seeking externship advice

[trublu]

As this is my first post, I want to start by thanking all the contributors to this site. I've only been aware of it for a month now, and it has already been a great source of information for me.

I'm a rising MS4 planning to apply to radiation oncology residency programs this fall. I've been told that now may be the best time to start arranging for externships. However, I've been given conflicting advice on: 1) how important these are, 2) where they should be done, and 3) what the goal of the externship should be. There are several members on faculty in my home department who have advised strongly against doing an externship, altogether. I'd appreciate a second opinion on this.

I realize this topic has been discussed in previous threads, but I have some specific questions I'd appreciate having the group's input on:

If you're coming from a school with a decent Rad Onc department and don't absolutely need the externship for the purpose of letters, what would be the main goal of doing one?

It's been suggested to me that the externship can offer "perspective" on the field, giving one an idea for how things are done at other institutions. Is this valuable (i.e. valuable enough to devote a month of med school to)? Is there not ample opportunity to gain perspective later on?

It's also been proposed that the externship can be vital for getting interviews and serious consideration at top-notch programs. The data seem to support this. For candidates like me, though, who don't have that #1 program picked out already, what is one to do? Does doing an away rotation at Hospital X send a message to other program directors about your priorities? If you're not in love with Hospital X or, heaven forbid, realize during your rotation there that it's not for you, do you end up hurting yourself in the long run?

I've been giving serious consideration to doing an externship at a good program down the street from mine which will not be in the match this coming year. I figure this could offer me the experience and perspective of an away rotation without the risks and anxiety of an "audition" externship. Is this a silly idea? Would I be better served by trying harder to solidify my rakings, picking out that "top spot", and going there?

Thanks for reading this. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

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[Thaiger75]

All good questions and they are related somewhat.

If you're coming from a school with a decent Rad Onc department and don't absolutely need the externship for the purpose of letters, what would be the main goal of doing one?

You answered some of that below yourself: different perspectives, auditions at possible institutions, etc.

It's been suggested to me that the externship can offer "perspective" on the field, giving one an idea for how things are done at other institutions. Is this valuable (i.e. valuable enough to devote a month of med school to)? Is there not ample opportunity to gain perspective later on?

Sure, it's valuable. There will be opportunities to gain perspectives, but probably not to the extent of being in the thick of things for a month.

Does doing an away rotation at Hospital X send a message to other program directors about your priorities? If you're not in love with Hospital X or, heaven forbid, realize during your rotation there that it's not for you, do you end up hurting yourself in the long run?

1st question: usually not, but with a caveat. If you happen to do alot of away rotations in a certain geographic region (and I've had experience with this myself), it might raise an eyebrow to programs in other regions of how serious you would want to be in their area. They might think you would like to stay in the region where you did alot of rotations. 2nd question: not really. Hopefully, you would have learn a few things and gained, again, perspective.

I've been giving serious consideration to doing an externship at a good program down the street from mine which will not be in the match this coming year. I figure this could offer me the experience and perspective of an away rotation without the risks and anxiety of an "audition" externship. Is this a silly idea? Would I be better served by trying harder to solidify my rakings, picking out that "top spot", and going there?

Depends. If the purpose of doing it would be to learn and gain perspective, then no, it would not be silly. However, if your goal is to audition and perhaps get great letters (more doesn't hurt), then I would suggest to do a rotation at a good program that you see yourself at geographically and also one that will be participating in the match.