Give me a TLDR on Applying for Rotating Internships & the Match!

[lbcsg1030]

Hi All,

I am a current 2nd year vet student at a distributive model school. My GPA is 3.52 so far (only 3 completed semesters, and 3 more to go). I am considering applying for a rotating internship. I am kind of up in the air if i want to complete a residency or not, but I would consider internal medicine my current interest. I have some leadership experience (low rank position in club executive board, industry rep for big company, one leadership position in a class). I have a few questions:
- Do you need research to apply? I have research experience from undergrad, does that count?
- GPA's & class ranks.... Whats considered 'good enough' to be competitive for the match?
- LORs'.... How many do you need and from who? Specalists? Professors? (I feel like I haven't connected much with professors here 🙁 )
- Do you have to KNOW what specality you want to pursue when applying? I'm up in the air if I want to complete a residency, but I would consider internal medicine my top interest.
- If there is a specific hospital I want to match at, what can i do NOW to increase my odds of matching there?
- Is there anything else that I absolutely necessary to know before applying for rotating internship and the match?

Thank you!

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[JaynaAli]

No, you don’t need research for an internship. Is it nice? Sure, but most people won’t have much.

People will say to try to be in the top 25% of your class to optimal chances of matching. But fact is…pretty much anyone can find an internship if they really want one and aren’t picky about location. Match stats are posted every year. In 2024 the overall match rate for internships was 62%, but there were 1558 internship positions and only 1168 internship-only applicants plus another 582 who applied to both internships and residencies. So that’s almost a 1:1 available position to applicant odds. Of course not every program is one you want to be at, but again, if you’re not picky, they’re out there. Do the best you can in your remaining classes and get as high of a GPA as possible because it definitely factors in. It’s not impossible to match with a 3.5 (I had a 3.2 and matched) but a lot of places will have a hard GPA cutoff for which apps to review.

LORs should be from people who will say good things about you. Specialists and other faculty members are preferred. Most people pick people they’ve worked with on clinics since places want to know your clinical acumen, not that you are just book smart. Letters from interns and residents won’t hold much if any weight.

No, you don’t have to know what specialty you want to pursue. A lot of people figure that out intern year.

If you know you want to go somewhere specific, I’d get in contact with them early and try to rotate there so they get to know you. I firmly believe that’s why I matched where I did despite having much lower stats than my other intern mates.

Talk to former trainees at the programs to figure out what it’s really like. Decide what you’re wanting out of an internship (ie what percent of primary case responsibility falls to you, how many weeks in specialities vs on er overnights, etc.

 

[lbcsg1030]

No, you don’t need research for an internship. Is it nice? Sure, but most people won’t have much.

People will say to try to be in the top 25% of your class to optimal chances of matching. But fact is…pretty much anyone can find an internship if they really want one and aren’t picky about location. Match stats are posted every year. In 2024 the overall match rate for internships was 62%, but there were 1558 internship positions and only 1168 internship-only applicants plus another 582 who applied to both internships and residencies. So that’s almost a 1:1 available position to applicant odds. Of course not every program is one you want to be at, but again, if you’re not picky, they’re out there. Do the best you can in your remaining classes and get as high of a GPA as possible because it definitely factors in. It’s not impossible to match with a 3.5 (I had a 3.2 and matched) but a lot of places will have a hard GPA cutoff for which apps to review.

LORs should be from people who will say good things about you. Specialists and other faculty members are preferred. Most people pick people they’ve worked with on clinics since places want to know your clinical acumen, not that you are just book smart. Letters from interns and residents won’t hold much if any weight.

No, you don’t have to know what specialty you want to pursue. A lot of people figure that out intern year.

If you know you want to go somewhere specific, I’d get in contact with them early and try to rotate there so they get to know you. I firmly believe that’s why I matched where I did despite having much lower stats than my other intern mates.

Talk to former trainees at the programs to figure out what it’s really like. Decide what you’re wanting out of an internship (ie what percent of primary case responsibility falls to you, how many weeks in specialities vs on er overnights, etc.

Thank you for your response! I have the email of the hospital manager of the clinic that I want to match at. I'll reach out and see if they do rotations for 4th year students and try to plan a block there. How do I find former trainees at this program? Thanks!

 

[JaynaAli]

Thank you for your response! I have the email of the hospital manager of the clinic that I want to match at. I'll reach out and see if they do rotations for 4th year students and try to plan a block there. How do I find former trainees at this program? Thanks!

You just ask them for names of former interns who might be willing to talk about their experiences. It’s commonplace for this to be requested. A place that won’t give you any names is a red flag. Or, like, if you visit ask the interns specifically or if they know if other previous interns who would be willing to talk.