Residency app problems if last M3 clerkship is in M4 year?

[cobalt314]

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My school made an error in clerkship scheduling & my M3 family med rotation was scheduled as a M4 elective instead. Now, the most likely available option for scheduling the M3 family med rotation is at the end of September-October. As residency applications can be submitted through ERAS started in mid-September, I'm wondering if it'll cause any problems to submit my application without the M3 family med clerkship completed.

Reasons why I'm hoping it won't be an issue:
-I'll have the M4 family med elective completed with a grade
-I'm applying into a non-competitive field (that is not family medicine) & have all of my other rotations completed (i.e. IM, Surgery, etc)
-The M3 family med clerkship will be completed by the end of October before a lot of interviews take place

Can anyone chime in with whether they think this might cause difficulties with residency apps? If this is viewed as a huge red flag that would hinder getting interviews, please let me know.

Btw, I tried to see if I can get the M4 family med elective to count as the M3 clerkship, but it can't due to scheduling of the M3 clerkship shelf exam, plus availability/scheduling of the M3 clerkship is scarce.

Thanks.

 

[Zarika]

I'm only an M3 myself, but I can't imagine this being a problem unless you were applying family med, which you're not.

 

[mvenus929]

I don't think it'll be an issue with your residency application, but it might be for step 2 (we have to finish all clerkships before we're eligible to sit for Step 2, but I don't know if that's a school policy vs. USMLE policy), which might affect your residency application.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

My school made an error in clerkship scheduling & my M3 family med rotation was scheduled as a M4 elective instead. Now, the most likely available option for scheduling the M3 family med rotation is at the end of September-October. As residency applications can be submitted through ERAS started in mid-September, I'm wondering if it'll cause any problems to submit my application without the M3 family med clerkship completed.

Reasons why I'm hoping it won't be an issue:
-I'll have the M4 family med elective completed with a grade
-I'm applying into a non-competitive field (that is not family medicine) & have all of my other rotations completed (i.e. IM, Surgery, etc)
-The M3 family med clerkship will be completed by the end of October before a lot of interviews take place

Can anyone chime in with whether they think this might cause difficulties with residency apps? If this is viewed as a huge red flag that would hinder getting interviews, please let me know.

Btw, I tried to see if I can get the M4 family med elective to count as the M3 clerkship, but it can't due to scheduling of the M3 clerkship shelf exam, plus availability/scheduling of the M3 clerkship is scarce.

Thanks.

Shouldn't matter at all. Some schools don't make you take all of your third year clerkships during third year--they allow you to defer a third year clerkship until fourth year so you can take an elective.

I don't think it'll be an issue with your residency application, but it might be for step 2 (we have to finish all clerkships before we're eligible to sit for Step 2, but I don't know if that's a school policy vs. USMLE policy), which might affect your residency application.

That's your school's policy. Plenty of people take step II without having finished all their third year clerkships.

 

[cobalt314]

Thanks for all the responses so far. If anyone else has any knowledge or experience with this issue, I would appreciate any input!

Logically, I would like to think that programs would not have an issue with the late family med clerkship for the reasons that I've already mentioned. However, I don't know if programs have some sort of checklist where all M3 clerkships must be complete & with a grade prior to being considered for interviews (i.e. an essential "pre-req" that must be completed to be eligible sort of thing). I just wanted to check before confirming the updated scheduling of my rotations.

Thanks!

 

[yoyostring]

Even if applying to family med. You'll be fine.