need help strengthening my application: research vs. rotations?

[khamr0n]

I did not match and will have to reapply(as either a 4th year med student or sponsored graduate) at the end of this year...I am looking for ways to increase my experience as well as strengthen my application...some people have told me to delay my graduation until next year so that I can do more electives in PM&R and strive for great letters and facetime with PDs...others say that I should graduate and try to do research or some sort of PM&R related job for a year...any thoughts or advice is much appreciated. Also, does anyone know of any opportunities for people with M.D. degrees that are jobless?

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[tufts]

You will have to do prelim year anyway, so you should go ahead and find a medicine or surgery spot somewhere to get it over with. Then in that year, although it may be busy as an intern, you can do some research of some sort at the same time and kill two birds with one stone. You should be able to find a spot somewhere by next spring, even if it means cold calling or keeping an eye out on this forum for an open spot.

If you are restricted to a certain geographical area for some reason, then it is more important to develop connections and have someone put in a call for you. A letter by itself probably is not worth much. A local guy who can speak on your behalf should get you a spot in your preferred area, but it is more work for you.

I hope this helps.

 

[Hemisphere]

agreed prolonging your graduation to get letters sounds a little silly.
try to get a prelim at a hospital with pm&r program, then you can arrange an elective month in the department perhaps and get a letter anyway, do some research on the side, and go through the match again.

if the prelim doesn't come through this year you could try to find a pure research position in a pm&r laboratory eg gait lab or tbi/sci research, etc. at a university with pm&r residency program,. you might be able to take in some pay at a grad student level at least, and still get contact time or a letter from a pm&r doc doing research in that lab. Don't pay another year of medschool tuition! Also if your scores were an issue you could take and do better on step 3.

 

[khamr0n]

thanks for the replies...yea I really don't want to postpone graduation- I think I am going to graduate and hopefully have locked in some sort of research position by then...I am having a tough time finding prelim positions in chicago and new york...looks like I will have to wait until next year...

 

[DrGucciGal]

First off, please realize that prelim or first year medicine and surgery spots are a dime a dozen. Get in one.

The reasons for this is:
1. You will not waste the year, since you need a transitional year or prelim year anyways.

2. You can do research within the year and perhaps do an elective month in PM&R (i.e. make connections and get your name out there)

3. You will have a program director that can be witness to the fact that you are still a clinically strong candidate for any residency program. This point might be the strongest. Program director to program director is the strongest connection you can make when trying to get into any residency program.

Second, if you truly looked into prelim/transitional spots in chicago and nyc, then did you also look into categorical spots as well?

The reason for this is:
1. You sign a contact yearly in categorical positions, for what I am told. Therefore, you can still complete your intern year and look for PM&R spots and not sign the contract for the following year after you secure a spot. However, some internal medicine programs might be open to this anyways. Because they realize that they are filling one of their open positions and possibly getting a categorical resident (if you don't find a PMR spot).

2. I know that you are destined for PM&R, but would you like a residency spot versus no residency at all? People start off in one speciality and switch all the time.

Third, perhaps you should not limit yourself to just chicago and nyc.

The reason for this is:
Obvious, there are good programs out there besides the ones in chicago and nyc. This also raises the possibility of getting a spot.

Hope this helps.