Elective Rotation Suggestions

[bbeer900]

Hi everyone! I'm currently an MS3 in my 3rd rotation. My elective is next month and my school hasn't scheduled it yet (tbh I don't trust them to give me my first options anyway- they just put everyone in IM). I'm looking to try setting something up myself and wanted some recommendations!



So far, my rotations haven't been what I hoped they'd be. A loooot of shadowing and nothing really hands on. So, for my elective I want a rotation that I can be hands-on/more involved and actually learn. Anyone have recommendations from rotations you've enjoyed or learned a lot in?



I was interested in GI- but I fear it would be a lot of shadowing and with COVID, a lot of procedures might get cancelled. I'm currently in peds, but it's strictly NICU, so I thought about maybe a peds end rotation or something? Any suggestions or advice are welcome! Thanks in advance!!

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[Maximus2020]

The choice depends fully on your interest and goal with the elective. If you want to take a break, pick a pathology or radiology rotation, or something you can do from home (e.g., research). Not everything has to be gung-ho, take a breather when you can. COVID may never go away so I would not make a decision based on the current state of affairs. If you have interest in GI, pick GI to hopefully get a LOR.

 

[calivianya]

The most hands-on experience that I had by far was surgery... if you can find it somewhere that does not have a surgery residency.

I first assisted on all surgeries my preceptor did. Once he trusted me a little more, he even let me do stuff like cut off a necrotic toe. Did lots of suturing, lots of retracting, and lots of driving the camera for endoscopic procedures otherwise. If you do surgery somewhere that they have residents, they will be doing all the stuff I just mentioned and you won't be doing much tbh