Ortho "ask me anything" thread

[Orthojoe]

It was suggested to me by a pre-medical student to start a thread for those interested in Orthopedic Surgery, in which they can ask any question about Orthopedics and I'll answer. So here it is.

DISCLOSURE: I'm an upcoming PGY1 Orthopedic Resident at Doctors Medical Center Modesto California, so I most likely wont have the best insight into resident's life but you guys are far from that anyways I rotated at both Allopathic and Osteopathic Orthopedic Residency programs so I feel I have an understanding of both. I specifically chose a DO program over an Allopathic program so I have some bias there and to me would suggest this route for those wanting Orthopedics. I attended AZCOM and was the second class of 250. Just want to make you aware of all my conflicts of interest

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[Capltd29]

Did you like AZCOM?

 

[DrEnderW]

Thank you so much for doing this! Any info I can get on AOA surgery is more than appreciated.

One of my primary concerns is getting surg related research under my belt. Did you do ortho research and if so, how did you go about landing that gig?

 

[Orthojoe]

Asking if I like AZCOM is quite a loaded question for me. First and foremost I don't learn by listening to a professor lecture. So the preclinical years I hated becaus they had an attendance policy and I would have rather been in the library studying the notes and supplementing with a good textbook. I tried hard NOT to study to get good grades but to understand. A few students recorded the lectures and if I didn't understand something I would listen to the lecture at 1.6 X speed. Iwanted to spend as little time as possible listening. But from talking to other students and students at other schools the preclinical years seem pretty standard. The only thing I wish they did was more clinical sims. We did very little.

As to years 3-4. Very bad!! But I hear that about many schools. I felt the school did poorly in finding us preceptors so I spent a lot of time finding my own. This is their biggest problem and it varriies widely because your are placed with preceptors based on a lottery system. I basically buddiied up to my clinical coordinator and she ended up helping me lot find good rotations. I also did well on comlex I and USMLE I which opened doors. I made sure to do as many inpatient at a program that had residents since they are teaching facilities.

 

[medicine0509]

Just want SDN users interested in orthopaedic surgery to be aware of the following resource:

Orthogate med student forum index (MD residency info, DO residency info, Interviewing, USMLE, and Ask the attending): http://www.orthogate.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=21

The likelihood of replicating that resource here is slim to none, with over 10 years of posts from med students, residents, and attendings. Obviously the exhausting amount of information there is overkill for a premed, but it is a must-read for young med students that plan to pursue the field of orthopaedics.

 

[abolt18]

Did you always want to go into ortho? If not, what made you choose it? If so, what motivated you to stick with that desire.

To me it's an awesome profession but I really don't know if I could handle the bone cutting and crunching. What were things you did to stand out as a potential ortho resident? (like club affiliation, getting to know PD's on rotations, etc...)

 

[Spikebd]

How many interview invites, both AOA and ACGME, did you receive? I am curious how many ACGME programs are willing to interview DO's. What are some things that you did during medical school that helped make you more competitive for orthopaedics?

Oh, and was it hard to set up ortho or 4th year rotations?

 

[wjs010]

How many interview invites, both AOA and ACGME, did you receive? I am curious how many ACGME programs are willing to interview DO's. What are some things that you did during medical school that helped make you more competitive for orthopaedics?

Oh, and was it hard to set up ortho or 4th year rotations?

was it hard to match? what were your scores?

 

[goldenroc]

Any advice on how to find good rotation sites/preceptors? Where should we start? What are some things we must consider?

 

[JoocyBis]

Can you outline the things we should/could do during M1 and M2 to get more competitive for ortho?

 

[GypsyHummus]

How realistic is it for a DO to match into an ortho spot, any ortho spot? DO you have to be in the top half of your class, really high board scores? Is it only for the elite few, like Uro or ENT?

 

[Orthojoe]

Just want SDN users interested in orthopaedic surgery to be aware of the following resource:

Orthogate med student forum index (MD residency info, DO residency info, Interviewing, USMLE, and Ask the attending): http://www.orthogate.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=21

The likelihood of replicating that resource here is slim to none, with over 10 years of posts from med students, residents, and attendings. Obviously the exhausting amount of information there is overkill for a premed, but it is a must-read for young med students that plan to pursue the field of orthopaedics.

i went over everything on orthogate as an MS1. I found the posts old and outdated in many circumstances and often it would take 3-4 months to get a reply back. It doesnt seem to get as much traffic as SDN does. my own opinion.

However, it is advisable to peruse as well. I found asking questions on SDN and contacting recent medical students who matched ortho be best resources.

 

[Orthojoe]

Did you always want to go into ortho? If not, what made you choose it? If so, what motivated you to stick with that desire.

To me it's an awesome profession but I really don't know if I could handle the bone cutting and crunching. What were things you did to stand out as a potential ortho resident? (like club affiliation, getting to know PD's on rotations, etc...)

To me it's an awesome profession but I really don't know if I could handle the bone cutting and crunching. What were things you did to stand out as a potential ortho resident? (like club affiliation, getting to know PD's on rotations, etc...)

No I initially thought I was going to do pediatrics but as an athlete I had some inkling I might like ortho. However I heard horror stories about resident's lifestyle. I had also been working in the pediatric arena for a few years before going to Med School. I chose it because once I got in the OR it was phenom. I realized my day went by so quick because I was (1) busy and (2) i really enjoyed learning and wasnt wondering when I got off shift. Also the lifestyle of residents wasnt as bad as made out to be and the lifestyle as an orthopedic physician is great! I think those who told me the lifestyles were bad hadnt had much work experience in their previous lives. I've been used to working 60+ hours a week for a long time and staying up late or sometimes all night was common in my previous vocation.

Bone cutting and crunching are what make it fun! - actually ortho can be very precise and not much ripping/tearing. Doing a hand rotation was awesome because it was so meticulous and precise! You need to be an artist in many of these circumstances - ie tendon transfers for EPL ruptures, look it up on youtube or vumedi.

Things to stand out as a candidate - see the orthopedic threads on SDN on excelling on aways http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=116 - best advice for rotating and getting a spot.

there is also a great thread right now in the osteopathic forum under "orthopedic rotations" -
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=986485

 

[Orthojoe]

Thank you so much for doing this! Any info I can get on AOA surgery is more than appreciated.

One of my primary concerns is getting surg related research under my belt. Did you do ortho research and if so, how did you go about landing that gig?

research is easy to get involved in. I did mine in pediatrics because I initially thought that was my field of choice. at your school many of the professors either do research or have access to research projects. You just need to ask. I called up the local residency programs and asked if students could work with the residents on research projects. they were itching for free work.

From the allopathic program directors I met and interviewed with they were very interested in my research even though it wasnt ortho. I believe they are more interested in seeing if I had the critical skills necessary to be a good doctor, and often research can tease out how you think. In the osteopathic world reseach is not as heavily weighted. Many of my friends in both allo and osteo matched ortho without any research, but it is more common in the DO world

disclaimer - my typing is really bad right now, i broke my distal radius and this dang splint is not conducive for typing. sorry

 

[Orthojoe]

How many interview invites, both AOA and ACGME, did you receive? I am curious how many ACGME programs are willing to interview DO's. What are some things that you did during medical school that helped make you more competitive for orthopaedics?

Oh, and was it hard to set up ortho or 4th year rotations?

I received 2 MD and 8 DO invites.I applied to 20 DO and 10 MD programs.

How to get interview - really its your grades, board scores and LOR - in the DO world its all about the audition rotation. You can look worse on paper but if you nail the audition you have a great chance. Just focus first on doing well your preclinical years and scoring well on boards That will open doors. Once you know where you are on paper then you can tailor your fourth year to sites that fit your scores. I have a freind with a low 500 comlex board score, no research but nailed his audition and interview ---- He matched!! I also have friends with awesome grades but didnt do well on audition or they thought because of their scores they were guaranteed a spot --- they didnt match!!

DO ortho tends to be more about the person than our MD counter parts. Again this is my experience rotating and interviewing at both types of programs.

setting up fourth year rotations are easier when you have good boards. my advice is to do it early and have the programs already ranked in order of preference. then take what you get.

 

[Orthojoe]

was it hard to match? what were your scores?

yes it was hard to match and very nerve racking.I didnt hit ortho hard until mid third year so I was a bit disadvantaged. however I am glad I did it this way because I made sure there wasnt another specialty out there i loved more. As i said before I thought pediatrics was my field, great field, but ortho fit me way better.

scores:
class rank 6 of 250
comlex I 643 comlex II 650
USMLE I 247 USMLE II 253
2 research publications in pediatrics

 

[Orthojoe]

Can you outline the things we should/could do during M1 and M2 to get more competitive for ortho?

focus on being a good doctor first by KNOWING the material instead of just studying for a grade. research will help and anything ortho will help. I wouldnt focus on studying ortho though until much later in anticipation of your ortho rotations.

I figured an hour studying for a knowledge out beat an hour lecture at the ortho club any day. So that was my focus = My knowledge base

 

[Orthojoe]

Any advice on how to find good rotation sites/preceptors? Where should we start? What are some things we must consider?

best discussion in my opinion right here
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=986485

the reviews elsewhere I read but felt they were outdated. Program and directors and residents change so therefore the program changes. the best advice is in your third year talk to those who have just matched or are doing audition rotations at the time. They will give you the best information.

 

[Orthojoe]

How realistic is it for a DO to match into an ortho spot, any ortho spot? DO you have to be in the top half of your class, really high board scores? Is it only for the elite few, like Uro or ENT?

I matched and so did 135 other DO students as well this year. Its hard but doable.

 

[chiddler]

I'm inc azcom. What can you tell me about LA rotations? Where did you do yours? It's not too late to change and I just picked by location. I have no idea what I ought to consider.

 

[NurWollen]

Incoming AZCOM student as well. My understanding is that AZCOM does NOT have mandatory attendance except at labs. Am I mistaken?

 

[corpsman33]

It was suggested to me by a pre-medical student to start a thread for those interested in Orthopedic Surgery, in which they can ask any question about Orthopedics and I'll answer. So here it is.

DISCLOSURE: I'm an upcoming PGY1 Orthopedic Resident at Doctors Medical Center Modesto California, so I most likely wont have the best insight into resident's life but you guys are far from that anyways I rotated at both Allopathic and Osteopathic Orthopedic Residency programs so I feel I have an understanding of both. I specifically chose a DO program over an Allopathic program so I have some bias there and to me would suggest this route for those wanting Orthopedics. I attended AZCOM and was the second class of 250. Just want to make you aware of all my conflicts of interest

I just have to say that I have followed your posts from the beginning when you first joined SDN and started posting in the other "Osteopathic" section, and the information you have given is incredible!

Very very detailed info about individual programs and the entire application process. I shared it with all my classmates who are interested in Ortho and they were extremely grateful as well. Ignore the rude comments the other poster made undermining your contribution by referring to "orthogate". Many of us are very happy to have you continue to illuminate the process (especially since you just went through it).

Ortho is probably my 3rd choice at the moment, but I have to say that I got a little more excited after reading your posts.....I guess I will just have to see during rotations.

Also, I noticed you were ranked 6 of 250 with great comlex and usmle scores. Do you think your class rank helped much or do you think it was almost completely your step scores and interview?

 

[Orthojoe]

I'm inc azcom. What can you tell me about LA rotations? Where did you do yours? It's not too late to change and I just picked by location. I have no idea what I ought to consider.

no clue about LA, sorry man. I was lottery drawn to west phoenix, however because I selected most of my rotations I did them from tuscon to prescott my third year.

 

[Orthojoe]

Incoming AZCOM student as well. My understanding is that AZCOM does NOT have mandatory attendance except at labs. Am I mistaken?

that would be cool as to attendance. We had so many courses require attendance that I felt was a waste of time. Good for them if that is truly the case, however I have still heard of many courses requiring attendance from second years.

 

[Orthojoe]

I just have to say that I have followed your posts from the beginning when you first joined SDN and started posting in the other "Osteopathic" section, and the information you have given is incredible!

Very very detailed info about individual programs and the entire application process. I shared it with all my classmates who are interested in Ortho and they were extremely grateful as well. Ignore the rude comments the other poster made undermining your contribution by referring to "orthogate". Many of us are very happy to have you continue to illuminate the process (especially since you just went through it).

Ortho is probably my 3rd choice at the moment, but I have to say that I got a little more excited after reading your posts.....I guess I will just have to see during rotations.

Also, I noticed you were ranked 6 of 250 with great comlex and usmle scores. Do you think your class rank helped much or do you think it was almost completely your step scores and interview?

Thanks for the support. I dont think they were trying to undermine, probably more trying to promote the site. Its a great resource, but one I think is outdated and old in many areas.

I was so frustrated trying to gather information during my third year. it seemed no one really was willing to come out and help. I had to "Drag" it out of them. I am assuming the competitive nature of ortho made many tight-lipped. I vowed I would pass on everything I could to the upcoming students.

As to which variable is weighted more heavily. I couldnt say. I think my board scores "opened the door" to many programs. My audition rotation made the cake and the rest of my stats were just frosting. I was told repeatedly during many interviews that my audition rotation was highly favorable. In modesto that seemed to be a common factor and when I sat for the interview, the physicians I didnt rotated with said things like "Oh this is the guy you were telling me about" ,etc to the other physicians I did rotate with. Audition is the key!!

Not to mention I asked the director if I could bring out my wife at a later date so she could "check the place out." I woudl highly recommend this if you are married or have a significant other. I was able to sit down with the physicians, with my wife, and shoot the breeze, ask questions and it told them I was really really serious about laying down roots.

FYI - come to modesto and I'll make sure ortho pops up to your number one. I really just dont know how those interested in a surgical subspecialty would choose something over ortho. the only thing I can think if is lifestyle, which I believe is a misconception. From the patient variability, complexity and demographics you wont see such a wide spectrum than in ortho. Every fracture is different, every reduction is different. You can do micro tendon repairs or large femur rods, heavy trauma to office base. Such an awesome field.

 

[corpsman33]

Thanks for the support. I dont think they were trying to undermine, probably more trying to promote the site. Its a great resource, but one I think is outdated and old in many areas.

I was so frustrated trying to gather information during my third year. it seemed no one really was willing to come out and help. I had to "Drag" it out of them. I am assuming the competitive nature of ortho made many tight-lipped. I vowed I would pass on everything I could to the upcoming students.

As to which variable is weighted more heavily. I couldnt say. I think my board scores "opened the door" to many programs. My audition rotation made the cake and the rest of my stats were just frosting. I was told repeatedly during many interviews that my audition rotation was highly favorable. In modesto that seemed to be a common factor and when I sat for the interview, the physicians I didnt rotated with said things like "Oh this is the guy you were telling me about" ,etc to the other physicians I did rotate with. Audition is the key!!

Not to mention I asked the director if I could bring out my wife at a later date so she could "check the place out." I woudl highly recommend this if you are married or have a significant other. I was able to sit down with the physicians, with my wife, and shoot the breeze, ask questions and it told them I was really really serious about laying down roots.

FYI - come to modesto and I'll make sure ortho pops up to your number one. I really just dont know how those interested in a surgical subspecialty would choose something over ortho. the only thing I can think if is lifestyle, which I believe is a misconception. From the patient variability, complexity and demographics you wont see such a wide spectrum than in ortho. Every fracture is different, every reduction is different. You can do micro tendon repairs or large femur rods, heavy trauma to office base. Such an awesome field.

I am an athlete/total gym rat so getting to work with this demographic really really appeals to me. Right now ER is my number one however, because I LOVE the shift work that they do, plus I am a real type "A" personality. Also, if you do the calculations for the amount of money the typical ED physician makes per hour (they work 45 per average for an attending) they actually do pretty well.

I guess it will really come down to whether I like surgery more, or the fast paced ER more. I am just an ignorant 1st year at the moment (about to be second year thank goodness), so I really have no idea. Although I was just talking with some 3rd years and they said that once they put that scapel in your hands you can never go back.

Also, I am from the Valley (Fresno) so I know all about Modesto and used to do some work there. I think the Valley is a good place to live.....just watch out for the air (the entire region is the worst in the nation!).

 

[Orthojoe]

I am an athlete/total gym rat so getting to work with this demographic really really appeals to me. Right now ER is my number one however, because I LOVE the shift work that they do, plus I am a real type "A" personality. Also, if you do the calculations for the amount of money the typical ED physician makes per hour (they work 45 per average for an attending) they actually do pretty well.

I guess it will really come down to whether I like surgery more, or the fast paced ER more. I am just an ignorant 1st year at the moment (about to be second year thank goodness), so I really have no idea. Although I was just talking with some 3rd years and they said that once they put that scapel in your hands you can never go back.

Also, I am from the Valley (Fresno) so I know all about Modesto and used to do some work there. I think the Valley is a good place to live.....just watch out for the air (the entire region is the worst in the nation!).

I hear ya on the air quality. Darn grapes!

I like ED as well, as it fit my personality but it was a lot slower than I thought. I rotated at maricopa, highly recommend, and they let us do about anything. Once I showed them I was competent I did tons on my own. But by the 20th vaginal bleeding, the 40th drug seeker and 100th alcoholic who passes out I was done. You end up living for the trauma with crummy cases in between.And it became an alogrythm based medicine. Chest pain- ok run this and this and this even though the likelihood is really low, we just got to make sure. The reflex to run a gamet of tests develops quickly. I still really liked my ED rotation and could, if I had too, be an ED doc. I don't think type A is ED must, that's more surgical in my opinion.

I thought I'd like shift work too as I don't mind the variability. However I got real tired of the back and forth. My kids ended up not knowing if I was awake or asleep. It was hard for them to not "play with dad" since I was home and trying to sleep for week periods during the day. But ED is definitely tempting. It's getting way competitive. Maricopa had almost 1000 applicants for 15ish slots.

Do an ED rotation after IM as you'll understand it better. Don't do kingman. The school talks it up like its awesome and the best but it was bad. I was there and that experience was a big factor of why I didn't do more ED. Try doing maricopa. Way way better and you'll get to do lots( particularly as sub-I). In one night I did CPR on pulsleess vtach, shoulder relocation by myself, I&D which I eventually called surg and the took him back for OR debridement, two knee taps and about 10 splints. Great night but still doesn't beat a multi trauma night with segmental femur, dislocated hip, open tibial, talus fracture, bilat distal radius and humeral head requiring hemi. Throwing rods, screwing plates and hammering in a new joint. Bam!!! Your patients love ya.

 

[corpsman33]

I hear ya on the air quality. Darn grapes!

I like ED as well, as it fit my personality but it was a lot slower than I thought. I rotated at maricopa, highly recommend, and they let us do about anything. Once I showed them I was competent I did tons on my own. But by the 20th vaginal bleeding, the 40th drug seeker and 100th alcoholic who passes out I was done. You end up living for the trauma with crummy cases in between.And it became an alogrythm based medicine. Chest pain- ok run this and this and this even though the likelihood is really low, we just got to make sure. The reflex to run a gamet of tests develops quickly. I still really liked my ED rotation and could, if I had too, be an ED doc. I don't think type A is ED must, that's more surgical in my opinion.

I thought I'd like shift work too as I don't mind the variability. However I got real tired of the back and forth. My kids ended up not knowing if I was awake or asleep. It was hard for them to not "play with dad" since I was home and trying to sleep for week periods during the day. But ED is definitely tempting. It's getting way competitive. Maricopa had almost 1000 applicants for 15ish slots.

Do an ED rotation after IM as you'll understand it better. Don't do kingman. The school talks it up like its awesome and the best but it was bad. I was there and that experience was a big factor of why I didn't do more ED. Try doing maricopa. Way way better and you'll get to do lots( particularly as sub-I). In one night I did CPR on pulsleess vtach, shoulder relocation by myself, I&D which I eventually called surg and the took him back for OR debridement, two knee taps and about 10 splints. Great night but still doesn't beat a multi trauma night with segmental femur, dislocated hip, open tibial, talus fracture, bilat distal radius and humeral head requiring hemi. Throwing rods, screwing plates and hammering in a new joint. Bam!!! Your patients love ya.

It seems so strange to me that specialties become cyclic in competitiveness, like a fad or something.

Anyways, I am applying military match so things may be a little different. Although from what I understand, the ED in the military is one of the hardest specialties to match.

I have a wife and children too, so I will definitely have to factor that in when choosing a specialty. However, I was under the impression that the ED was family friendly due to the 40-50 hour work weeks for the average attending that you see with shift work. I don't mind switching back and forth from working nights to days in the same week (I did this for the last 10 years working in the hospital anyways). I just wanted to choose a specialty that allows time off with my family once I am an attending. I know other specialties often work 60 plus hours a week on average.

 

[username456789]

It seems so strange to me that specialties become cyclic in competitiveness, like a fad or something.

EM is still a relatively young/new residency in the grand scheme of things. Also, score-wise it's not really getting much more competitive, but more and more people who are middle of the road IM/FM/whatever candidates are realizing how crappy those actually are and are fleeing to EM (and I can't blame them really).

I just wanted to choose a specialty that allows time off with my family once I am an attending.

Derm.

 

[NurWollen]

Orthojoe thanks for doing this. Can you offer any more specific advice about how to get the good rotations? How do you get past the lottery of rotation assignments? Do you just go to your coordinator and say you'd like to do a rotation at X location and ask what you need to do to make it happen? Are academic medical centers/teaching hospitals generally willing to take on MS3s as opposed to MS4s without having a specific contract with AZCOM?

 

[corpsman33]

EM is still a relatively young/new residency in the grand scheme of things. Also, score-wise it's not really getting much more competitive, but more and more people who are middle of the road IM/FM/whatever candidates are realizing how crappy those actually are and are fleeing to EM (and I can't blame them really).




Derm.

Derm you say. I have very very good grades and I typically do well on standardized tests (so I am hoping I do well on comlex/usmle), but I just cannot see myself doing Derm for the remainder of my life......it just seems so opposite my personality. I know they are rated as having the best quality of life, but I think I would be bored.

 

[username456789]

I know they are rated as having the best quality of life, but I think I would be bored.

It's funny how many medical students say this, and how many attendings (in other fields) openly state how badly they wish they would've chosen Derm.

(But I digress, this is an Ortho thread)

 

[as1212559]

Joe my man, what's your bench lookin like brah?




(can't believe I'm first on this SRS. slackers)

 

[chiddler]

Orthojoe thanks for doing this. Can you offer any more specific advice about how to get the good rotations? How do you get past the lottery of rotation assignments? Do you just go to your coordinator and say you'd like to do a rotation at X location and ask what you need to do to make it happen? Are academic medical centers/teaching hospitals generally willing to take on MS3s as opposed to MS4s without having a specific contract with AZCOM?

i really want to know

 

[corpsman33]

It's funny how many medical students say this, and how many attendings (in other fields) openly state how badly they wish they would've chosen Derm.

(But I digress, this is an Ortho thread)

You are probably right. I have never shadowed a dermatologist and so I have no idea. I am excited to start rotations and learn though (T-minus 1 year and 3 months.....it cannot come soon enough).

Are you doing derm? And if you are, I would love to hear about it. Although I am sure we have derailed this thread enough so maybe you could send me a PM if you ever have time and let me know the pros/cons. Like I said I have very little knowledge of the field other than what other med students have said and what I have learned from Seinfeld.

 

[Midifelder10]

Thanks for doing it. Based on the info you have posted let me ask you a simple question, for those who will be fortunate to matriculate this year what advise do you have to offer? You have done well on boards what is the secret to your success? A advise I can give to you, go throw ball with your kids you will enjoy that the most.

 

[cliquesh]

I think radiation oncology is more cushy than derm, at least in private practice.

 

[Orthojoe]

EM is still a relatively young/new residency in the grand scheme of things. Also, score-wise it's not really getting much more competitive, but more and more people who are middle of the road IM/FM/whatever candidates are realizing how crappy those actually are and are fleeing to EM (and I can't blame them really).




Derm.

Here's the secret most don't tell you. As an attending you can choose how much you work. I was shocked at how often this is the case in many fields. I learned that if you set things up right most fields can have a great family life. Just know that in medicine we are paid on time, so less work less pay. That's why procedure based fields I think are better

Nearly all my attendings worked around 50 hours a week. Some less and some more but I was shocked how little they worked compared to what I was told in school. Even major trauma guys had Cush lifestyle.

But yes there are fields more family friendly- in reality though its up to you.

I have two IM docs who switched to derm and both are bored out of their minds. I think choosing a specialty based on work hours (solely) is a huge mistake. This is a second career for me thus I'm older than most. So with absolute certainty choose a specialty you will be stimulated with and enjoy that also meets your family obligations. Ortho is that for me. Most days working with the docs i was home by 6 ish. Every 3-4 days on call but with Ortho most things can wait until the morning and often nights nothing happened. Call in primary care fields were ten times harder.

Everyone will find there perfect field, just don't settle!! And get tons of experience your third year so u can make a good decision.

 

[Orthojoe]

I think radiation oncology is more cushy than derm, at least in private practice.

True!

 

[Orthojoe]

Joe my man, what's your bench lookin like brah?




(can't believe I'm first on this SRS. slackers)

I'm an endurance athlete running ultra distances- 50-100 mile endurance runs so my bench is weak. But I can run 50 miles over 5000 feet elevation change in about 10 hours.

 

[Ost3oclast]

I'm an endurance athlete running ultra distances- 50-100 mile endurance runs so my bench is weak. But I can run 50 miles over 5000 feet elevation change in about 10 hours.

Thats what I'm talking about.

 

[ChiDO]

Joe my man, what's your bench lookin like brah?




(can't believe I'm first on this SRS. slackers)

MD Ortho = Bench + USMLE = 500
DO Ortho = Bench + COMLEX = 850

 

[corpsman33]

md ortho = bench + usmle = 500
do ortho = bench + comlex = 850

lol

 

[Wozo30]

EM is still a relatively young/new residency in the grand scheme of things. Also, score-wise it's not really getting much more competitive, but more and more people who are middle of the road IM/FM/whatever candidates are realizing how crappy those actually are and are fleeing to EM (and I can't blame them really).
Derm.

I think the competitiveness of scores will start to increase as EM continues to get sandwiched but the IM/FM ship jumpers and those that either feel they aren't competitive enough for the subspecialties or choose to do not embark in them due to time commitment.

I think ortho residency will be a brutal lifestyle as work days are long and some programs don't have a night float or post call. But as an attending lifestyle is self and practice dependent. The more partners the less call you have. But the great thing about ortho that rads, derm, gas, and rad onc do not have is that you are busy ALL of the time. Morning rounds, didactics, surgery/clinic, consults, etc... You are constantly moving and many times during rotations you'd be thinking its got to be close to lunch and look up and it's 4pm!

 

[Orthojoe]

Orthojoe thanks for doing this. Can you offer any more specific advice about how to get the good rotations? How do you get past the lottery of rotation assignments? Do you just go to your coordinator and say you'd like to do a rotation at X location and ask what you need to do to make it happen? Are academic medical centers/teaching hospitals generally willing to take on MS3s as opposed to MS4s without having a specific contract with AZCOM?

good questions. Here is an example.

I was lottery drawn to do preceptor gen surg. So i contact banner good sam gen surg residency and asked if there were slots during my gen surg rotation to take students. They said yes and I got the paperwork. Went to the gen surg chair and sat down with him to tell him I wanted to do inpatient gen surg. He approved and then I went through my coordinator to finish all the paperwork. I also did this with OB/gyn, pediatrics, IM.

My inpatient peds at phoenix childrens required me to do an outpatient peds rotation first, so I did that in order to do inpatient.

Do as much inpatient at a residency teaching facility as possible. They are geared to teach and have high case volume.

I did not have one program tell me no when I asked to rotate there. They dates may have been off but most of these programs are pretty willing. Just do it early, be super nice and accommodating. Its an art talking to a coordinator on the phone.

 

[username456789]

Here's the secret most don't tell you. As an attending you can choose how much you work.

This really isn't a secret at all.

I'm not advocating choosing one's specialty based on work hours. Just advocating not counting things out immediately before experiencing them (by virtue of an elective or some such thing), just as I am sure you would say about people who may not have considered your chosen specialty.

[Also, I have never ever heard of trauma orthopedists having anything remotely resembling a "cush" schedule. The ones I worked with had some of the worst schedules in the hospital.]

 

[username456789]

I think radiation oncology is more cushy than derm, at least in private practice.

I'm not smart enough for rad onc, so I'll stick to skin

 

[as1212559]

I'm an endurance athlete running ultra distances- 50-100 mile endurance runs so my bench is weak. But I can run 50 miles over 5000 feet elevation change in about 10 hours.

u wot m8? no bench no ortho. weights good. cardio bad.

just playing man good on ya, you ultra guys are maniacs

MD Ortho = Bench + USMLE = 500
DO Ortho = Bench + COMLEX = 850

Unless you bench 350 then well done

 

[cliquesh]

I think the competitiveness of scores will start to increase as EM continues to get sandwiched but the IM/FM ship jumpers and those that either feel they aren't competitive enough for the subspecialties or choose to do not embark in them due to time commitment.

I think ortho residency will be a brutal lifestyle as work days are long and some programs don't have a night float or post call. But as an attending lifestyle is self and practice dependent. The more partners the less call you have. But the great thing about ortho that rads, derm, gas, and rad onc do not have is that you are busy ALL of the time. Morning rounds, didactics, surgery/clinic, consults, etc... You are constantly moving and many times during rotations you'd be thinking its got to be close to lunch and look up and it's 4pm!

I don't know, man. Average derm residency hours are 45 hrs/week. 50 hrs/week for rads and rad onc. Then 69.6 hrs/week for ortho. Ortho, and pretty much every other surgery residency except opth, seems like a wasted 5 years unless you really want it. 75 for general surgery and neurosurgery, 66 for urology and ENT, 50 for optho

My numbers came from freida.

 

[Orthojoe]

Thanks for doing it. Based on the info you have posted let me ask you a simple question, for those who will be fortunate to matriculate this year what advise do you have to offer? You have done well on boards what is the secret to your success? A advise I can give to you, go throw ball with your kids you will enjoy that the most.

My secret to success - I LOVE MEDICINE, and I learned to know, not get good grades. I also became very efficient at time management. I would record the lectures and listen to them at 1.6X speed,, shaved off 25 minutes of sitting there. I read the lecture notes before hand and really only paid attention to parts I didnt understand. This freed us so much time to memorize, study and figure things out myself. I spent most of the time signing into lecture (attendance policy), then leaving to go to the library and study myself because I knew Id get through tons of info way faster.

Most everyone figured this out by second year and lecture attendance dropped to roughly around 40%. It was pretty comical.

I also asked asked asked my upperclassman advice and what their opinions were.

lastly - I believe in focused studying, NOT time studying. Too many of my friends would stay up all night studying to only pull a B on a test. I believe it is because they didnt study efficiently.. everyone at medical school is smart, what sets someone apart is how they study (my opinion but there are studies behind this).

Think back on when you had a deadline for a project. The last few hours of the project most of us rushed through but yet were hyper focused and the creative juices were flowing. The same thing at work, usually the last 2-3 hours of the day people are the most productive (very good studies showing this)

I tried to replicate that. i would study for an hour on a timer, super focused and hard, then take a break for 30 minutes (go to the gym, run or read a book/watch a movie, play with my kids) then repeat. A great book discussing the data and studies behind this type of learning is "The four hour workweek" - by far my favorite business/personal development book out there. I also went to bed at a decent time and woke up refreshed an hour or so before tests or class. If i was cramming in the morning, I knew that I hadnt properly studied before, a simple review was all that was needed if I did my job right.

FYI - I also worked part time since I have a family of 4 kids, loans couldnt cut it. So I was forced to be a phenom time manager.