Ask the resident (previously ask the 4th year)

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NurWollen said:
Thank you Bacchus for taking the time to do this.

Having decided to go into FM, what influenced your decision to go into an AOA program?
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My program is dually accredited. There was one specific AOA program I applied to and really loved so I went ahead and did the AOA match so I had the possibility to match there if I wanted to.
 
NeuroLAX said:
Bacchus,

First, congrats on matching into your field of choice! What a fantastic achievement.

1. Now that you have successfully matched into your field of choice, do you have plans to go to Disney World?

2. I was wondering if you could rank your rotations in order from most difficult to least difficult. Feel free to lump several into one level. Part deux: what made them difficult (or easier, relatively)?

3. Generally speaking, how difficult are rotations? What scares me the most now is getting to rotations and experiencing the inevitable feeling that I don't know squat. What is expected of you as far as patient care and outside reading, etc. in order to keep current and be the best M3/M4 I can be?

Thanks, and congrats again. Well done. 👍
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1. No, haha. Somewhere a bit warmer.

2. The surgicals were probably the hardest (Gen surg/OB) because of the time commitment. The day-to-day activities weren't bad but the amount of time spent was killer. I did several outpatient rotations which were a cakewalk. As in, I only went in for half the week for a few hours a day. By the time you're a fourth year you'd rather be at home than rotating 😉. The experience you have with rotations will differ from other people. My ranking of difficulty would not be the same as my classmates.

3. This is variable based on your attending and resident expectations. PCOM recently switched to giving standardized shelf exams so the 3rd years and below are probably going to do more reading than I had to. I generally read on a topic I didn't know about that I encountered for the day. If I had a new surgery coming up the following day I read about that. As far as knowing squat, it's true as a brand new third year. However, now as a soon-to-be-done fourth year I feel like I can manage a fair amount of complaints (that are straightforward) who come into the office. Expectations of patient care vary. Some rotations you may just shadow (ridiculous, but I've heard of it happening.). Others, you fulfill too many roles. We have an urban family medicine rotation that consists of 2 months. Short of checking the person in and out you do everything from rooming the patient, getting vials, drawing blood, giving vaccines, doing an H&P, etc. It sounds cool, but there's no benefit to you for taking a height and weight.

Talk to 3rd or 4th years before deciding on rotations. They'll let you know which ones are good and which ones are not.
 
113 said:
You thought you liked EM, but decided on FM. So what specifically turned you off about EM?

Did you apply for FM programs through AOA, ACGME, or both?

What rotation did you dislike the most?

LeBron or Kobe?

Do you like me?

When is mine turn to mod?

Do you go into a Hulk rage when you see another DO vs. janitor/DPM/PA/NP thread? Does it make your jimmies slightly tingle?
Click to expand...

1. EM was a pipedream, I dropped that pretty quickly. I decided on FM definitively after my FM rotation. However, I did stumble a bit when I did OB, but jumped back on to the FM train pretty quickly after that. When I did my EM rotation this year, the lack of continuity was awful.

2. I applied through the AOA. However, since my program is dually accredited I'll be required by the program to take the ABOFM and ABFM boards. I can choose which board certification I want to keep.

3. I didn't hate any rotation. But I probably disliked surgery the most because of the time commitment.
 
Thank you for this thread!

In retrospect, what do you think are the most important qualities to look for when picking a medical school to attend (location, cost, clinical rotations, board scores, board prep, match lists, faculty, funding, teaching facility etc)?
 
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Could you be more specific on why you did not want to go EM route? I'm in similar boat as wanting to go EM but just curious to hear your thoughts.
 
Bacchus,

How many people in your class were re-applicants? How many were non-science majors, and do u think the non-science majors had a more difficult time adjusting to med school course load? Did you have a chance to take any medical humanities courses?

Thanks for doing this! <3

Sent from my SCH-I405 using SDN Mobile
 
touchpause13 said:
What chu tryin to say here?


Sent from my SCH-I405 using SDN Mobile
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No need to get worked up over senseless homophobic comments. I can only assume you would deny being straight with as much fervor as he/she would deny being gay? Perhaps, perhaps not.
 
touchpause13 said:
Bacchus,
How many were non-science majors, and do u think the non-science majors had a more difficult time adjusting to med school course load?
Thanks for doing this! <3

Sent from my SCH-I405 using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

I'd like to know this as well.
 
abolt18 said:
No need to get worked up over senseless homophobic comments. I can only assume you would deny being straight with as much fervor as he/she would deny being gay? Perhaps, perhaps not.
Click to expand...

Since I'm attracted to all genders I guess I can't relate :/

Sent from my SCH-I405 using SDN Mobile
 
With regards to matching for the specialty you want, aside from getting a decent board score, what other ways can you boost your application to become more desirable? Did you have any background in EM before entering medical school?
 
Because I want to return to the hospital where I had previous completed an internship, is in imperative that I complete some electives there and another internship just to maintain contact? If so, how lenient do you think schools are at allowing students to complete electives or internships that are unrelated to their school?
 
As it is now, I'm gunning for g surg (maybe ortho) for med school. I know that for AOA programs, auditions are crucial for more competitive specialties. Is it even worth applying to AOA programs that you didnt audition at?
 
Are there any extracurriculars at all that would help a residency app? I've heard EC's aren't all that important. I'm hoping for pediatrics, which I know isn't competitive, but I still want the best shot at it.
 
BabyDoc86 said:
Are there any extracurriculars at all that would help a residency app? I've heard EC's aren't all that important. I'm hoping for pediatrics, which I know isn't competitive, but I still want the best shot at it.
Click to expand...

I was actually asked about a few of the mission/service trips I went on before entering medical school. Collegiate athletics and previous careers are also fair game. They understand that life gets put on hold to some degree during medical school so anything that you did that is in any way life changing beforehand may catch their attention.

While in medical school: being involved in clubs and volunteer organizations is beneficial. It probably won't make or break your residency application but it will show you are well rounded and compassionate. Research can be a plus if you have the opportunity. If you run marathons, bike, read lots of books or anything else interesting you can include that stuff. Again, you might have something in common with an interviewer that will stimulate a discussion and it will show that you are not just a book reading/chart reviewing robot!
 
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Ost3oclast said:
As it is now, I'm gunning for g surg (maybe ortho) for med school. I know that for AOA programs, auditions are crucial for more competitive specialties. Is it even worth applying to AOA programs that you didnt audition at?
Click to expand...

Yes! Apply broadly! You will get interviews that you may not have expected otherwise if something about your application catches their eye. I speak from experience on the AOA gsurg trail this year.
 
Ost3oclast said:
As it is now, I'm gunning for g surg (maybe ortho) for med school. I know that for AOA programs, auditions are crucial for more competitive specialties. Is it even worth applying to AOA programs that you didnt audition at?
Click to expand...

If you buy into the belief that DOs will more commonly apply to (and rank) ACGME programs come 2015, then it seems logical that AOA programs will become less picky about who they interview/rank. Not necessarily because AOA programs are inferior, but because they will be thrown into a bigger pool (assuming unified match) of programs that students are applying for and therefore have less DOs ranking them. Can't be so picky when you're competing against more (and arguably better) programs.
 
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MedPR said:
If you buy into the belief that DOs will more commonly apply to (and rank) ACGME programs come 2015, then it seems logical that AOA programs will become less picky about who they interview/rank. Not necessarily because AOA programs are inferior, but because they will be thrown into a bigger pool (assuming unified match) of programs that students are applying for and therefore have less DOs ranking them. Can't be so picky when you're competing against more (and arguably better) programs.
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Wait did I miss something? Are you a DO 4th year student?

Read the thread title and kindly gtfo of this thread. Your word vomit is not welcome here.
 
Dissected said:
Wait did I miss something? Are you a DO 4th year student?

Read the thread title and kindly gtfo of this thread. Your word vomit is not welcome here.
Click to expand...

LOL-UMAD-BRO1gqf.jpg
 
113 said:
LeBron or Kobe?

Do you like me?

When is mine turn to mod?

Do you go into a Hulk rage when you see another DO vs. janitor/DPM/PA/NP thread? Does it make your jimmies slightly tingle?
Click to expand...

Bacchus, thanks for the first 3 questions, but you forgot about these. :naughty:
 
JaBoomDay said:
Thank you for this thread!

In retrospect, what do you think are the most important qualities to look for when picking a medical school to attend (location, cost, clinical rotations, board scores, board prep, match lists, faculty, funding, teaching facility etc)?
Click to expand...

rockorhardplace said:
Could you be more specific on why you did not want to go EM route? I'm in similar boat as wanting to go EM but just curious to hear your thoughts.
Click to expand...

touchpause13 said:
Bacchus,

How many people in your class were re-applicants? How many were non-science majors, and do u think the non-science majors had a more difficult time adjusting to med school course load? Did you have a chance to take any medical humanities courses?

Thanks for doing this! <3

Sent from my SCH-I405 using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

Dmr6186 said:
With regards to matching for the specialty you want, aside from getting a decent board score, what other ways can you boost your application to become more desirable? Did you have any background in EM before entering medical school?
Click to expand...

backsideattack1 said:
Because I want to return to the hospital where I had previous completed an internship, is in imperative that I complete some electives there and another internship just to maintain contact? If so, how lenient do you think schools are at allowing students to complete electives or internships that are unrelated to their school?
Click to expand...

Ost3oclast said:
As it is now, I'm gunning for g surg (maybe ortho) for med school. I know that for AOA programs, auditions are crucial for more competitive specialties. Is it even worth applying to AOA programs that you didnt audition at?
Click to expand...

BabyDoc86 said:
Are there any extracurriculars at all that would help a residency app? I've heard EC's aren't all that important. I'm hoping for pediatrics, which I know isn't competitive, but I still want the best shot at it.
Click to expand...


Just to make it a bit cleaner up in here, these are the real questions that I have seen that are unanswered, in case Bacc is still doing this.


*Prob move any other conversations you are having to other threads so that this will continue if possible.
 
MedPR said:
If you buy into the belief that DOs will more commonly apply to (and rank) ACGME programs come 2015, then it seems logical that AOA programs will become less picky about who they interview/rank. Not necessarily because AOA programs are inferior, but because they will be thrown into a bigger pool (assuming unified match) of programs that students are applying for and therefore have less DOs ranking them. Can't be so picky when you're competing against more (and arguably better) programs.
Click to expand...

Hhhmmm good point. Didnt think of that.
 
Dissected said:
Yes! Apply broadly! You will get interviews that you may not have expected otherwise if something about your application catches their eye. I speak from experience on the AOA gsurg trail this year.
Click to expand...

Sweet man! Did you apply both ACGME and AOA?
 
JaBoomDay said:
Thank you for this thread!

In retrospect, what do you think are the most important qualities to look for when picking a medical school to attend (location, cost, clinical rotations, board scores, board prep, match lists, faculty, funding, teaching facility etc)?
Click to expand...

Cost. Do not underestimate the extensive debt you're taking on. Also look at clinical rotations. You want a good network of clinical rotations with residency programs. Board scores are up to you.
 
touchpause13 said:
Bacchus,

How many people in your class were re-applicants? How many were non-science majors, and do u think the non-science majors had a more difficult time adjusting to med school course load? Did you have a chance to take any medical humanities courses?

Thanks for doing this! <3

Sent from my SCH-I405 using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

I don't know. I don't know. No. No.
 
Dmr6186 said:
With regards to matching for the specialty you want, aside from getting a decent board score, what other ways can you boost your application to become more desirable? Did you have any background in EM before entering medical school?
Click to expand...

Rotate at sites you want to consider for residency. People don't want to work with jerks. I've noticed the auditions are more "powerful and prevalent" in the DO world. Having leadership positions are good, too (such as national president of a student club). I volunteered at Penn for 1.5 years in the ER.
 
backsideattack1 said:
Because I want to return to the hospital where I had previous completed an internship, is in imperative that I complete some electives there and another internship just to maintain contact? If so, how lenient do you think schools are at allowing students to complete electives or internships that are unrelated to their school?
Click to expand...

When I hear internship I think PGY 1. Can you please clarify what you're asking?
 
Ost3oclast said:
As it is now, I'm gunning for g surg (maybe ortho) for med school. I know that for AOA programs, auditions are crucial for more competitive specialties. Is it even worth applying to AOA programs that you didnt audition at?
Click to expand...

Might as well. Dissected got an interview at my school's program without rotating there.
 
BabyDoc86 said:
Are there any extracurriculars at all that would help a residency app? I've heard EC's aren't all that important. I'm hoping for pediatrics, which I know isn't competitive, but I still want the best shot at it.
Click to expand...

I didn't really do ECs in med school. I was a member of clubs and kept up my membership but didn't really go to meetings. I'd assume being a national president of the student association would be helpful/look good.
 
Bacchus said:
Rotate at sites you want to consider for residency. People don't want to work with jerks. I've noticed the auditions are more "powerful and prevalent" in the DO world. Having leadership positions are good, too (such as national president of a student club). I volunteered at Penn for 1.5 years in the ER.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. How would you say the attitude of most med students are when rotating? Power complex? Weird? Unmotivated?
 
Congrats Bacchus and Dissected! Enjoy these last few months of (relative) down time!

Not a 4th year... just an MS1 pushing through the preclinical game... but for those of you asking questions about what kind of factors may hold some weight in the eyes of program directors come match time, give this a good going over (note: these are ACGME PDs, but it's still fun to look at to see what's up):

http://www.nrmp.org/data/programresultsbyspecialty2012.pdf
 
Bacchus said:
When I hear internship I think PGY 1. Can you please clarify what you're asking?
Click to expand...

Internship was during undergrad when I spent two months at the hospital basically learning from all the physicians who were also teaching directors
 
Dmr6186 said:
Thanks for the reply. How would you say the attitude of most med students are when rotating? Power complex? Weird? Unmotivated?
Click to expand...

A mixture. Some think they're God's gift to medicine. It's always enjoyable to watch them get knocked down a peg. There are slackers. When you're depending on them it's a PITA. There are definitely weirdos.

This is all to be expected. Luckily for the most part I have been with good people. I've worked with different schools and if I can't pick my own, I would have to say I liked KCUMB students the best.
 
Dmr6186 said:
With regards to matching for the specialty you want, aside from getting a decent board score, what other ways can you boost your application to become more desirable? Did you have any background in EM before entering medical school?
Click to expand...

What Bacchus said, and I would add -- don't underestimate the power of letters of recommendation. It's crazy how much they can end up helping you! Ask preceptors immediately after the rotation is over for a letter, even if it is early on in 3rd year. Compiling a good group of letters is very important, especially if they are in the specialty you are applying to.

Try to do a rotation or two at the beginning of your 4th year that can double as an audition and a place where you can get a letter from a physician in your specialty..and if they are well known that is a bonus. However, don't underestimate a very good, personalized letter from a no-name doc who might know you better. Some of my best comments at interviews were about what was said by the surgeons who knew me personally whether they were department heads or not.
 
Dmr6186 said:
Thanks for the reply. How would you say the attitude of most med students are when rotating? Power complex? Weird? Unmotivated?
Click to expand...

What Bacchus said. There's also a weird dynamic among students who are auditioning for the same spot at the same time. It's hard to be nice to your competition..but the residents will notice if you don't get along 😉

Just don't be neurotic and be ok with learning from those around you and you will do fine. There's some really arrogant students, but like Bacchus said they will get cut down pretty quickly.

I thought the KCOM students were pretty cool for the most part
 
Have you experienced any DO bias when doing clinical rotations? From patients or directors or even other students?
 
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