Scheduling for 4th year

[nebin]

I am a 3rd year student trying to plan the upcoming 4th year. Basically, I am undecided between Peds, EM and OB/Gyn. AND, I am getting married in September and wanted to have some time off that month. Is this feasible If I end up wanting to do EM?

Or am I just screwed cause there aren't enough months to sort those three out, and get married, and do aways...?

Also, If I dropped either Peds or OB/Gyn by the end of 3rd year, would I still be pushing it with deciding between two specialties and getting married?

Basically, if I do EM am I screwed because I wasted a month on a Peds AI?

D

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[EctopicFetus]

Well I dont know when you can start your school stuff but bottom line is this.. You should be done with 2 EMs by the end of Sept and at the VERY latest end of Oct (you would need to push your LOR writers to get them in ASAP). A friend of mine decided to switch real late and did 2 EM months 1 in Sept and 1 in Oct and he got a decent number of interviews. Anything beyond that I think is a risk..

So you could do Peds (Or OB) in July, then EM in Aug and Oct. Hope this helps.. I think if you want to do all 3 and have the month of Sept off you would really be pushing it.

 

[nebin]

Well I dont know when you can start your school stuff but bottom line is this.. You should be done with 2 EMs by the end of Sept and at the VERY latest end of Oct (you would need to push your LOR writers to get them in ASAP). A friend of mine decided to switch real late and did 2 EM months 1 in Sept and 1 in Oct and he got a decent number of interviews. Anything beyond that I think is a risk..

So you could do Peds (Or OB) in July, then EM in Aug and Oct. Hope this helps.. I think if you want to do all 3 and have the month of Sept off you would really be pushing it.

Thanks! As a side, if I do a 2wk elective in EM by the end of 3rd year, would this make my life easier (ie. would it be acceptable to get a letter from it?)? Or would it not matter as far as helping with timing next year...

D

 

[EctopicFetus]

I think it would only help as a matter of figuring out if you want EM or Peds or OB. I dont think that letter will matter much. The LOR form aka thr SLOR which can be found on the cordem.org website is what you need to use and I believe it is for 4th yrs only.. not sure.. I would look at the form..

 

[TysonCook]

If you are at my school you can't have a letter submitted until fourth year anyway. It will be good to get in w/certain people and let them know you are interested, but the was ERAS works, you won't be able to get it uploaded, and IvaDean suggests that you wait.

Do the 3rd yr rotation first, see if you like it, then go from there.

Fourth year looked like this for me:
July:Sub-I (get a letter as it will work for any field)
Aug: Emergency at Cincy (got two letters, 1 advisor, 1 from well known faculty)
Sept: Emergency away at MGH (got one letter from directors) -submit ERAS
Oct: Emergency AHEC Community at Cincy
Nov: Sub-I and Step II
Dec: off for interviews
Jan: off for interviews
Feb: Req Neuro clerkship
March-May: EKG/Rads/GAS

Hope this helps. Start to email programs that you are interested in early for aways as they will fill early.