I am a 3rd year preparing to apply for VSLO but I am having second thoughts. I was thinking of doing 1 away for neurology at UMich (my top choice) to boost my chances of getting in there. For reference I am at a non T20 MD school, have a good amount of neurology research (1 basic science pub, 3 clinical research posters), and I honored in neurology. I read what some people said about aways online, and I am now doubting if it is really worth doing an away and if it will help me that much. I am broke so if it doesn't help significantly, I would much rather not do one.
Away rotation for neurology - should I do it?
- Thread starter Alexxxxx
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Aways are a double edged sword.
If you have weak points you want to make up for or you're confident UMich is far and away your top choice, definitely give it a shot. It's a competitive residency and you should pull every opportunity you have to get there.
If you feel pretty confident you'll be able to pull an interview without it (which includes needing a great step 2 score), then maybe not. It can be easy to step on the wrong toes as an away student.
You just have to be confident you will shine on the rotation. I've met a few people this season who were not even offered a courtesy interview because they did not perform well on the away or stepped on someone's toes.
If you have weak points you want to make up for or you're confident UMich is far and away your top choice, definitely give it a shot. It's a competitive residency and you should pull every opportunity you have to get there.
If you feel pretty confident you'll be able to pull an interview without it (which includes needing a great step 2 score), then maybe not. It can be easy to step on the wrong toes as an away student.
You just have to be confident you will shine on the rotation. I've met a few people this season who were not even offered a courtesy interview because they did not perform well on the away or stepped on someone's toes.
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Would not bother unless you have a strong and specific reason you have to be at UMich (both professional and personal reasons). Especially for Neurology, where an away rotation is not typically expected. There's a reasonably high enough chance that you can make a worse off impression during the rotation (in many cases due to factors beyond your control; one common one just the time it takes to learn the logistics of a new hospital system).
