Should you do away rotations for applying in internal medicine? The elusive question!
Tips from an intern who matched at her top choice internal medicine program after doing an away rotation there.
Away rotations are popular for many reasons, including the desire to spend a month in a new place such as Utah, above.
1. Are away rotations necessary for internal medicine applicants?
No! They are NOT necessary. Weigh the pros and cons below before deciding if an away rotation is right for you.
2. Do away rotations help you match into a program?
The general consensus is that they can help you match into your program of choice, but not necessarily.
Like any interview situation, it can hurt or help you depending on how you come across to the people there. Additionally, You may work the whole time with people who don’t have a say in the admissions process, so how well you do isn’t necessarily being “seen.”
3. Can away rotations help me learn about a program?
Yes!! Probably the most useful aspect of an away rotation is to see day in and day out exactly how a program runs – in much more detail than is possible on a single 6-hour interview day.
4. Are away rotations expensive?
Depending on where you’d like to go, away rotations can be extremely expensive, especially considering the cost of staying in an Airbnb, meals, transportation, etc. Try to choose one near a friend or family member who will let you stay with them.
5. How much effort is required for away rotations?
A LOT. First, just filling out the application is a huge hassle as it involves getting drug screening, background check, and a multitude of other papers to fill out. Then, of course on your rotation, you are going to be working as absolutely hard as possible and having a bright attitude and motivation every single day. You’ll be working the same hours as residents and do almost everything they do.
6. What if I want to move far away?
Rumor has it that doing an away rotation in a region of the country to which you have no ties can look good on your residency application if you would really like to move to that area for residency. I cannot personally attest to this fact, however many of my friends did away rotations with this in mind.
In my personal case, I knew that I wanted to live in a certain city because my fiancé lived and worked there. I was willing to do ANYTHING to get into that program, so I did a month at each of two programs and worked as hard as I could. I ultimately matched at my top choice of the two! Was it because of the away rotation? I honestly have no idea.
Weigh the pros and cons above and decide if away electives are right for you!