Rotate at programs with rescidency

[mdew87]

i am going to start my 3rd year at a DO school soon and we can do 3 away rotations 3rd year. i was wondering whether for the away rotations i should only pick locations and programs that have a affiliated residency with it so i can use them as a audition rotation. or is it to early and i should not determine where i rotate based on this criteria rather i should just pick a program that interest me more but doesn't have a residency associated with it at that location.
thanks.

 

[gmreed2]

Depends what you want to go into. A specialty like family medicine with plenty of open spots at the end of the match will take someone who hasn't rotated at that location, whereas a more competitive specialty may require a rotation for an interview unless you have rockstar scores.

It also depends what kind of training you'd like to get out of the rotation. Of course every location is different but you might prefer a more one-on-one interaction which you would get out of a private practicing physician. At a residency location you may only have residents leading you along and your experience will depend on their demeanor, experience, and a whole shlew of other factors.

You should also consider the idea that you don't want to walk into an away rotation and look horrible because you don't have much experience in particular sub-specialty yet.

I'm an MS2 right now scheduling for next year; we only have 1 elective month and I definitely plan to use it only for potential residency locations. If I had more I might consider something closer so I wouldn't have to deal with housing and travel. I personally wouldn't waste much time with locations that don't have a residency unless it's a hassle to schedule multiple or if you need more experience to make this away rotation worth it to you.

 

[Doc Gray]

a lot of what @gmreed2 says holds true.

The problems always lies in the fact that EVERYBODY is different (welcome to the world of medicine, where you will be repeating that same statement to many patients). You should find out from previous years WHERE they did their rotations for the specific specialty you want.

If you hear great things about a specific attending at a practice w/o a residency that might be a better opportunity than a residency where the residents are overworked and can't take the time to teach.

Do your homework and don't compare programs solely based on residents or not.

Good Luck!

 

[LSU Alex]

i am going to start my 3rd year at a DO school soon and we can do 3 away rotations 3rd year. i was wondering whether for the away rotations i should only pick locations and programs that have a affiliated residency with it so i can use them as a audition rotation. or is it to early and i should not determine where i rotate based on this criteria rather i should just pick a program that interest me more but doesn't have a residency associated with it at that location.
thanks.

I wouldn't worry about "auditions" as a 3rd year. You should spend your 3rd year focused on getting as many of the skills necessary for your acting internships for 4th year. You should find clerkships that will let you do and see as much as possible. Get confident in your H&P presentations, understand how to breakdown a patient, and start formulating plans of care (even if they are wrong, still go through the exercise). When you actually do your auditions during your 4th year, your team will appreciate your confidence and contribution. Understand that residencies are looking for someone who is teachable, will contribute, and isn't a jerk. Keep that in mind while doing all your rotations, and you will be fine. Good luck!