October.

I recently returned from a personal LOA I had to take during rotations, which subsequently delayed everything by several months. With the amount of time I was off, I essentially don't have any time off from now till next year May 2022 when I would graduate (not an issue for me considering golden weekends + holidays +chill 4th year electives can keep me sane).

My school wants me to make up 2 of my core rotations (Surgery + Neuro (I have to take my OMM COMAT for this month)) for July and August. So I would have September-December to do my audition/away rotations.

I also won't have the 2-week dedicated period time for Level 2, but I'm hoping that going through the COMQUEST Qbank from now-August, alongside studying each month for a COMAT (I would have FM, OB, Peds, Surgery, OMM in a series, + took Psych already) will make me ready for it. I just want to pass, ideally score 20+ more points than my (low) Level 1 score.

However, I am concerned about losing 2 popular months for audition/away rotations in July and August. I also want to audition and match in an adjacent state in the Midwest in a medium-sized city (not particularly desirable city however) where my significant other is located (but outside my school GME).

Only took COMLEX Level 1. I underperformed and did pretty awful: 415. Opted out of taking any USMLE Steps at that point. Average student in pre-clinicals, but no fails. I have a decent amount of research from before and during medical school (took a year off after M2 to wrap up unfinished research pre-med school, though COVID definitely screwed things up). Only other med school extracurricular is being editor of a creative writing/arts journal club. I got a student AAFP membership, and plan to attend the virtual conference in the summer.


Basically wondering what to do. Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[deleted1099829]

Auditions/aways are not at all needed for FM, especially during COVID times. I did zero aways, got interviews at all my top choices, and matched at my #1 back in the before times. Most of our residents did not rotate at our program as a med student. We have had some folks who auditioned that we loved and ended up higher on our rank list as a result, and some that we didn't love and ended up lower. Nobody ever got ranked lower because they didn't rotate with us. If you want to do some auditions at programs you're applying at in those months for your own purposes to find out what you're looking for in a program, whether you like that particular program, etc., go for it. But you'll do fine in the match if you decide not to!

Thank you. Are most interview invites given out fairly early, or if I did decide to do an audition later in the year (say November or even December), would that still be worthwhile?

 

[Cranjis McBasketball]

We have had some folks who auditioned that we loved and ended up higher on our rank list as a result

Were the main reasons for “loving” them the stuff you hear here like personality, working hard, self motivated, etc or was it more academic/clinical knowledge?

 

[deleted1099829]

In my (limited) experience most interview invites go out pretty early in FM, I got most of mine in October-November. COVID did push things back a bit this past cycle.

Worthwhile in terms of your own goals - probably, even if you're not interviewing at a program, rotating there can still help you figure out what you like/dislike about residency programs in general. Worthwhile in terms of getting an interview invite from that program - maybe. At a minimum you've got nothing to lose, the worst they can do is continue not to invite you.

Did you have a lot of interviews in October itself?