Elective sub-specialties 3rd year

[doctorE2010]

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I'm trying to plan my electives--is mid 3rd year too early to do a subspecialty elective? I'm leaning towards peds but would like to do a few rotations in neonatology and genetics specifically. I know early 4th year is probably the best time to do these, but for various personal reasons, would mid 3rd year really be too early? Would I not know enough by this point? I'll have only done one general peds at that point.

 

[villa]

if you'll have already done one general peds rotation, i don't see the problem at all. maybe i'm biased though, as i wish i could have done Exactly what you are proposing.

 

[MrBurns10]

I don't understand, why would that be too early? Heck, my school does rotations during 2nd year and we do subspecialty electives during that time. The earlier you decide what you want to do, the easier life will be for you come 4th year.

 

[doctorE2010]

I don't understand, why would that be too early? Heck, my school does rotations during 2nd year and we do subspecialty electives during that time. The earlier you decide what you want to do, the easier life will be for you come 4th year.

My school is not near a children's hospital so these would also be away "audition" rotations...I'm just wondering if it's too early for me to make a good impression and be remembered come interview time.

 

[smq123]

I'm trying to plan my electives--is mid 3rd year too early to do a subspecialty elective? I'm leaning towards peds but would like to do a few rotations in neonatology and genetics specifically. I know early 4th year is probably the best time to do these, but for various personal reasons, would mid 3rd year really be too early? Would I not know enough by this point? I'll have only done one general peds at that point.

Things you need to make sure of first:

• That you meet the prerequisites required for that neonatology or genetics elective. Some electives require that you complete all 6 core clinical clerkships FIRST before you can do a subspecialty.
  
• That you really, really, really want to do peds. Doing a subspecialty elective in peds when you realize that you HATE general pediatrics is not a good thing....
  
• That you will still finish your core rotations before you need to take Step 2. If taking those additional subspecialty electives means that you need to push back some core clinical clerkships, but your Step 1/Comlex 1 score is really crappy (= barely above passing), you may be in trouble. Specifically, that low Step 1 score will mean that you should take Step 2 early (to make up for your bad Step 1), but because you didn't do some core clerkships, you'll have to take Step 2 late. And this is a bad situation to be in.

My school is not near a children's hospital so these would also be away "audition" rotations...I'm just wondering if it's too early for me to make a good impression and be remembered come interview time.

It might be.

You might not know enough to make a stellar impression at that point.

 

[SoCuteMD]

I would not do any sort of audition rotation until you have completed medicine and surgery and (in this case) pediatrics. You get pimped on random stuff all the time (at least I do) on rotations, and usually you can get by with a best guess combined with "but I have done ____ yet." However, at an audition rotation you are expected to have completed all the third year clerkships. In fact, most schools won't let you rotate outside their system unless you have completed medicine and surgery, and many schools won't take you unless you have completed these as well.

Leave the audition rotations until you've completed the core rotations - it truly will benefit you.