cardiology elective advice

[Vince]

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I am getting ready to start my 3rd year rotations. I am allowed one elective for my third year, and I would like to do a rotation in Cardiology because it is a specialty that I am very interested in. I need some advice as to the type of rotation I should pursue. This will be my last rotation of my third year.

Should I do a rotation where there is a Cardiology Fellowship program?

Would it be better to do a Cardio rotation at a hospital that has an Internal Medicine residency that I would want to attend?

Would it be better to just do a Cardio rotation somewhere to get the exposure(consults, help with procedures, etc), then do a rotation in my 4th year that is at one of these residency/fellowship sites?

If anyone could offer a suggestion(s) as to how I should approach scheduling a Cardio elective when I am considering it as a career, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Brewster]

Since internal medicine is the first step to a carreer in cardiology, I would go to the hospital where you might want to do a residency. Approach it like a fourth year elective. Do a sub-I, do your best, make a good impression, get a good letter. Doing a sub-I now will free up a rotation in the fall to do an additional away rotation (if you want).

Alternatively, you could save all the sub-I experience for your actual fourth year and take it easy this rotation with a cards consult elective.

 

[Tazmaniac]

If Cardiology is something you'd be interested in, I'd do it early, prior to 4th year if possible, to test the waters and see if it's really something you'd like to spend the rest of your life doing. You may end up not liking it, or liking pediatric cardiology instead of adult cardio, absolutely loving it, etc. etc. All that can decide what you would be doing in 4th year in terms of SubI's. And you might pick up a good advisor for the rest of med school while you're at it.

Currently I'm using the last 4 weeks of 3rd year to try pediatric cardiology (as that would be one of the only reasons I'd do pediatrics), and it's certainly made my decision to do a peds residency. And it's nice to take a break from the rigors of required clerkships, and go at your own pace.

-Todd