General Surgery - match or interview with no audition

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ksmustang

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Has anyone this year, or in the past few years matched osteo Gen Surg without audition rotations? I'm a 600+ applicant, and I want to do either orthopedics, or general surgery. I'm going to apply to both most likely, but all of my audition space is taken up by ortho. Is there still a chance for me to match, or at least interview for gen surg, if ortho doesn't work out, or if I change my mind?

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They ain’t gonna like you dipping your grubby fingers into both pies. Good luck.
 
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Has anyone this year, or in the past few years matched osteo Gen Surg without audition rotations? I'm a 600+ applicant, and I want to do either orthopedics, or general surgery. I'm going to apply to both most likely, but all of my audition space is taken up by ortho. Is there still a chance for me to match, or at least interview for gen surg, if ortho doesn't work out, or if I change my mind?

Thought of applying MD Gen surg instead of osteo? There won't be very many Gen surg programs in the AOA match this year I imagine.
 
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Thought of applying MD Gen surg instead of osteo? There won't be very many Gen surg programs in the AOA match this year I imagine.
MD gen surg won’t give a ****e about that COMLEX though
 
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You should be doing about 100 questions a day right now.
 
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MD gen surg won’t give a ****e about that COMLEX though

I didn't read close enough I guess didn't notice they are comlex only... hope all turns out for the best OP. May be best to just focus on ortho and send a few AOA GS apps to the places that don't have ortho programs
 
No you dont need an audition. but dont double dip, and you sound good for ortho man just commit with ortho. the md ortho match had a few more dos as well this year i believe too
 
Apply broadly and you’ll probably get some GS interviews. One of our residents just the other day said they got some that they didn’t audition at. Now matching might be a whole different story as you will most likely be lower on their rank list than their auditioners
 
Thanks for the input guys. I don’t like the idea of double dipping and I’m not trying to be greedy (leave my grubby fingers alone). I am just following the advice of my school (which was also why I only took the COMLEX — ugh). I am told for competitive specialties you should have parallel tracks and at the end of the day I want to be a surgeon. If I apply MD it will be mostly former AOA.

@studentdoct4281 thanks, which MD did you see with DO matches? That would be very helpful. Albeit, I don’t currently have a USMLE score haha (I may take step 2 though).
 
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Thanks for the input guys. I don’t like the idea of double dipping and I’m not trying to be greedy (leave my grubby fingers alone). I am just following the advice of my school (which was also why I only took the COMLEX — ugh). I am told for competitive specialties you should have parallel tracks and at the end of the day I want to be a surgeon. If I apply MD it will be mostly former AOA.

@studentdoct4281 thanks, which MD did you see with DO matches? That would be very helpful. Albeit, I don’t currently have a USMLE score haha (I may take step 2 though).

Step 2 in isolation is useless bro, gotta take 1 and 2 or else you’re just wasting your money
 
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There will be a lot. General surgery has had trouble with the transition. This year might be their last hope at milking the free labor
Thought of applying MD Gen surg instead of osteo? There won't be very many Gen surg programs in the AOA match this year I imagine.
 
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There will be a lot. General surgery has had trouble with the transition. This year might be their last hope at milking the free labor

When the whole merger started rolling I predicted only 30-50% if programs will make the cut, it seems to be going in that direction right now. Many of these AOA surgery programs are woefully equipped when compared to even the lowest tier ACGME program...
 
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Little off topic, let me know if I should make this a separate thread.
Do you guys think it’s that important to pick a core site that has a surgical residency? I go to Nova and everyone kind of clamors for Broward, but that would only help with their ortho program and this area is so insanely expensive. We’re thinking of going to either Orlando or Fort Myers. It would save us thousands and my kids could have a decent place to live instead of our dumpy apartment. Orlando has gen surge programs, but they have zero DOs on their roster.
 
Little off topic, let me know if I should make this a separate thread.
Do you guys think it’s that important to pick a core site that has a surgical residency? I go to Nova and everyone kind of clamors for Broward, but that would only help with their ortho program and this area is so insanely expensive. We’re thinking of going to either Orlando or Fort Myers. It would save us thousands and my kids could have a decent place to live instead of our dumpy apartment. Orlando has gen surge programs, but they have zero DOs on their roster.

I would go somewhere with a program, you want the experience of a real surgery program and how to function as an intern in it. Many of residents I have met have told me there was a real distinction between the students who have rotated with residents and those that haven’t on auditions. At the same time I know people who have matched just as well without having worked with residents until their 4th year. Rotating with a surgery program also helps with getting LORs that have brand or name recognition, this helps more than you know. If the PD of one program trained or worked with two of your letter writers, believe me that boosts your application tremendously once you’ve been screened for an interview. Try to get PD, chair, division chief letters while you’re there, or at the very least build connections with the residents and attnedings. I matched at a program where many of the residents were friends with the ones at the core site I rotated at which I’m sure helped as well.

That being said, rotating with only the attending also has benefit as you may have better hours to study, get more teaching from attendings, less rounding and dealing with gunners, more hands on surgical experience (my classmates at sites with no residents were often first assist ok every case), getting LORs may also be easier as you have much more face time.

There are benefits to each so plan strategically.
 
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