the official COMAT shelf thread

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anyone have any insight for the OB comat? take it next friday and I'm feeling pretty nervous about it.
 
ohmanwaddup said:
anyone have any insight for the OB comat? take it next friday and I'm feeling pretty nervous about it.
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Just took it a couple weeks ago.

All of that public health preventive stuff comes back - know when to do your mammograms, when to do your paps, and how to work up abnormal ones. Know how to manage OB emergencies, post-menopausal bleeding, normal pregnancy care, etc. Other than that, I feel like it was super repetitive tbh. One of my friends told me she had a bunch of breast pathology/histology questions but I didn’t really see much of that.
 
calivianya said:
Just took it a couple weeks ago.

All of that public health preventive stuff comes back - know when to do your mammograms, when to do your paps, and how to work up abnormal ones. Know how to manage OB emergencies, post-menopausal bleeding, normal pregnancy care, etc. Other than that, I feel like it was super repetitive tbh. One of my friends told me she had a bunch of breast pathology/histology questions but I didn’t really see much of that.
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Here’s hoping I pull through. I start questions tmr and that’ll either calm me or have me freak out more
 
when you are getting wrecked by comquest OBGYN questions, but then sneak a 5/5 for your last block of the day.

feels good man
 
Yeah, the panic is real.

I’m realizing I don’t have all of my letters. I’ve only applied for one audition so far (waiting for VSAS mostly) and haven’t heard back.

Like I don’t know, maybe I’m nuts... but I feel like I did well enough on my boards that I’m not that worried about auditions. I’m thinking rads right now (still planning to apply IM too just because it’s what I know and I might change my mind again LOL) and it sounds like auditions aren’t super important and my board scores are fine. So obviously I need to do a rads rotation or two, but other than that... maybe I can just chill at my core site for most of next year, take the easiest electives I can, and not travel a ton. Idk.

Or maybe I’ll be soaping next year with that plan. :arghh:
 
calivianya said:
Yeah, the panic is real.

I’m realizing I don’t have all of my letters. I’ve only applied for one audition so far (waiting for VSAS mostly) and haven’t heard back.

Like I don’t know, maybe I’m nuts... but I feel like I did well enough on my boards that I’m not that worried about auditions. I’m thinking rads right now (still planning to apply IM too just because it’s what I know and I might change my mind again LOL) and it sounds like auditions aren’t super important and my board scores are fine. So obviously I need to do a rads rotation or two, but other than that... maybe I can just chill at my core site for most of next year, take the easiest electives I can, and not travel a ton. Idk.

Or maybe I’ll be soaping next year with that plan. :arghh:
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I've applied to zero auditions if it makes you feel better.
 
calivianya said:
Yeah, the panic is real.

I’m realizing I don’t have all of my letters. I’ve only applied for one audition so far (waiting for VSAS mostly) and haven’t heard back.

Like I don’t know, maybe I’m nuts... but I feel like I did well enough on my boards that I’m not that worried about auditions. I’m thinking rads right now (still planning to apply IM too just because it’s what I know and I might change my mind again LOL) and it sounds like auditions aren’t super important and my board scores are fine. So obviously I need to do a rads rotation or two, but other than that... maybe I can just chill at my core site for most of next year, take the easiest electives I can, and not travel a ton. Idk.

Or maybe I’ll be soaping next year with that plan. :arghh:
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You can find me on a beach doing telepsych electives from when ERAS goes out in Sept until I start residency lmfao. Hoping it feels like my 2 week “community service learning” elective I just had when we had a mandatory zoom meeting at the end and I had a fish on the line on a boat in the Keys- my instructor was like “um are you fishing?”
 
Deecee2DO said:
You can find me on a beach doing telepsych electives from when ERAS goes out in Sept until I start residency lmfao. Hoping it feels like my 2 week “community service learning” elective I just had when we had a mandatory zoom meeting at the end and I had a fish on the line on a boat in the Keys- my instructor was like “um are you fishing?”
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This is how I have done a lot of 4th year.
 
DrStephenStrange said:
I applied to one audition 3 weeks ago and got it approved within 24 hours. I haven't had any luck since lol.
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Damn. I don’t hear back for any of mine until April.

low key might try and do one in forensic pathology just for fun
 
Ok so....I asked an attending for a LOR and was told to just write it myself and then they will make edits/submit it. How long do I make it??? I feel like I've said everything in a page but when I look them up online a lot of them are like 2 pages. It gets to like a page and a half once I add the letterhead info and what not.
 
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fldoctorgirl said:
Ok so....I asked an attending for a LOR and was told to just write it myself and then they will make edits/submit it. How long do I make it??? I feel like I've said everything in a page but when I look them up online a lot of them are like 2 pages. It gets to like a page and a half once I add the letterhead info and what not.
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I think that's perfect. I've helped edit like three of them for classmates and they have all been right around a page + space for letterhead and the like
 
fldoctorgirl said:
Ok so....I asked an attending for a LOR and was told to just write it myself and then they will make edits/submit it. How long do I make it??? I feel like I've said everything in a page but when I look them up online a lot of them are like 2 pages. It gets to like a page and a half once I add the letterhead info and what not.
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One attending asked me to do the same thing, and I have been having issues even starting it lol. Was there a specific website you used to know what to put in there? I'd really like to get this letter done soon.
 
DrStephenStrange said:
One attending asked me to do the same thing, and I have been having issues even starting it lol. Was there a specific website you used to know what to put in there? I'd really like to get this letter done soon.
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I can’t help you write the whole thing, but I’ve been told to include phrases such as “works at the level of a intern/resident” “
 
DrStephenStrange said:
One attending asked me to do the same thing, and I have been having issues even starting it lol. Was there a specific website you used to know what to put in there? I'd really like to get this letter done soon.
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I looked up sample ERAS LORS and kind of went from there. I did include the functions at the level of an intern, also because that was written in my eval comment from the doc so it felt appropriate ha.
 
ohmanwaddup said:
Up to 800 reviews a day.....
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Just for the Step 2 deck? 😳 I don't know if you've already checked it out, but there's an Anking video on being stuck in Ease Hell and the different settings you can change to see less reviews per day. After finishing the Step 1 deck I was a little worried at first that seeing less cards would hurt me in the long run but I haven't noticed a difference so far and my stats back me up on that. Right now doing 40 new/day and I'm at around 400 reviews/day. It could probably be less than that but I'm a little liberal with the "again" button
 
iforget2 said:
Just for the Step 2 deck? 😳 I don't know if you've already checked it out, but there's an Anking video on being stuck in Ease Hell and the different settings you can change to see less reviews per day. After finishing the Step 1 deck I was a little worried at first that seeing less cards would hurt me in the long run but I haven't noticed a difference so far and my stats back me up on that. Right now doing 40 new/day and I'm at around 400 reviews/day. It could probably be less than that but I'm a little liberal with the "again" button
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Maybe I should check that out. Honestly if I can get it under 600 I’m fine, only takes me 2 hours. It’s probably just an after effect of finishing the deck 3 months early due to my rotations schedule (electives for the last two blocks)
 
You guys I am never going to complain about my clinical site again.

I amputated a toe today. My surgeon was pretty much my first assist. He marked it and was like, here - you do it. So I cut the skin with the scalpel, bovied all the ligaments and whatever, and pulled the toe off with a towel clamp. Then he wanted to take part of the metatarsal too for culture so he handed me a BONE SAW to saw through the freaking metatarsal. And asked me not to cut his finger off with it lmfao.

You guys. It was terrifying. The bone saw is harder to control than I figured it would be. And then I got the sesamoids out with the wide crunchy-scoop kind of forceps (no idea what they’re called). It apparently does take a lot of force to twist sesamoid bones out. And then I filed the part of the metatarsal that was remaining down so it would be nice and smooth. He closed partway and I finished closing.

And yeah. I’m done complaining now, because that was officially the best med student experience ever imo.
 
calivianya said:
You guys I am never going to complain about my clinical site again.

I amputated a toe today. My surgeon was pretty much my first assist. He marked it and was like, here - you do it. So I cut the skin with the scalpel, bovied all the ligaments and whatever, and pulled the toe off with a towel clamp. Then he wanted to take part of the metatarsal too for culture so he handed me a BONE SAW to saw through the freaking metatarsal. And asked me not to cut his finger off with it lmfao.

You guys. It was terrifying. The bone saw is harder to control than I figured it would be. And then I got the sesamoids out with the wide crunchy-scoop kind of forceps (no idea what they’re called). It apparently does take a lot of force to twist sesamoid bones out. And then I filed the part of the metatarsal that was remaining down so it would be nice and smooth. He closed partway and I finished closing.

And yeah. I’m done complaining now, because that was officially the best med student experience ever imo.
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Hecking dope my dude.
 
calivianya said:
You guys I am never going to complain about my clinical site again.

I amputated a toe today. My surgeon was pretty much my first assist. He marked it and was like, here - you do it. So I cut the skin with the scalpel, bovied all the ligaments and whatever, and pulled the toe off with a towel clamp. Then he wanted to take part of the metatarsal too for culture so he handed me a BONE SAW to saw through the freaking metatarsal. And asked me not to cut his finger off with it lmfao.

You guys. It was terrifying. The bone saw is harder to control than I figured it would be. And then I got the sesamoids out with the wide crunchy-scoop kind of forceps (no idea what they’re called). It apparently does take a lot of force to twist sesamoid bones out. And then I filed the part of the metatarsal that was remaining down so it would be nice and smooth. He closed partway and I finished closing.

And yeah. I’m done complaining now, because that was officially the best med student experience ever imo.
Click to expand...
Nice! I had a similar experience in neurosurgery believe it or not. Got to drill Burr holes, dissect down to posterior cervical and lumbar spine, ripped out spinous processes with a bone cutter, and put screws into vertebrae. Pretty dang BA experience.
 
might've done my last surgery ever yesterday. Applying to a few elective ones (one im actually super excited about) but since I don't have the scores for ortho it'll be a non-surg residency for me

way more bittersweet than I anticipated.
 
ohmanwaddup said:
might've done my last surgery ever yesterday. Applying to a few elective ones (one im actually super excited about) but since I don't have the scores for ortho it'll be a non-surg residency for me

way more bittersweet than I anticipated.
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I understand. I actually enjoyed my 2 whole rotations of general surgery lol. I really felt like part of the team and I still have a great relationship with the surgical attendings and residents from my core site. And we did some things that were so freaking cool!

but I never wanted surgery for multiple reasons.
 
sunshinefl said:
I understand. I actually enjoyed my 2 whole rotations of general surgery lol. I really felt like part of the team and I still have a great relationship with the surgical attendings and residents from my core site. And we did some things that were so freaking cool!

but I never wanted surgery for multiple reasons.
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Same!

At my site the lifestyle actually isn’t bad. Nearly everyone does clinic in the morning and is done by like 1-2, and most surgeries are in the AM. I’ve been out before 2pm a LOT of days... it’s way fewer hours than IM here, which surprised the snot out of me. Obviously the week you are on call is very different, but those non-call weeks can be relatively cush.

Granted, you have to go through a surgery residency to get there, and that’s a hard pass.

Steve_Zissou said:
Did anyone else really dislike the psych comat? I really disliked the psych comat.
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Me! Felt really prepared for it because my rotation was a joke. Had most of the day every day to study, so it was probably the COMAT I felt the best about before I went in because I finished all of the combank questions and visitor’s psych cards. It was still my worst so far.
 
calivianya said:
Same!

At my site the lifestyle actually isn’t bad. Nearly everyone does clinic in the morning and is done by like 1-2, and most surgeries are in the AM. I’ve been out before 2pm a LOT of days... it’s way fewer hours than IM here, which surprised the snot out of me. Obviously the week you are on call is very different, but those non-call weeks can be relatively cush.

Granted, you have to go through a surgery residency to get there, and that’s a hard pass.



Me! Felt really prepared for it because my rotation was a joke. Had most of the day every day to study, so it was probably the COMAT I felt the best about before I went in because I finished all of the combank questions and visitor’s psych cards. It was still my worst so far.
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Dude, there were so many “wtf” questions on the psych comat. It was definitely better than OMM but worse than FM imo
 
ohmanwaddup said:
Comquest is really trying to tell me that an IUD is cheaper than OCP out of pocket. Who writes these questions?
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Might have been true before the ACA, but sure isn’t now.

I remember paying $110/month a few times without insurance before the ACA. If you’re assuming $110/month for five years vs. a one-time out of pocket cost, I could see it.
 
calivianya said:
Might have been true before the ACA, but sure isn’t now.

I remember paying $110/month a few times without insurance before the ACA. If you’re assuming $110/month for five years vs. a one-time out of pocket cost, I could see it.
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That was the logic they were using, but the question stem was a single mom, service industry job, with no health insurance. I'm pretty sure walmart does a month for 9 bucks, at least my attending said that, while and IUD it going to be a least 500 up front.

its the whole "10 dollar boot vs 60 dollar boot" story
 
Me just sitting here twiddling my thumbs as fourth year approaches and j have zero rotations set up yet. Not nervous at all, nopeeee.
 
fldoctorgirl said:
Me just sitting here twiddling my thumbs as fourth year approaches and j have zero rotations set up yet. Not nervous at all, nopeeee.
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Me too. I’ve applied for one audition and I’m waiting to hear back... and if I could just hear back from that one, I could plan my year around it. But nowhere else has opened apps yet on Clinician Nexus or VSAS, so... ??

I don’t know how we’re supposed to plan anything. Some of the electives on VSAS say that they’re not opening for apps until May, and won’t let people know well into June whether they get it or not. I don’t know how we’re supposed to plan if they’re waiting so late to tell us.
 
calivianya said:
Me too. I’ve applied for one audition and I’m waiting to hear back... and if I could just hear back from that one, I could plan my year around it. But nowhere else has opened apps yet on Clinician Nexus or VSAS, so... ??

I don’t know how we’re supposed to plan anything. Some of the electives on VSAS say that they’re not opening for apps until May, and won’t let people know well into June whether they get it or not. I don’t know how we’re supposed to plan if they’re waiting so late to tell us.
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Exactly. I can't plan anything until I figure out my first month except applications aren't open yet. It's making me nervous.
 
fldoctorgirl said:
Exactly. I can't plan anything until I figure out my first month except applications aren't open yet. It's making me nervous.
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Meanwhile, I was on a panel for some 2nd years and someone in our class said they had 3 sub-is scheduled already.....

wtf
 
Taking OBGYN Comat tmr. Last Comat exam beside OMM to take. Predicted at 107, it would be hilarious if I honored this one after not honoring anything the whole year lol

4 month straight of intense inpatient rotations got me messed up. looking forward to my outpatient ped rotation to recharge
 
ohmanwaddup said:
Taking OBGYN Comat tmr. Last Comat exam beside OMM to take. Predicted at 107, it would be hilarious if I honored this one after not honoring anything the whole year lol

4 month straight of intense inpatient rotations got me messed up. looking forward to my outpatient ped rotation to recharge
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You got this bro! After this Comat youre basically a 4th year (OMM doesnt count lol)
 
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