Choose my rotation order!

Started by myrtle
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M

myrtle

Junior Member
15+ Year Member
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I know that it really doesn't matter (according to lots of people) but I have a really good lottery number and have pretty much total control over my rotation order. Maybe it's something about the freedom of choice that's driving me nuts. Anyway, I choose on Monday, in just two days!!

I probably want to do internal medicine, maybe emergency medicine, possibly OB/Gyn but that's further down the list.

I'd like medicine before surgery and I've heard many recommend doing other rotations like OB/Gyn or peds before medicine. My other thought on the issue is that I'm actually really excited about medicine and kind of want to do it first so I get the history/physical skills and differential diagnosis practice along with having just finished step 1. However, I know there's a learning curve and lots of stuff to know about working in a hospital setting that's different from the classroom.

Any thoughts? Here are some of my orders:

OB/Gyn - Peds - Med

Med - Surg - Peds

OB/Gyn - Med - Peds

Peds - Med - OB/Gyn

Help!!!!!
 
I would do medicine first, even if it's what you want to go into. You'll learn a lot and it will be good for all your future rotations. You'll also still be excited about the year, rather than tired. I don't think there's much you'd learn in Ob/Gyn or Peds that will help you on medicine, except maybe how to write an H&P, but if you find a sample H&P and use that you should be fine. It will be everyone's first rotation, so I also think the standards will be lower when it comes to performance, because they'll understand that you're new. And I think you'll have a bit of a heads up on the other rotations. I did medicine 2nd and am really happy that I had it early in the year.
 
OB/Gyn - Peds - Med

This is the order I would go with. You've already stated that OB is low on the differential. In addition OB is very painful in terms of the interpersonal side of it with residents/attendings. I would also think that taking peds before IM would be better because you could have some idea of how to do very detailed H&P's before coming into medicine. Peds H&P's aren't as long and detailed as those from medicine, but frankly OB/gyn H&P's are a joke ("How's your vagina? Do you feel the baby move? Any discharge?"). So OB won't help you AT ALL on IM (I know cuz I took OB first and looked like a total ***** on medicine) but Peds will help you at least a little. Just my .02
 
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I agree Ob-Gyn first and then Peds and Medicine.

Where do surgery and family fall for you?

Could you do surgery first and get it out of the way and then OB/Gyn and family if there is a requirement at your school. Medicine after family is nice. There are always some growing pains on the first few rotations. The surgery and medicine shelf exams are generally acknowledged to be the worst, something to keep in mind if you want IM or EM.
 
I was in the exact same position as you a few weeks ago. Our school doesn't do a lottery, but assigns students and then lets students swap their way into the schedule of their choice. In the end, it's the same as the lottery. I think i have a solid schedule and I'll give u reasons why I picked the order that I did.

1st half of year: OB/gyn -> peds -> medicine
As posters above had said, OB is a good start because it has a little mix of everything. There's a lot of primary care, but it's partially procedure oriented. It'll help u out in medicine for sure (primary care, work up patients, etc.), but from what i've heard, it can help in your surgery rotation as well.
From what i've read, Peds is pretty much medicine for little people. The attendings should be pretty nice, so you will be fresh and prepared for medicine.

2nd half: Surgery -> family -> neuro/psych
I wanted surgery RIGHT after medicine, because it appears that the surgery shelf is loaded with medicine style questions (ie. how would u treat this pt. post-op....). Then it didn't matter cause family and neuro/psych are pretty laid back, and I'll have plenty of time for golf in the spring 🙂.
 
Thanks so much for all of the feedback! I was really excited about doing medicine, but in the end, it's better to have something else to get used to the system. I chose today and got what I wanted: OB/Gyn - Peds - Med. We're rotation buddies, cards21aceking.

😀 Thanks 😀
 
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