HELP! Rotation Selections and Residency

[beachsaki101]

Hi everyone,

I am preparing myself for residency that will be a little over a year from now. Please advise me whether I should do several rotations at the same sites to improve my chance. For example, internal medicine + cardiology at the same hospital. Also, what rotations do you recommend I should choose to make myself competitive? Any other helpful tips are greatly appreciated.

Beachsaki101

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[Farmercyst]

Hi everyone,

I am preparing myself for residency that will be a little over a year from now. Please advise me whether I should do several rotations at the same sites to improve my chance. For example, internal medicine + cardiology at the same hospital. Also, what rotations do you recommend I should choose to make myself competitive? Any other helpful tips are greatly appreciated.

Beachsaki101

What are you looking for in a residency. Can't really give you direction if you don't have a goal in mind. I'm sure you have one, it's just not stated.

 

[beachsaki101]

Thanks for responding to my post. My goal is to work in the ICU and CCU. Eventually I also want to teach every now and then in the school of pharmacy.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Unless you are absolutely sure about a certain area, I would take a wide variety of rotations that interest you; this is your chance to check out all the possibilities. You never know if you might fall in love with another practice setting...or find out you hate something (which is equally as important). I'm all about avoiding limiting myself.

I had rotations in peds, onc, geriatrics, psych, ID, LTC, amb care and a few others, am doing a managed/amb care residency and will be working in a rural in/outpatient medical center coordinating clinical services when I finish my residency - lots of variety! And somehow I have been able to tie in a lot of that varied experience into my work, you'd be surprised.

Good luck.

 

[KARM12]

Try to pick at least one rotation in the ICU since you have an interest in that. Pick rotations that are interesting and will challange you. Also get a variety of preactice settings. I don't think doing all your rotations at a particular hospital will help that much in getting a residency there. At this point, don't limit yourself, there are a lot of great programs.

 

[Farmercyst]

You might also look into rortations that would put you in areas just before or after ICU/CCU in case close works out better. Emergency Dept, OR, transplant, etc.

 

[gotdrugs]

My two cents:

Would pick an ICU rotation (MICU if possible, the learning opportunities in a MICU are greater than other ICUs esp at someone in your stage of your career)

THen actually I would pick a wide variety of other things, even things you don't think you would like.

I see all the time residents (so theoretically have even more experience than you) come into our residency "dead-set" on a certain speciality, then wind up changing after exposure to another area. (e.g. switching from amb care to Crit care after finally getting a crit care rotation)

Another reason to get a good balance, I had ZERO interest in oncology, but when I went back for my PharmD, took an oncology rotation, enjoyed it, whent on to take an oncology rotation for my Pharm Practice residency and Bone Marrow Transplant rotatation for my Critical Care residency. Now when I get oncology patients in my unit I have a baseline background (granted still low) of oncology. Also helps if I have to cross-cover our oncology specialist.

 

[beachsaki101]

My two cents:

Would pick an ICU rotation (MICU if possible, the learning opportunities in a MICU are greater than other ICUs esp at someone in your stage of your career)

THen actually I would pick a wide variety of other things, even things you don't think you would like.

I see all the time residents (so theoretically have even more experience than you) come into our residency "dead-set" on a certain speciality, then wind up changing after exposure to another area. (e.g. switching from amb care to Crit care after finally getting a crit care rotation)

Another reason to get a good balance, I had ZERO interest in oncology, but when I went back for my PharmD, took an oncology rotation, enjoyed it, whent on to take an oncology rotation for my Pharm Practice residency and Bone Marrow Transplant rotatation for my Critical Care residency. Now when I get oncology patients in my unit I have a baseline background (granted still low) of oncology. Also helps if I have to cross-cover our oncology specialist.

What is MICU, please?

I want to have a good balance too. Does critical care, pediatrics, oncology, and psychiatrics seem all over the board? How would I explain later when it comes to the interview?

Has anyone done pediatrics? Please share your experience. I heard that pediatrics is limited so less students choose this path. I am considering pediatric residency--I enjoy working with children--and also want to prepare myself for an alternative program in case I can't get in ped residency. Should I choose 1) a 6-week internal med rotation with emphasis on pediatrics and something else OR 1) + another 6-week rotation of advanced pediatrics?

 

[gotdrugs]

MICU = Medical Intensive Care Unit

As opposted to SICU (Surgical Intensive Care Unit) or CCU (Cardiac Care Unit) for example.

A MICU will be a wide variety of medicine patients

 

[trx]

Also, does it matter how many different rotations in addition to which rotations? I'd still like clarification on how to maximize what I get out of rotations.. not just for my future career but in order to make myself competitive for residency. Thanks!