Interested in psych... how bad is it to have that rotation 2nd?

[Daedra22]

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Currently I have an elective (probably EM or oncology, oddly enough) and then psych as my second rotation. I could technically trade my schedule around, but aside from psych being early I love everything else about my schedule. Since it's not my very first rotation, I'm not sure how early is too early. I'm also not sure if the other options (OB and Peds) would help me that much before I do psych anyway. Any insight?

 

[winkleweizen]

Youll be fine. First rotation you will get the hang of things and the second one you will still be fresh to work your ass off.

 

[Bacchus]

I'm on psych now. You could argue its my last core (pft to radiology). I really haven't used too much medicine on this rotation. Know your disorders, drugs, and potential interactions. Know how to separate medically-induced disorders versus the actual psych disorders. You'll be fine.

 

[FSU2013]

Currently I have an elective (probably EM or oncology, oddly enough) and then psych as my second rotation. I could technically trade my schedule around, but aside from psych being early I love everything else about my schedule. Since it's not my very first rotation, I'm not sure how early is too early. I'm also not sure if the other options (OB and Peds) would help me that much before I do psych anyway. Any insight?

If you're interested in psych, it might actually be better to have it early. Your shelf exam is scaled according to the other people taking it at the same time of the year. This means that you're being compared to other people at the beginning of their 3rd year, not at the end (i.e. the curve is much more forgiving). Plus, a lot of people don't put that much time into psych because they know they're not going into it.....if you work hard (and let the faculty know that you're interested in pscyh), you have a strong chance of honoring it. Further, psych is kind of a stand-alone rotation.....you do a little depression, anxiety, drug abuse on other rotations, but you rarely do any heavy, active psych disorders (acute mania, psychosis, etc.) outside of inpatient psych.

 

[wannabeOBGYN]

I did my clerkship in my specialty of choice the first month of third year and I matched into that specialty this week. Don't worry. Work hard and make it known that you are interested and it won't matter.

 

[Daedra22]

Genuinely appreciate the input everyone. Between this advice and talking to some local third years, it sounds like I should be able to make it work. This pleases me greatly.