Question about away rotations

[DocSqd]

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Greetings from a newcomer,

I am an MD/PhD student currently in the middle of 3rd year. I plan on applying in radonc next year, and wanted to ask a question about away rotations. I am trying to move back to my home city and wanted some advice about setting up away rotations. There are several institutions there, one of which would be my top choice regardless of geographic constraint. I can probably spend two months at the beginning of the year on away electives, and wanted opinions on whether it was better to spend a month doing radonc (if i can get it) at two different locations, or a radonc and either a hem/onc, or ped hem/onc month at the same place so I can try and get involved in some research while I'm there (possible in a month, but easier if in the same place for two). My PhD was in cancer biology, but did not directly involve radiation work, so I am interested in doing some research more directly related to radonc. I'd be grateful for any thoughts the group might have. Thanks.

 

[Abnormal Saline]

Greetings from a newcomer,

I am an MD/PhD student currently in the middle of 3rd year. I plan on applying in radonc next year, and wanted to ask a question about away rotations. I am trying to move back to my home city and wanted some advice about setting up away rotations. There are several institutions there, one of which would be my top choice regardless of geographic constraint. I can probably spend two months at the beginning of the year on away electives, and wanted opinions on whether it was better to spend a month doing radonc (if i can get it) at two different locations, or a radonc and either a hem/onc, or ped hem/onc month at the same place so I can try and get involved in some research while I'm there (possible in a month, but easier if in the same place for two). My PhD was in cancer biology, but did not directly involve radiation work, so I am interested in doing some research more directly related to radonc. I'd be grateful for any thoughts the group might have. Thanks.

It is generally better to get rad onc months under your belt. I’m not sure what you’re trying to accomplish with a month in hem/onc—if it’s a round-about way to impress a radiation oncology department, I think that you’d be wasting your time. If you’re looking to do research during an elective month, you’re applying to radiation oncology and you have no radiation oncology research, why not complete a month in radiation oncology research at one of these departments? I would never advise completing a month in hem/onc in order to improve your chances of matching in rad onc, even if it’s at a specific location. When it’s time for your radiation oncology interview, some of your interviewers may not know the hem/onc doctor with whom you worked even if it’s in the same institution. However, if you do a month in radiation oncology (research or clinical) all of your interviewers will know your research mentor within that department; there will likely be faculty at other institutions who recognize the name of your rad onc research mentor.

You’ll do quite well in the match with a PhD in cancer biology. However, spending time with heme/onc in place of rad onc in the months prior to radiation oncology interview season is a waste.

Good luck, DocSqd!!!

 

[DocSqd]

Thanks for the reply. I was planning on spending July at my home institution, getting some experience and continuing to work on the research collaboration I have recently started with a member of the faculty here. I was then going to spend August/September on away rotations. Because of a peculiarity in my schedule I have to take a research month in November, at my home institution, thus I didn't want to use another month for research early in the year. So it sounds like I'd be best served by doing a month at two different locations. Thanks for the encouraging words.

DocSqd