Advice for MSIII newly considering EM

[thumbz]

Hey guys, I did a quick search and didn't find a whole bunch that applied to my situation, aside from the current thread going on when to take step II. So I apologize if this has been answered a million times, but hopefully I can get a little help too. I'll write this as non long-winded as possible.

I'm a DO student who always thought I wanted to do PC (geriatrics) until my first rotation when I did that. And even with the stars in my eyes for being out and seeing patients I found the work itself tedious and not very rewarding. I'm still waiting on my IM rotation in the new year but thanks to interacting a lot with the ED on my surgery rotation I started to realize I was really attracted to the field.

At my school we do our ED rotations in 4th year, so the earliest I can have one is in June. But I'm also trying to figure out when to take Step II. Here's a quick rundown of my stats:
USMLE - 242
COMLEX - 640
Ranked in the top 15% of my class
Canadian citizen, so I'll be applying for a visa

So, should I take Step 2 in June and rotate in EM July/Aug? Or rotate in EM June/July and take Step 2 later, say Aug or September(ish)? One thing I'm trying to keep also is an audition spot for IM open, just in case on my first rotation when I get into the nitty gritty of EM I realize it isn't all sunshine and roses. So will 2 rotations in EM be enough?

I know these questions are a pain, but I do appreciate any advice I can get from you guys. I'm going to go talk to my school advisors at the beginning of October as well, but I'd like to get some opinions from you all as well. Thanks for the help

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[pianoman511]

Hey guys, I did a quick search and didn't find a whole bunch that applied to my situation, aside from the current thread going on when to take step II. So I apologize if this has been answered a million times, but hopefully I can get a little help too. I'll write this as non long-winded as possible.

I'm a DO student who always thought I wanted to do PC (geriatrics) until my first rotation when I did that. And even with the stars in my eyes for being out and seeing patients I found the work itself tedious and not very rewarding. I'm still waiting on my IM rotation in the new year but thanks to interacting a lot with the ED on my surgery rotation I started to realize I was really attracted to the field.

At my school we do our ED rotations in 4th year, so the earliest I can have one is in June. But I'm also trying to figure out when to take Step II. Here's a quick rundown of my stats:
USMLE - 242
COMLEX - 640
Ranked in the top 15% of my class
Canadian citizen, so I'll be applying for a visa

So, should I take Step 2 in June and rotate in EM July/Aug? Or rotate in EM June/July and take Step 2 later, say Aug or September(ish)? One thing I'm trying to keep also is an audition spot for IM open, just in case on my first rotation when I get into the nitty gritty of EM I realize it isn't all sunshine and roses. So will 2 rotations in EM be enough?

I know these questions are a pain, but I do appreciate any advice I can get from you guys. I'm going to go talk to my school advisors at the beginning of October as well, but I'd like to get some opinions from you all as well. Thanks for the help

Your stats look great so no worries there, but one option may be to try to do some shadowing in the ER or do a community ER rotation to get a better idea of what EM is about especially if your interactions have been limited. A must would be getting SLOEs (standardized letters of recommendation) if you're interested in allopathic programs or personal letters if interested in osteopathic programs from your rotations.

As you may have seen in other threads, Step 2 is seen by most PDs as more useful in evaluating potential residents but even if you take it in august or september the scores will be available by interview season. I think your more important task right now is determine whether EM is right for you and the only way to really do that is rotate.

 

[sharksRfriends]

Hey guys, I did a quick search and didn't find a whole bunch that applied to my situation, aside from the current thread going on when to take step II. So I apologize if this has been answered a million times, but hopefully I can get a little help too. I'll write this as non long-winded as possible.

I'm a DO student who always thought I wanted to do PC (geriatrics) until my first rotation when I did that. And even with the stars in my eyes for being out and seeing patients I found the work itself tedious and not very rewarding. I'm still waiting on my IM rotation in the new year but thanks to interacting a lot with the ED on my surgery rotation I started to realize I was really attracted to the field.

At my school we do our ED rotations in 4th year, so the earliest I can have one is in June. But I'm also trying to figure out when to take Step II. Here's a quick rundown of my stats:
USMLE - 242
COMLEX - 640
Ranked in the top 15% of my class
Canadian citizen, so I'll be applying for a visa

So, should I take Step 2 in June and rotate in EM July/Aug? Or rotate in EM June/July and take Step 2 later, say Aug or September(ish)? One thing I'm trying to keep also is an audition spot for IM open, just in case on my first rotation when I get into the nitty gritty of EM I realize it isn't all sunshine and roses. So will 2 rotations in EM be enough?

I know these questions are a pain, but I do appreciate any advice I can get from you guys. I'm going to go talk to my school advisors at the beginning of October as well, but I'd like to get some opinions from you all as well. Thanks for the help

Well, it's still quite early in the year, but good that you're thinking EM. I was in a similar situation ... DO student, was thinking EM early on but couldn't rotate in the ED until May. My advice is similar to above: shadow sometime later this year (Nov, Dec) a few times to get some extra exposure to EM. Start setting up away rotations in EM EARLY (think March) to guarantee you can get a SLOE or two. Have at least one rotation at a program where you can get a SLOE completed by September. As for your boards ... take them when you think you'll have the most time to study. I took mine in July because I didn't want to deal with it later on during auditions. But it would be perfectly acceptable for you to wait until August/September to take it. Feel free to PM me with any specific questions. As for your specific questions, doing 2 EM rotations is fine, as long as they're both at established programs and you'll get letters.

 

[thumbz]

Thanks for your help guys, I'll do what I can to set up some sort of shadowing experience within the next couple months. And sharks, I'll definitely PM you soon once I start to figure out how to set things up. Especially in regards to what programs I should be looking to audition at and how to shine =)