Rotation cancellation

[docman85]

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I was planning on canceling my 4th EM rotation not because I wasn't interested in the program but b/c I realize that 4 aways is overkill and my time may be better spent back home doing other specialties in EM like ultrasound or sports med that I am interested in as well.

The kicker is I received an interview invite today after submitting my ERAS app on Sat. I am not sure if I should still cancel this rotation or not. I don't want to cancel and then the program take back the interview also I dont want to interview there and the program not take me seriously or already have their mind made up since I canceled the rotation.

Anyone have any advice or had similar experiences?

 

[FSU2013]

I was planning on canceling my 4th EM rotation not because I wasn't interested in the program but b/c I realize that 4 aways is overkill and my time may be better spent back home doing other specialties in EM like ultrasound or EM that I am interested in as well.

The kicker is I received an interview invite today after submitting my ERAS app on Sat. I am not sure if I should still cancel this rotation or not. I don't want to cancel and then the program take back the interview also I dont want to interview there and the program not take me seriously or already have their mind made up since I canceled the rotation.

Anyone have any advice or had similar experiences?

Sorry, I can't really help. I'd, personally, probably just suck it up and do the away. It probably won't get you anything, but you could offend someone by cancelling. How long before the rotation starts? That could also factor in.....

I doubt programs would withdraw an interview offer, but I may be wrong. On the other hand, they could still interview you with no intention of ranking - who knows?

If you don't mind sharing, where did you get an interview? Feel free to PM if you don't feel comfortable posting....

 

[dotcb]

Just cancel it. The program won't care and won't take it personally. We in academics agree that 4 aways is probably too many.

 

[Druggernaut]

Just cancel it. The program won't care and won't take it personally. We in academics agree that 4 aways is probably too many.

Not to derail the thread, but is four aways too many if you don't have a home program, effectively making all your EM rotations aways? Or should you spend time doing something related, like toxicology or ultrasound?

 

[EMPD]

I wouldn't worry about it. I doubt any PD would cancel an interview over something like this. They probably won't even notice. If you got an interview invite this early anyway you probably had something they liked other than your scheduled 4th EM rotation 🙂

 

[DeadCactus]

Not to derail the thread, but is four aways too many if you don't have a home program, effectively making all your EM rotations aways? Or should you spend time doing something related, like toxicology or ultrasound?

I think anything more than 2 is EM rotations total + 1 EM sub-specialty is overkill. I'm doing 3 EM rotations this year with no sub-specialty and think it was a mistake. You've got all of residency to do EM, fourth year is the time to either relax or rotate in specialties you'll never see again...

 

[Dane07MD]

Three total is borderline overkill. I did three. My reasoning was do a home rotation (on the east coast) and do 2 in the west to show my drive to get to the west coast. I think I would be understanding of someone in similar shoes as mine, but I also don't think doing 2 made a huge difference. 1 Home, 1 Away is plenty sufficient. The bonus of doing 3 is you may enjoy another EM month over some random elective...but any sane person should just find a BS elective and take some time to relax before life begins.

 

[blackavar]

I think 1-2 is the norm. If you're doing more then that, I think there should be a specific reason. Personally, I did 3 when I was student, one in my home institution and 2 in two different cities because they were cities I wanted to experience living in before I started interviewing. Doing the different aways was as much about the living experience as the learning opportunities.

Alternatively if you think you application is VERY weak or some sort of red flag, some people will advocate using your aways as "audition electives." The idea here being, residencies may overlook certain negative aspects of an applications if they have a very positive experience with a student on a month away rotation. If that's the case, you may want to do more like 3-4, but again, 1-2 rotations (including a "home" rotation if that's available to you) is still the standard.

As for cancelling an away rotation, I think in general you'll be fine as long as you don't just not show up. I think everyone understands that schedules change and life happens and things come up, and aways cost $$. As long as you're communicative and give as much time as you can, I'm sure they won't rescind an invite. And if they do...well...that says something about the residency to me.

 

[docman85]

Thanks guys, my biggest concern was that I received this invite b/c I was rotating there and that by canceling the rotation it would be a wasted interview. This particular place is not the top of my list, nor the bottom, it was more of a place that felt safe for me and a program that I didn't necessarily want to go to but more of a program I would go to.

 

[EMPD]

I doubt that the PD even knows you are rotating there in most cases if you haven't rotated there already. We have to process hundreds of applications and to cross reference that with a future rotator would be pretty unusual IMHO.

 

[tegs15]

I know of two programs that I was explicitly told if I applied for away rotation but did not come no interview would be offered.

 

[EMmotherhen]

cancel the rotation but then send the program coordinator a note explaining why you cancelled and that you are still interested in the program and hope to remain in active consideration for an interview. works every time - I've never written off a student who personally contacted us.