Free Time @ End of 4th Year

[bbpiano1]

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I was just wondering if a couple of 4th years could share what their schedules are like? I've heard of people taking time off and traveling at the end of 4th year (before residency begins). How much time exactly do you have, and do you need to start planning during 3rd year in order to have that extra free time at the end of 4th year?

 

[DarksideAllstar]

My school requires a certain number of weeks of rotations during 4th year. How much vacation you have to take for residency interviews (which is directly proportional to how many interviews you actually go to) will determine how much time you will have off. I was able to limit my vacation to two weeks, so I will have exactly 12 weeks off between my last rotation and July 1. Life is good right now👍

 

[Bertelman]

Similar, my school gives us 10 weeks to do what we please, plus 3 for Christmas. I took two in summer for Step 2, then have banked the last 8 for right now. Some easy-going rotations and tight scheduling, along with few interview offers, allowed me to hit like 7 interviews in 10 days over holiday season.

 

[njbmd]

We had a month of vacation built into fourth year. You could use that month for USMLE Step II or interviewing or vacation. I actually took Step II at the beginning of my fourth year, interviewed during my elective months and thus after Match Day, I was on vacation until I showed up May 12 to pick up my diploma.

For me, getting everything done early was key to having a great fourth year. We also got a two-week vacation between the end of third year and the beginning of fourth year. That was when I took Step II as I had done the bulk of my studying on Internal Medicine, my last rotation of third year.

 

[ms. a]

Wow, these schedules make me really glad to be where I am! I have already taken 3.5 months off (2 for Step I, 1.5 for fun), not including the 2 weeks we always get for Christmas and 2 weeks at the end of June all rotating students get off. I'm planning on taking off 2 weeks in August. Once Thanksgiving rolls around, all I will have is my one-month Neuro rotation in Feb. I might do something else (maybe) to keep myself in the swing of things before I graduate. A lot of current 4th years at my school have been completely done since Thanksgiving of last year. Some have gotten jobs to kill some time and make up for tuition. Yea for starting rotations in 2nd year!