IMG looking for an ortho elective in the US

[burgodelia]

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Hello,
I'm an M4 from Lebanon and I'm looking for an ortho elective around mid october. I'm an honors student but I haven't taken any of my steps yet. I'm HOPING I can take my step 1 by early October.

I've already applied to around 8 programs: I keep getting:
a) we only take LCME students
b) no more available spots
but I have a feeling that an email from an attending at their MC would change a lot!

Thanks for you help

 

[DrDrToBe]

Ortho is very competitive in the US, and I think Step 1 scores play a big role in whether people match. If you haven't taken Step 1 yet, programs don't know whether you have the potential to match in the future and will be less likely to offer you a spot to do a rotation. Also keep in mind you are competing with LCME students who have already taken Step 1 by the time they get ready to do rotations. Some schools don't even let students start clinic without taking Step 1.
In my opinion, you should study as much as you can for Step 1, get an excellent score, then try applying.
Good luck!