Great question and I will tell you my experience with it. I'm a DO student as well, average in all aspects of my app. I was exposed to ER at a very small rural hospital my third year and then did a rotation at a level II trauma large community center with no EM (has IM) residency program to "get ready" to rock my SLOEs. Well considering I only had 9 places to rank for the Match out of 90 apps, I think my first SLOE was "weaker" and held my application back a bit. I take full responsibility for it, but trying to give some helpful advice.
The rotation during 3rd year didn't really prepare me at all. The doc there is one of my favorite people but he is very old school and doesn't keep up with current EM literature. The rotation at the larger hospital was honestly not that helpful either. I did one procedure and like 3 or 4 lacs. I got practice presenting, but only one of the attendings really gave me feedback on how to make them better for my auditions. I learned a few helpful things, but honestly as an above poster said EM clerkship taught me most of what I used on my rotation. When I got to my first audition I was asked constantly "Is this your first or second rotation?" I think I may have been judged a little harsher because it was my 2nd technically, but it didn't really help me to specifically prepare for impressing attendings at a residency program (note this was a more community program). Most of the other rotators were on their first audition so IMO it may have been more forgivable if their presentations and differentials were less polished. And to be fair it took me a long time to get better at presenting and just being confident. I was not very good even at my 2nd rotation.
That all being said OP, the most important part of your EM rotations is your presentation to attendings. Listen to what EM clerkship has to to say about presenting and watch the EMRA video like 4-5 times. Practice them beforehand, heck practice them before the rotation. They are probably what hold most people back IMO. You want them to be concise. Honestly, just be confident when you give them because you want to seem what you know what you are talking about and are competent. That is not an excuse to lie though! Run through differentials for you most common CC like chest pain, belly pain, HA, etc, etc. Know them cold. Honestly those two things will get you very far, but do all the other stuff that EM clerkship recommends to rock your SLOEs! Also don't be annoying or weird. I think the advice in this last paragraph will serve you better than doing a warm-up rotation but YMMV.
