How crucial is anesthesia clerkship to application?

[chessknt]

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My school offered zero anesthesia built into our 3rd year curriculum and I have had to independently seek out experiences on my own. We also have no formal 4th year anesthesia clerkship (ie OR) options and my away rotations have not panned out.

As it stands I can either try to blitz for an anesthesia clerkship at some random school, take an outpatient (pain clinic) option, or an anesthesia-run ICU rotation. Of these, which is my best course to prevent any red flags on my application?

Thanks!

 

[kirschwasser37]

IMHO, take the ICU rotation. You will learn a TON, and there is opportunity for LOR from the attendings.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Find a real anesthesia rotation, anywhere. I don't see how your application would be taken seriously if you haven't rotated through. How would you answer the question "why do you want to do Anesthesia when you didn't even do a rotation in the OR?"

 

[BobBarker]

Do one with a private practice group in the city where you live now.

 

[HollywdAnesth]

Get into the OR as soon as you can. If an elective is not offerred, go to the OR in the morning well before 1st case start and ask around about hanging out with a resident or 2 for the day. Find residents and faculty that you get along with well. Get as many intubations and IV starts as you can. Once the patient is asleep and surgery has started smoothly, ask your resident questions why did you use this drug, etc. Do some reading the night before and ask some educated questions.
If you're around and asking to do/learn things, good things will come your way, but don't be pushy. Make sure people know your name.
If you want to stay at that program, learn who is in charge of resident selection and ask to work with him/her one day. Its not pushy, they get it all the time, and it lets them know that you're interested.
If you're not interested in staying at the program, find the faculty that knows you the best and can write an honest letter for you. Having read several LORs, it is really easy to tell when the writer knows the person well, and especially when they don't.

 

[gasblaster]

Find a real anesthesia rotation, anywhere. I don't see how your application would be taken seriously if you haven't rotated through. How would you answer the question "why do you want to do Anesthesia when you didn't even do a rotation in the OR?"

I would say go for the OR anesthesia rotation at the very least. If you have to do it as an away then so be it. Like jeebus said, you are going to be asked "why anesthesia" at least once at every anesthesia program.