Advice on Rotation Order

[Mediculous]

So, I just received my M3 schedule and my first two rotations are Surgery followed by Medicine. I'm interested in doing something surgical. The general consensus seems to be that Medicine before Surgery is a huge help on the Surgery shelf, and therefore your grade. At my school we don't get to pick our order, but we were told we could submit changes we're willing to make in our schedule and then see if someone else was looking to make complimentary changes. Would you guys recommend trying to switch Medicine with Surgery? Thanks ahead of time.

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[diosa428]

So, I just received my M3 schedule and my first two rotations are Surgery followed by Medicine. I'm interested in doing something surgical. The general consensus seems to be that Medicine before Surgery is a huge help on the Surgery shelf, and therefore your grade. At my school we don't get to pick our order, but we were told we could submit changes we're willing to make in our schedule and then see if someone else was looking to make complimentary changes. Would you guys recommend trying to switch Medicine with Surgery? Thanks ahead of time.

Yes, and if you're interested in surgery, you might want to see if you can get ob/gyn ahead of it too, to get used to the OR and learn to suture, etc.

 

[Mediculous]

Thanks-
I'm not sure I'd be able to get Ob/Gyn before Surgery, though. The way my school sets up 3rd year rotations, Medicine and Surgery have to be taken back-to-back in any order and Ob/Gyn, Psych, and Peds have to be taken consecutively (in any order, as well). I'd have to try and switch Surg/Med to after Psych/Peds/Ob-Gyn and then make sure Medicine was before Surgery. Which sounds like a lot. My school had a bunch of people delay Step 1 last year and rotation spots are tight this year. Oh, well, I guess there are perks to either order.

 

[vtucci]

If you are interested in surgery then medicine before surgery helps but is not essential to doing well on the shelf. If you are interested in medicine, leave it as is.

Purchase USMLEWORLD and do questions for the surgery shelf from surgery (Of course) and then GI and fluids/electrolytes on medicine.

 

[Mediculous]

Thanks, vtucci. Will do with the UWorld.

 

[EBKame]

We did medicine, surgery, peds, ob/gyn, psych. It was great to get the two biggies out of the way first and then slow down...

 

[DrDre311]

Yes, and if you're interested in surgery, you might want to see if you can get ob/gyn ahead of it too, to get used to the OR and learn to suture, etc.

Telling a surgeon "I learned how to do this on OB" is never the right answer.

Do medicine before surgery and just get a surgery resident/MS4 going into surgery to teach you how to tie knots, or hang out at the ED in your spare time and get someone to teach you how to sew lacs.