4th yr rotations away

[Lindsee]

I am a rising 4th year medical student on the east coast. I am considering doing a surgical AI at U. of Washington in October. I have heard several pros and cons regarding doing rotations away. What I want to know - is it true that one needs to do a rotation on the west coast if one is from the east coast to be considered serious about attending that school? Furthermore, if anyone has heard anything - good or bad - about the U. of Washington surgical residency, I would like to hear it. Thanks!

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[LaCirujana]

I sent you a PM.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Hornet871...

I've sent you a PM regarding why I deleted your response in this thread.

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[md03]

I'm doing an elective away. Acutally, I'm doing two. The first I'm doing becaue I was personally invited by the chief of surgery at that school. (I've known him for quite some time) It will be fun, and I'll have a LOR from him, as well as from the chief of surgery at my school.

The other one I'm doing away is for the specific purpose of checking out programs in the area of the country I'm interested in for residency. I'm currently far enough away so that very few people at my school have any inside information about programs where I want to be. The only way to find out is to be there and talk to residents. I'm still undecided whether it will be a surgery elective or an ER elective. ER is good because you can still get the feel of the place (residents from all specialties have to go to the ER to admit patients) and you don't have to worry about being evaluated by the program while you are checking them out.

Obviously, I think it's a very good idea to do a rotation at/near the program you think you'd like. It's the only way to get the straight scoop.

 

[Pilot Doc]

I have a friend who is a rising 4th year surgical resident at UW. He speaks highly of the program. I get the impression that it's one of the programs where you work quite hard and see an enormous amount of pathology. You spend the first couple of years doing floor work on all sorts of sick folks and then get your operating experience later on. One particular thing that sounded cool is that UW is the only level 1 trauma center in Alaska, Washington, Montana and Idaho, so they get lots of trauma. The residents also rotate through several different hospitals. One major downside is Seattle cost of living.

Don't know about the necessity of an audition rotation.