Is 4th year chill or involves impressing?

[VCorp]

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Keep reading threads about how 4th year is chill/vacation type. Read one post from some resident stating that it was so chill that he was at happy hour almost everyday - interesting. However, in another thread, a poster was saying how 4th year is really important for the match process, as it's "audition rotations" and you'll be putting in 70-80 hours a week.

I'm an IMG interested in GS, and hoping to do my absolute best during 4th year and make a good impression. Just wondering what others experienced during their last year of MS.

 

[username456789]

The first ~1/3 to 1/2 of 4th year is still a time to work hard and impress. This is the time you're often doing sub-internships/acting internships and away rotations in your specialty of choice. For some students, a medicine sub-I or two, a home rotation in their specialty, and 2-3 away rotations in that specialty may be "required." That's a handful of months of hard work and impressing. Then you'll hopefully get plenty of interviews in the Nov-Jan window (with a few in late October and a few in early Feb), and this is a good time to schedule vacation time or easy rotations.

After all this, it depends on your school's requirements. Some state schools require rural medicine rotations for 1-2 months. Some schools require classic "third year" clerkships in 4th year (like Neurology). Either way, these months should be much easier and "chill", hopefully. Beyond that, there's just a couple more months of random electives that hopefully allow you to learn something while periodically leaving early/not having to show up.

Overall, the 4th year (for me, at least) involved a lot more "hard work" than was advertised, but this was definitely front loaded, and the second half of the year was pretty awesome.

 

[VCorp]

The first ~1/3 to 1/2 of 4th year is still a time to work hard and impress. This is the time you're often doing sub-internships/acting internships and away rotations in your specialty of choice. For some students, a medicine sub-I or two, a home rotation in their specialty, and 2-3 away rotations in that specialty may be "required." That's a handful of months of hard work and impressing. Then you'll hopefully get plenty of interviews in the Nov-Jan window (with a few in late October and a few in early Feb), and this is a good time to schedule vacation time or easy rotations.

After all this, it depends on your school's requirements. Some state schools require rural medicine rotations for 1-2 months. Some schools require classic "third year" clerkships in 4th year (like Neurology). Either way, these months should be much easier and "chill", hopefully. Beyond that, there's just a couple more months of random electives that hopefully allow you to learn something while periodically leaving early/not having to show up.

Overall, the 4th year (for me, at least) involved a lot more "hard work" than was advertised, but this was definitely front loaded, and the second half of the year was pretty awesome.

Thanks for the informative post! Well here's my timeline of the rest of my 3rd and 4th year.

Finish 3rd year: November 30th
Take Step 2CK & CS: By December 31st (Of course, I'll be scheduling my CS date in advance, since the dates get filled up quickly). By end of March, will have scores for both those, and apply for my ECFMG certification at that time.
Start 4th year: January 1st - Our school makes us do 28-30 weeks of electives = 7 months = 7 electives.
Finish 4th year: Latest by end of August, assuming no scheduling conflicts.

Was going to call today some programs to see how strict their policy was for visiting students to have finished their core rotations & have their Step 2 scores, before getting placed on the schedule.

Hoping to just grind through the electives by showing up early/leaving late, coming in everyday & not miss any days. Last chance to impress the program, and get an interview at their programs.

 

[VCorp]

@GuyWhoDoesStuff

 

[caffeinemia]

Hmm. I matched into one of the most competitive specialties and it was frickn brutal. 80-100 hour weeks on multiple away rotations, Step II studying/testing, required sub I and ICU rotations, back to back to back interviews. I flew across the country 3 times in the period of 1 week at one point because of how the interviews were spaced out... so yeah, up until the match, it was nuts. Afterwards, I drink and party errday.

Also, this experience varies widely according to what you want to do with your life.

And before you ask, there is no such thing as work hour restrictions on aways (the second you play that card, you're essentially blacklisted).

 

[Priapism4tooLong]

its not considered work if you love what you are doing

 

[DH410]

its not considered work if you love what you are doing

I feel like your username is relevant here.

 

[Venko]

May I suggest that the back half of fourth year is one of the best learning opportunities you'll have in your career.

Usually most students are not interested in difficult experiences and so you can usually have your pick of ICUs, operating rooms etc. also, the best teachers in these locations are usually looking for excited learners and if you keep busting your butt you can usually have nearly solo teaching for topics or procedures from attendings and senior residents.

Also, if you mess up or ask a question that normally may affect your grade etc, it won't impact your career as you've already matched.

Lastly, if you bust your butt to the end, you will be ready to launch so to speak as an intern without the huge drop off in medical knowledge that usually occurs between early 4th yr medical students and early 1st yr residents.

I did this with great success. I did five chest tubes, a handful of central lines, a couple intubations, colonoscopy, bronchoscope, etc all in the last couple months by taking some of the busiest ICU experiences when no one else wanted them.

Oh by the way the residents are fighting for procedures less at the end of the academic year too.

It's a win all the way around🙂

 

[boogaloo]

May I suggest that the back half of fourth year is one of the best learning opportunities you'll have in your career.

Usually most students are not interested in difficult experiences and so you can usually have your pick of ICUs, operating rooms etc. also, the best teachers in these locations are usually looking for excited learners and if you keep busting your butt you can usually have nearly solo teaching for topics or procedures from attendings and senior residents.

Also, if you mess up or ask a question that normally may affect your grade etc, it won't impact your career as you've already matched.

Lastly, if you bust your butt to the end, you will be ready to launch so to speak as an intern without the huge drop off in medical knowledge that usually occurs between early 4th yr medical students and early 1st yr residents.

I did this with great success. I did five chest tubes, a handful of central lines, a couple intubations, colonoscopy, bronchoscope, etc all in the last couple months by taking some of the busiest ICU experiences when no one else wanted them.

Oh by the way the residents are fighting for procedures less at the end of the academic year too.

It's a win all the way around🙂

I'm taking my SICU rotation pretty late in the year for the reasons stated above. I think it's going to be fun especially without all of the pressure of matching and studying for the shelf exams. I could be wrong though.

 

[Venko]

I'm taking my SICU rotation pretty late in the year for the reasons stated above. I think it's going to be fun especially without all of the pressure of matching and studying for the shelf exams. I could be wrong though.

It may be intense but you have very little to lose and an opportunity to really push yourself and learn for the sake of learning alone. Cheers to you for doing this!