Away Rotations

[FutureStork]

Hi. I'm new to this site and this is my first post. I have a question about doing an away rotation. Is it difficult to get a spot at another school? Seems that we have to apply for away rotations. Are the slots pretty competitive? I'm trying to go to UT Southwestern for an externship.

Thanks.
FutureStork

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[daisyduke]

You usually have to apply, but if you do so early, you can get a spot. Last year when I was looking for an away rotation it seemed that most schools started accepting applications in May. I would get your application together and ready to go so you can send it in as soon as they start accepting them. Some of the more desired locations might fill fast. And you might consider applying to more than one place just in case! I remember the applications requiring all sorts of scavenger hunt items like passport photos, immunization histories, transcripts, and signatures from deans/chairmen/etc. I would collect these items BEFORE the applications are due so you are on time.

 

[ilovepubmed]

trust me, dont go to parkland. its alternative spelling is P-A-T-E-R-N-A-L-I-S-M. and keep in mind, i was really originally excited about doing a residency at parkland and flew half way across the country to spend four weeks in dallas. think how bad it must have been for me to have such a 180 reversal in opinion?

 

[FutureStork]

trust me, dont go to parkland. its alternative spelling is P-A-T-E-R-N-A-L-I-S-M. and keep in mind, i was really originally excited about doing a residency at parkland and flew half way across the country to spend four weeks in dallas. think how bad it must have been for me to have such a 180 reversal in opinion?

ilovepubmed, are you a senior medical student? why is it that you didn't like your experience at parkland? Please explain why "paternalism" is the "alternative spelling."

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[ShambhalaRed]

This is also just complete hearsay, but I have heard that at Parkland, evidence-based medicine is not very important. They do things "the Parkland way," which is often not the way the rest of the country practices medicine. But if that's a location that floats your boat, by all means go check it out. If you do an away rotation and end up hating it, that's valuable information. I think it's always worth doing an away rotation if you can spare the time, because it's great to get a different perspective on how to practice Ob/Gyn compared to where you went to medical school, and if you rotate at Parkland, you'll probably get a VERY different perspective.

Good luck!!

 

[APGAR10/10]

Hi. I'm new to this site and this is my first post. I have a question about doing an away rotation. Is it difficult to get a spot at another school? Seems that we have to apply for away rotations. Are the slots pretty competitive? I'm trying to go to UT Southwestern for an externship.

Thanks.
FutureStork

Usually, if you set up your aways early, you shouldn't have a problem. I'm not sure where you are currently in school, but one obstacle that I had was the issue of malpractive coverage. I tried to do a few aways up in the Northeast, but those schools required 1-3 million of malpractice coverage, which my school does not provide (I think we are covered to around 25,000.) There are temporary malpractice plans that you can purchase to make up the gap, but those aren't cheap. For that, and other reasons, I just didn't do any away rotations. It didn't hurt me in the long run-- I had plenty of interviews at good places.

And, those rumors about Parkland are true. If you want to treat patients like cattle, ruin the stomachs of 17 y/o G1s with midline abdominal incisions, and learn nothing about the current literature, then Parkland is for you. If you ask them why they don't meet the standard of care, they will tell you, "because that's how we do it at Parkland." Grrrreat answer. If you just want to catch a ton of babies, then perhaps you'll like Parkland.

You might want to check out UTMB Galveston. They are probably one of the best OB/GYN programs in Texas. (I'm not a student there either.) They have interesting faculty and great research going on, plus a hefty number of deliveries and surgeries.

 

[obbyjobby]

My biggest fear in doing an away rotation (I would do it at Stanford if I decide to do one) is that I would do the rotation there and still not get an interview. (Not that an interview actually guarantees a fighting chance, but at least they let you feel like you have a shot )

Shambala, I guess my question is for you...I would love to match at Stanford and I was wondering if you had any idea how important it is to do a rotation there. Also, what sorts of things do they look for? I'm definitely an applicant (I think? I hope?) that stands out in terms of research and extracurriculars (for what that's worth, if anything at all). I go to a good med school but I'm not the sharpest knife in that drawer at all. My boards scores are right around average for my school and I am so not AOA med school superstar, and that's probably more what they look at.

 

[ShambhalaRed]

My biggest fear in doing an away rotation (I would do it at Stanford if I decide to do one) is that I would do the rotation there and still not get an interview. (Not that an interview actually guarantees a fighting chance, but at least they let you feel like you have a shot )

Shambala, I guess my question is for you...I would love to match at Stanford and I was wondering if you had any idea how important it is to do a rotation there. Also, what sorts of things do they look for? I'm definitely an applicant (I think? I hope?) that stands out in terms of research and extracurriculars (for what that's worth, if anything at all). I go to a good med school but I'm not the sharpest knife in that drawer at all. My boards scores are right around average for my school and I am so not AOA med school superstar, and that's probably more what they look at.

As far as doing an away rotation and not getting an interview: I guess that happens at some places, but that's REALLY mean. I think a program knows that if you take the time to do a rotation there, you are serious about it in some way and deserve an interview as a courtesy. On the other hand, if you know that by doing a rotation you're guaranteed an interview, you'll never know if they would have offered you an interview otherwise. I got an interview at the program where I did an away rotation (as did everyone who did an away there), ranked it #1, and didn't get in. Stanford was my #2. So there's that.

Re: Stanford in particular: I have no idea how important a visiting rotation is to them. If you think it's somewhere you're potentially interested in, then I would strongly encourage you to consider a rotation there, if it's feasible for you in terms of finances and scheduling etc. If it would totally screw up your schedule or cost you a fortune to live there for a month, then I wouldn't worry about it. I considered doing an away there, but their schedule is totally off from my school's schedule, so I didn't bother. I also can't really say what they're looking for, other than personality-wise, one of my interviewers told me very enthusiastically that she felt I was a "good fit." I am a pretty easy-going person with interests in family planning, international health and public health. I was not AOA, and have decent but not wonderful board scores. I think I had good letters of recommendation, and I am getting an MPH, which I think must have helped. Frankly, I was pretty shocked to match at Stanford (in a good way, of course)! The program director was pretty poker-faced with me about his impression of my application.

Did anyone else on this forum do an away at Stanford? Care to share your thoughts about aways/chances of getting in?