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I'm applying IM, from MD school. Does it look better if I have more electives in IM department (ie GI), or does it not matter? For example would it look weird to have multiple radiology electives?
Do programs care which electives I take during 4th year?
- Thread starter AORiverContra
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This article may be helpful to check out! From the ACP advice, it seems like fourth year should be focused on your interests, and I’d say doing rotations in specialties that may help your future career would be a good idea! Like your interest in a radiology elective could help because maybe you learn a trick to easily look at scans that you wouldn’t have learned in an IM elective
www.acponline.org
Making the Most of Your Fourth Year | ACP Online
Here are several things to remember about your post-Match fourth year that may help you reinforce and consolidate what you have learned over the past three years and continue to expand your clinical horizons as you prepare for residency training.
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Not really. Remember once your transcript is submitted in the fall, programs don't see what else you take.
Here's what you should take in fourth year, in order of importance:
1) Enough in-field rotations (and your AI) to get all your letters in order, through ERAS deadline
2) Really easy stuff you don't have to show up to in October-December so you can go on interviews. Ideally online or independent study or whatever. Can't stress that enough. You don't ever want to have to decline an interview because of a rotation.
3) January until graduation: whatever you feel like.
(plus fit taking Step 2 in somewhere)
For me, that was 4 weeks of light rotations so I could study for CK, 10 weeks of in-field (and related) rotations into early October, then 10 weeks of stuff I barely had to show up to for interviews. Then, I finished with 4 weeks of lighter stuff related to my field, 4 weeks of EM (which everyone should take at some point), and ended with all my vacation time I had saved.
Here's what you should take in fourth year, in order of importance:
1) Enough in-field rotations (and your AI) to get all your letters in order, through ERAS deadline
2) Really easy stuff you don't have to show up to in October-December so you can go on interviews. Ideally online or independent study or whatever. Can't stress that enough. You don't ever want to have to decline an interview because of a rotation.
3) January until graduation: whatever you feel like.
(plus fit taking Step 2 in somewhere)
For me, that was 4 weeks of light rotations so I could study for CK, 10 weeks of in-field (and related) rotations into early October, then 10 weeks of stuff I barely had to show up to for interviews. Then, I finished with 4 weeks of lighter stuff related to my field, 4 weeks of EM (which everyone should take at some point), and ended with all my vacation time I had saved.
