DOs: match without rotating?

[bravotwozero]

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Any DO grads match into an EM program (allopathic or osteopathic) without actually rotating there? Is this exceedingly rare? The *****s at my medschool have restricted us to no more than 2 electives in the same specialty. I just hope I don't scramble because I have to put too many eggs in one basket.

 

[BluesClues32]

I am a DO and interviewed at many places I didn't rotate.

Just make sure that your away rotations count. Rotate at programs that have well known residency programs. Earn honors, work with the residency director and get her/him to write you a letter, etc. If you impress attendings a long the way, you will get the interviews you want.

Also, you might be able to get around the 2 rotation limit by doing an ultrasound rotation in an ED or tox.

 

[It'sElectric]

Ditto to what BluesClues said. In addition, two 4th year rotations in EM (getting you 2 SLORs) is more than enough. It sucks you can't do an additional 3rd year EM rotation to sort of get your feet wet before the 4th year rotations, but you should still be fine.

 

[MSmentor018]

i got plenty of MD interviews without rotating through. its not a problem at all. "rearrage the name of your rotations" if you can or go visit the ER on your off time if your rotating on another service. I did one in my 3rd yr. same advice as above. get the SLOR's from known people in the field, impress the hell out of them, nail the rotation.

 

[gutonc]

The *****s at my medschool have restricted us to no more than 2 electives in the same specialty. I just hope I don't scramble because I have to put too many eggs in one basket.

This is not an unusual practice in MD schools either. In my school, people overcame it by simply doing rotations that didn't count toward graduation. We had plenty of "extra" time in our 4th year to get away with this. Those of us going into less competitive specialties spent that time in one of the 3 B's (bar, bed or beach). Our colleagues trying to match Ortho, Derm, Rads, Uro and ENT spent that time doing uncredited rotations (usually away/audition rotations that they weren't using for LORs).

As long as you do your 2 official rotations at places where you can get an SLOR (and do well enough to get good SLORs), you should be fine. In spite of what many people on SDN seem to think, EM isn't integrated plastics or Derm yet. A 3rd letter from IM or Surg or Gas or Peds or whatever will be fine.

 

[tkim]

Also, you might be able to get around the 2 rotation limit by doing an ultrasound rotation in an ED or tox.

+1 - did UCI U/S as third 'EM' rotation. Got a SLOR, though admittedly U/S slanted. But it was mentioned during interviews.

 

[Doctor Bob]

Any DO grads match into an EM program (allopathic or osteopathic) without actually rotating there? Is this exceedingly rare? The *****s at my medschool have restricted us to no more than 2 electives in the same specialty. I just hope I don't scramble because I have to put too many eggs in one basket.

I matched to an allo program without ever rotating here.

And I went to the same school you go to. The clinical education office has a long list of rotations you can do for electives and there are many ways around the "2 electives in the same specialty" rule. Do a peds EM rotation, do a tox rotation, do a peds tox rotation, etc etc.

I don't know if Dr. D is still the assistant dean of clinical ed, but when I went through we were told not to worry about the rule. It's a purely semantic requirement so that your transcript is well rounded. Find the rotations you want to do, and find a name to assign to the rotation afterwards.

 

[GreenShirt]

Isn't this really dependent on your Step I scores? If you were 600+ on COMLEX or average+, I'd imagine you could get an interview without auditioning. If you're below that, your app probably won't be looked at if you didn't audition.

 

[Smackey]

I got plenty of interviews at allopathic programs I did not rotate at, however I matched one of the places I rotated.

 

[MSmentor018]

Isn't this really dependent on your Step I scores? If you were 600+ on COMLEX or average+, I'd imagine you could get an interview without auditioning. If you're below that, your app probably won't be looked at if you didn't audition.

maybe. all the places I went to didn't know/commented about comlex but did mention my usmle score. they all said something close to this "it let me know academically where you stand against your MD counterparts".

 

[BluesClues32]

Isn't this really dependent on your Step I scores? If you were 600+ on COMLEX or average+, I'd imagine you could get an interview without auditioning. If you're below that, your app probably won't be looked at if you didn't audition.

While on a sub-I, the associate residency director told me that I needed to do everything an allopathic student would do plus do it better. I truly believe that is the key to success at the big name Emergency Programs. I did as much as I could (long term volunteer work, audition rotations, won Emergency Medicine Awards, was active in the EMIG and national groups, went to ACEP, etc)

 

[Sam212]

Any DO grads match into an EM program (allopathic or osteopathic) without actually rotating there? Is this exceedingly rare? The *****s at my medschool have restricted us to no more than 2 electives in the same specialty. I just hope I don't scramble because I have to put too many eggs in one basket.

Ultrasound rotation is your friend

 

[Jamers]

Any DO grads match into an EM program (allopathic or osteopathic) without actually rotating there? Is this exceedingly rare? The *****s at my medschool have restricted us to no more than 2 electives in the same specialty. I just hope I don't scramble because I have to put too many eggs in one basket.

I got way more interviews than places I rotated at and I matched into a program I didn't audition at.