MD & DO What if I do nothing this summer?

[SillyGenius]

I'm still an M1 and I was wondering how my residency options would be effected if I did absolutely nothing this summer. So if I did not do any research or a preceptorship or anything to boost my future residency application, would I still be alright for matching?

The thing is, I have a red flag on my application since I am remediating M1 year. I know residency is still far away, but this might be the last summer I actually get and if I have to do something then I should start filling out applications now. I just want to know if I'd still be alright in terms of matching if I had no summer research or summer extracurriculars?

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[GoSpursGo]

Depends on your specialty of interest. But yes, if you do nothing, there are some specialties you can match without maxing out your time between 1st and 2nd year. With your history of red flags, it may even be to your best interest to decompress and/or focus on consolidating what your learned in first year to ensure continued academic success in 2nd year.

 

[SillyGenius]

Depends on your specialty of interest. But yes, if you do nothing, there are some specialties you can match without maxing out your time between 1st and 2nd year. With your history of red flags, it may even be to your best interest to decompress and/or focus on consolidating what your learned in first year to ensure continued academic success in 2nd year.

Appreciate the advice. And, yeah, I just want to make sure I don't fail anything else. In terms of specialties, I am just hoping for FM or IM. And, hopefully a categorical spot and a dream would be to match at a mid-tier FM/IM residency, but obviously I'd be thrilled to just match.

I was thinking about using the summer to relax and pre-study for my second year.

 

[Hollow Knight]

a dream would be to match at a mid-tier FM/IM residency

I'm in a similar boat and I made a conscious choice to take care of myself and focus on learning medicine rather than trying to get the "high score" in the video game that is med school. I would just chill. But of course I'm not an attending and I haven't matched yet so take anything I say with a massive grain of salt

 

[LunaOri]

Do whatever will have you starting second year relaxed and refreshed and ready to go.

 

[SillyGenius]

I'm in a similar boat and I made a conscious choice to take care of myself and focus on learning medicine rather than trying to get the "high score" in the video game that is med school. I would just chill. But of course I'm not an attending and I haven't matched yet so take anything I say with a massive grain of salt

Really hope we both end up matching, and yeah, I am not sure how this would be looked at from a residency director's point of view. I just don't want the lack of ECs in the summer to be used as another reason to not rank us well during the match.

I am just worried that the understanding by some of these FM and IM programs will become "This student struggled in med school and had to remediate and then probably continued to struggle since they didn't do any ECs in the summer"

Do whatever will have you starting second year relaxed and refreshed and ready to go.

I did a masters before med school and have some publications + presentations, could this be enough research for FM and IM?

 

[Goro]

At this point in time, I suggest that you focus on doing well in medical school, and worry about residency later.

You've already had trouble, so pick the things that are most important as of right now.

And if taking the summer off is good for your mental health, that is 100% okay. Plenty of my students go on vacation over the summer

 

[purpledoc1]

I'm still an M1 and I was wondering how my residency options would be effected if I did absolutely nothing this summer. So if I did not do any research or a preceptorship or anything to boost my future residency application, would I still be alright for matching?

The thing is, I have a red flag on my application since I am remediating M1 year. I know residency is still far away, but this might be the last summer I actually get and if I have to do something then I should start filling out applications now. I just want to know if I'd still be alright in terms of matching if I had no summer research or summer extracurriculars?

Is there a way that you can make the research/ECs fun/fulfilling?

 

[GoSpursGo]

is it only the comp specialties we need to hit that first summer running?

and does it have to be research or can we try consulting etc

Yes.

And in general research is the most reliably useful activity for a residency application. If you happen to do something else and are wildly successful in a way that makes you memorable or stand out when we look at your app, then sure I’m sure there are other things that could be useful on your app. But it’s hard to say how useful those kinds of activities will be ahead of time