MS4 - 4th year scheduling for Sub-I

[tcfunnybone]

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Hi all,

thought i'd get your thoughts re: my 4th year scheduling. just to give some background first:
- i'm actually a 5th year student (missed the early match last year, so i postponed graduating and did research with some well-known ophtho's in the meantime; and have also done 2 ophtho electives at different institutions).
- clerkship grades were mostly high-pass, few honors, with 2 PASSes in Medicine & Peds.
- i will be applying for Peds Match also (as my back-up if i don't match in ophtho).
- my current schedule has my peds sub-I scheduled for October.

HERE'S MY QUESTION:
-- after hearing a few people say that medicine & surgery grades are highly valued in the ophtho match, do you think i should try to do a medicine Sub-I earlier in the year (august or september) to try to "boost-up" my 3rd year Medicine clerkship that was just a Pass?
-- or, could i do the Peds Sub-I still, but just do it earlier (again, to make up for the Pass grade), and still show i can do some medical thinking? (and, obviously, since i'll also be applying to Peds, the peds sub-I would be helpful)

Or, just leave it as is and stick with the Peds sub-I later on?

Thanks for your advice!

p.s. also, is it weird for me to ask a residency director for a LOR? I did an away elective and really didn't spend much significant time w/any of the attendings, except for the residency director, who was one of the few that actually initiated conversation with me. but i didn't know if, since he's the residency director, it wasn't really kosher to ask him for a LOR?

 

[DrFunkyV]

Keep in mind my answers are only opinions and some other fellow ophthalmology resident may completely disagree...

Medicine Clerkship: An important grade... definitely worth your time and effort to honor this... if what kept you from an honors was your exam grade but you got honors or high pass for the clinical portion, then definitely go for it (unless your school gives you another exam for a sub-I... mine didn't). This grade will also be important for a nice prelim or transitional program, so it will help out both ways.

Residency Director: Happens all the time... don't worry about it... just make sure that he/she will give you a good LOR... if he/she doesn't that could be very bad as they'll most likely be well known by other directors (I actually had two residency directors from 2 different programs write mine)

 

[blue2]

Hi,

I'm in a similar position as the previous person. Grade of "pass" on Medicine(my 2nd rotation of 3rd yr), and am contemplating doing a Medicine sub-i from Oct to Nov.

Should I be doing the Sub-i rotation earlier, to make up for the 3rd yr grade, at the expense of doing another Optho externship?

Thanks for any suggestions

 

[rubensan]

do you think you can get a strong LOR from your 3rd yr medicine attending?
if yes, then i wouldn't worry too much about this issue further. if not, it may be worth doing your sub-I earlier. just keep in mind that oct-nov is pretty late in the academic year as far as SF match is concerned.

Hi,

I'm in a similar position as the previous person. Grade of "pass" on Medicine(my 2nd rotation of 3rd yr), and am contemplating doing a Medicine sub-i from Oct to Nov.

Should I be doing the Sub-i rotation earlier, to make up for the 3rd yr grade, at the expense of doing another Optho externship?

Thanks for any suggestions