Home rotation or not?

[MSKalltheway]

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I recently sought advising from a physiatrist (whom I consider my mentor) that is very involved in the home rotation I would do. In our conversation, he said since he knows me well enough to write a good letter without doing a "home" rotation, I can use that month to do another audition rotation. Would this be wise come time to apply and interview? Would any programs look at me funny if I didn't choose to do a rotation with my home institution?

Note: My school does not have a PM&R department, only a one month elective in rehab that is offered.

 

[Ludicolo]

I recently sought advising from a physiatrist (whom I consider my mentor) that is very involved in the home rotation I would do. In our conversation, he said since he knows me well enough to write a good letter without doing a "home" rotation, I can use that month to do another audition rotation. Would this be wise come time to apply and interview? Would any programs look at me funny if I didn't choose to do a rotation with my home institution?

Note: My school does not have a PM&R department, only a one month elective in rehab that is offered.

I personally would look twice at a letter from an attending with whom you didn't have any direct clinical or research experience. But I guess it depends on who the letter writer is and its context. If you decide to take his letter and do an away rotation, I would make sure you had another rehab LOR on board addressing your clinical skills to support your overall application.

Lots of schools don't have rehab departments, so the lack of a home rotation for the most part isn't that big a deal. If OTOH your school did have a prominent PM&R department, and you didn't do a home rotation, I'd have to question your reasoning on that one.

 

[MSKalltheway]

I would certainly get a letter from any/all the away rotations I do. I have a good idea of what I'm going to do based on your response. Thank you!

 

[normalforce]

This is an easy one MSK. Take the letter, do a rotation elsewhere. Choose a program that you really think may be in the top 3 of places you are thinking about.

NF

 

[Xardas]

I recently sought advising from a physiatrist (whom I consider my mentor) that is very involved in the home rotation I would do. In our conversation, he said since he knows me well enough to write a good letter without doing a "home" rotation, I can use that month to do another audition rotation. Would this be wise come time to apply and interview? Would any programs look at me funny if I didn't choose to do a rotation with my home institution?

Note: My school does not have a PM&R department, only a one month elective in rehab that is offered.

I may be different but I would not look well upon a letter from a guy the student didn't rotate with. How would I assess basic clinical skills, interaction with patients and other staff, documentation skills, interview/exam skills, personal habits and professionalism, and overall interest?

That would be a huge red flag for me. At our program (large university, major city), we have been burned with residents who have had poor work ethic and skills. We now place a higher premium on trying to select for work ethic.

As for your situation I wouldn't necessarily care if you did not do a home rotation, but I would care more about how you did ont hat rotation.

Good luck.

 

[DrMarchMadness]

I may be different but I would not look well upon a letter from a guy the student didn't rotate with. How would I assess basic clinical skills, interaction with patients and other staff, documentation skills, interview/exam skills, personal habits and professionalism, and overall interest?

That would be a huge red flag for me. At our program (large university, major city), we have been burned with residents who have had poor work ethic and skills. We now place a higher premium on trying to select for work ethic.

As for your situation I wouldn't necessarily care if you did not do a home rotation, but I would care more about how you did ont hat rotation.

Good luck.

I agree with this. If your letter can't comment on those attributes, it is not really going to be worth a lot to the institution you applied to. I would get my letter from someone that you worked with in addition to this one. In addition, I know of acquaintances that claim they were "burned" by these type of letter writers (found out letter was short and didn't say much and was form like, even sometimes negative because of not rotating at home place, etc.)