Is it best to do the easiest possible AI or an ICU AI?

[tdod]

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My school doesn't offer an EM AI, so I have to do either an IM or ICU AI in order to graduate. Would the experience ICU AI be of significant benefit to me as a resident? Or should I just do whatever AI is most convenient for me and enjoy 4th year as much as I can? I have no other good ICU experience in medical school. If the AI would benefit me as a future resident I'll do it but I don't want to inconvenience myself for no reason.


Thanks!

 

[Tenk]

Icu for sure. Floor AI IM hours aren’t exactly chill anyways and rounding on the floor is incredibly boring af.

 

[clibby]

Easiest AI > ICU >>> IM Floors. IM floor hours are terrible too, but the pathology isn't as interesting as the ICU and the residents are usually more miserable. Most academic places don't let students do much more than an A-line in the ICU from the procedural side anyway (Fellow>Resident>PA/NP>student), but the pathophysiology is great. However, if you can enjoy 4th year, do it. Residency will prepare you to practice and you can always do elective ICU time if you want in residency where you will get to do a whole lot more than med school.

 

[AlmostAnMD]

Easiest AI > ICU >>> IM Floors. IM floor hours are terrible too, but the pathology isn't as interesting as the ICU and the residents are usually more miserable. Most academic places don't let students do much more than an A-line in the ICU from the procedural side anyway (Fellow>Resident>PA/NP>student), but the pathophysiology is great. However, if you can enjoy 4th year, do it. Residency will prepare you to practice and you can always do elective ICU time if you want in residency where you will get to do a whole lot more than med school.

rofl

Yeah, I told myself I wanted to do an elective ICU rotation in residency

instead I did a sim month with no real time dedication and moonlit for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I feel like we all tell ourselves we're gonna do that ICU elective, like people are gonna quit smoking tomorrow

 

[Lexdiamondz]

Depends on what matters more to you - chilling or learning.

You're paying for your MS4 year. If you want, it could be a $50,000 year long vacation. Truthfully though, you should get some learning out of your last year of medical school.

An ICU AI would help you much more as an EM intern than a medicine floors month, and probably would be more enjoyable for you. That being said, nobody would fault you for trying to chill. Med school is hard, residency is harder, and you aren't going to have nearly as much downtime really ever again.

I was lucky enough to have 6 mos of unstructured time in MS4 year so I really didn't feel bad about doing an AI in the MICU, however if I had less free time I probably would have picked a more chill AI.