First elective in Cards?

[NYMD516]

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I will be starting internship (IM) this month at a hospital here in NYC and my first two rotation blocks ended up being elective. The chief has informed me that i will be able to pick a department in a week or so. My question is simple.. Is it smart to pick cardiology for this block? I am very interested in cardiology and hope apply for a fellowship position at some point but im not sure its the best idea to pick cards as my first block as an intern. I am fairly confident in my abilities but I know there will be a learning curve and being so green I dont know how "impressive" I will seem to the cardiology attendings/director. I know elective time is valuable and to be honest this first month is my only elective block I get as a pgy1, hence the dilemma.

Any advice on said issue is welcome, thank you in advance.

Also, if you think i should pick cards... Any fellows/attendings have any advice on reading materials or tips on surviving/learning/impressing?

Thanks again.

 

[joejabjab]

I would do a cardiology elective at the beginning of PGY-2; by then you'll be used to how things work and may know some cardiologists in your hospital system.

I would do something else first to get used to your hospital's system; it's a long time till you will be asking for LORs, and a cardiologist you work with now, may not remember you too clearly in a year's plus time.

 

[Bonza Debogian]

If you like cardiology, do an elective. General consults is always a good place to start. Don't worry about letters yet - you'll have time later on. Intern year is tough so you might as well spend as much time doing something you like as you can. What else are you going to do, renal? ID?

 

[drdavemd]

While the decision is not a slam dunk, I would go for a Cards elective. My thought would be that most (not all) reasonable doctors recognize that as a new intern and at a new hospital, you are going to have limited skills. If though, you come in there with a good attitude and work hard, you could easily impress someone and establish a relationship which could develop into an important mentorship. Maybe you'll meet attendings and find ways to get a foot in the door on some reasearch.

What's the downside? If you slack off or act like a total buffoon then, yes, you might make a bad impression. So don't do that and you should be okay.

Yes, during internship, you will work hard and make significant adjustments to being a doctor. Yes, the hours will be long and the work will be challenging. But that is also what the rest of your career will probably be like. Get in, get busy, and get started. Then when other people are racking their brains for LORs and research projects you'll be well on your way.

 

[Friendly]

I will be starting internship (IM) this month at a hospital here in NYC and my first two rotation blocks ended up being elective. The chief has informed me that i will be able to pick a department in a week or so. My question is simple.. Is it smart to pick cardiology for this block? I am very interested in cardiology and hope apply for a fellowship position at some point but im not sure its the best idea to pick cards as my first block as an intern. I am fairly confident in my abilities but I know there will be a learning curve and being so green I dont know how "impressive" I will seem to the cardiology attendings/director. I know elective time is valuable and to be honest this first month is my only elective block I get as a pgy1, hence the dilemma.

Any advice on said issue is welcome, thank you in advance.

Also, if you think i should pick cards... Any fellows/attendings have any advice on reading materials or tips on surviving/learning/impressing?

Thanks again.

I started internship with a cardiology elective. I also had reservations as I was in the ABIM research track meaning I would apply for fellowship as an intern. I ended up getting a letter for fellowship from that rotation. Looking back, it was a good thing--unlike my peers being tortured in the unit and on general medicine with real responsibilities, I got to learn how the hospital, computers, ancillary staff work during the elective. You're a new intern. Nobody expects you'll set the world on fire. Just show up and work hard, and you'll be fine. Good luck!

 

[NYMD516]

Thank you all very much.
I appreciate the advice and have decided to pick cards (if they let me haha).