so i've been wondering this as well. Clinical rotations are basically 72 weeks right? Is it possible to do these back to back whilst taking as little vacation possible? I want to finish asap and i was wondering if anyone ever did their rotations one after the next and finished earlier
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Speed up rotations
Started by cardiodude
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Isn't that what generally happens anyway? I had a total of 5 (scheduled) weeks off during third and fourth year.
What weeks off are you hearing of?
I don't have any official weeks off between rotations. Maybe a few weeks of vacation at the end of 4th year.
I don't have any official weeks off between rotations. Maybe a few weeks of vacation at the end of 4th year.
Most schools let you take a few weeks off for step 2 study and residency interviews.
Yes its possible if your registrar makes it possible. I know people who did courses over winter or spring break, to save up time for a rotation later on or even just to get finished with everything sooner. I personally packed 2 weeks worth of ER shifts into an 8 day spring break so I could get the following two weeks off to travel. Even without doing that, my school had two months of vacation during clinicals, and I do know people who scheduled both of them last, so that their last day of rotations was at the end of Feburary. If you worked every christmas and spring break I guess someone could theoretically have finished at the end of december and had a 6 month break between med school and residency.
Most schools aren't quite that flexible, but quite a few will let you get away with at least a little something if you really push for it.
You got gyped.
I had a week off every Mardi Gras, another week off for spring break, a week off for summer break, and two weeks off for winter. That was in addition to the two months of vacation/interview time/study time I could schedule whenever.
We had 1 week off third year for winter break, and then 3 months we could use either w/ 1 during m3 and 2 during m4, or all 3 during m4. Those 3 months were used by most people for step 2 study time, interviewing, and/or a real vacation. We could schedule them whenever, so if someone really wanted to take the last 3 months of the year off, they could.
Well let me take that back. I think I get a week or two for christmas/new years. Besides that I don't think there's much.
My school gives us a 4 week block off during 3rd year in addition to a didactic week every 3 months (OSCEs, shelves, prep-lecture (plenary) for next rotation block) and 4 weeks of rotations for 4th year (we can take them when ever we want... which helps to keep us from being locked out of electives because the schedule doesn't match up).
If you really want to speed it up, you could do 3 years like my program--but it's 3 years straight through, no breaks. Kinda sucks. I signed up for it though.
M1: July through late May
June & July: two 4-wk rotations (cores)
M2: August through late May, boards (ok, we do get Thanksgiving and ~10 days at Christmas)
M3: June through end of May, no vacation, no holidays unless our preceptors are nice.
The downside is few electives and no auditions. Also you have to be a PA first 😉
Sometimes I think I would like to do the slower 4-year track and enjoy it a little bit but saving a year's tuition is something.
M1: July through late May
June & July: two 4-wk rotations (cores)
M2: August through late May, boards (ok, we do get Thanksgiving and ~10 days at Christmas)
M3: June through end of May, no vacation, no holidays unless our preceptors are nice.
The downside is few electives and no auditions. Also you have to be a PA first 😉
Sometimes I think I would like to do the slower 4-year track and enjoy it a little bit but saving a year's tuition is something.
what program are u in?
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We're in the med student forums, and you wrote M1-M3, which is for med school...
And a 3 year PA program is longer than average. You can get a bachelor's+PA in 5 years total at Marquette.
Actually, it looks like it's a 3 year DO program for people who already are a PA.
http://lecom.edu/college-medicine.php/Accelerated-Physician-Assistant-Pathway-APAP/49/2205/612/2395
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I see. I think it's conceivable to condense med school, but the whole application process still takes a while and would be hard to stuff into a busy M3 year.
Yup above. Been a PA for 12 yr. Will be a DO in a little less than 2 years (M2 now). It has flown by but I'm pretty sure M3 is gonna suck a little more than typical.
Yeah, I agree. You could very easily chop a year off of med school, but that interview time has to come from somewhere.
You know what we could speed up? Neurology rounds. I think we finished rounds this morning that we started late last week.
Hey man, those lesions aren't going to find themselves.
I think the bigger question isn't interviews so much as elective and audition rotations. Interviews are simple... if we go back to a traditional internship year prior to starting residency instead of incorporating intern year into residencies.
My school has a 3 year program for those committed to family medicine. (To address your problem of interview time: they get an automatic acceptance into one of our affiliated fam med residencies, so long as pass Steps I/II on first attempt).
Time/vacation-wise, it's a VERY intense program.
On the upside though, one year of tuition is obviously shaved off, plus they receive an additional one year scholarship from the school. Cut your loans nearly in half + automatic residency position = many students find it worth the extra intensity. The first class of students from the program will graduate this May. 👍
(I'm not in it though--don't wanna do primary care. 😎 )
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^^^IMO that would be a much more reasonable way to do it. I don't know how I'm going to find time to interview with no time off at all. I admit I'm starting to worry a bit about it.
Why would anyone want to speed up med school. Um fourth year was basically one extended party.
It's impossible to party responsibly then, eh?
