Question about doing another Psychiatry rotation as an MS4? Already done with 2.

[phagocytosis41]

I'm already in the process of completing 2 Psychiatry 'audition'/elective rotations in my 4th year and will get 2 LORs from Psychiatrists. Should I do another Psychiatry rotation on my next rotation or should I do something else? I don't think I would get another LOR in time since it'll be pretty close to the time to submit residency applications... It's a child psych rotation btw. How important is it to do 3 elective Psych rotations vs 2 vs any at all with Covid? Thanks.

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[calvinhobbes]

You’re fine.

 

[splik]

I generally discourage doing too many psychiatry rotations. This is your chance to do other things. a medicine sub-i, neurology elective and emergency medicine rotation are recommended if not mandatory. Otherwise sleep medicine, pain medicine, palliative medicine, endocrinology, geriatrics, movement disorders, epilepsy, PMR, are some electives/rotations that may be useful to you as a future psychiatrist. You only need 1 LoR from a psychiatrist for residency and 2 elective psych rotations is sufficient (at least one of which should be inpatient, C-L or emergency psychiatry), and 3 is really the most unless you are doing some special rotations (e.g. forensic, neuropsychiatry, eating disorders, psychodynamic psychotherapy) that you might not otherwise get.

 

[clozareal]

Are these elective/audition rotation at programs where you want to go to for residency?

I agree with splik that if these are througout your 4th year and not away rotations, then doing other specialty rotations is helpful because this is one of your last times to do so. This is particularly true in specialties with lots of overlap in psychiatry.

I loved my rotations in endocrinology, rheumatology, gastroenterology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, inpatient renal, child neurology, and EKG lab. I did not enjoy my rotation in neuropathology, inpatient cardiology, pulmonology/allergy/immunology, ophthalmology, infectious disease, and dermatology.

I thought my elective in PM&R was all right but perhaps my rotation was too intervention heavy (lots of muscle ultrasound and fluoroscopic injections for pain) and perhaps being in the TBI or spinal cord injury clinic would have been better. I also didn't particularly enjoy anesthesia or ICU.

Wish I would have done more sleep medicine and neurology subspecialties (dementia, epilepsy, movement disorders, neuroimmunology, headache clinic).

 

[phagocytosis41]

Are these elective/audition rotation at programs where you want to go to for residency?

Well I could only do rotations at these places since other places don't allow it if you are able to take them at your home institution. And I wouldn't made going to this place, but the 3rd rotation is really just to have a better app?

 

[clozareal]

Well I could only do rotations at these places since other places don't allow it if you are able to take them at your home institution. And I wouldn't made going to this place, but the 3rd rotation is really just to have a better app?

Then in that case, I wouldn't recommend doing it since it probably won't help your application. I would only do additional rotations if you are auditioning at their place for your top 2-3 ranked residency programs so they get to know you and you get a feel for their program.

 

[phagocytosis41]

Then in that case, I wouldn't recommend doing it since it probably won't help your application. I would only do additional rotations if you are auditioning at their place for your top 2-3 ranked residency programs so they get to know you and you get a feel for their program.

Right thanks. ... Any recommendation on what else I should during this month then? It's an elective month for me.

 

[Psychresy]

Right thanks. ... Any recommendation on what else I should during this month then? It's an elective month for me.

Something very chill.

 

[clozareal]

Right thanks. ... Any recommendation on what else I should during this month then? It's an elective month for me.

Splik and I already gave our advice on electives up above. It depends on what you have in your program.

 

[phagocytosis41]

Splik and I already gave our advice on electives up above. It depends on what you have in your program.

oh right, thanks!

 

[JKinSC]

Right thanks. ... Any recommendation on what else I should during this month then? It's an elective month for me.

I did electives in child neuro, which was awesome but depressing, and in endo because 2/3* of your patients are going to be diabetic, and there’s definitely some overlap with thyroid/adrenal issues.

*Only a slight exaggeration

 

[Central_SOULcus]

As those above have said, any remaining rotations you do should be ones that will help increase your knowledge base before intern year. For example, I did an intense medicine sub-I in March (the same month as Match). Though most people in my class were taking the last few months of MS4 easy--and don't get me wrong, there's some merit to that too--I wanted to push myself since I knew I'd be doing 4 months of medicine as an intern in psych. I thought it was really helpful and have no regrets in doing that.

 

[ArdorAyurveda]

I plan on doing away rotations at 2 institutions that are in cities where I'm considering living. Then I'll spend the rest of my rotations doing fun stuff like the Austen Riggs Fellowship and some Aerospace Medicine electives. I could see myself doing an Internal Medicine and Neurology sub-I at my home institution just for the knowledge.

I see the allure of taking 4th year easy, but I imagine that I'd like to keep learning stuff that I'll never really have the chance to LEARN again. I want to know that stuff cold before I have someone's life on my hands.

 

[phagocytosis41]

As those above have said, any remaining rotations you do should be ones that will help increase your knowledge base before intern year. For example, I did an intense medicine sub-I in March (the same month as Match). Though most people in my class were taking the last few months of MS4 easy--and don't get me wrong, there's some merit to that too--I wanted to push myself since I knew I'd be doing 4 months of medicine as an intern in psych. I thought it was really helpful and have no regrets in doing that.

I had similar ideas.. Thanks!