Chances/Advice for MS3 that got interested in Ortho recently?

[beastaran1]

Hi all, kinda late on the ortho train (got interested honestly from friends + spent some time researching).

Year: Rising MS3 Mid/low tier MD
School: TX MD
Step 1: 253
Step 2 CK: To take
Preclinical: Top 5% of class
Clinical: Have FM/IM 1st sem; planning to gun so I can honor these and maybe get junior AOA?
AOA: I think decent chance at AOA senior year
Research: 4 articles, 1 in submission (will probably be accepted); 7+ posters, 2 podium presentations (These are all Non-ortho projects). Just started getting involved with ortho projects this summer; I would say realistically can get 2 ortho abstracts submitted and hopefully accepted and 1 ortho manuscript accepted in the upcoming year (planning to reach out to ortho attendings to see if they can read it and I'll tag them in on it).
Letters: TBD
Intangibles: Recreational powerlifting, nothing competitive (I guess I can participate in some competition in the upcoming years if I'm a bit neurotic lol). Some academic scholarships awarded during med school.

Planning on taking clinic ortho elective over winter break and then doing 3-4 rotations in the summer. Hoping to stay in TX, so planning on 2-3 TX rotations (first one at home) followed by a random out of state to keep my chances open.

Overall, I would consider myself fairly average for ortho in terms of numbers; I'm basically working on finishing these ortho specific projects and am wondering if it will hurt me to not have them in entirely ortho fields? Would apply backup gen surg but am kinda confused about those logistics so will ask later if it comes up.

Any advice/suggestions? Thanks in advance.

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[DrOrthoSpineMD]

apply ortho. you'll match. ive interviewed people with worse numbers in everything than you and they've matched.

but more importantly I would try to get into the OR with some ortho cases if you can. Doesnt sound like youve done ortho cases in the OR yet, so definitely do that and see if you like it.

 

[beastaran1]

Yeah i was planning to but unfor

apply ortho. you'll match. ive interviewed people with worse numbers in everything than you and they've matched.

but more importantly I would try to get into the OR with some ortho cases if you can. Doesnt sound like youve done ortho cases in the OR yet, so definitely do that and see if you like it.

I think our surg clerkship you can choose ortho (have it towards end of 3rd year) - unfortunately have no electives for OR til 4th year (covid/requires 3rd yr completion). Thank you for your help!

 

[DrOrthoSpineMD]

Yeah i was planning to but unfor

I think our surg clerkship you can choose ortho (have it towards end of 3rd year) - unfortunately have no electives for OR til 4th year (covid/requires 3rd yr completion). Thank you for your help!

may have to be a little creative. When I was looking at surgical fields I would pop in for call cases on a weekend I was off, or swing over after AM clinic on FM. If you have a free day on another rotation or if your hospital has a trauma center there is likely a late OR or a weekend ortho OR you can try to jump in to. I didnt have an ortho rotation till 4th year, but I'd met the entire ortho department at my med school before then from doing what I just described.

 

[beastaran1]

may have to be a little creative. When I was looking at surgical fields I would pop in for call cases on a weekend I was off, or swing over after AM clinic on FM. If you have a free day on another rotation or if your hospital has a trauma center there is likely a late OR or a weekend ortho OR you can try to jump in to. I didnt have an ortho rotation till 4th year, but I'd met the entire ortho department at my med school before then from doing what I just described.

That's a great idea, I'll try that out. Thanks!

 

[YCAGA]

may have to be a little creative. When I was looking at surgical fields I would pop in for call cases on a weekend I was off, or swing over after AM clinic on FM. If you have a free day on another rotation or if your hospital has a trauma center there is likely a late OR or a weekend ortho OR you can try to jump in to. I didnt have an ortho rotation till 4th year, but I'd met the entire ortho department at my med school before then from doing what I just described.

Did you get in contact with any residents/attendings before you did this? I’m not interesting in ortho but another surgical sub-speciality

 

[DrOrthoSpineMD]

Did you get in contact with any residents/attendings before you did this? I’m not interesting in ortho but another surgical sub-speciality

100%. do not walk into an OR unless you speak to someone before hand.