Peds SubI

[diamonddoc]

Does anyone have any tips on when to do the Peds SubI, having to make that decision before I get my grades in my peds 3th year clerkship? Also, do you thing it is wise to the SubI where I want to go for residency or should I just do electives there, being that this hospital is affiliated with my school and I have the opportunity to the SubI there?

Thanks.

Keep on posting.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[jdog]

Good questions.

I suggest October as a great time to to a peds sub I. that is when I did mine. it is still early in the year when you actually have the drive to get up and go to work. that drive greatly decreases as the fourth year progresses. Only grades through september get sent to the residency programs so grade will not count, therefore less pressure. october is still really before peds gets out of control with rsv and stuff, so you will have more time to take with your patients and reading.

I do not suggest doing a sub I at a visiting institution. From what I have heard, it can hurt you just as much as it can help you. Doing an elective is a great idea because it is more laid back, you will be more relaxed, and you will have more time to observe the little things about the program. The audition rotation is about you and you deciding if this is where you really want to do your rez. Doing bad or not up to par as a sub I can kill your chances, so don't do it. Different shcools work totally differently and expect different things from students. Not knowing how the system works, where stuff is, will make it hard to perform at top level.

I highly recommend doing an elective at your top choice, but not a sub I. I though for sure I wanted to do my residency at a certain institution but it turned out that I didn't like it.

Good luck and enjoy this time, it will go quickly.

Peace out

 

[OL17]

jdog,
Would you say then that doing an elective at an institution of your choice would help you as much as doing a Sub-I there? If so, what would be the benefit of doing a Sub-I? Would it be mostly for the learning experience?
Thanks!

 

[jdog]

I look at an away elective as more of a chance to show the program how interested you are than how great of a resident you will be. You can impress atendings just as much by doing an elective rather than a sub I. I think it is easier to look good on a subspecialty because for most of the peds sub spec you can basically figure out what is going on in a few days or a week and then the last three weeks you will really have a good idea of what they are looking for, etc. For example, cardiology clinic is very very redundant and you get the hang of it. pretty fast.

Bottom line: two students with all other things being equal, I don't think the person doing a sub I has an advantage over the person doing an elective. I don't know anyone who did an away peds sub I. A lot of schools don't even let you do one.

This is not something to stress about at all. Just get to know a few residents, don't be an ass kisser, don't be arrogant.

Be very modest on your rotation but show what you know and you will be fine.

Hope this helps

 

[Lil' Gas Passer]

If I may add another 2 cents...

Although you do not want to be seen as the obvious "suck-up", you are doing an away elective partly for the opportunity to display your talents to the influential physicians at that children's hospital. With that in mind, I found it very helpful to pick your away electives not just based on personal interest, but on who you will be working with, and what is their influence on the admissions committee.
I know this sounds like kissing ass with lots of Chap Stick, but you do need to know how to play the game. For instance, doing an exciting Peds ER elective in a busy hospital may be a great learning experience and expose you to 6-8 different attendings, but none of them will really be able to say much about you at the end of the month. On the other hand, if you work closely with the 2 or 3 docs in the ID department, who also happen to be on the admissions committee, then you still get a great month, but you also get a personal letter of recommendation, and a few voices that will go to bat for you when the committee meets to discuss THEIR rank lists.
So, if you know any current residents at the hospital you're interested in, ask them which attendings work closely with students, and who's vote carries weight come rank time. If you don't know any current residents, then think about choosing an elective with one of the more intimate departments, so you can really show yourself to the attendings.

Sorry this is so long, but it's my first post (I feel all giddy like a little school girl...

 

[gianmarco]

Hi everyone,

Well, I'm new to this site and this forum, but I wanted to go ahead and add my thoughts as well. I actually disagree with everyone who has posted here. Overall, I think the decision to do a sub-I at another institution completely depends on what type of student you are.

There are obviously some students who are just that. They are wonderful students with great grades, board scores, and who have an application that speaks for itself. Then, there are others that shine during their clinical years and how they work on the wards shows how valuable they can be to a program. Simply put, if you are a hard-worker with a personality that is easy to get along with (which should be most people applying for pediatrics anyway), then doing an away sub-I can only help you.

"Doing bad or not up to par as a sub I can kill your chances, so don't do it" If you are worried about "doing bad" on a Sub-I, then you should be worrying about other things than whether or not to do a Sub-I. Anyone can do well on a sub-I. It only takes some effort, hard work, and patience for 4 weeks. That's it. There really isn't any reason to do poorly on a sub-I. If you are worried about doing so, then I wouldn't recommend doing ANY away rotation at an institution that you are considering applying to.

What are the benefits? Well, I think there are several benefits of doing an away sub-I. First of all, if you are seriously considering a program, then it can give you a first-hand look of what it's all about. To me, this is the most valuable. You can read whatever you like and listen to whomever about what a program is all about, however, doing a sub-I on the wards can you give you a good appreciation of the hospital and how several residents/attendings work together. In addition to this, doing a sub-I allows you the opportunity to meet more faculty, residents, hospital personnel, and even medical students (who are invaluable sources of information). This way, lots of faculty and residents can get to know you and how hard you work and can advocate for you. Don't underestimate how much say residents have in who gets into a program and who doesn't.

Again, there is no "correct" answer to this question. I believe that it truly depends on what kind of student you are and what you plan to accomplish. If you are serious about a program and want to know as much about it as possible while also displaying who you really are, then I don't think there is a better way to do so than doing a sub-I at that institution. Just so you know, I was advised by my dean the exact same thing you have all said and heard, that is, to not do a sub-I because it's going to hurt me. I completely disagreed and I matched at my #1 choice where I DID do a sub-I. I guess it didn't hurt me too much