MCW Class of 2010, Part 3

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I don't think that's necessarily true--I know quite a few Wisconsin natives who want something new, and vice versa. I think it just works out that way.

I have no desire to return to my home state, that's for sure.

I was doing the broad generalization thing, that tends to be true. I know some Wisconsinites that want to leave, but not many.

I have no desire to return to my home state either, unless it's for vacations.
 
I agree.

One other thing about that may be to try to figure out if there is a substantial difference in your role as a student between the M3 and M4 rotations. The ED is one place where this could be particularly true.

If you want to shine in the ED, it may be better to have all of the core electives out of the way, so you have experience with most of the types of patients you will be seeing. For example, it would probably not look good to go in and see an OB patient when you have no clue about what to do having not had that rotation.
I won't have had psych, OB/GYN or RPM before my elective month, but I'll have the big three + family medicine out of the way. I'm really NOT sure if I want to go into EM. It's certainly a big possibility for me, but I'm also considering things like surgical subspecialties (obligatory nod towards urology and OB/GYN), because I think I'd like to do a fair number of procedures. I'm also not sure how patient I'll be with some of Milwaukee's finest (aka, the ER regulars). I don't mind them from the EMS side, but I'm not sure I'll feel the same on the hospital side.
 
I was doing the broad generalization thing, that tends to be true. I know some Wisconsinites that want to leave, but not many.

I have no desire to return to my home state either, unless it's for vacations.
and spam shopping sprees
 
Hmm... that's unfortunate because it doesn't really help us to figure this out. I'd say "just do it early in your fourth year", but that's tough because so many people want to do it. I'm still inclined to suggest it as a fourth-year elective. You'd be amazed at the knowledge differential that occurs as a fourth year vs a third. I'm trying to figure out what a good third year elective would be instead, and I know if I suggest radiology, I'll get snapped at. Maybe you could do one of the surgical subspecialties instead, urology or plastics both come to mind as third year electives. Mostly I suggest this because two months of ER would be a little weird, and I think you'd want one as a fourth year.

Wow, I'm rambling. Special. Alright, Don, time to offer your 2 cents.

Sidenote: is RPM the new CPR? Because that's a waaaay better name. Everyone else thinks we learned ACLS/ATLS or something.
 
Hmm... that's unfortunate because it doesn't really help us to figure this out. I'd say "just do it early in your fourth year", but that's tough because so many people want to do it. I'm still inclined to suggest it as a fourth-year elective. You'd be amazed at the knowledge differential that occurs as a fourth year vs a third. I'm trying to figure out what a good third year elective would be instead, and I know if I suggest radiology, I'll get snapped at. Maybe you could do one of the surgical subspecialties instead, urology or plastics both come to mind as third year electives. Mostly I suggest this because two months of ER would be a little weird, and I think you'd want one as a fourth year.

Wow, I'm rambling. Special. Alright, Don, time to offer your 2 cents.

Sidenote: is RPM the new CPR? Because that's a waaaay better name. Everyone else thinks we learned ACLS/ATLS or something.

And ortho! Good thing about ortho as an M3... nothing is expected of you. You don't do case presentations or take an exam or have call or weekends(that's for the sub-Is). All the residents expect of you is to show up and be interested. I guess you have to work harder than Rads, but still yet, there's no exam on ortho!

Ok, here's what I've heard about M3 electives:

Urology: What I've just heard about the urology elective is that they give out 1 honors/yr, and only to someone going into urology. There's also a written exam.

Plastics: Haven't heard too much about it. But I just saw there's an exam.

There's also ENT. I had friends who really enjoyed that. Gimlet was on that. It looks like there's an exam based on a presentation/essay/oral exam.

Overall, based on the absence of an exam ortho is better. The residents are also way cool. And if you show that you're interested, the ortho residents let you do stuff, like put in screws, suture, help with traction pins, etc.
 
I'm sure Don will agree with me on this one, but the urology exam was cake. I got a 95. As I recall, the radiology exam is pretty cushy too.

Oh yeah, and as an aside for everyone else, if you do ER at Columbia instead of Froedtert, it's a way more chill rotation and there's no exam.
 
Radiology is useful for an M3 but it can get really, really boring. You aren't usually very enthusiastically included on readings and procedures, so you sorta sit there. In a dark room. And get tired. And sleepy. Very, very sleepy.

And by week 3 of the rotation you're REALLY starting to hurt from boredom.
 
They let me sleep while they were dictating. I'm popular.
 
Well, obviously.
 
I think you could do any of the surgical electives as both a third and a fourth (see: Don's urology months). For some reason, ER just seems like a weird rotation to do that with. Of course, no one in my class did it because it wasn't an elective our year.
 
I won't have had psych, OB/GYN or RPM before my elective month, but I'll have the big three + family medicine out of the way. I'm really NOT sure if I want to go into EM. It's certainly a big possibility for me, but I'm also considering things like surgical subspecialties (obligatory nod towards urology and OB/GYN), because I think I'd like to do a fair number of procedures. I'm also not sure how patient I'll be with some of Milwaukee's finest (aka, the ER regulars). I don't mind them from the EMS side, but I'm not sure I'll feel the same on the hospital side.

Hmm... that's unfortunate because it doesn't really help us to figure this out. I'd say "just do it early in your fourth year", but that's tough because so many people want to do it. I'm still inclined to suggest it as a fourth-year elective. You'd be amazed at the knowledge differential that occurs as a fourth year vs a third. I'm trying to figure out what a good third year elective would be instead, and I know if I suggest radiology, I'll get snapped at. Maybe you could do one of the surgical subspecialties instead, urology or plastics both come to mind as third year electives. Mostly I suggest this because two months of ER would be a little weird, and I think you'd want one as a fourth year.

Wow, I'm rambling. Special. Alright, Don, time to offer your 2 cents.

Sidenote: is RPM the new CPR? Because that's a waaaay better name. Everyone else thinks we learned ACLS/ATLS or something.



Based on what third year clerkships you'll have completed by then, I'm going to say try to get an early fourth year ER rotation. This includes July, Aug, and Sept. However, let them know early that you're interested. It'll make getting letters a little easier, because they'll remember you. I'd talk to Dr. Begaz about it, and get his opinion too.

For your third year elective, pick something that you think you might be interested in and that you won't be getting exposure to otherwise.
 
ENT is a possible interest as well...

ENT was a good month. I would definitely recommend it even though I knew a week into it that I wasn't interested in it as a career. You can choose to either split your month between two places or three places (Froedtert, Children's, or the VA). I did 10 days each at all three, which was nice because the month went super fast, but I think in retrospect I would recommend doing only 2 so you get a chance to get into the swing of things better. I would avoid Children's because you don't get to do anything in the OR there, and clinic is painful because you're basically doing every kid's least favorite part of the physical exam.

The grade is based off of resident and the course director's evaluations, and a 20 minute presentation on a topic of your choice. The ENT residents are all super nice.
 
I don't think that's necessarily true--I know quite a few Wisconsin natives who want something new, and vice versa. I think it just works out that way.

I have no desire to return to my home state, that's for sure.

MCW will almost surely be my top rank, more for the program then the location though.
 
Well, heme/onc is off the list of possibilities. The exam went better than I'd feared though. Kroft could have easily sent me into the fail zone.
 
MCW will almost surely be my top rank, more for the program then the location though.

I think that phenomenon is popular, especially amongst the more competitive specialties. It's popular amongst the OBs too. I'm meeting with my advisor (the PD) tomorrow. Fun times.
 
Failed that one. What class was that material from anyway?
 
I remember Kroft tested on things he mentioned as side-notes, in a hushed voice.
It was more of "here are a bunch of symptoms, which treatment is most appropriate?" sort of question that required at least a few steps on your own. At least the forensics was cake.
 
I barely got the stuff down one-way--from disease to major symptoms, so I didn't have enough grasp to go backwards very well--it all started to blend together in my memory. But it still wasn't as bad as the first micro exam.
 
I lost the grading scale for path that was given the first day of class. Would anyone please remind me of what an honor is from, high pass and pass.
 
I don't even know who Kroft is.
 
55 year old man walks with a limp. What cytogenetics will you find in his myeloid precursors?
 
My favorite pharm question experience was something along the lines of this. The question was "how many polymorphisms exist of XXXX gene?" and a couple of other questions along those lines. My response was "a lot" or something like that. The prof who graded it wrote "we were looking for a number". Clearly! I didn't know! Oh see, I knew the answer, but I just wanted to be a smart ass and write "a lot". I thought it was funny, that the prof thought I had misunderstood the question. I'm dumb, but not THAT dumb.
 
i once drew a picture of a face on the "we don't grade it" sheet on one of the pharm exams, and one of the professors left a comment about it. I felt like that was borderline grading my art, which was a violation of their testing policy.
 
Alprostadil was on our final and I wrote next to it: "my dad discovered this!" and I got no comments. Your picture stole my comments.
 
all the wind noises are starting to scare me. can somebody come hold me?
 
Will Karen beat me up? I'm scared and she doesn't like me.
 
You didn't fully observe the stink eye I got at Sendik's. Also, many people dislike me without mentioning it. Just putting it out there.

I'd come cuddle you if I could get there through a tunnel that didn't involve me going outside in the negative a zillion degree wind chill.
 
i don't think it's anything personal. I get that look from her all the time.
 
That doesn't convince me that it's not personal. 😛

You know I love you, right? Especially since Stringbean and I broke up.
 
That doesn't convince me that it's not personal. 😛

You know I love you, right? Especially since Stringbean and I broke up.

oh, i know. but i'm not really sure what I've done to earn your love.
 
I'm a tree-hugger, strong proponent for free love. You get it without earning it, then have the opportunity to lose it.
 
Hey Don, do you know what the plan is for Friday? Because share...
 
Don, they're looking for you in GI/GU this morning.

....about as much as they're hoping for a few more colons.
 
Hey Don, do you know what the plan is for Friday? Because share...

from OASIS:

10am on the first work day of the month "Report to the Transfusion Service, 1st Floor, Dynacare Laboratory Bldg."
 
Rockstar. And yes, I could have looked that up on my own, but hey, I'm lazy.
 
Friday! Not tomorrow. No short changing my vacation, Donnyfuego.
 
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