clerkships?

[pipetman]

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i have a question.

i've been looking at last years handbook..and it tell you what you need to apply, but it doesn't tell you which programs have certain GPA requirements. where can I find that out ?

also, the third years have told me that you should pick a less stressful first clerkship and save the one you want later in your clerkship experience. any one have any thoughts, pros and cons , of the clerkships you attended?
any tips?

 

[krabmas]

i have a question.

i've been looking at last years handbook..and it tell you what you need to apply, but it doesn't tell you which programs have certain GPA requirements. where can I find that out ?

also, the third years have told me that you should pick a less stressful first clerkship and save the one you want later in your clerkship experience. any one have any thoughts, pros and cons , of the clerkships you attended?
any tips?

My advice because it worked for me, even though it was not intentional...

I scheduled (by accident) my hardest clerkship first. I was pimped everyday by the residents and the attendings. Every night I read, looked up answers, learned new stuff. The next time I worked with said attending or resident that asked a question, I gave them the answer that I had looked up. This prepared me for the rest of my clerkships.

The next couple of clerkships were fine, I liked all but one of the clerkships that I did. I liked the first one as well, but since I was a total ***** for this one, there was no chance.

I did not do a clerkship at the program that I matched. I visited for a few days. I do not recomend this as residency become more competitive, but it worked for me.

A note about pimping - enjoy it. It is a great way to learn. Ignore anyone who makes snide remarks about how you should know offhand the toxic dose of vicryl, or anyother asinign question. I love useless info more than the next person, but it is called useless for a reason. Just take in the questions, attempt to answer them, discuss your thought process, write down the questions, look them up that night. It really is a great way to learn - which is why you are there, as much as you are there to interview.

One other tip for externships:
Every question that was asked and every case that I scrubbed I kept in a journal and wrote the answers to said questions. I still have the journal. I often look thru it for good questions and memories. 4th year goes by so quickly, enjoy being a student. I wish I would have done the same thing for residency - but there really wasn't time.

 

[Feli]

I would agree that you want an academic one with fairly long hours right off the bat. I did PI first and felt I was well prepped but also learned a ton. Good students are good students, and they will adapt and rise to the challenge around them IMO. That kind of environment and attitude will get you accustomed to managing your time (get up before dawn, home after dark, ~1hr reading, ~30min fitness/phone/etc, to bed early, repeat).

Ideally, you don't really want to pick any "less stressful" clerkships... unless you have rotations after CRIP and match. I'd recommend every student pick the best 4th year rotations you can get accepted to and learn a ton; you can always visit other local programs to give yourself more options. The problem is that "the one you want" during 3rd year will probably change once you actually do your rotations (unless you are picking programs just on geography?). Residency is an individualized decision based on goals for future practice, chemistry with the residents/attendings, teaching/learning style, spouse/family needs, etc etc.

The time to read/prep is 3rd year before you go out on clerkships. Read PI manual, Presby, Crozer, Cali Trauma Classifications (and/or JFAS 1989 28:6 p551 by Perlman), Chang, etc cover to cover and begin reading classic and current journal articles. During clerkships, read a bit each night/weekend about the next day's upcoming cases, resident/attending questions you didn't know, etc.

4th year is really where your F&A surgical knowledge, both clinical and academic, takes off exponentially, but you have to lay the groundwork before that. Think active learning, not passive... "it's ok not to know, but it's never ok not to learn."

 

[ucd]

Hey guys,

This might be a newbie questions but whats the difference between externship, clerkships, and rotations?? Thanks

 

[malleolusman]

Hey guys,

This might be a newbie questions but whats the difference between externship, clerkships, and rotations?? Thanks

They are used interchangeably, but to clarify a little more;

During 3rd yr at Temple, you would do clinical rotations through different areas of medicine (Internal Medicine/ Gen SX/ Anesthesia/ Vascular SX/ Neurology) These could also be referred to as clerkship rotations, as they last a minimum number of months and involve medical training in a specialized area. These rotations are additional to the rotations one would do concerning podiatric medicine (pod sx, wound care, diag, ortho, phys rehab etc).

Clinical externships/clerkships begin your 4th year, and the amount you get, and time spent varies from school to school. At Temple, I think you get 4 externships/clerkship, plus one private practice office externship/clerkship. An externship/c (for med students) basically serves as an extended interview in places where you plan on applying for residency. Theres a lot of hands on learning and the opportunity to better integrate your knowledge, as well as figure out what residency "fits" you.

 

[ucd]

Thanks Malleolusman,

I knew that some of the words were interchangeable but that explanation really summed it up well. Thanks!