To the recently matched....a few questions...if you would be so kind.

[MountainEM]

Congrats!!! Anyone have some advice for a 3rd year?

1. I want to take a few weeks off for interviews. Would the first 2 weeks of January work? I am worried that interview slots may not be made for right after the holidays or are they generally available?

2. Recently one of the residencies I am most interested in gave me an audition rotation that goes from late October to mid-November. Is this too late to make an impression and/or get a letter? This is the only rotation they offered me as I guess the others (aug, sept) were filled. I will have two other EM rotations prior to get some SLORs but still this is way later than I hoped to get and I even applied this MArch! Oh well...

3. My second rotation of 4th year, I would like to do an Emergency Medicine course in Disaster EM or Ultrasound EM at a residency I am very interested in-I will have done one EM audition rotation and will have one after. Is it ok to "audition" out of the department this early into the 4th year? I would like to get a SLOR out of the experience if it works out as well as hope to dazzle them into having me for residency. Can I do this or should I just shoot for a straight EM rotation?

cheers!

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[willow18]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=593681&highlight=interviewing+months

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=522160&highlight=interviewing+months

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=289673&highlight=interviewing+months

Some quickies:
1. 2 weeks is too short a timeframe.
2. Never too late to make an impression; letter is still useful.
3. Don't see anything wrong with that.

 

[RxnMan]

...I've asked myself these questions as well.

...1. I want to take a few weeks off for interviews. Would the first 2 weeks of January work? I am worried that interview slots may not be made for right after the holidays or are they generally available?..

I've taken off 4 weeks during December. January also works I've been told, but that's the end of the season. My school gives us the ability to take a limited amount of time off during clinical rotations as well. I chose Dec because I have time during my Jan rotation to schedule in another one or two interviews if I need them last-minute.

...2. Recently one of the residencies I am most interested in gave me an audition rotation that goes from late October to mid-November. Is this too late to make an impression and/or get a letter? This is the only rotation they offered me as I guess the others (aug, sept) were filled. I will have two other EM rotations prior to get some SLORs but still this is way later than I hoped to get and I even applied this MArch! Oh well...

I don't believe so. You can update your ERAS and programs when you get a new letter.

...3. My second rotation of 4th year, I would like to do an Emergency Medicine course in Disaster EM or Ultrasound EM at a residency I am very interested in-I will have done one EM audition rotation and will have one after. Is it ok to "audition" out of the department this early into the 4th year? I would like to get a SLOR out of the experience if it works out as well as hope to dazzle them into having me for residency. Can I do this or should I just shoot for a straight EM rotation?...

I'd get the audition if you can, but if you can't get scheduled into one at that site, your choices are limited.

Also check out the SAEM student resource website (link in my sig) for more info on SLORs and timing of MS4 rotations.

 

[MountainEM]

thanks folks

The problem is that I do not think my schedule can tolerate 4 weeks for interviews. The way I see our 4th year is that it is August 1st to the 2nd week in May (38 weeks) and I have 32 weeks of requirements to fulfill. So theoretically I have 6 weeks off but this is eaten up quickly...

2 weeks Step2
2 weeks interviewing
and then I have several wasted weeks (1 week here and there) where rotations dont fit exactly back to back and 1 week is useless.

so I really dont think I have 1 month to interview.

Still pretty unsure if I will do the audition or the disaster or u/s rotation for the second block....

scheduling sunday is turning out to be annoying

cheers

 

[RxnMan]

Then try to schedule the off- or wasted-weeks within the interview season. Study for step 2 during a light rotation, or schedule light rotations (where you can easily get time off) during interview season.

Can you take any non-sense electives? We have a "history of medicine" elective that doesn't have a classroom or clinic requirement, just a final report and presentation. Many students schedule that for Dec and use the time to interview, and just do the project when they have time.

 

[gutonc]

thanks folks

The problem is that I do not think my schedule can tolerate 4 weeks for interviews. The way I see our 4th year is that it is August 1st to the 2nd week in May (38 weeks) and I have 32 weeks of requirements to fulfill. So theoretically I have 6 weeks off but this is eaten up quickly...

2 weeks Step2

Are you talking about 2 full weeks off...doing nothing else...to study for Step 2? If so, assuming you didn't get a 190 on Step 1, that's crazy talk. I studied evenings/weekends during a couple of chill rotations for about 6 weeks then took the day before it off, mostly to relax, not study. The amount of time you'll spend on planes/trains/buses interviewing for residency will be more than enough time to study for Step 2.

Do NOT skimp on interview time. Take as much time and go on as many interviews as possible. This is not the time to be cheap (with time or money).

 

[MountainEM]

thanks again folks

gutonc-yeah I was talking about 2 weeks to study step 2. Actually it is only 10 days and I think I would be able to use it as I will of just got off 3 months of EM rotations in which I will be auditioning and focusing hard on that. i think I will need a week to review the wierdo diseases and ob/gyn, etc....
most people I know took 2 weeks. I will consider taking those two weeks out if I need to however. thanks for the tip

I do have a very light OMM rotation in december with a chill DO so I think the combo of that month and 2 weeks of just interviewing in jan may be enough. I am running tight on timing...

cheers

 

[Tiger26]

2 weeks isn't enough to interview. Minimum 1 month if you can get the stars to align. The problem is you can't just rattle off interviews every day for 2 weeks.

Instead, you basically have to accept whatever dates a program offers during an interview season that covers 3 months. At most, you can expect to do 3 interviews in one week and that's only if they're in the same city. Most people I know used 2 months to interview.

You can take step 2 ck/cs using one day off for each provided you schedule them around a light rotation and study when you get home every day.

Honestly, I'd say if you only went on 2 weeks worth of interviews (maybe 3 programs, max 5), I'd say you probably wouldn't match

 

[PurpleHaze]

The other problem with only allowing 2 weeks for interviews is that many programs only interview one day of the week, which can get messy when you've got 3 programs that only interview on Wednesdays. You'd be limiting yourself if you went with just the 2 weeks in January (which is the towards the end of the season -- time off in early December would probably be better, if you can only get 2 weeks).

 

[surjanky]

1. two weeks is not enough time. really, a month is not enough time. there is more to interviewing than just walking in and being a badass. the socials should be important. at many programs, this may be the only time to interact with residents. this was the most informative part of most of my interviews. i had a couple back to back interviews, and i don't think i was able to make the socials on the second interview. also, it's exhausting doing back to backs. these are very full days when you add in a flight. one of my interviews went from 0645 to 4...ugh. many programs will contact with only a few dates, maybe four or six. if you try to wait to schedule interviews from some programs until you get invites from programs you haven't heard from in the same area, those dates originally offered may fill (happened to me twice).
2. not too late, at all.
3. dunno.

good luck!