Can someone explain the differences in these terms? I always thought a Sub-I was an audition rotation and they were both the same as aways, but I see people saying they did a sub-I one month and an away the next month and an AI the next month. What's the difference?
Sub-I vs. audition rotation vs. away rotation
- Thread starter MrDocMD
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Sub-Internship (Sub-I): A 4th year rotation designed to mimic an intern rotation. While an MS4 can't do most day to day things an intern can for legal reasons, cognitively, there is a huge overlap between interns and MS4s. They therefore can function on rotations much in the same way an intern would. They can handle consults, do admissions/transfers, hold team pagers, discharges etc. The purpose of a Sub-I is two-fold. First, it allows the MS4 to see what it is like to be an intern on a particular service and the opportunity to be a more integrated part of the team. Second, it is a learning ground for MS4s. Like most things in medical school, you get what you put in. How to deal with nursing calls, how to setup basic plans, how to run a service etc. All things that can be learned while a Sub-I.
Externship (Aways): Rotations done at other institutions. These come in a variety of forms and can be broadly categorized into 2 sub-categories based on the purpose of the rotations. 1) Purpose: Education. These rotations are like a Sub-I, but the emphasis is on content rather than how to survive as an intern. 2) Purpose: Interview/Audition. These rotations are Sub-Is at institutions that you are applying to for residency. (See next section)
Auditions (Extended interviews): Typically done at other institutions. MS4s will spend time on a service functioning much like a Sub-I. The purpose is to impress. It is essentially a month long interview. Many students will give presentations to the department, either an overview on a topic or about their own research, kind of like a mini-grand rounds. From my experience, people on these rotations go a little nuts. Work hours go out the window. Very much a first one in, last one out, know every patient better than anyone else in the hospital kind of rotation.
As you can probably tell, there is a fair amount of overlap between these categories, but they are different.
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For example, my MS4 year... I was planning to go into Vascular Surgery, so I did a Sub-I in the Trauma ICU at home. Then I did a Sub-I on my home Vascular service. Then I did an away on the Trauma service in a different city. I love trauma, but this was also so that I knew the hospital better before... Then I did an away/audition in Vascular Surgery at the same hospital which at the time was my first choice program. I had a full month under my belt at that hospital. Knew the computer system, the OR system, where everything was, etc. So when I showed up on day 1 of my Vascular away I knew where everything was, I could round effectively and just plain hit the ground running.
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You can also do "elective" aways that are not in something you are interested in going into and therefore not auditions. Usually in neat or easy specialties or at a location near the beach or ski slopes 😛
And at my school we have to do one inpatient subI and one outpatient subI at our school. So subIs are definitely not all away.
