Wow, I was just thinking about starting a thread like this! I am in a similar situation. I am a 2nd year medical student (about to take boards) and start rotations in July. I have wanted to do pathology since high school and it's the only reason I am in medical school. I am stressing myself out (probably too much) about setting up rotations. I am also an osteopathic student and the anxiety is probably a result of the importance of rotating at a program to even get looked at when it comes to osteopathic residencies.
I have an elective month in August (my 2nd EVER rotation) and another one in January of my third year. My school does not have any restrictions on the number of rotations we can do in one specialty. Out of all 8 of my electives, 2 have to be primary care but that's it. So, I guess I could technically do 6 path rotations. I know that is probably overkill but I am in the same boat as the original poster. I have been looking to set up rotations at some path programs but most of them specify that you need to be a 4th year and some don't even accept osteopathic students for rotations. So I was wondering what to do with these 2 months? I was thinking about setting up a rotation with a local pathologist to avoid "looking stupid" at my subsequent rotations but from reading this post, I'm guessing it's inevitable to be clueless on path rotations.
FreakedOut: Did you have any problems getting the one path rotation at the residency program set up?
I have started to narrow some places down (ie emailed all the programs in the country to get a feel for who accepts COMLEX over USMLE and who actually has DO residents in their program) and surprisingly there are about 60+ programs that fall into this category. The problem is just knowing when and how to schedule rotations and get seen. I am probably worrying ENTIRELY too much but I am just very concerned of not getting into a decent path program in a couple years. It's just the lack of knowing what to do and how to strategically plan everything that is frustrating!
just wondering if u knew of any def DO unfriendly programs? i also go to to a DO school and will be matching into pathology hopefully this coming year w/ u. could've graduated last year but finished a little late so decided to do an mph and apply this year on time. i already completed 4 path rotations (2 were 2 wks) and 1 was at a program w/o a residency. i needed a 2 wk rotation since one of my CP rotations was only 2 wks and i didn't feel it was a waste of time even though it couldn't be an audition rotation. i got more time actually to sit individually w/ the attendings b/c they didn't need to teach residents.
honestly, even as a DO student, i don't think u need more than 3 max rotations in pathology even if u have more electives. i was told by most of the residents at programs i rotated at, they did only 1 or 2 path electives, but they also were MDs. since my school also only allows 3 electives in the same specialty, i did the other electives in closely related fields of interest for me (id, hem, and public health research/id pathology).
having been where u guys r now, i know the stress of the uncertainty of having to apply to MD residencies as a DO and not knowing if we need to "do more" to get looked at the same as an MD candidate. i didn't have any problems setting up my path rotations but i also did them late (2nd semester) since i knew that i was going to match in 2012 and i'm guessing fall electives are filled much more quickly and are harder to come by. so just apply as early as u can so that u can avoid missing out b/c they don't have spots available. some programs i applied to had application fees and some wanted transcripts (and could turn u down if they didn't like ur grades).
sometimes its difficult to know what to do on path electives esp if the program/ppl don't go out of their way to have a structured plan for u. so take initiative...brush up on ur histo so that u can at least id what tissue u r looking at during surgpath signouts. robbins is also good to read and knowing ur step 1 boards type "most commons" helps (i got asked what is the most common tumor in ...? etc). offer to do a presentation (i know at one program, some residents were amazed i volunteered to do one b/c no med student ever had and it helped them out that week b/c they were short a presenter and trying to recruit someone). 2 programs i rotated w/ required a presentation so if u put together one awesome one (i was lucky, i had actual bone marrow bx slides from my hem rotation and supplemented w/ some web pix, too), u can recycle the presentation or tweak it for each site if u want to cut down on the work of putting together a different one for each site. one of my sites required that we found a case early at their site (tell your resident to be on the look out and to point out to u if there is an interesting case u can use for a presentation at the end of rotation) - and u had to get the clinical info, etc from the EMR (resident said she could help since i didn't have complete access) and include that, too.
most places won't let u gross due to liability issues but if they do, by all means, do (after making sure u know what u're doing b/c that's precious tissue if u f it up)! ask if they have slide boxes of interesting teaching cases or current cases that u can preview on ur own - if they're teaching cases, maybe ask a nice resident if they'll go over them w/ u after u've previewed/tried on ur own. if they're current cases, then ask to preview a couple that the resident is done looking at and then sit in on the signout w/ that resident and her/his attending.
find out the schedules for the residents (eg - who is on autopsy, etc) and then introduce urself to that resident and let them know u're interesting in going w/ them to ...eg - autopsy - when there is one and if its ok w/ them. i am more interested in cp so i spent a lot of time on mol path, micro, blood bank/tm/apheresis, chem, hemepath. if u have a good idea of what u'd like to try, its easier for them to figure out who to send u to (or which resident to assign u w/ that day) if they don't already have that planned out for u (most places i was at didn't have a plan for me and built the rotation around my interests).
this is getting long so if u have specific questions, PM me (i rotated at community based hospitals w/ and w/o a residency, top tier academic center, and government sites due to my interest in public health).
