Elective rotations for IM and Cardiology Fellowship

[Dr kc]

Hello everyone,
I'm a fourth year med student and I need some advice for elective rotations. I've completed all my cores except IM which I'll start this may. I want to go into IM and do cardio fellowship later on so I would like to know which elective rotations would best prepared me for that.
Also, I would like to do a medicine sub I but since I'm a carribean med student I don't know if I would be able to do that, and where? I would greatly appreciate your help .

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Pkboi24]

Hello everyone,
I'm a fourth year med student and I need some advice for elective rotations. I've completed all my cores except IM which I'll start this may. I want to go into IM and do cardio fellowship later on so I would like to know which elective rotations would best prepared me for that.
Also, I would like to do a medicine sub I but since I'm a carribean med student I don't know if I would be able to do that, and where? I would greatly appreciate your help .

Um, I would do a cardiology elective. But first things first, you need to get into a good residency for IM. Cardiology is competitive enough as it is. If you come from a small community program that no one has ever heard of, it'll just be that much harder. Focus on getting into a big Academic Program for IM and then go on from there.

 

[Dr kc]

thanks... but besides cardio, would other electives would you recommend?

 

[ResidentMD]

thanks... but besides cardio, would other electives would you recommend?

Just my two cents...but having some Rads, Derm and Anesthesia experience puts you a bit ahead of your intern class...who often have no idea of the xray, skin lesion or larynx that they are (or need to be) looking at.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Just my two cents...but having some Rads, Derm and Anesthesia experience puts you a bit ahead of your intern class...who often have no idea of the xray, skin lesion or larynx that they are (or need to be) looking at.

larynx..why?..excuse me but I cannot see a relation of derm or anesthesiology to cardio fellowship chances

 

[ResidentMD]

larynx..why?..excuse me but I cannot see a relation of derm or anesthesiology to cardio fellowship chances

I assumed the OP had two questions -

1. Helping him/her for a Cards fellowship
2. Preparing him/her adequately for an IM residency

My answer was directed at question 2.

I feel that being confident in intubations and line insertions (or at least being willing to try to do them) and being able to diagnose the basic skin lesions really makes you shine (esp in IM). Also, being more competent, confident, prepared --> better evals --> better letter of recommendations from the PD.

Now lets not get finicky about it and start an argument (the way most threads on SDN have deteriorated post-match). These are just my two cents.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

.. sure no finicky ! no argument and no deterioration

 

[dragonfly99]

You NEED to do a subI. And ideally you need to do it at a decent hospital where there is actually some teaching. Start working on setting this up ASAP. I would give yourself a few weeks break between the IM core rotation and the subI.

I also recommend a radiology elective during 4th year, as well as an ICU rotation (MICU or SICU, probably doesn't matter). If you've never done ICU as a student, it can be really scary as an intern, and you'll look better as an intern if you have a clue about how to manage ICU patients.

Cards consult month is OK, but you can do that later during 4th year, like maybe September or October. You could try to do it at a hospital where you actually have a shot to match in IM, if you like.

I agree that getting into the best IM residency you can possibly find is going to help the most with getting into cardiology fellowship.

 

[Macguy86]

when is the best time to do the subi. i am thinking about doing it after IM core, Surgery Core. midway through my 3rd year. will this help me since i would have recently come off of IM?

also you mentioned pursuing cards later on somewhere else, but wouldnt it be a good idea to do the cards consults at your HOME institute and then do it again at the place you want to train at early in 4th year so you look good? thanks