How do you schedule rotations if you want to go into primary care?

[tj_11x3]

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😱 I been hearing that its best to take medicine/primary care rotations first because it is a basis for all your other rotations, and take what u what to go into last because ur are more experienced and can do a better job/make a better impression. But what if you are interested in internal medicine or other primary care fields? This just seems very confusioning and i am starting to wonder if it makes that big on a difference. Any advice?, esp from those going into or have gone into primary care fields.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Please see the Sticky above with advice regarding the Order of Rotations.

In a nutshell, the advice is: it doesn't make a difference (regardless of your future career plans).

 

[labangel]

If possible, I would not do what you're interested in first (from personal experience). It wasn't the ward evaluation that hurt me (earlier in the year, they tend to cut you a little more slack, so as long as you're a hard worker you'll do fine on your eval), but rather the shelf exam. I think it would be good to get a shelf under your belt in something that you're not as interested in to get a feel for the format before having to worry so much about doing really well. (and the IM shelf is pretty difficult) Of course, this is all if your school weighs shelf exams pretty heavily in your overall grade for the rotation. That being said, IM is a good rotation to do early, because they teach you so much that is applicable to all the other rotations....you'd be at a greater disadvantage if you have it last.