Need HELP regarding 3rd/4th year rotations set-up!

[Doctor4Life1769]

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Ok, so I am interested in Anesthesiology (80% sure). I am a DO student. I need to get a schedule set up ASAP. My school only allows us to rotate in a certain field 1/year (i.e. 1 Anesthesiology month during 3rd year and 1 during 4th year). Please provide any advice on what what rotations would be good to do ...

3rd year:

Vac: 6/29-7/26/2009
Ortho Trauma selective: 7/27-8/23 --- this would be @ a home hosp.
Pulm/ICU selective: 8/24-9/20 --- home hosp
Radiology: 9/21-10/18 --- home hosp or Grandview Osteopathic Hospital?
Anesthesiology (I know may be hard to get so also looking at Pathology or Ambulatory Medicine OR UCSD's Practical Physiology and Pharmacology in Anesthesia and Critical Care???): 10/19-11/15 --- home hosp or Grandview or UCSD --- Q is what should I do with this month? Does anyone know about that UCSD course??
Family Practice: 11/16-12/13 --- @ a home hosp

The rest of 3rd year would be general cores

4th year:

Rural Primary Care: 5/31-6/27/2010 --- home hosp
EM Core: 6/28-7/25 --- home hosp
Cardiology Selective: 7/26-8/22 --- UMDNJ DO program or should I do this elsewhere??
Nephrology Selective: 8/23-9/19 --- UMDNJ DO program or should I do this elsewhere??
Anesthesiology OR: 9/20-10/17 --- Mayo-Rochester
Peds Anesthesiology (you guys think I could get away with this one under the criteria of the school??): 10/18-11/14 --- UAB or Oregon
SICU/CC: 11/15-12/12 --- CCF
Pain Management: 12/13-1/09/2011 --- Rush
OMT Month during Vacation month: 1/10-2/6 --- Home Hosp (Should I do an OMT month or should I just leave it as a free vacation month??)
Cardiothoracic Surgery Selective: 2/7-3/6 --- UAB
Community Hospital: last 2 months of year 4 --- Home Hosp

What do you guys think? Any opinions of the above schedule? Should I make any alterations? What about some of the Qs posed within the schedule I posted? I appreciate ANY and all help from MD and DO 4th year students/residents/attendings/fellows. Thank you all again for your time!!

 

[fakin' the funk]

3rd year:

Vac: 6/29-7/26/2009
Ortho Trauma selective: 7/27-8/23 --- this would be @ a home hosp.
Pulm/ICU selective: 8/24-9/20 --- home hosp
Radiology: 9/21-10/18 --- home hosp or Grandview Osteopathic Hospital?
Anesthesiology (I know may be hard to get so also looking at Pathology or Ambulatory Medicine OR UCSD's Practical Physiology and Pharmacology in Anesthesia and Critical Care???): 10/19-11/15 --- home hosp or Grandview or UCSD --- Q is what should I do with this month? Does anyone know about that UCSD course??
Family Practice: 11/16-12/13 --- @ a home hosp

The rest of 3rd year would be general cores

4th year:

Rural Primary Care: 5/31-6/27/2010 --- home hosp
EM Core: 6/28-7/25 --- home hosp
Cardiology Selective: 7/26-8/22 --- UMDNJ DO program or should I do this elsewhere??
Nephrology Selective: 8/23-9/19 --- UMDNJ DO program or should I do this elsewhere??
Anesthesiology OR: 9/20-10/17 --- Mayo-Rochester
Peds Anesthesiology (you guys think I could get away with this one under the criteria of the school??): 10/18-11/14 --- UAB or Oregon
SICU/CC: 11/15-12/12 --- CCF
Pain Management: 12/13-1/09/2011 --- Rush
OMT Month during Vacation month: 1/10-2/6 --- Home Hosp (Should I do an OMT month or should I just leave it as a free vacation month??)
Cardiothoracic Surgery Selective: 2/7-3/6 --- UAB
Community Hospital: last 2 months of year 4 --- Home Hosp

What do you guys think? Any opinions of the above schedule? Should I make any alterations? What about some of the Qs posed within the schedule I posted? I appreciate ANY and all help from MD and DO 4th year students/residents/attendings/fellows. Thank you all again for your time!!

I've never heard of this UCSD course but it doesn't sound like a clinical rotation...

If you're taking all these real courses throughout November, December, and January...how are you supposed to go to interviews?

Your 3rd year anesthesiology month looks a little early, and your 4th year month a little late. Try to squeeze 'em more in the summer or early early fall. If you're aiming for a letter from Mayo you'd be advised to take it at least one month earlier.

I think a month of peds anesthesiology only would be painful...and also would likely count as an anesthesia month and (I can only guess) not be allowed.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I've never heard of this UCSD course but it doesn't sound like a clinical rotation...

If you're taking all these real courses throughout November, December, and January...how are you supposed to go to interviews?

Your 3rd year anesthesiology month looks a little early, and your 4th year month a little late. Try to squeeze 'em more in the summer or early early fall. If you're aiming for a letter from Mayo you'd be advised to take it at least one month earlier.

I think a month of peds anesthesiology only would be painful...and also would likely count as an anesthesia month and (I can only guess) not be allowed.

If the 4th year anesthesiology month is late, when is a good time to take it? I thought I was within the realm of good times for auditions and interviewing within those programs towards end of the rotations? I may very well have to knock out Peds Anesthesia. Also, should I do the 1 month of Nephro? How do you suggest I order this? Thanks!


PS: Here's the UCSD link for that course, i dunno much on it: http://anes-som.ucsd.edu/edu5.htm

 

[psychbender]

First off, how the hell do you have so many electives in your third year (I am insanely jealous)? Second, why are you taking all of your electives before your core rotations? You are not going to be getting nearly as much out of these rotations if you take them early versus after your cores. You really should have your basic Medicine months down before you tackle Pulm/CC.

Your 4th year Anesthesiology rotaiton may be ok, but you might want to make it one month earlier to ensure that you have time to get a letter. I am just now finishing a month of Nephrology, and I cannot recommend that you do a full month of this specialty. Maybe 2 weeks on a Nephro consult service, but definitely not a full month on a service that is a mix between consult, clinic, and dialysis center. Every day, I want to stab myself in the eye with a plastic spork.

You might be able to get away with a Peds Anesthesiology month, but have a good backup in case that fails. You should also see if you can plop a vacation month where you currently have Pain, or pick another rotation that you care nothing for, so you can take time off for rotations. Don't do a month of OMT unless it is absolutely required by your school. If you really want some extra OMT experience, do a 2-week rotations, or something marginally more interesting like Primary Care Sports Medicine with some DOs who actually do manipulation.

Also, when are you planning to take Step 2? Looking at this schedule, your best bet would be to take it in July, as you've got rural PC and EM, which should give you plenty of time to study. If you plan on taking it later, move that EM month to when you plan on taking the exam, so you have an easier rotation during peak cramming time. EM months are also good during interview season, because they generally have lots of time off built in.

 

[RxBoy]

No idea whats going on with this schedule?? You need to do your cores first. They're cores for a reason, you learn basic fundamentals in those rotations. You'll embarrass yourself if you show up to UCSF anesthesia without knowing basic surgery or medicine. Right now your only concern is smoking step 1 if you haven't taken it yet. Let us know a rough score, and we'll guide you from there. Its way too early to be concerning yourself with 4th year electives.

2) Are you planning on matching at Mayo or UCSD? Not trying to knock you or anything, but just be aware those are some pretty elite programs. You have to have very high step scores especially if you're a DO. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of programs that won't mind the DO thing... but I don't think you know the politics of the residency yet if you think you can walk into a match at Mayo or UCSD.

 

[DO4lifer]

i feel like its turning into a bashing, but its all good advice...

third year - do your core rotations, and do well on them. this will prepare you for step 2. also it will allow you to acknowledge which field is right for you.

fourth year - do at max 3 away rotations (currently it looks like you have 10 of them). you will get exhausted, and this will affect your interviewing prowess.
do anesthesia early, get a letter of rec. take easy electives during interview months (nov-dec...and jan if you can). take step 2 before august so you can focus on the residency stuff come september.

good luck and chill out...its all part of the roller coaster to greatness 👍

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Well, my program has 50% of the class doing Core 1st and the other 50% doing Core 2nd ... I ended up with my Core being 2nd and can't do anything about it. So, I have to bite that bullet. Within the confines of what I can do, what is your say? I know, we have quite a bit of elective time 3rd year which I'm happy about ...

Also, I don't expect to walk into Mayo or UCSD thinking I'm gonna wow them into a placement in their program. I always hear that if you want to have a shot at matching somewhere, rotate there. Hence, I want a shot at Mayo and I know they take DOs, so hence I figured I should rotate there. The thing about UCSD is I don't care for a Cali residency but that one "course" looked really interesting and from the description has pretty much an open pre-requisite as long as you're beyond a 2nd year. I will call them up and get more specifics. From their description they seemed to integrate a lot of physiology and pharm didactics along with clinicals and as a 3rd year I felt that would suit my needs since I had to do core 2nd.


I may just entirely knock out Nephro and OMT.

I can't move EM around since it is a core. I guess I could do Rural Primary Care, EM, then Cardio, then Anesthesia at Mayo for 8/23-9/19. Followed by Peds Anesthesia (if possible -- if not then move SICU up), and then have a Vacation month (most likely 11/15-12/12). Have an Elective in EM at 12/13-1/09 (should be easy going right??) Followed by Pain selective 1/10-2/6 (again easy going right??) Followed by CT surgery selective (2/7-3/6) and last 2 being Community Hospital.

I haven't taken the Step I yet -- we haven't finished our curriculum yet. But we have to have a definitive schedule lineup (not neccessarily sites for 4th year but the elective, selectives orders have to be turned in pretty soon) so hence my posting asking for all you seasoned pro's helps. Thanks for the criticism, it's not offending me as long as it's constructive as they have been. Thanks and based on this post, please provide any and all help!! I'm a newbie afterall with no upperclassmen in my school.

 

[RxBoy]

Well, my program has 50% of the class doing Core 1st and the other 50% doing Core 2nd ... I ended up with my Core being 2nd and can't do anything about it. So, I have to bite that bullet. Within the confines of what I can do, what is your say? I know, we have quite a bit of elective time 3rd year which I'm happy about ...

Also, I don't expect to walk into Mayo or UCSD thinking I'm gonna wow them into a placement in their program. I always hear that if you want to have a shot at matching somewhere, rotate there. Hence, I want a shot at Mayo and I know they take DOs, so hence I figured I should rotate there. The thing about UCSD is I don't care for a Cali residency but that one "course" looked really interesting and from the description has pretty much an open pre-requisite as long as you're beyond a 2nd year. I will call them up and get more specifics. From their description they seemed to integrate a lot of physiology and pharm didactics along with clinicals and as a 3rd year I felt that would suit my needs since I had to do core 2nd.


I may just entirely knock out Nephro and OMT.

I can't move EM around since it is a core. I guess I could do Rural Primary Care, EM, then Cardio, then Anesthesia at Mayo for 8/23-9/19. Followed by Peds Anesthesia (if possible -- if not then move SICU up), and then have a Vacation month (most likely 11/15-12/12). Have an Elective in EM at 12/13-1/09 (should be easy going right??) Followed by Pain selective 1/10-2/6 (again easy going right??) Followed by CT surgery selective (2/7-3/6) and last 2 being Community Hospital.

I haven't taken the Step I yet -- we haven't finished our curriculum yet. But we have to have a definitive schedule lineup (not neccessarily sites for 4th year but the elective, selectives orders have to be turned in pretty soon) so hence my posting asking for all you seasoned pro's helps. Thanks for the criticism, it's not offending me as long as it's constructive as they have been. Thanks and based on this post, please provide any and all help!! I'm a newbie afterall with no upperclassmen in my school.

Ok thanks for the background... makes more sense. Never heard of a med school that gives you so many electives 3rd year especially without cores 1st, but if I were in your shoes I would:

1) Vaca time is time for you to study. Take the USMLE... kill step 1. Don't just do complex. You need to prove to biased Program Directors you are just as good as the MDs. Step 1 should be your #1 priority right now.

2) Do a primary care elective first... something that gives you the feel of H&P, disease processes, and treatments. Then move to the more specialized electives.

3) Knowing you want to do anesthesia is still a bit premature so what I would tell you is, do all the electives in fields you are thinking about going into.... there's no way you'll know what you love until you see it first hand.

4) Schedule an anesthesia at your home program, just so you get the feel of it. Know the attending/PDs/ect. They will be the one guiding you through this and writing your LORs. If you can't, try to get one at an away thats at a DO friendly program with an allopathic residency. If you still can't, don't stress. I didn't touch an anesthesia rotation until August of my fourth year.

5) Worry about aways at programs you really want to go to in 4th year. I really think its too early in your career to "wow" attendings.

6) ICU is a great experience... but it may be tough without a surgery or medicine rotation. If you want to do one, go for it but be prepared to work.

7) If you can, get a month of Anesthesia Research and work on a project. This will go a long way in your application.

Good luck. And remember rock your step 1.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

That's exactly why I have Vacation 1st, so I can devote time to USMLE.

Should I do a selective in general IM over doing Pulm/CC?

We are required to do 1 IM/sub-specialty and 1 surg/sub-specialty selectives 3rd year.

In terms of electives -- I am also interested in Radiology. Hence I figured I would do that for my 3rd year elective. Regarding the 2nd one -- should I do this in Pathology (likely Anesthesia may be out unless I get lucky) OR Ambulatory Medicine (I heard from a friend it's all outpatient H/Ps and presentations to attendings)?

This would then leave the FP core.

My 3rd year core schedule goes: OB/Gyn, Gen Surg., Psych, Peds, IM and IM.

I figured ICU would be tough to do 3rd year with Core 2nd, hence why I was thinking about SICU 4th year.

What do you think? Any opinion on Path vs Ambulatory Medicine for my 2nd elective? I figured with Path it'd be laid back and I get to see a lot of disease states. However, Ambulatory Medicine is also more clinical - H/Ps, presentations, clinic time.

If I elect NOT to do Pulm/CC 3rd year, when should I plug that in for 4th year? Also, what'd you think about the previous post I had regarding the new 4th year set-up? Please let me know -- thank you and the others for all your help!

Regarding research, I will have 2-3 publications in Cardiothoracic Surgery -- does it matter whether or not if it's in Anesthesiology or not as long as I have demonstrated interest in research (clinical)?

FYI: I plan on taking COMLEX 6/23. I will then devote the rest of the time for USMLE and take it end of July and leave a week to chill and get ready for my rotations. What's your take on that? I could take it mid-July as well, not sure. Anyways, thanks again!

 

[RxBoy]

1- Vacation aka smoke boards
2- Ambulatory Medicine
2- Pulm/CC or Cardio which ever you like more (if you are doing 2 medicine months later in the year no reason killing yourself with a 3rd)
3- An easier sub specialty surgery (but not so easy you don't learn anything)
4- Gas (Anesthesia) or Pathology or Radiology
5- Gas or Pathology or Radiology
6- FP (I am assuming FP is locked for the 6th month)

Reasearch: Most students applying for Residency don't have publications. Publications help regardless. Anesthesia publications help even more. No objective way of measuring how much more.

You might also want to consider a Neuro elective... Its very helpful rotation and a field you might consider going into. But again, if your not interested that can always be a 4th year elective.

 

[DO4lifer]

keep third year clinical...do general IM and do ambulatory medicine.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Thanks guys, any other advice regarding 3rd and 4th year (from anyone) please send my way!

 

[lord_jeebus]

That UCSD course is really for MS2s and is basically a one day/wk x10 week micro-clerkship without call or the expectation that you know anything about medicine or anesthesiology...I doubt that it is available to visiting students.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Thanks for the tip!

So, I was thinking for 3rd year Electives I'd do Radiology and Anesthesiology. IF I can't do Anesthesiology, then I'd likely do Pathology. I suppose I could even consider doing the Pulm/CC over Pathology and save Pathology for 4th year Elective as it should be more cushy. What's y'all's take on this?

For 3rd year Selectives: likely do Ambulatory Medicine for my IM selective. For the surgical selective, what do you guys recommend? I was thinking Ortho Trauma would be good for someone interested in Anesthesia but for 3rd year maybe it's too soon? What's a good surgical rotation to do for a 3rd year? Keep in mind that I'd be doing Gen Surg later on.

4th year:
1. RPC Core
2. EM Core
3. Cardio Selective
4. Anesthesia Elective (8/23-9/19) -- @ a pro-DO allopathic hosp
5. SICU Elective (9/20-10/17) -- CCF
6. Pulm/CC Selective (10/18-11/14) -- @ a pro-DO allopathic hosp
7. Vacation (11/15-12/12)
8. Elective month (12/13-1/09) -- EM or Pain?
9. Elective month (1/10-2/06) -- Pathology?
10. Selective Month (2/7-3/6) -- CT Surgery Selective
11 and 12: Community Hospital Cores

What are your takes on this 4th year rotation schedule? Mainly just want to see if the Electives, Selectives, and Vacation are scheduled in ideal months ... Thank you all for your help!!

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

That above is my last Q ... so, just wanted to see if there's anything I posted in that last post that concurs with what you all feel I should go with? I appreciate all your help in directing me towards a good rotations schedule.