How's my 4th year schedule?

[traxxradiorocks]

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I am thinking of going for both EM and Peds (definitely applying for that EM/Ped combined program too) but the problem is that if you are applying to two specialities, how do you schedule your rotations and Step2? It just seems like you need to fit a lot of things into 5 months... What do you guys think?


I am thinking....
July- Home EM AI
Aug- Home Peds subspec + Step 2 (it's going to be a light month, mainly just to get a letter or two, working 9-3)
Sep- Away EM AI #1
Oct- Home Peds AI?
Nov- Away EM AI #2

If the AWAY EM AI #2 is so late in the application cycle, is it pretty much useless already?

 

[cpants]

I am thinking of going for both EM and Peds (definitely applying for that EM/Ped combined program too) but the problem is that if you are applying to two specialities, how do you schedule your rotations and Step2? It just seems like you need to fit a lot of things into 5 months... What do you guys think?


I am thinking....
July- Home EM AI
Aug- Home Peds subspec + Step 2 (it's going to be a light month, mainly just to get a letter or two, working 9-3)
Sep- Away EM AI #1
Oct- Home Peds AI?
Nov- Away EM AI #2

If the AWAY EM AI #2 is so late in the application cycle, is it pretty much useless already?

Why are you applying for two specialties?

 

[gro2001]

I am thinking of going for both EM and Peds (definitely applying for that EM/Ped combined program too) but the problem is that if you are applying to two specialities, how do you schedule your rotations and Step2? It just seems like you need to fit a lot of things into 5 months... What do you guys think?


I am thinking....
July- Home EM AI
Aug- Home Peds subspec + Step 2 (it's going to be a light month, mainly just to get a letter or two, working 9-3)
Sep- Away EM AI #1
Oct- Home Peds AI?
Nov- Away EM AI #2

If the AWAY EM AI #2 is so late in the application cycle, is it pretty much useless already?

Advisability of applying to two different specilities aside, this could be difficult to schedule because the month blocks don't start and end on the same days at all hospitals. Since you are alternating between 'home' and 'away' you could run into some scheduling issues because of that.

 

[KissMyAsthma98]

An away in november is only going to be beneficial for you getting to know a program better. Its slightly, slightly possible that it could get you an interview, but most likely, you will have gotten in invite months earlier (they start coming up mid-september). You wont be getting a LOR from them for your application, as these will all be due earlier in the fall.

I think your focus right now should be to chose between peds and ER. They are very, very different fields (unless you want to do peds ER, in which case, just do peds obviously).
Also- you wont be able to apply to the same institution in both fields (well, you can, but it will look terrible, like you are flightly, can't make a decision, etc). Therefore, if you are at all geographically limited, its going to be a nightmare.

On a personal note- I changed specialty choices during August of my 4th year, and had absolutely no trouble getting things together, switching my schedule, getting new letters, etc. So you still have plenty of months to make a decision. My advice would be to schedule sub-i's in EM and Peds for July and August to help you really nail down which one you could see yourself doing. The rest of you schedule can be changed at any time (including aways), if plans change.