Current OMS-2 at a state DO school with a pretty strong likelihood I will be attempting to match psychiatry come fourth year. Naturally my core clerkship in psychiatry will be with my home program, but is there any benefit to using third year electives to complete away rotations prior to fourth year auditions? With the increasing competitiveness of psychiatry I would really like to be as efficient as possible with my opportunities during clinical years. Nothing too stellar on my CV, most likely will finish between top 30-40% of class (only preclinical years are ranked), Sigma Sigma Phi, Gold Humanism, leadership position with our psych interest group, volunteer with the Crisis Text Line, and have a few of posters and currently one paper with 3 more in the works that are somewhat psych related. Ultimately I would like to stay at my home program for residency, but as nothing is guaranteed I simply want to increase my chance of matching in psychiatry at any program (I am in the Midwest/South but have no geographical limitations). I hope this does not come across as too neurotic but I came into medicine as a non-trad student with a strong conviction to practice psychiatry, and would be extremely regretful if I did not do everything in my power to accomplish my goals.
Utilization of Electives During Third Year
- Thread starter DOhustle
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There's a lot of opinions about this. I think matching is as much of a crap shoot as getting into your top choice in college nowadays. If you are a normal, nice, personable human being, I think doing an away rotation has a lot of benefits such as getting to know the people in the program, the culture of the institution, and you show your interest in that particular program since you have limited time to do away rotations. When I was on the resident selection committee, there was definitely an advantage to those who were tried and true. You also get a chance to see that program to see if you actually like them or not. Of my top two choices, they flipped in ranking when I did an away rotation at both.
If you want to stay at your home program, then don't bother with aways. Just apply to enough programs that aren't reach programs that you're okay with going to and you'll be fine.
If you want to stay at your home program, then don't bother with aways. Just apply to enough programs that aren't reach programs that you're okay with going to and you'll be fine.
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My personal opinion is that you should use 3rd year electives to explore fields you're interested in but don't get to rotate through with core rotations. Save audition rotations for early 4th year sub-i's.
First, it's impressive that your school allows time for 3rd year electives. Mine certainly didn't. So you should view those as a straight bonus. You are indeed demonstrating insight about neuroticism. Find rotations that interest you. Maybe forensics or correctional? Something child? I remember being told in 3rd year for 4th year electives to do non-psych stuff because that "will be my last time." That advice I definitely disagreed with and did not take, but mostly because I really, really disliked all of the non-psych stuff. In terms of away rotations, I think it's net neutral if you don't have some place you're really dreaming of going to away from your school. Yeah, you could really impress them and they'll rank you high, or they could hate you and they won't rank you, but most likely you'll be kinda average and so they'll rank maybe a little higher than they would have if they didn't have you as a known quantity. It wouldn't be enough to guarantee a match.
