4th year electives. Advice?

[TheCritic]

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So I've been thinking lately about my options for my last semester of medical school. I have three months open still to schedule three electives. Right now I am juggling: Rads, Derm, GI, Surgpath, Heme-onc, and an optional gross anatomy month (where I could basically come and go as I please) for my three open spots. I'm pretty sure heme-onc is one I should do. I will have already done three path rotations, so I'm not so sure I should do another surg path month (4 path rotations) when I'll never be able to do some of the others again. Any advice or thoughts?

 

[Neddy]

Derm, GI, heme onc.

Why waste an elective on one more month of what you'll be doing for the rest of your career? I found all three of the above electives to be very useful in preparing me for path, while radiology was one of the least useful rotations I did in all of med school (maybe my brain just doesn't work in black and white). If you do choose a rads rotation, just make sure they actually let you preview films on your own, rather than staring at the back of someone's head all day...

 

[DarksideAllstar]

Derm, GI, heme onc.

Why waste an elective on one more month of what you'll be doing for the rest of your career? I found all three of the above electives to be very useful in preparing me for path, while radiology was one of the least useful rotations I did in all of med school (maybe my brain just doesn't work in black and white). If you do choose a rads rotation, just make sure they actually let you preview films on your own, rather than staring at the back of someone's head all day...

Actually two areas of radiology can be very helpful to a pathologist-- neuro and bone/soft tissue. If you rotate at a large academic center with subspecialty rads, the radiologist in each of these areas can diagnose the lesion correctly before you get the specimen. I also found the IR biopsies to be fun; it was great being in on the CT-guided FNAs and getting to look at the slides with Path all in one shot.

 

[Neddy]

Actually two areas of radiology can be very helpful to a pathologist-- neuro and bone/soft tissue.

Agreed on the usefulness of ortho rads - I spent as many days on that as they let me, although you have to make it through a lot of hip replacements to see one decent bone tumor. Breast imaging is somewhat helpful too. I didn't realize neuropaths made much use of imaging in their day-to-day work, although I haven't rotated through neuro yet, so I guess I'll find out. Anyway my feeling is still that unless your school's rads rotation lets you plan your own time, you'll spend a lot of low-yield hours looking at chest films, fractures, and RUQ ultrasounds.

 

[CameronFrye]

Actually two areas of radiology can be very helpful to a pathologist-- neuro and bone/soft tissue. If you rotate at a large academic center with subspecialty rads, the radiologist in each of these areas can diagnose the lesion correctly before you get the specimen. I also found the IR biopsies to be fun; it was great being in on the CT-guided FNAs and getting to look at the slides with Path all in one shot.

Yep, imaging is absolutely essential for the bone tumors. A working knowledge of that area can definitely be useful. I also thought my 2 week derm rotation was pretty useful (not just for my future in path, but you pick up some knowledge that can help you evaluate things growing on you or other people).

A little more food for thought: Your 4th year is your easiest year for the foreseeable future. Once you've completed your graduation requirements and the electives in your field, I strongly advise people to do some rotations that you truly have some interest in or that are a complete joke. The amount of useful info that you can pick up in a 4th year elective is pretty minimal. Enjoy your time and come into path residency completely refreshed. This is why I also discourage studying path before starting residency. It's mostly useless. These are of course just my opinions and I'm sure some people would disagree.

 

[yaah]

I did unrelated rotations including cardiology, derm, ID, and Heme Onc. I learned a lot in all of them and they were better experiences than doing another path rotation where I would be useless. You will have enough time in path residency, trust me. The amount of stuff in pathology that is practical that you learn during a fourth year med student rotation isn't going to amount to much when you are starting your third month, I would suggest.

But yeah, do stuff that interests you or that you won't have the opportunity to see again. If you want to see lots of surgery, do a surgery month. Or do radiology. I enjoyed the months I did in other things.

 

[deschutes]

I agree with what's been said so far - I'd do derm, GI and rads. Heme was fun (got to look at blood smears). I also did nephrology (got to look at kidney biopsies).

 

[TheCritic]

thanks for the replies!