Worthwhile MS4 rotations?

[ZagDoc]

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So I'm starting the piecemeal my 4th year schedule together, got all my "chosen field" rotations plugged in leaving me 4 elective rotations to fill. I'm trying to diversify and think of some interesting rotations that would be worthwhile but am suffering from a bit of tunnel vision. Thinking radiology would be useful since being able to read your own imaging is an invaluable skill. ID would probably be interesting and relevant for a wide variety of fields. Any MS4s have any insights on electives they took which were interesting/useful/fun and on the easier side of the spectrum?

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

I highly recommend doing something that will net you some extra procedural experience, ICU and/or ER month for example.

 

[agranulocytosis]

Cardiology so I can be finally be able to interpret those damned squiggly lines.

 

[checkov]

I enjoyed my anesthesiology elective -- folks were pretty chill, and you become competent at placing IV's and managing airways with laryngoscopes (which is important if you decide to moonlight / are involved in a code)

 

[RxnMan]

i highly recommend doing something that will net you some extra procedural experience, icu and/or er month for example.

+1

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Cards, Pulm, or Rads? Pick 1 please!

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Cards, Pulm, or Rads? Pick 1 please!

Depends on what you're looking for. Rads is likely very cush; cards and pulm are equally 'worthwhile', maybe one more than the other depending on what you're going into.

 

[GuzzyRon]

Cardiology so I can be finally be able to interpret those damned squiggly lines.

My thoughts exactly. 😀

 

[Pianoboe01]

I think every med student should do a surgical pathology elective, no matter what specialty you are going into.

 

[sendwich]

I think every med student should do a surgical pathology elective, no matter what specialty you are going into.

pls explain.

 

[RxnMan]

I think every med student should do a surgical pathology elective, no matter what specialty you are going into.

I took one after my MS2 summer, because it was an elective and I could graduate sooner, and it was an easy A after Step I. I might have gained a better appreciation of what pathologists do, but not much more. I don't plan on doing a anesth rotation, yet I know they do a vital job and I respect them. There's no real reason for all/most students to take a surg path elective.

 

[Pianoboe01]

First of all, I will say I am biased since I am a pathology resident. A pathology survey course that includes both anatomic and clinical pathology would be a great rotation for students going into all specialties, while a surgical pathology elective +/- autopsy would be great for any one going into surgery or a surgical subspecialty.

Most clinicians have no idea what goes in pathology and why it takes "so long" to get a surgical pathology or frozen section report. Most clinicians have no idea what should really be written as cause of death on death certificates. They don't understand appropriate use of blood products or why it's crucial that we receive patient history with biopsies and other specimens. A pathology elective would also be a great review of diseases and disease processes, anatomy, staging, etc.

And of course, a pathology elective would be a lighter/easier rotation to fill out your 4th year electives. Why not do an elective in something you'll never get the chance to do during residency? You'll get more than enough experience doing procedures, interpreting EKG's, etc., during residency - why blow a 4th year elective on that?

So, I guess if you go into a specialty where you will never send pathology a specimen, never order a blood product, or never have a patient die, then it might not be a good elective for you ;o)

 

[Twitch]

This really depends on what you feel your weak areas are. As you go through third year are you noticing a consistent pattern in questions you have trouble with on the shelf or otherwise. Someone mentioned cards, for others it may be those pesky skin rashes, bugs, how to handle codes. IMHO, picking a wide spectrum of electives (some you may never see again in your chosen specialty) may be more rewarding as long as you have some interest in that field.

 

[BigRedBeta]

I think an ICU month, whether surgical, medical or pediatric (NICU is a little different but could be worthwhile) is an absolute must. Dealing with really sick patients will make you so much more confident and the management of those patients is really an educational experience. You'll understand physiology so much better, and unlike so many other rotations, the short turnaround on results (for example changing vent settings and getting your ABG back a couple of hours later to see what happened) means you'll get to see the results of your actions and learn from them in a time frame that fits with the fact that you'll only be there a month (because really, how much do you get to learn from changing someone's insulin regiment in an outpatient setting? By the time they come back for a repeat A1C you're long gone...so little feedback).

The other benefit, at least in my experience is that while you'll work hard keeping up with all the issues your patients face, most ICU months actually have fairly decent hours because they frequently have mole or night float systems in place that make it much more shift like in nature. It's not always the case, but it's surprisingly regular.