4th year audition electives...

[BeeGee]

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Have any of you found that schools are more like to grant you interviews and rank you higher if you perform well during an away elective at their hospital? I'm interested in doing a couple but don't know how many to schedule... MONEY IS A FACTOR. --BeeGee

 

[dr.evil]

You will absolutely be ranked higher on their list as well as more likely to be interviewed if you do a sub-I at their institution. On the other hand, if you aren't real impressive to them while you are there you can of course hurt yourself.

Most places will grant you an "automatic" courtesy interview if you do a rotation at their place (although this may not always be true in the more competitive specialties).

You do not need to schedule more than 2 away electives in any specialty. I only did 1 away and 1 at my home institution. BTW, a month away is a long time so be nice to yourself and minimize.

 

[Winged Scapula]

It can definitely be a two-edged sword. If you do well and are actually a likeable person, you will most likely not only get an interview (many programs offer courtesy interviews to everyone who rotates through) but maybe even a spot.

OTOH, first hand knowledge of an applicant isn't always a good thing. I can think of at least 1 candidate here who will NOT be ranked based on their performance while on surgical rotations. Never assume (even if you are a local student rotating on your home base)...