Away rotations?

[I_love_UMKC]

How helpful are the away rotations to break it or make it into a place? I am not asking to get a LOR, because by the time I do my away rotation, I would have submitted the apps already. So, my question is more geared towards how does the away rotation have an impact on getting into a place, or does it have any impact at all? Assuming, you know a place you want to go to for residency, is it a good idea or can it backfire to do an away there (since the first couple of days, you are still trying to adjust, along with all the other factors)? I tried searching this, but couldn't find many answers, so I hope someone can answer this. Thanks!

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[95439]

How helpful are the away rotations to break it or make it into a place? I am not asking to get a LOR, because by the time I do my away rotation, I would have submitted the apps already. So, my question is more geared towards how does the away rotation have an impact on getting into a place, or does it have any impact at all? Assuming, you know a place you want to go to for residency, is it a good idea or can it backfire to do an away there (since the first couple of days, you are still trying to adjust, along with all the other factors)? I tried searching this, but couldn't find many answers, so I hope someone can answer this. Thanks!

I don't have a definitive answer, but I did an away rotation at a school I thought would be my first choice for neurology residencies, and I found out within a week that the program was nothing like what I'd thought, and that I didn't want to go there. I think away rotations are a good idea if you really want to get in somewhere you might not have a chance otherwise, or if you're not sure about a program and want to check it out. You definitely don't need it to get into a program that's not too competitive.

 

[PhakeDoc]

Nor do you need to do one at the most competitive places either. It's one of those things that more people are doing just to be exposed to different departments, but is certainly not necessary. When I asked fellow applicants with similar stats, etc., as mine, if they did an away, about half had done one whereas the other half had not.

 

[typhoonegator]

I never did one, and never felt disadvantaged because of it. Occasionally for IMGs or people with low test scores, it can be helpful at the big places because you can get a foot in the door and some face time when your application might not otherwise be considered as carefully as the usual applicants.

I've certainly seen people with impressive CVs do away rotations with us that would have been better off if they hadn't -- if your interpersonal skills suck it might be best to keep that under wraps until after you've matched. Better sometimes to keep your mouth shut and let everyone think you're a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

I would say, if you're going to do away rotations, do them for yourself. Go visit a new city, see a program you're on the fence about, check out one of the big places to see how things are done there. You'll get more out of it that way than if you're constantly trying to wring some sort of competitive advantage out of it.

 

[tofurious]

Agree with above: you really want to check out the hospital and the city if you are going to move there for 3-4 years. While there are a lot of posts/comments about which program is best, you should make sure the program is a fit for you. If you are a passive learner, you might not want to go to place where they expect you to learn everything on your own. Conversely, if you are a very independent learner and hate lectures, you might want to avoid a place that has 20 hours of lectures per week and still expects you to work in the hospital.