3rd year elective, Anesthesia or Surgery

[deezballas]

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I'm a 2nd year DO student and here is my dilemma/question.... I have my 3rd year elective slot scheduled for April 20, 2009 - May 15, 2009. Originally I was set on doing an anesthesia rotation during that time frame at a nearby core rotation hospital. This hospital has an anesthesia residency, and my thinking was I would be able to introduce myself early to the residents and physicians (I actually already know some of the anesthesia doctors and residents there) and hopefully they will like what they see, despite my lack of experience in anesthesia. Also, I am rotating at this same hospital 3 months prior to my elective, in OB/GYN, and hopefully I can get some anesthesia exposure with epidurals and what not.

Recently I heard a residency director say that many programs will not even consider you for a residency slot interview if you have not rotated through their department despite excellent boards scores and LORs. My school has a limit of three elective rotations in the one specialty, and now I am thinking it may be better to do three out of state audition rotations in anesthesia at the beginning of my 4th year. By doing this, I would be unable to rotate at my core hospital in anesthesia, however I was considering doing an elective rotation at that hospital in orthopedic or general surgery. I am interested in surgery, but it's unlikely that I will pursue it as a specialty. It would give me some contact with the anesthesia team in the OR, and I would no doubt learn a ton about surgery.

So what do you guys think? Should I do a local anesthesia elective rotation my third year, only leaving me with two audition rotations in anesthesia my 4th year or should I do the 3rd year elective in surgery and then 3 out of state audition rotations in anesthesia?

Any input will be very much appreciated.

 

[amyl]

what you heard about needing to do a rotation for an interview may be true of osteopathic programs in anesthesiology. i don't know for sure because i didn't apply to any of them but i heard the same rumor.
this is NOT the case for the majority of allopathic programs. a rotation virtually guarantees you an interview (there are a few programs that won't automatically interview rotators but they are the minority)....but you will get interviews without rotations.

 

[neuroride]

I did a local anesthesia rotation my 3rd year and then 2 away rotations during my 4th year. I thought that it was good but unlike you, my 3rd year rotation was in a private practice and I had no worries about making an idiot out of myself. My 3rd year elective was good because I asked alot of questions and learned alot. Then when I went out for my rotations, I had already asked the dumb questions and had been exposed to some anesthesia.

 

[SaintFrances]

I too am having the exact same dilemma with scheduling rotations at the end of 3rd vs. the beginning of 4th year. The way I look at it is this: sure, on the first rotation you might not know what is going on, but neither does anyone else in your shoes. I mean, anesthesia is totally different from other areas of medicine and it is okay to have some "dumb" questions in your first exposure to the specialty - just be sure to let everyone know that this is your first rotation in anesthesia. Another reason why I am leaning towards doing an anesthesia rotation earlier than later is so that I can confirm to myself that I am actually ready to pursue this as a career. Sure, I have spent plenty of time in the OR on surgery and OB rotations, but I have been largely on the "other side" of the curtain and really do not appreciate everything that is happening on the anesthesia side.

My school is similar to yours in that we only get three rotatons in each specialty. I think I would rather have three "audition rotations" than to waste the first one at a hospital with no residency just so I am sure to shine at the other two.

 

[deezballas]

Thanks for everyone's input! I just heard from the my school's core hospital that I mentioned above and they said they are not scheduling rotations for April/May 2009 until after June 2008. I guess I have some time to think about this.

I am leaning towards doing a tough surgery rotation during my 3rd year elective and then over vacation find time to read up on the anesthesia books so that I don't look totally clueless at my first anesthesia rotation. I will probably try to schedule my first audition rotation at my least desirable location. Thanks again for everyone's comments!