VSAS 2021/2022

[aldol16]

1) This is an unusual year. Apps generally open sporadically after January and you have to refresh every day to find out if they're open because it's not announced. At least this year, it's around April 15 (most places have opened). Some institutions just don't use VSAS so check their websites.

2) You should not be applying to a ton of places. You really don't want to have to turn them down (debatable whether this matters for interviews later on) but you really just don't need that many. It's not a residency application.

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[Cranjis McBasketball]

you arent going to burn any bridges by applying somewhere and turning down an acceptance, as long as you arent rude about it and don't cancel it after accepting. They know people apply to multiple spots for the same time period.

Except they will know theyre not one of your top choices if you turn them down

 

[MedScat]

you arent going to burn any bridges by applying somewhere and turning down an acceptance, as long as you arent rude about it and don't cancel it after accepting. They know people apply to multiple spots for the same time period.

the people applying to the most are probably in a similar situation to me and some other DOs. We don't have a core site for 4th year. everything has to be at other institutions. We fit all the exceptions laid out by COPA.

It also depends on what people are counting as apps. I've got like 150 pending applications right now, but every date you give counts as an app. Its probably somewhere between 20-30 rotations total.

Yep, same as ohmanwaddup above.

I don’t have a core site and my school won’t let us stay in any one location for more than 12 weeks, so I have to do at least six aways as far as I can tell at this point. We have a couple of online modules we can use for missed rotations so that’s why I’m down to six aways and not eight aways so far. If I only did one away, I wouldn’t be able to graduate, and that trumps everything else.

I’m up to 55 apps at this point and it’s exhausting.

I’m hoping I’ll actually be able to land a few of these because of the one rotation limit, because more than half of those apps are at sites only taking one student per date. And I think in a regular year, the odds of any of those sites picking me are probably abysmal.

This all sounds horrid my gosh, sorry you guys have to do all this

 

[ohmanwaddup]

This all sounds horrid my gosh, sorry you guys have to do all this

It is actually good for me. My third year was spent at a small community hospital with big institutions less than 2 hours away. I got to do a bunch but a lot of interesting stuff and variety was shipped out to those big places. I've got zero inpatient peds experience besides the nursery. zero experience working with residents.

I'm seeing students from other schools who are at my core site being screwed over because their school is following the COPA recommendations to a T

 

[ohmanwaddup]

Except they will know theyre not one of your top choices if you turn them down

Not if you explain it's because of scheduling dates and asks if they can change the start and end time of the rotation. You just have to be polite.

Also, I am pretty sure that the residency program department and the 4th year elective department are completely separate people.

 

[aldol16]

Except they will know theyre not one of your top choices if you turn them down

No, they just know that they're not your #1. Since everybody can only do 1 away, presumably if you turn them down, then you got an offer that is better than theirs. But other than that, they don't know if they're #2 or #10.

 

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Since everybody can only do 1 away, presumably if you turn them down, then you got an offer that is better than theirs. But other than that, they don't know if they're #2 or #10.

Thats a good point with the away limit recommendation

 

[calivianya]

No, they just know that they're not your #1. Since everybody can only do 1 away, presumably if you turn them down, then you got an offer that is better than theirs. But other than that, they don't know if they're #2 or #10.

Honestly, I’m skeptical I’m even going to be able to get 1 away rotation in my preferred specialty... there’s just not that many spots. But I’m planning on immediately withdrawing from everywhere else I’ve applied once I get my first offer for an away in any specialty to avoid this situation, should it happen.

I’d be happy with rotating anywhere I applied to rotate. I’m just hoping somewhere out of my region accepts me early.

 

[NicMouse64]

I have applications for 2 schools right now, not sure if I should add following may 3rd or if I should just add a couple now.

 

[KatniP]

I applied to 3 schools in one area because I'm applying out-of-state and wasn't sure how competitive it would be to get a spot during August.... How important is the short bio section? One of the schools I didn't attach anything significant in the short bio, and I realized I should probably write a short blurb for my other submissions. This year has been insane.

 

[ohmanwaddup]

I applied to 3 schools in one area because I'm applying out-of-state and wasn't sure how competitive it would be to get a spot during August.... How important is the short bio section? One of the schools I didn't attach anything significant in the short bio, and I realized I should probably write a short blurb for my other submissions. This year has been insane.

I've heard not to write anything in it. If they want something they will ask for a PS

 

[calivianya]

The joke of today is my school *just* now figured out, today, that they want a whole bunch more paperwork from us before they release our applications that we’ve already submitted to the host institutions. We’re staying in “home review” ‘until we turn in this paperwork. So now I need a new background check, because they will only acknowledge that we have done a background check recently if we do the specific one through the specific company that they want, with their specific code. And I didn’t use that one for the background checks I’ve already submitted to programs directly.

I clearly wasted a whole lot of time stressing about getting apps in right when they opened on VSAS on 4/15. So much work, and odds are those programs still won’t see my app until May.

 

[Thesimplelifeofamyloid]

Does anyone know how long we have to decide for offers?

 

[MedScat]

Does anyone know how long we have to decide for offers?

I just got my first acceptance today and they gave me until May 11 until the offer would expire

 

[ohmanwaddup]

Got an offer today, way down my preference list and 2 rotations instead of the 4 requested. Don't know why but I expected to "do better" in terms of results.

 

[aldol16]

Does anyone know how long we have to decide for offers?

Differs by program so impossible to answer.

 

[calivianya]

Got an offer today, way down my preference list and 2 rotations instead of the 4 requested. Don't know why but I expected to "do better" in terms of results.

I haven’t seen anywhere offering the ability to do four rotations yet (I wish)... the most I’ve seen an institution offer is eight weeks and even those are few and far between. Most are four weeks because of the coalition crap. If one place offered you two rotations, it’s possible their cap is eight weeks.

Unless I totally misread that and you did not mean you applied for four rotations at one facility.


I got my first offer today and I’m stoked. University IR at a place with an integrated IR residency, and they emailed me the day after they had listed for decisions on their page. I had about 20 apps for this month and I just withdrew from the others for the same time period to avoid stepping on toes. I’m hopeful this means that more places will also consider me. I was wondering if I’d even snag one rotation like this or if I’d just have to beg an IR guy to let me shadow for a month to get IR experience.

 

[ohmanwaddup]

I haven’t seen anywhere offering the ability to do four rotations yet (I wish)... the most I’ve seen an institution offer is eight weeks and even those are few and far between. Most are four weeks because of the coalition crap. If one place offered you two rotations, it’s possible their cap is eight weeks.

Unless I totally misread that and you did not mean you applied for four rotations at one facility.


I got my first offer today and I’m stoked. University IR at a place with an integrated IR residency, and they emailed me the day after they had listed for decisions on their page. I had about 20 apps for this month and I just withdrew from the others for the same time period to avoid stepping on toes. I’m hopeful this means that more places will also consider me. I was wondering if I’d even snag one rotation like this or if I’d just have to beg an IR guy to let me shadow for a month to get IR experience.

Yeah I saw emailed them. Apparently each department sends out acceptances on their own, so there is no coordination whatsoever. Hopefully I’ll have more!

 

[ohmanwaddup]

Started getting more offers mix up to 4 outta the 10 I need.

starting to get scared for the actual rotations lol. My first is going to be a PICU sub-I and I haven’t done any inpatient peds before. Trying to find some resources to look not 10000% dumb my first day

 

[MedScat]

Started getting more offers mix up to 4 outta the 10 I need.

starting to get scared for the actual rotations lol. My first is going to be a PICU sub-I and I haven’t done any inpatient peds before. Trying to find some resources to look not 10000% dumb my first day

inpatient peds is one of those where you'll have no idea what to do in the first few days but you'll learn what youre supposed to ask real fast. I don't go to this school but I liked how they set it up and it worked well for me

http://www.lumen.luc.edu/lumen/meded/peds/inpatient_hp.pdf

They list development very detailed but normally id just say "developmental milestones met on time" unless there really was something important to talk about. Definitely no need to be too detailed on that one

 

[ohmanwaddup]

soooo I have gotten 7 offers, but three are for the same date range which is annoying AF. grateful to get so many obviously but was hoping to have next year fully planned by now.

 

[fldoctorgirl]

soooo I have gotten 7 offers, but three are for the same date range which is annoying AF. grateful to get so many obviously but was hoping to have next year fully planned by now.

Dude. I have one rotation scheduled lol. You're ahead of the game.

 

[NicMouse64]

Got an offer a couple of days ago and withdrew my others.

 

[ohmanwaddup]

Just got rejected from my top top top top highest priority elective. devastated right now.

This was my top choice program for residency. UGH