Do we really need to Honor all rotations?

[Saradoc]

Based on this board it seems like theres a pressure to Honor all rotations...how important is this for matching? My school has pass, high pass, honors.
Would honoring rotations be more important than honoring first and second year courses? is it unheard of for someone with few to no honors in preclinical courses to still match?
Thanks!

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[dermgoblin]

The following is just my opinion based on the whole application process:

Honors in 3rd year is much much more important than first two years. Especially since most schools will weight clinical years more heavily when determining AOA status although this varies.

I think the main benefit of honoring preclinical years is to help you crush step 1, which is essentially the marker for your knowledge of first two years (as residency programs see it anyway).

Also, you don't what to jeopardize your chances at AOA with poor performance in the first two years although at my school you just have to be in the top 50% of the class for preclinical and then honor most courses 3rd year for consideration. All schools seem to have different criteria though.

As for whether you "really need to honor all rotations". You just have to realize that there are going to be many people applying to derm that have done exactly that and you're competing with those people. So do your best but the competition is stiff.

 

[DermMatch]

Aim to do the best you can. That way you'll know you've given everything your best shot, and you take that variable out of the equation for any match you go for.

I honored all rotations.

 

[scumbagderm]

I don't think you absolutely do-or-die have to honor every rotation. It does help, though, and not just for derm. My medicine/transitional years all commented that it was rare to see all honors in 3rd year. Problem is, a lot of honoring 3rd year is subjective. You just kind of get lucky. The best you can do is be as helpful on the wards as possible without coming off like a douche. Never step on anybody's toes i.e being "gunner". Help the residents and make their lives easier and they will pay you back w/ good comments to the attending.

Studying for the shelfs is key because usually that can mess you up if you bomb the shelf (and its the one thing you DO have control over).

I would think the more important rotations, like medicine and surgery, are the big ones to honor in. Psych and OB can fall by the wayside, in my opinion.

 

[Dermocrat]

I got 4 honors, 3 HP, and 1 pass 3rd year, and I got 10+ interviews. You can make up for it with other good things on your app. Do well on Step 1.