Away rotations at osteopathic programs

[guv_garfunkel]

I've heard many differing opinions regarding away rotations during fourth year (like how many you should do, what kind, etc). Most of this information seems to come from MD students.
I'm wondering if anyone has some insight regarding DO residencies and away rotations. I've heard that most DO programs expect you to do an away rotation at their facility. I've heard it's difficult to get into a DO program that you haven't rotated at. This seems a little hard to believe, but I'm wondering if it's true.
I'm also wondering how many away rotations to do as a DO applying to DO residencies. Any thoughts out there on the subject? I appreciate anyone's comments!

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[bigDinLV]

Many DO reisdencies will take people they know, they are smaller programs. If something like anesthesia only takes 1-2 per year, they are going to take people they know. So yes, it can be important to rotate at DO programs if you really want to go there.

 

[Lamborghini1315]

I've heard many differing opinions regarding away rotations during fourth year (like how many you should do, what kind, etc). Most of this information seems to come from MD students.
I'm wondering if anyone has some insight regarding DO residencies and away rotations. I've heard that most DO programs expect you to do an away rotation at their facility. I've heard it's difficult to get into a DO program that you haven't rotated at. This seems a little hard to believe, but I'm wondering if it's true.
I'm also wondering how many away rotations to do as a DO applying to DO residencies. Any thoughts out there on the subject? I appreciate anyone's comments!

During hospital day at my school i spoke to several AOA hospitals and they all echoed one thing "audition rotation" despite of your scores and letters. In the DO world its all about face time if someone refutes this notion then they are leading you down the wrong road.

 

[HopefulDoc1984]

i am a little confused, i mean you can only do a couple away rotations for specialties you are interested in. say i want to do ortho for example, i am not going to be able to do 5 different away ortho rotations at 5 different programs.

i guess it would make sense to do a gen surgergy rotation at a hospital that has an ortho program.

would it help to do as many other rotations at other hospitals with the program you want to get into, even if it is a different specialty?

 

[futuredo32]

would it help to do as many other rotations at other hospitals with the program you want to get into, even if it is a different specialty?

Yes. There were people at my base hospital who wanted to do radiology and were just doing a pathology rotation(really light, a lot of downtime and they could go to the radiology lectures), people doing cardio who wanted to do EM and went to the EM lectures, journal clubs, picked up EM shifts on the weekends, etc. One student wanted to do general surgery and couldn't get a general surgery rotation, so she did a CT surgery rotation as well as a urology rotation.

 

[rockchalkjdoc]

Yes. There were people at my base hospital who wanted to do radiology and were just doing a pathology rotation(really light, a lot of downtime and they could go to the radiology lectures), people doing cardio who wanted to do EM and went to the EM lectures, journal clubs, picked up EM shifts on the weekends, etc. One student wanted to do general surgery and couldn't get a general surgery rotation, so she did a CT surgery rotation as well as a urology rotation.

It should also go without saying that you need to be sure and attend to all of your duties on the service your rotation is. Doing a path rotation just to run off and only focus on radiology will get you a reputation that's likely not to impress and grades that certainly won't.