4th Year Scheduling Quandry -- Advice?

[Xamwell]

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Greetings all,

After scouring the FAQ's and other threads I haven't been able to find the advice I'm looking for.

I'm a DO student seeking Emergency Medicine (no surprise given the forum). In an attempt to leave the option of matching to an MD program I was hoping to organize those away rotations I'd heard so much about. Though it may be particular to my school, I am having an inordinately difficult time lining up an early away rotation in EM for the 4th year due to scheduling conflicts--my school's rotations schedule is 1-2 weeks off track from most away sites' schedules. After numerous, numerous solicitations to see about openings I have been 100% turned down for slots for a mid-July-->mid-august 4 week rotation. New residents are entering that time of year etc. and programs are inflexible about bending the schedule for 'away-ers'. Pending a hail-mary to my school admins about juggling my rotation track to alleviate this (won't happen) I anticipate I will have an extremely difficult time making this rotation happen.

All is not lost. In the next month I will be doing an elective EM rotation (as an MS-III) at a hospital that does not have a residency program. There I anticipate an enthusiastic/strong letter for my efforts. Towards the beginning of 4th year I'll be doing an EM rotation at my home institution's program in August and anticipate (or at least hope for) an enthusiastic/strong letter after much hard work, of course.

In the end I'll likely be looking at 2 SLOR's, one from home institution residency program, and one from non-residency (but not podunk) emergency med rotation. I will also be considering a solid surgical and/or peds letter as part of the whole application.

After all that my question is simply whether anyone has found themselves in similar straights. I'm half-tempted to schedule my early elective in something other than, but applicable to, EM (rads, ortho, anesthesia... etc.) while letting my two EM experiences slide as is. Should I end up running for the MD match, does the lack of SLOR from MD residency-affiliated EM program (in the face of the other letters mentioned) chop my chances substantially? I did take USMLE Step 1 🙂thumbup🙂 and plan to take Step 2. I've no felonies or gigantic red X's on my med school record (as far as I'm aware).

Thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

-Cheers

🙂

 

[caliboy007]

Should I end up running for the MD match, does the lack of SLOR from MD residency-affiliated EM program (in the face of the other letters mentioned) chop my chances substantially?

YES. If you plan on doing the allopathic match, you NEED to have a SLOR from an allopathic residency program. No ifs, ands, or buts. I have talked to many PDs that have said this. It is nothing against osteopathic programs, but allopathic programs pretty much know each other and know how to look at a SLOR from another allopathic program. Each SLOR compares you to the rest of the people that rotated at that program... if you are applying allopathic, the SLOR needs to compare you to those who will be applying to the allopathic residencies (MDs and DOs). An osteopathic EM SLOR will only compare you to the rest of the DO applicant pool.

My advice is try to find some way to get to an allopathic EM program for a rotation any way you can, even if it is October. A SLOR from a non-residency place will be looked at but not held in nearly the same light as a residency program.

 

[MSmentor018]

Greetings all,

does the lack of SLOR from MD residency-affiliated EM program (in the face of the other letters mentioned) chop my chances substantially

🙂

YES for both DO and MD world. the DO's don't use slor (as of last yr) but both paths like to recognize the name of the letter writer. the weight of that is tremendous!! I just came from CORD meeting and that was an easily consensuses between all the faculty. for obvious reasons the ones from residency programs are preferred.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

for obvious reasons the ones from residency programs are preferred.

MSMentor018, as a soon to be MS4 at a DO school setting up my fourth year schedule I was planning on doing a combination EM rotations at both DO and MD programs. Would SLORs from DO residency programs, which often are not at university hospitals or have instant name recognition, be acceptable for applications to MD programs?

I guess what I'm getting at is should I look to do all my EM rotations in the DO world, MD world, or hedge and do a combination of DO and MD programs and use the letters I gain towards both matches? Any insight would be appreciated thanks.

 

[MSmentor018]

MSMentor018, as a soon to be MS4 at a DO school setting up my fourth year schedule I was planning on doing a combination EM rotations at both DO and MD programs. Would SLORs from DO residency programs, which often are not at university hospitals or have instant name recognition, be acceptable for applications to MD programs?

I guess what I'm getting at is should I look to do all my EM rotations in the DO world, MD world, or hedge and do a combination of DO and MD programs and use the letters I gain towards both matches? Any insight would be appreciated thanks.

I did the exact same thing you're planning. got letters from programs at both DO and MD, submitted them all, and ended up choosing the MD route. for me, I wanted to see both types of programs and decide on which is best for me. you could also get a bunch of letters and submit only the ones you want. you don't have to submit the same letters on eras for every place. use keep the MD ones for MD, DO for the DO places. grades, performance, like/ dislike of program all will factor in on where you think/feel your best chances will be.