Looking forward

[StormRising]

Hello guys! Congrats to those who recently matched! I was accepted to GA-PCOM. It is probably too early to be thinking about this but I have my heart and mind set on doing one of the following specialties (in order)

General Surgery >>>> Internal Medicine (Cardiology ) > Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology)

I've been lurking for a while now so I understand that these residencies can be somewhat difficult to attain (particularly General Surgery) for a DO. Accordingly, I want to maximize my chances by doing my best in the next four years and beyond. Other than getting good grades, and doing well in COMLEX/Step 1, what else can I do to increase my chances? What hospitals should I rotate in my third and fourth year?

Thank you!

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[TheBoneDoctah]

Hello guys! Congrats to those who recently matched! I was accepted to GA-PCOM. It is probably too early to be thinking about this but I have my heart and mind set on doing one of the following specialties (in order)

General Surgery >>>> Internal Medicine (Cardiology ) > Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology)

I've been lurking for a while now so I understand that these residencies can be somewhat difficult to attain (particularly General Surgery) for a DO. Accordingly, I want to maximize my chances by doing my best in the next four years and beyond. Other than getting good grades, and doing well in COMLEX/Step 1, what else can I do to increase my chances? What hospitals should I rotate in my third and fourth year?

Thank you!

First off, like you probably already knew, it is very likely that you will change your mind of what specialty you want to go into come fourth year. Having said that, some things that I have gathered that will make you stand out are:

1. High USMLE/COMLEX (priority)
2. Letters of recommendation
3. Research
4. Grades/class rank
5. Making connections with people in your desired field
6. Volunteerism
7. Of course, you should rotate through some programs that you want to match at fourth year

These aren't in any particular order.




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[kbeitz]

I would try making connections with Emory faculty for the IM subs and try to get a summer of M1 research position. For GS you could try doing well enough in Anatomy to get a letter from Doktor Stanescu.

 

[simbad8]

Gen surg isn't that hard to match into (as long as you do well on comlex and usmle) and aren't a total lump on rotations. There's plenty of solid AOA surgery residencies but if you wanted to do ACGME then you better kill the usmle and beast your rotations.

 

[kbeitz]

Gen surg isn't that hard to match into (as long as you do well on comlex and usmle) and aren't a total lump on rotations. There's plenty of solid AOA surgery residencies but if you wanted to do ACGME then you better kill the usmle and beast your rotations.

Won't the merge be complete when OP graduates?

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[22031 Alum]

I would try making connections with Emory faculty for the IM subs and try to get a summer of M1 research position. For GS you could try doing well enough in Anatomy to get a letter from Doktor Stanescu.

No Gen Surg program wants an LOR based on your performance in Anatomy. Or any preclinical class.

 

[kbeitz]

No Gen Surg program wants an LOR based on your performance in Anatomy. Or any preclinical class.

It's for people to get a lab ta position to put on their cv.

I don't really care about the program, but I've heard it has helped people interested in surgery in the past, and since he's a surgeon he's helped these people expand their applications.

But again i didn't participate in this program. Maybe you could give more insight about previous classes at ga-pcom, based on their involvement.

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[simbad8]

Won't the merge be complete when OP graduates?

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Eh I guess that could be true but we still don't know what the application process will be like then.

 

[Mbeas]

I don't think any ACGME surgery programs care much about your preclinical year extracurricular activities. If you want to be a club president, a lab ta, shadow or whatever, I don't think it matters. Do it because you are interested, not to boost your application. It really comes down to what everyone says and knows: grades, boards, LORs, audition rotations, and maybe some research. Everything else is whatever. Even schools where you can do a "fellowship" after M2 year, I don't really think program directors are remotely impressed.

AOA programs are more interested in that kind of stuff, which is part of the reason why the gen surg COMLEX average is low (499 as of 2013).


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[arewethereyet...]

First off, like you probably already knew, it is very likely that you will change your mind of what specialty you want to go into come fourth year. Having said that, some things that I have gathered that will make you stand out are:

1. High USMLE/COMLEX (priority)
2. Letters of recommendation
3. Research
4. Grades/class rank
5. Making connections with people in your desired field
6. Volunteerism
7. Of course, you should rotate through some programs that you want to match at fourth year

These aren't in any particular order.




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I'm a third year osteopathic med student (not going into surgery), but I wish that I had spent more time making connections with people in fields I was interested in. I wish that I had taken more opportunities to shadow doctors in my first and second year (especially the summer in between) just to have multiple people to email when I had questions. Just like knowing people might get you an interview for med school, knowing people might get you an interview for residency if you form a good relationship and play your cards right (easier said than done).

They also say that the first decision you have to make in your third year is medicine or surgery, so the sooner you can figure that out the more focus you can put on what you want to do.

 

[Suntaltfel]

Hello guys! Congrats to those who recently matched! I was accepted to GA-PCOM. It is probably too early to be thinking about this but I have my heart and mind set on doing one of the following specialties (in order)

General Surgery >>>> Internal Medicine (Cardiology ) > Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology)

I've been lurking for a while now so I understand that these residencies can be somewhat difficult to attain (particularly General Surgery) for a DO. Accordingly, I want to maximize my chances by doing my best in the next four years and beyond. Other than getting good grades, and doing well in COMLEX/Step 1, what else can I do to increase my chances? What hospitals should I rotate in my third and fourth year?

Thank you!

Congrats on being accepted!!! It's hard to predict how the process will change by the time you get to apply for residency so your biggest priority is to study hard!!! and do well on boards!!!! TAKE BOTH BOARDS AND DO WELLLLLLL!!!! Can't emphasize that enough!
Good luck!