Whats 4th year like at your school?

[pipe dream]

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At my school, we only get one vacation block for 4th yr. Is that the norm? I don't know if I should use it for Step 2 prep or residency interviews? What do you guys do?

 

[DrSnips]

That sounds insane. You will need time off for interviews, so you have to use it for interviews. Step 2 studying will have to be done during a lighter rotation for you.

 

[FunnyCurrent]

GIFSoup

 

[mmmcdowe]

GIFSoup

Pretty much.

 

[b-real]

OP, did you take extended time for Step 1? Most schools give at least 8 weeks for Step 2 and interviews. A little tip for everyone, ask around and see if you can get time off for interviews without using your vacation. Some of my classmates took off 1 week of 2 week rotations just by asking the attending. Do NOT go through the coordinator, b/c they like to stick by the rules. In general for 4th year electives, attendings and residents are surprised you even show up. Everything is relaxed. The motto is "dude, it's 4th year...go home." Note that this is AFTER you've done your specialty/away rotations.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I played well over 400 hours of video games on Steam, over a hundred of Diablo 3, and some (large) unknown amount of Call of Duty, went to Chicago for a week, Colombia for 10 days, worked out daily, drank ~4 times per week, and still had plenty of time left over to hang out with friends and my girlfriend while not doing any of those things. That was since January and doesn't count the rather insane amount of debauchery that went on during interview season (late November to late January for me).

To answer fo realz, we had to do a month of geriatrics, a month of an AI/sub-I, and a month of primary care. Other than that, we just had to take enough rotations and/or classes to get up to 32 credits, where each week is a credit. Longitudinals (i.e., blow-off classes) were usually 2 credits, but there were a few for 4. Those were the best of times...

 

[Kaputt]

OP, did you take extended time for Step 1? Most schools give at least 8 weeks for Step 2 and interviews. A little tip for everyone, ask around and see if you can get time off for interviews without using your vacation. Some of my classmates took off 1 week of 2 week rotations just by asking the attending. Do NOT go through the coordinator, b/c they like to stick by the rules. In general for 4th year electives, attendings and residents are surprised you even show up. Everything is relaxed. The motto is "dude, it's 4th year...go home." Note that this is AFTER you've done your specialty/away rotations.

Agreed. Also check and see what electives you can get that might actually serve as essentially extra vacation time. For example, as a 4th year at my school you can sign up to teach 1st and 2nd years basic physical diagnosis/history taking skills at workshops sporadically throughout the year and get 2-4 weeks of elective credit for it.

 

[Freddie Mercury]

I played well over 400 hours of video games on Steam, over a hundred of Diablo 3, and some (large) unknown amount of Call of Duty, went to Chicago for a week, Colombia for 10 days, worked out daily, drank ~4 times per week, and still had plenty of time left over to hang out with friends and my girlfriend while not doing any of those things. That was since January and doesn't count the rather insane amount of debauchery that went on during interview season (late November to late January for me).

To answer fo realz, we had to do a month of geriatrics, a month of an AI/sub-I, and a month of primary care. Other than that, we just had to take enough rotations and/or classes to get up to 32 credits, where each week is a credit. Longitudinals (i.e., blow-off classes) were usually 2 credits, but there were a few for 4. Those were the best of times...

WHOA... is this typical of fourth years in general?

 

[b-real]

WHOA... is this typical of fourth years in general?

It's insane how good you have it during 4th year. Interviews are awesome b/c there's free food/booze the night before and everyone wants you for their program. Not at all like med school interviews where the power structure was the other way around. After interviews, it's just waiting for the match and drinking w/ friends/Netflix/video games/partying. And that's in addition to vacation time. I was done with my academic requirements by the end of March.

 

[mmmcdowe]

WHOA... is this typical of fourth years in general?

It's pretty crazy awesome. Please see youtube video like an M4 for more information.

 

[pipe dream]

Agreed. Also check and see what electives you can get that might actually serve as essentially extra vacation time. For example, as a 4th year at my school you can sign up to teach 1st and 2nd years basic physical diagnosis/history taking skills at workshops sporadically throughout the year and get 2-4 weeks of elective credit for it.

I'll check that out. Thanks!!!!!

 

[VenusinFurs]

We only get one month off, but most of us schedule less demanding electives around interview time where they are okay with you taking a couple days off. I haven't started yet so I can't comment further.

 

[dally1025]

most people get 4 months off but if you are selcted to teach CPR to the 1st and 2nd years you can get 5 months off. Except for 2 months of sub-I's there are no weekends and electives can be as easy or hard as you want them. There is only 1 other requred rotation that may make you work from 8-5 M-F. I don't think I'll have to work more than 4hours a day until I start residency.

 

[KnuxNole]

Just starting 4th year, and it is on easy pleasy street right now 😀

Can't wait for the fun times ahead!

 

[kpcrew]

It's pretty crazy awesome. Please see youtube video like an M4 for more information.

I am now excited for M4.

 

[Guevara M.D.]

Jesus where are these Cushiony Schools at? I just started 4th year and it sucks ballz right now. I'm doing an AI in Internal Medicine and I'm working six days a week from 6 to 6...sometimes 7. On my first day they gave me the name of 5 patients (none with less than 6 problems) and told me 'These are your patients". I almost shat myself.

Mind you up until then the max I carried was 3 during my Inpatient month of the Medicine Clerkship. I'm severely sleep deprived now.

 

[dude1344]

Jesus where are these Cushiony Schools at? I just started 4th year and it sucks ballz right now. I'm doing an AI in Internal Medicine and I'm working six days a week from 6 to 6...sometimes 7. On my first day they gave me the name of 5 patients (none with less than 6 problems) and told me 'These are your patients". I almost shat myself.

Mind you up until then the max I carried was 3 during my Inpatient month of the Medicine Clerkship. I'm severely sleep deprived now.

You're on your subI... what do you expect. The cushiness is after all your hard rotations are out of the way.

 

[mmmcdowe]

You're on your subI... what do you expect. The cushiness is after all your hard rotations are out of the way.

Yeah, obviously there is still some labor involved if you are doing sub is.

 

[KnuxNole]

That sounds insane. You will need time off for interviews, so you have to use it for interviews. Step 2 studying will have to be done during a lighter rotation for you.

Dont 4th years just take off days during rotations? As excused absences? At least, the ones that actually care about the 4th year xD

 

[b-real]

Dont 4th years just take off days during rotations? As excused absences? At least, the ones that actually care about the 4th year xD

Typically schools have official policies where you get a set number of days off/block for interviewing. If you know how to play the game, you can get more and not use vacation time for interviewing.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Typically schools have official policies where you get a set number of days off/block for interviewing. If you know how to play the game, you can get more and not use vacation time for interviewing.

Two words: "Research elective"

 

[MilkmanAl]

Jesus where are these Cushiony Schools at? I just started 4th year and it sucks ballz right now. I'm doing an AI in Internal Medicine and I'm working six days a week from 6 to 6...sometimes 7. On my first day they gave me the name of 5 patients (none with less than 6 problems) and told me 'These are your patients". I almost shat myself.

Mind you up until then the max I carried was 3 during my Inpatient month of the Medicine Clerkship. I'm severely sleep deprived now.

That's how my AI would've been had I actually been interested in medicine. My senior was gentle and knew that internal medicine is not exactly my favorite (which is why life is pain right now), so he just had me carry 3 patients, most of the time. It was nice.

Typically schools have official policies where you get a set number of days off/block for interviewing. If you know how to play the game, you can get more and not use vacation time for interviewing.

My geriatrics rotation had an official policy that you weren't allowed to miss more than 3 days for interviews. I took care of that in the first week. I was there for 8 days the whole month without consequence, and that was far from a unique experience.

 

[ar2388]

4th year is amazing. things changed for my year though. classes before me all front loaded and had most of their last 4 months off. our rules are that we must have 12 weeks of stuff per semester (june -dec and jan -may). SO i just did a month of raadiology and now i am taking a few weeks off to do nothing before studying for step 2. i do back to clinical stuff in oct with 4weeks gastroenterology then 2 weeks of genetics in nov and want to do 4 weeks research in dec so i can interview easily. i pushed my subI to feb and ICU month to march so i dont have to stress for a while 🙂

 

[armybound]

My geriatrics rotation had an official policy that you weren't allowed to miss more than 3 days for interviews. I took care of that in the first week. I was there for 8 days the whole month without consequence, and that was far from a unique experience.

man, I hope it's like this at my school too. They have this "you can't miss more than 2 days in a required rotation" policy and I'm doing one right as interview season starts. Then I have anesthesia in November (just for fun) and I plan on missing the vast majority of that month. I hope they don't really care/mind.

 

[MilkmanAl]

The beauty of anesthesia rotations is that you're more or less free to leave as you please. If you're interested, stick around and do stuff. If you don't care, get an intubation or two, and bail...or just don't show up at all. The fast-paced and scattered nature of things ensures that your absence will be lost in the shuffle.

 

[Perrotfish]

4th year at my school was 7 months if electives and 2 months if vacation. It was as easy as you wanted it to be. You could easily not work at all for a year if you wanted.