Hello,
I am interested in ENT, and have been for some time. I am just starting my 4th year of medical school, and will need to take time off. My mother had a primary brain tumor resected 2 years ago, and it has come back horribly. Her doctor believes she has a few months, but we are at the end of the line with treatment, as she has had chemo, radiation, more chemo, etc. We go to Duke for a second opinion, which has one of the best brain tumor centers in the world, so I know that this is truly the end of the treatments and trials for her. She is starting to have right sided weakness and difficulty speaking, and needs help to do everyday activities at this point ( I would not let her drive or anything in the current state). My parents are divorced, and I have to be available to take care of her while this is going on.
My question is, by my taking a year off, should I try to do something less competitive than Otolaryngology? My step 1 is 250+, I'll have a publication, and have already presented a poster in the field, I'm AOA....everything academically should be fine, but there is no way I can be gone this year to interviews while she is going through all of this mess. I will be able to work on some more research this year because the schedule for that is obviously more flexible than rotations and going to many interviews. I would just like some feedback and advice, and if anyone has experienced a similar situation...actually I'm hoping no one else has had a similar experience, because it completely sucks. I truly love ENT, it is really what I want to do, and would be happy to get in anywhere I think. Thank you so much.
I am interested in ENT, and have been for some time. I am just starting my 4th year of medical school, and will need to take time off. My mother had a primary brain tumor resected 2 years ago, and it has come back horribly. Her doctor believes she has a few months, but we are at the end of the line with treatment, as she has had chemo, radiation, more chemo, etc. We go to Duke for a second opinion, which has one of the best brain tumor centers in the world, so I know that this is truly the end of the treatments and trials for her. She is starting to have right sided weakness and difficulty speaking, and needs help to do everyday activities at this point ( I would not let her drive or anything in the current state). My parents are divorced, and I have to be available to take care of her while this is going on.
My question is, by my taking a year off, should I try to do something less competitive than Otolaryngology? My step 1 is 250+, I'll have a publication, and have already presented a poster in the field, I'm AOA....everything academically should be fine, but there is no way I can be gone this year to interviews while she is going through all of this mess. I will be able to work on some more research this year because the schedule for that is obviously more flexible than rotations and going to many interviews. I would just like some feedback and advice, and if anyone has experienced a similar situation...actually I'm hoping no one else has had a similar experience, because it completely sucks. I truly love ENT, it is really what I want to do, and would be happy to get in anywhere I think. Thank you so much.
