Selecting M3 rotation site

[Dr Dazzle]

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Hey guys,

At my school we get to pick from various base hospitals to do 3rd year rotations. Some hospitals are in cities, others are in more rural places.

My question is, does it matter where you do your 3rd year rotations? Ive been told that rotations are really what you make of it. However, im sure that some bigger hospitals will have IM and EM residents and associated residencies, whereas it will just be you and a preceptor in the smaller hospitals.

Wanted to know the pros/cons. Also, how does M3 factor in when applying for residencies? I know most people do auditions in M4 anyways.

Thanks!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

based on my experience as well as those from other students in my class, the hospitals with residencies will give you a better feeling of the hierarchy and may have more organization and structure, but the rural programs will often put you working directly with the attending and allow you to do more. some rotations will be better at each place. for example, my anesthesia rotation was in a community hospital with no other students and they let me intubate everyone, whereas the local hospital full of students didn't allow students to intubate. in contrast, my ob rotation was with a private practice doc that only allowed shadowing for the most part whereas the hospital full of students had expected procedures that needed done.

a friend of mine went to a rural hospital and she did everything from running codes, all the procedures, and all the notes because there were no residents to take them, but she had never worked with residents.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

based on my experience as well as those from other students in my class, the hospitals with residencies will give you a better feeling of the hierarchy and may have more organization and structure, but the rural programs will often put you working directly with the attending and allow you to do more. some rotations will be better at each place. for example, my anesthesia rotation was in a community hospital with no other students and they let me intubate everyone, whereas the local hospital full of students didn't allow students to intubate. in contrast, my ob rotation was with a private practice doc that only allowed shadowing for the most part whereas the hospital full of students had expected procedures that needed done.

a friend of mine went to a rural hospital and she did everything from running codes, all the procedures, and all the notes because there were no residents to take them, but she had never worked with residents.

Whats the perspective on getting LORs in M3? I heard they are more respected from places where there are residencies. I guess you would have access to program director in bigger hospitals versus just a community attending at smaller sites. Not sure how much it really matters since you have M4 too to get LORs.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

That's a tough answer as well. It is hard to get a good letter from a program director when the faculty each worked with you for a couple days. Whereas my letters are from docs I have been with for a month and can say "I really know this guy." But, as stated, it isn't from a program director.