When should I do my ODS?

[love2bbruin]

Due to some family emergency, I couldn't attend ODS during my 1st and 2nd year. My recruiter told me to use my 3rd/4th AT for audition clerkship, so I won't be able to complete ODS until right before my internship. That will put me a month behinds all my classmate. Would that gonna put me at any disadvantage for residency spot? I'm interested in IM/Card.

Please give me some advice for what is the best thing for me to do here? I'm thinking of using my vacation during my 4th year to do ODS but I already used my 4th year AT for clerkship, would they still allow me to do ODS? Thank you so much for all your help!

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[NavyFP]

Due to some family emergency, I couldn't attend ODS during my 1st and 2nd year. My recruiter told me to use my 3rd/4th AT for audition clerkship, so I won't be able to complete ODS until right before my internship. That will put me a month behinds all my classmate. Would that gonna put me at any disadvantage for residency spot? I'm interested in IM/Card.

Please give me some advice for what is the best thing for me to do here? I'm thinking of using my vacation during my 4th year to do ODS but I already used my 4th year AT for clerkship, would they still allow me to do ODS? Thank you so much for all your help!

If you have used up all of your ATs, you can't go to ODS. No, it won't put you at a disadvantage for internship, but you will likely start late.

 

[Gastrapathy]

If you have used up all of your ATs, you can't go to ODS. No, it won't put you at a disadvantage for internship, but you will likely start late.

Starting late for an IM internship is a big deal. The first couple of rotations are the only chance the programs get to evaluate who they want to keep straight-through. So, if that matters to you, you really need to get there on time.

NavyFP almost certainly has the company line correct but we've all seen instructions ignored in various situations. Get the answer officially and try very hard to get to residency by the first real day (and realize that even missing orientation may cost you from a first-impression standpoint).

 

[2000 Man]

I have asked this question before as well; What happens if you have to start residency late due to having to attend ODS after 4th year? My concern arises from the fact that a med student in the Navy HSCP cannot attend ODS until after graduation (since you are not a comissioned officer until that time). You are going to be late. So are all the HSCP people going to be at a disadvantage right out of the gate? If you take Gastrapathy's POV it looks like you could very well be. Anyone else have any informed opinions on the subject?

 

[2000 Man]

Starting late for an IM internship is a big deal. The first couple of rotations are the only chance the programs get to evaluate who they want to keep straight-through. So, if that matters to you, you really need to get there on time.

NavyFP almost certainly has the company line correct but we've all seen instructions ignored in various situations. Get the answer officially and try very hard to get to residency by the first real day (and realize that even missing orientation may cost you from a first-impression standpoint).

Okay I am going to bring this up again. If as a HSCP (not HPSP) student I cannot attend ODS until after med school graduation and I arrive 2-3 weeks late for internship would I pay a price for something that is out of my control? This is a likely scenario as my graduation date would likely be in the last week of May. The next ODS class would then not start until mid-June and finish in late July. Has anyone been through this or have any info concerning someone who did?

I am in the process of trying to decide which program to apply for. With my prior service HSCP is a better deal in terms of providing for my wife while in med school, basic pay once I am comissioned and years toward retirement. But I would hate to find out later that I am somehow on the short end of the stick due to this minor scheduling conflict.

 

[Gastrapathy]

Okay I am going to bring this up again. If as a HSCP (not HPSP) student I cannot attend ODS until after med school graduation and I arrive 2-3 weeks late for internship would I pay a price for something that is out of my control? This is a likely scenario as my graduation date would likely be in the last week of May. The next ODS class would then not start until mid-June and finish in late July. Has anyone been through this or have any info concerning someone who did?

I am in the process of trying to decide which program to apply for. With my prior service HSCP is a better deal in terms of providing for my wife while in med school, basic pay once I am comissioned and years toward retirement. But I would hate to find out later that I am somehow on the short end of the stick due to this minor scheduling conflict.

OK, so here's my take. It is unlikely but not impossible that being late to internship would have an impact. Its also impossible to predict. You are asking whether, several years from now, you would be at a disadvantage. First, who knows what the status of GMO tours (versus straightwill be. Second, it depends on the specialty.

For the OP, in the specific scenario of applying for IM in the near future, its a clearer situation. In this case, there are currently no straight-through contracts (but straight through training is possible) and we have to choose the residents for straight-through training largely based on their performance on the first few rotations.

 

[mdmed2012]

To avoid the above scenarios is it possible to try to attend ODS during 4th year? Could I do 2011 ADT at ODS early in my 4th year then after October 1 do a rotation (or vice versa)? Would I be at a greater disadvantage by only getting 1 rotation at a Navy hospital during my 4th year or starting internship later due to ODS after graduation?

Also, NavyFP mentioned that you cannot do additional ADTs in a given year. Could you do a rotation on your own dime or is the possibility ruled out altogether? So would it be possible to do ODS + 2 four week rotations during my 4th year?

I'm allowed 8 weeks of off campus rotations during 4th year ONLY and have 3 free months between July 2011 and May 2012 (taken whenever) to work with. Is any of this feasible?

 

[2000 Man]

I have another question with regards to this HSCP and ODS scheduling thing; Is there ever a case where you graduate med school, report to internship, do the initial orientation and then are sent off to do ODS? Or are you not allowed to do anything until you have ODS completed?

 

[NavyFP]

I have another question with regards to this HSCP and ODS scheduling thing; Is there ever a case where you graduate med school, report to internship, do the initial orientation and then are sent off to do ODS? Or are you not allowed to do anything until you have ODS completed?

I have heard of it happening, but it is rare. The problem is who pays for it. If you check into your hospital and then go to ODS, the hospital has to pay for you to go out of its own TAD budget. If you go before, either HPSP or BUPERS has to pay. Most hospitals have very limited TAD budgets and do not want to waste them on sending you to ODS.

The problem with ODS is that there is a law that says you cannot go overseas or deploy without a proper "orientation." This was enacted back in WWII. It does not define what a proper orientation would be, but ODS has been universally accepted as fitting the bill.

So, can you go to internship? Yes. But eventually you will have to go to ODS and the sooner the better.