Do 4th year electives in January/February "count"?

[Mike59]

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Hi all,

Since we apply for residency in the fall and USMLE scores are in by then, I was wondering if doing an elective in Jaunary or February at a residency program would sway them at all before they rank people? Is February too late? At my school we don't have much elective time and those months seem like the easiest to squeeze in at locations I want to be at.

I should add that I'm not trying for a competitive residency (primary care), just want to get my foot in the door in a particular city.

Thanks for any advice

 

[Amy]

Yeah, doing a month any time before ROL are due should help. Of course, you have to REALLY shine in order for an away rotation to help you! If they're not impressed with you, it may hurt your chances of matching there. A big benefit to doing it early (summer) would be that you can get LOR from people you work with at the program.

 

[NinerNiner999]

And on the flipside - if you really bomb a rotation, don't report it. Basically, anything not on your ERAS report will not be considered for residency applications. Enjoy your fourth year, and don't fail.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Depends on when they finalize their ROL. Our meeting is this week, so if you rotated in February it would be too late.