Third year elective--undecided!!

[ajtrau]

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Hey all! I'm a DO student who has my sights set on a pretty competitive allopathic EM residency. I am really struggling with what to do as my 3rd year elective. Investigate another specialty or try to bolster my chances at my program of choice? I've had thoughts of radiology (might be good to know), research (but no project in sight) or another EM rotation at a different hospital b/c the one my core is at doesn't take any trauma (good to get varied experience?). Or something else altogether?? Also, I *think* I want to do EM but my core isn't until March, after my elective, so I can't really even be sure about that! I'm going crazy trying to decide what to do! Any advice?

 

[DrBowtie]

If you think you want to do EM as a career, take it as the elective. You need to solidify your specialty of choice as early as possible. If you take it and love it then great. If you take it and hate it then you have the rest of 3rd year to find something else you like vs. having to scramble to find something after your first 4th year rotation.

 

[ajtrau]

That was my initial thought but my elective is in February and my core EM rotation is in March so it's not like I would be gaining much more time to solidify my decision. That's what kind of got me thinking about other options...

 

[chet]

I was under the impression that it is not typical to rotate through EM as a third year.

At my school we don't do a rotation until 4th, and I've heard it can be difficult to find a place to rotate at as a 3rd year, I've only done casual browsing but it looks like most sites specifically state that they take only 4th year students.

You're lucky that your school gives you scheduled exposure to EM in 3rd year, just having that one rotation gives you a heads up on most people, so I would say rotate in something else. There is a good thread in the EM forum about beneficial non-EM rotations.

 

[Igor4sugry]

Try anesthesia.

 

[cabinbuilder]

If you can get a DERM rotation do it.

Lots of suturing and splinting in ER, do an office based surgery rotation or an ortho rotation.

I did forensic pathology with the county coroner as an elective
I did regular pathlogy as an elective
GI elective
Oncology for 2 weeks/Radiology for 2 weeks split rotation
Blood bank/lab so I would have some clue about what they do.
There's always some rural rotation out there like the snow patrol at Vail treating banged up skiers, etc.
Colorado has lots of rural towns that are high elevation where you get to see mountain sickness first hand - may get it yourself.
Rural clinics see lots of pathology. The ER's in Corpus Christi, TX get sting ray barbs, shark bites, jelly fish stings, fish hooks in odd places, vibrio infections, typhus, etc.
I did rural FP at the Native clinic in Fairbanks, AK.

You can be creative if your school will let you.