Should I do an away rotation in CA for IM if i want to match in the region?

[sanfran256]

Hello ! I am a third year medical student interested in IM . I currently go to school on the East Coast (top 35 ish program) but I would like to match back in So Cal where I grew up and went to college/where my family resides. I am interested in most of the programs in SD/LA. Would prefer academic center but am totally open to community programs as well .

I did reasonably well during the first two years (but no AOA ) and my Step 1 was 250. Clinical grades pending. Have 2 pubs ,3 abstracts (none first author though) . Plus I did a masters thesis in undergrad. Have a few mediocre ECs.

Is it necessary or smart for me to do an away rotation in CA given that I have strong ties? I have heard mixed things about doing aways for IM. Some say it hurts more than helps in most cases . Others say it helps get interviews.

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[doctorstrangerthingz]

^ Curious about this as well


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[GoSpursGo]

My general sense from another specialty where aways aren't required (peds, in my case) is that there are two reasons for you to do an away rotation: 1) You have your heart set on one specific program (ie your significant other works there and there's only one good program in your specialty in the city); 2) You did poorly on your USMLE and need to "get your foot in the door" at a program in a competitive region.

Neither of these seem to fit the bill for you, and furthermore it seems like you would be happy with pretty much anything in So Cal. In light of that, it seems like an away rotation would be a very expensive audition for a program that might have invited you for an interview anyways. And of course the worst case scenario is that you look bad because you're learning the ropes of a new hospital and actually hurt your chances.

Nobody can assure you that you'll match in a competitive region like So Cal no matter what you do, but my general advice would be to avoid an audition rotation.

 

[sanfran256]

Good advice! It wouldn't be too expensive at all for me to do an away rotation though since my family lives there and I could just crash there.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Good advice! It wouldn't be too expensive at all for me to do an away rotation though since my family lives there and I could just crash there.

Then take it as an option to go home and see family for a month if you want. You're probably slightly better than 50/50 to help rather than hurt yourself at a specific program. Just don't think that it will be a big boon to your app in So Cal broadly.

 

[Dwan]

Hello ! I am a third year medical student interested in IM . I currently go to school on the East Coast (top 35 ish program) but I would like to match back in So Cal where I grew up and went to college/where my family resides. I am interested in most of the programs in SD/LA. Would prefer academic center but am totally open to community programs as well .

I did reasonably well during the first two years (but no AOA ) and my Step 1 was 250. Clinical grades pending. Have 2 pubs ,3 abstracts (none first author though) . Plus I did a masters thesis in undergrad. Have a few mediocre ECs.

Is it necessary or smart for me to do an away rotation in CA given that I have strong ties? I have heard mixed things about doing aways for IM. Some say it hurts more than helps in most cases . Others say it helps get interviews.

You don't really have to for IM unless you'd like to see the program. There is geographical bias, but I've found that letter of interests (which stated that I'm from CA) seemed to get me all the interviews I wanted from CA that didn't initially invite me (I was also a transplant). Aim to get good clinical grades and you may be competitive for the top programs in CA, but otherwise you'll definitely get interviews at community and mid-tier academic places, whether automatically or through LOIs.

 

[ssggs]

Sorry for hijacking the thread. Just wondering if the same advice still holds for people who want to match to IM programs in CA without family ties? It will be really expensive for me to do aways because I don't have family there.