Taking a year off, best ways to keep clinical knowledge fresh?

[asquared]

Like the post says, I'm an MS3 who's completed almost all her core rotations about to take a year off to get an MPH. Once I return to the med school curriculum I'll be doing a sub-i in pediatrics and hope to take STEP 2 CK after that. Does anyone have tips on keeping clinical knowledge fresh over my year off? Ideally, I'll be going to peds clinic an afternoon a week, but I don't want to totally lose all my medicine, surgery, ob/gyn knowledge either. Thanks for the advice!

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[Tenk]

No MPH is worth one lost year of attending salary. An MPH is largely worthless for doctors for both a knowledge reason (you’re smart enough to learn all the material on your own independently) and a financial one (it adds no monetary value to your career). Taking a year off to get one will also cost you over two hundred thousand dollars as a peds attending. If you really want a MPH you can get one when you’re an attending on the side. Then you don’t have to even worry about falling behind.

 

[AMEHigh]

I took 2 years off between 3rd and 4th year several years ago. To be honest I didn’t do anything specific to keep up my knowledge. I took step 2 at the end of my leave of absence. I was able to have dedicated study time for about 2 months before I took the test and that pretty much got me back in the clinical mindset. Once I started 4th year again I realized with the studying I did for step 2 my clinical knowledge was just about where it needed to be. Good luck to you!

 

[raiderette]

Taking a year off between MS3 and MS4. I am doing research, but I still go to Grand rounds, at least in my intended specialty. I took CK, so I won't have that to get back on track.

 

[getdown]

Best way? Not to take a year off for an MPH.

 

[asquared]

Thank you to people who provided insight.

I didn't want to answer, but I feel it was unnecessary to have two comments to tell me I shouldn't do an MPH. That wasn't my question and your opinion is warranted on some level, but this isn't the place.

 

[MSTPlease]

I would take CK before you leave, thats what my school requires.

I took 4 years off between MS2 and MS3 and didn't do anything clinical and it worked out fine so 1 year is nothing

 

[Schwifty]

I would take CK before you leave, thats what my school requires.

I took 4 years off between MS2 and MS3 and didn't do anything clinical and it worked out fine so 1 year is nothing

4 years off? What did you do during that time?

 

[Dro133]

4 years off? What did you do during that time?

Based on their username, a PhD.

 

[Planes2Doc]

 

[MSTPlease]

4 years off? What did you do during that time?

Based on their username, a PhD.