Question about order of MS3 clerkships & elective

[ischium]

I am a MS2 in the process of ranking my track preferences for my MS3 year, and would greatly appreciate any feedback someone might have about the placement of an elective. Each MS3 track has a different order of clinical rotations, but besides the order the tracks are the same. The MS3 year begins in late May and ends in the following late May. There is one spot for an elective in the MS3 year. The majority of the tracks are arranged so that this elective time is after the last clerkship of the MS3 year, at the end of the MS3 year (end of April to late May). If I am in one of these tracks, I would have to decide on which elective I take by the end of the February (of MS3 year). However, a few of the tracks have this elective time during January&February (late-middle of the MS3 year), and if I am in one of these tracks I have to decide on the elective by early December (approx. 1 month before the elective would start). I am considering one of these tracks but wanted to get some feedback about the placement of this elective time. I do not yet know what specialty I want, except that I know I do not want: OB/GYN, surgery, or family medicine. I also have an interest in specialties that pertain to the nervous system but am not limiting my considerations to that. It is possible for me to do research for this elective instead of another specialty/sub-specialty, though I do not know yet if I would prefer this. Does anyone have any thoughts about the possible impact of the elective placement in Jan&Feb vs. the end of April to late May?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Optimus-Prime]

Could you do a research elective where you choose something now, but have the ability to change the specialty depending on your interests?

 

[URHere]

When are your MS4 schedule request forms due? The only way I could imagine it mattering is if you choose to rotate in a non-core specialty you may want to match in. In that case, it would be helpful to do the elective early so that you know whether or not you like the specialty in time to line up Sub-Is.

Alternately, if you are pretty set on a research month I would suggest doing it later in the year. If you have a May rotation, you may even be able to use some of that time to prep for Step 2 CK - I did something similar and I was very glad to get Step 2 out of the way before heading into Sub-I season.

 

[CubsFan314]

I would put the rotations you don't like up front so that when you are on your rotations that you are interested in, you are just learning that specialty not also trying to learn how to function in a clinical setting at the same time as well.

 

[christmasindr]

At the end, it doesn't matter that much I think. I would place the elective last since there are some elective rotations require prereqs (e.g. completing surgery and medicine first).