Intern year electives

[mrbreakfast]

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For those of us who just matched: in general, what sort of intern (medicine) year electives would be recommended?

So far I've seen three types of suggestions:
a) take as much neuro as you can
b) take things that will help you manage complex patients later on (hepatology, rheum, etc)
c) take anything that seems interesting and relaxing as a break

Our match emails implied we should start thinking about this, so I'm curious about SDN's thoughts.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Im doing C: Ophthalmology, EM and Radiology

 

[Postictal Raiden]

but I also did ID and hepatology, though not my choice.

 

[mrbreakfast]

Thanks. I'd probably be much more interested in the electives you mentioned in your first post over your second, but do you think you got any actual benefit as a neurologist from doing ID/hepatology?

 

[Postictal Raiden]

For hepatology, you’ll get to see many portosystemic encephalopathies (hyperammonemia, asterixis, cerebral edema). It can be helpful to learn how to manage acute metabolic encephalopathy due to hyperammonemia to protect the brain from cellular edema (hypothermia, hypertonic saline, mannitol, etc...).

With regards to ID, I got to see several neurosyphillis cases. I saw a case of nocardiosis of the CNS that was cool. Ofc, I’ve got to see few viral meningitis.

I think ID can be very helpful. Hepatology not so much.