Residency Info Book

A few people have asked me if I have been using books for information regarding ERAS application, interviewing, etc and I am! I bought "The Successful Match." It's a great book. It has information about writing your personal statement, asking for letters of recommendation, sample interview questions and hundreds of other very useful facts. I highly recommend buying it. I have read it multiple times and it's so much easier than trying to find everything online.

*I receive no compensation for suggesting this book.

AAFP National Conference

I have been meaning to post about this conference since I attended in July but I was studying for Step 2 then applying for residencies and then interviewing so it's been busy.

The AAFP National Conference for Residents and Medical Students! 

This was by far the best conference I have been to and I highly encourage everyone to attend. It is held in July each year in Kansas City. The 2017 dates are July 27-29th. 

Sessions: 

They have so many great sessions to attend that it was hard to plan my schedule. From pain management to wilderness medicine to residency. I attended Applying to Residency: From Before Application to After the interview. This offered all the basics to the ERAS system, as well as and Q&A time with a panel filled with program directors and residents. I also attended Do's and Don'ts of Residency Interviewing: Advanced Skills for Residency Applicants. This was also very helpful to discuss what questions are normally asked during interviews as well how to present yourself etc. 

Two non-residency associated sessions I attended was Global Health Interest and Networking Meeting and Maternal Childcare and childbirth in Family Medicine. Global health and obstetrics in Family medicine are two large interests of mine. The Global health meeting was great as it allowed me to listen to others' experiences, how they got involved and the struggles that goes along with it. It also allowed me to network and participate in a mentor/mentee program where there is a group of current family practitioners and residents who have experience in global health. The maternal childbirth session was what I was most excited about. I learned how to successfully incorporate obstetrics within family practice and the challenges that come along with it. 

Fun events:

They had a lot of fun events to attend during the weekend as well. Friday night they had a live band at the beautiful Midland Theatre in downtown KC and also a breakfast in the morning.

The Midland Theatre

Residency Expo:

The best part of the whole weekend is the Expo. There was over 400 exhibitors with a majority of them being residency programs. I will say it is a little overwhelming riding up the escalator and seeings a mass of booths. Each booth is numbered and there is a directory in the program they give you and it is mostly organized by state but I highly recommend researching which places you want to stop by ahead of time so you can use your time wisely. Prepare questions you would like to ask programs too! I was able to connect with a program I am doing rotations at currently! It's a great opportunity! 

 Everyone waiting to go up to the residency expo

Kansas City is an awesome city so while you're there, get out and enjoy it. A good friend from high school lives there, so I stayed with her and we got to hang out whenever I wasn't at the conference. Most importantly we ate BBQ! It was sooooooo good. Oh my gosh. Delicious. We also checked out The Roasterie coffee shop, the World War I memorial with great views of the city, the plaza shopping center and the Doughnut Lounge! 

View from the World War I Memorial at night

The Resumé

While I hope many of you already have a resumé that you've slowly been adding to over the years, if not, you should start now. ERAS doesn't just have you upload a copy of your resumé. You actually have to manually enter it in and the system creates the format. It is still very important to have a well-formatted resumé to take to interviews with you and for the future in general.

Parts of the Resumé

1. Education:

• Medical
• Graduate 
• Undergraduate

2. Medical School Honors and Awards: Did you receive any honors while in school? Dean's List? Honor Roll?

3. Membership of Professional Societies: This is the place for AMA, ACOG, AFP, etc

4. Activities: This is the longest part of the application because it is all about what you have done! You can classify activities as Work, Volunteer or Research. It also allows you to write a short paragraph about each event. It is recommended to include only experiences from college and beyond. I chose to only list significant activities, those that I invested a lot of time in. Did I volunteer at blood drives or health clinics for 1 day? Sure! Did I include these in the application? No. If you helped plan said blood drive or health clinic then I would definitely include it! This is personal preference of what you choose to include or not.

• Since we are from an international school, it is important to put all of your clinical rotations as Work Experience in this section. You want residency programs to know that you completed all of your rotations in the United States.
• How to format the descriptions: The application just gives you a large blank. You can write it in paragraph form or in bullet form. I chose more of the bullet form with each line as a different description of the activity and how I participated and then started each sentence with a verb. "Organized..." "Developed..." "Integrated..." etc. You are going to have pages of activities and program directors don't have time to read though paragraphs, the bullet form makes it much easier to read. 
• Tip: If an activity was something you participated in for 1 week in the year but for the last 5 years. Put the start date and end date to include the 5 years but in the description, say that it was for a week. 

5. Publications: Include articles that you have published if you have done research. This is also where you would include poster presentations at formal meetings. This is not the place to put down a small presentation you gave about Ulcerative Colitis to other students but if was done at Grand Rounds and in front of a lot of faculty etc then include it!

6. Hobbies and Interests: You can include anything you want. This is the one portion of the application (besides your personal statement) that you truly get to discuss what you like to do besides medicine! 

7. Languages: It allows you to choose a language and then click on the appropriate fluency. 

Start working on your activity descriptions now! If you have any questions regarding this part of the application, let me know!

Photo for ERAS

Should I upload a photo for my residency application?

YES!

What are the requirements?

• Front view of head and shoulders only
• Professionally dressed
• JPEG format
• < 100 KB file size
• < 2.5" x 3.5" in size 

Where do I get it done?

Any photographer can do a head shot. Ask around. I had a friend that was a photographer and was willing to do it for me. 

How do I upload it?

It's actually found in the 'supporting documents" section of the application but you have to upload it on ECFMG's OASIS site. After logging in, on the left side it says "ERAS Support Services" click on that. Then click "Upload" then "Upload Photograph". 

It will let you know if your sizing is over the maximum and won't let you upload it. You can change the sizing of the picture on a Mac by opening it in Preview, Go to "Tools" then "Adjust size" As you decrease the size make sure to increase the resolution as much as you can without going over the 100KB so it doesn't look pixelated. 

Here's mine:

Have any more questions? Let me know!

Studying for Step 2 CK

I just finished Step 2 CK on Wednesday! It's so nice to have that completed which means now only 4 elective rotations stand between me and graduation.

There has recently been changes made to Step 2 CK. There are a total of 8 blocks, 1 hour each and having a maximum of 40 questions in each block, possibly less. Just like Step 1, you have an hour to split up throughout the day for breaks.

Unlike Step 1, there is not a all encompassing book for Step 2 CK. I started with DIT and didn't enjoy it (I've never been one to like videos much), I then mainly focused on Step Up to Medicine for the Medicine topics and supplemented the other non medicine topics with Kaplan. UWorld is a must for a qbank and the more times you are able to get through the questions, the better you will be. I didn't believe UWorld was similar to my Step 1 questions but I felt they were very similar to Step 2. Some people really like Masters the Boards Step 2 CK, I think it's a great book too! Just find a source you like the best and stick with it.

One thing I learned while I was studying is don't get bogged down in reading. If it's taking way too long to read sections in a book and you feel like you aren't accomplishing as much, then switch to questions. If you really read all the explanations in UWorld, you will learn a lot!

*Another little note about UWorld, I never knew there was a notes section in UWorld! Up at the top right, it says "notes" in each question, you can then type whatever part you are having difficulty with and then UWorld combines them all and you can organize your notes by Peds, Medicine, Psych etc or even by subspecialty: GI, Endo, Repro etc. You then can save it as a pdf and print off. I found this much more convenient than hand writing notes on UWorld. Can't believe I didn't know this was a feature for Step 1!

Lastly, I did take a couple of NBMEs. I didn't think they were accurate at all. For Step 1, the NBMEs were right on target, for Step 2, my NBME score was not even close to my day of score (in a good way!) I also took the UWorld Self-Assessment but it was early in my studying so can't really say if it was super accurate or not.

Biggest recommendation for those still in your 3rd year, study hard during each core rotation and make great notes so you can revisit those when it comes time to start studying for Step 2 CK!

You will do great! Stay calm! Be confident in your knowledge and answer each question with certainty!

If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to contact me via the "Contact Me" tab! Happy studying!

Letters of Recommendation

This is the beginning of posts related to applying to residency! First up: Letters of Recommendation

When should I ask for letters?
Ask for letters right after you complete your rotation because your experience will be fresh in the preceptors mind then! Don't wait until a year later to ask them to write one. Be sure to recommend that they write the letter and hold onto it until you are able log into ERAS which is the July before your match year! Tell them you will contact them with the required instructions at that time to upload them.

Who should I ask to write the letters?
Anyone that you believe got to know you as an individual. Make an effort in the specialties you are interested in to really make yourself known to the program director! A program director's letter goes a long way but sometimes you mostly interact with the residents. Contact the program director early stating that you are interested in this specialty and would love to work with them (even if you're not scheduled to work with them). This initiative will be looked upon highly. Also don't underestimate the power the residents have. They are the ones working with you day in and day out so if an attending has any questions about you while writing the letter, he/she will most likely ask the residents what they thought of you!

You should ask a letter from the clerkship in the speciality you are applying. If it's Family then obtain a letter from your Clerkship in Family Medicine!

How many letters can I have?
You can upload an unlimited amount to ERAS! Each program has specific requirements on the amount of letters they require (usually 3) but then you can pick and choose which letters go where. If you happen to be apply to two different specialities such as Surgery and IM. You can have your surgical LoRs and IM LoRs and assign them accordingly.

What should I give to a potential letter writer?
If you already have access to ERAS, give them a copy of how to upload the letter. Give them your CV and a copy of your personal statement if available. I found it helpful to give them a list of key memories or specific patient interactions throughout the rotation. This will jog their memory of that specific encounter and how you addressed an issue, spoke to the patient etc. Some letter writers may request other information too.

When should I have my letters submitted?
Ideally, all letters should be uploaded by the time you submit your application by September 15th. Letters even once submitted to ERAS may take a few weeks to be uploaded so I would say beginning of September.

Can I submit letters after I have already submitted my application?
Yes! Your application will be automatically updated and the programs can view the letters as soon as they are available. However, programs can not see that you're waiting on a letter when they initially look at your application. They see you only have 2 letters instead of 3 which may or may not be viewed poorly.

Moral of the story, don't wait until last minute to ask your letter writers for letters because then you will be scrambling. If you have any other questions regarding letters of recommendation, let me know!

Getting your ERAS token!

Hello there! This is my first of many posts about The Match!

Today is the first day you can register for your ERAS token via ECFMG (for IMGs) for the 2017 match! This token basically allows you to use the ERAS system for applying to residency. You cannot apply to residencies without it. It is not necessary to get the token the first day it opens, but it just finally allows you to log into the application service and start uploading or getting familiar with it.

To get the token follow these steps:
1. Login to ECFMG's Oasis
2. Click on "ERAS Support Services" on the left hand side
3. Register for the token!  ** There is a $105 fee associated, once paid you'll get the token

Once you have the token #, you can log in to myERAS (you'll have to create an AAMC if you haven't already)

Important to note for 2017 matchees:

Submitting applications:
You can begin submitting your application on September 6th! Programs are not able to look at applications until September 15th. All applicants that submit between the 6th and 15th will be dated the 15th (so don't think that programs will see if you submitted the 7th rather than the 6th etc).

I highly highly HIGHLY recommend submitting your application before September 15th. This cannot be stressed enough! As you are researching programs, you will notice many have application deadlines well into December. Even if they accept applications later, you don't want to be placed in the 3rd or 4th group because they may have filled all their interview spots before you've even submitted. Point blank: Submit by September 15th (earlier too just in case there is a glitch on the ERAS system or something)

The Match:
The NRMP is separate from the ERAS system. The NRMP is "The Match" and you can register for that beginning September 15, 2016.

Cant wait to share this journey with my fellow matchees! (don't even know if that's a word) :)

Annual OBGYN meeting

About a month ago, I attended the national ACOG meeting in Washington D.C along with a few other UMHSers. I would encourage everyone to attend a national annual meeting for whichever specialty you are wanting to pursue either in your 3rd or 4th year. ACOG is the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Here is a list of the organizations by specialty:

Family Medicine – American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) http://www.aafp.org/

Internal Medicine –American College of Physicians (ACP)  http://www.acponline.org/

Pediatrics – American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) http://www.aap.org/

Psychiatry – American Psychiatry Association (APA) http://www.psych.org/

Surgery – American College of Surgeons (ACS) http://www.facs.org/

Obstetrics & Gynecology – American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) http://www.abog.org/ --  American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) http://www.acog.org/ -- American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society (AGOS) http://www.agosonline.org/

The ACOG meeting had specific events just for medical students! The first session was "OBGYN as a Career." There was a forum filled with generalists, specialists and residents each providing their view of OBGYN. They spoke to the challenges and highlights of the career and where they see the field going. The second session was all about residency. It was again a panel but this time of program directors from around the country, a recent graduate who just matched into the specialty and a resident. They all provided great advice on what to expect during the residency match, interviewing etc. 

The second day was filled with round tables. This was probably my favorite part because it was much more personal 8-9 students per "speaker". The first round table was regarding residency again and each table had a program director that we could ask questions galore to. They talked about what's important to consider when choosing which programs to apply to and what programs are looking for. The second roundtable was about your CV and personal statement. We had a resident at our table that he is the first to look at all the personal statements that come through his program. He told us what stands out to him, what should be avoided etc. 

A fun event they had was a Skills lab. They had suturing stations, models for delivering a baby, doing pap smears, inserting IUDs, fetal heart tracing etc. This was provided by practicing OBGYNS that volunteered. I enjoyed participating in the activities but since I had experienced a majority in my core rotation already, I used this chance to pick the brains of the physicians running the activities. They were all more than willing to discuss anything regarding the field!

The most important part of the weekend was the residency fair. 25-30 programs had tables set up manned by residents and program directors that we could meet, ask questions and learn more about their programs. This was incredibly valuable. You can learn a lot about a program by looking at their website but it's different to actually talk and meet with the residents to get the overall feel of the program. I was also able to network and meet people.

Overall, I would high recommend all students to attend at least one annual meeting. Even if it's not the field you are interested in but it is happening close to where you are living, Go! A lot of the information presented in the residency sessions were geared towards OBGYN but were also valuable for all specialties and approaching the match in general. 

Psychiatry Core Rotation

To be completely honest, I was not looking forward to completing this rotation. Mostly due to the uncomfortableness of the subject but I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed. A lot of the patients just want to be listened to and you just have to have compassion.

I completed the rotation at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut and it was a great experience. The hospital is like a hotel and the people are just friendly all around. It was a breath of fresh air after my surgery rotation that wasn't exactly filled with the kindest of people. It just goes to show that the environment in which you surround yourself with really matters! Another great aspect of this program is they allow you to experience many different forms of psychiatry; child psychiatry, inpatient, outpatient, crisis intervention in the ER, consult psychiatry and visiting a drug rehab program.

Danbury Hospital

My first week I spent doing consult psychiatry. These was a good experience and eased me into interviewing patients. These patients were admitted for a medical problem but since being in the hospital have developed a psychiatric condition or always had an underlying psychiatric condition. The doctor you work with is a pleasure to work with. He makes the week fun but also a learning experience.

My second week I spent doing crisis intervention. Danbury hospital has a great behavioral health portion of the ER. It was hit or miss with the business of the day depending on how many people came it. I worked hand in hand with social workers and nurse practitioners and developed my interviewing skills.

My third and fourth weeks I spent inpatient. I really enjoyed being inpatient. This is where you got the exposure to acute conditions. I worked with a fabulous, very knowledgable psychiatrist and really learned what good interviewing technique looked like.

My fifth and sixth weeks, I spent outpatient. Mainly working with patients that were in an Intensive Outpatient Program, attending therapy everyday. I got to sit in on many therapy sessions and truly understand all the different types.

Every monday afternoon all the psychiatry students would met, one would interview a patient while others observed and then we would discuss the case with a physician. The was probably the highlight of the rotation. The physician created a comfortable environment where we could state our opinions even if it meant disagreeing with what he thought was the diagnosis and encouraged us to defend our answers (which usually resulted in him being right but we learned but was wrong with our thinking ;))

We also have to complete three full H&Ps which was an great learning experience. They were critiqued and given back to us. I had written lots of medical H&Ps but the psychiatric H&P includes many different aspects including the mental status exam which we had never learned before. We always learned how to do a mini mental status exam but a full mental status exam involves much more.

We also had many lectures given by physicians.

I highly recommend this rotation even if you don't want to go into psychiatry because this is the last time you'll get trained if you don't go into psychiatry and take advantage of a great program!

CT sunset with students on the lake

Preparing for the Shelf:
I felt super prepared for this shelf, I studied a lot and the material just seemed to make sense to me. I had a hard time determining what the best resources for the shelf would be at first. A lot of the books I had only had DSM IV and I wanted to make sure I was studying DSM V. I used First Aid for Psychiatry and it is GREAT! I also watched DIT videos for a general overview as well as completed all uWorld questions. I had extra time in the end so I chose to look over Pretest questions but it was a DSM IV book so I had to pick and choose which questions to do.

I officially finished my last core and last shelf. The only thing standing between me and graduation is 4 more months of electives and Step 2 CK!

Took my shelf in Philadelphia right next to Independence Hall

Access Medicine Pharmacology Book

So we've gotten numerous emails about the access medicine and as of currently we don't have to complete the modules anymore for our core rotations! It appears many people are having difficulty signing in but I wanted to talk about the other resources that it contains that I didn't even know existed that I found while clicking around.

The only real helpful thing I found was for those taking Pharmacology on the island, you have access to Katzung & Trevor's Pharmacology: Examination & Board Review. I used this book a lot in Pharm because there are questions at the back of each chapter. The book is on reserve at the library but you have to leave it there so this allows you to access it at home! They have the chapters but they also have the interactive self assessment where you can do all the questions!

There were also some other not so popular books there if you're interested.

Happy studying!

Surgery Core Rotation

At the end of March, I completed my surgery core rotation in Waterbury, CT at St. Mary's Hospital. This was by far my most difficult rotation, not because it challenged me mentally but because it challenged me physically. For 3 months I reported to the hospital around 4:30-4:45am and didn't leave the hospital until 6-6:30, sometimes later, 6 days a week. It was very difficult to come home and then study and even the 1 day we had free a week, all I wanted to do was sleep. The fact that it was winter was a good and bad thing. Good because I wasn't envious of others for getting to be outside, because it wasn't nice anyways but bad because there was very little daylight. I went to the hospital when it was dark and returned home when it was dark. Never really got to see what Waterbury looked like but from what I've heard there's not much to look at anyways :)

The rotation consisted of 11 other students from 4 different caribbean schools, 2 being PA students. This was the first rotation I had the opportunity of working directly with students from other schools which I met some great new friends. 12 students sounds like a lot but 2 were always on the night shift which left 10 others to cover the surgery board each day and there were almost always enough surgeries to go around.  

One of my best friends throughout the rotation!

In the mornings, we prepared for morning rounds with the residents then went to surgery or helped with floor work then afternoon rounds. One benefit of this program is you get to see a lot of different surgeries. They primarily do laparoscopic and robotic surgeries with occasional open surgeries. You are working with the General Surgery team so get to see appendectomies, cholecystectomies, hernia repairs, and amputations galore but also colo-rectal surgeries such as hemicolectomies, hemorrhoidectomies and low anterior resections. There is multiple bariatric surgeons so I saw gastric sleeves and gastric bypass surgeries. There are also many breast surgeons so you will see lumpectomies and mastectomies with reconstruction. You are get to sit in on cardiothoracic surgeries such as valve repairs and replacements, coronary bypass surgeries and aortic aneurysm repairs. They also have many vascular surgeries so you will see fem-fem bypasses, angiograms w/ angioplasty, carotid endarterectomies and AVF formations. Some friends even got to see some neuro surgery for subdural hematoma evacuation and urological surgeries. I was very grateful for the exposure I got. While a majority of these surgeries you are scrubbing, you usually don't get to participate much as the residents are helping a majority of the time. They would let you hold retractors, cameras and maybe even throw a few closure sutures. 

I had a few cool experiences in the OR. Having a surgeon (who is not normally too nice) say that he wanted me to be in everyone of his cases because I held the camera better than any other medical student he had, made me happy! Also getting to help close the chest after an open heart surgery (even though we NEVER get to scrub in on heart cases). Those were God's way of telling me to keep pushing onward even though I know you're tired :)

On the floors we would do a lot of wound dressings, wound debridements, placement of NG tubes and I&Ds. Every Wednesday was academic days where we would have lectures, cancer conference and sim labs. We had labs on Central line placement, chest tube placements and suturing. All were very helpful things that we had not gotten in our Maine semester so I enjoyed it. We also got called to all traumas and suture opportunities in the ER.

Our Team!

Studying for the Shelf:

Everyone will say the Surgery shelf is all Internal Medicine, ummm yes it is because surgery is just operating on medical conditions. They aren't going to ask you specific procedure related questions on the exam so they have to ask questions over the pathophysiology etc. It just makes sense. Learn IM but also postoperative complications. 

Books I used: I used surgical recall through the rotation for pimping in the OR. I knew the surgeries I would have the next day, so I just read that chapter quickly the night before to refresh my memory. For the shelf, I used Pestana's surgical notes. The book not the pdf document. The pdf document is a bunch of cases, the book is short descriptions of a bunch of conditions. And as always I did the uWorld questions. 

For the rotation here, we had weekly quizzes over chapters in Essentials of General Surgery. It's a good book to reference if you want a little more information than what Pestana's offers. 

Operative Anatomy is a great resource for the step-by-step of each procedure. NOT necessary for the shelf but I liked to briefly skim it before each surgery to at least have a generalized idea of what was happening. It included a lot of anatomy which the surgeons would pimp on in the OR too. 

How to register for Step 2 CK

Hello everyone!

Just a quick post about registering for Step 2 CK! I'm finally biting the bullet and registering.

1. Go to ecfmg and sign into IWA.
2. Under Begin New Application click "USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK and/or Step 2 CS"
3. Select "Step 2 CK"
4. Choose your eligibility period
5. Complete Application

Lastly, spend over $800 for the exam :(

That's it!! Pretty easy now you just wait for the confirmation from ECFMG and that will give you permission to schedule the exam!

Hematology Oncology Elective

I've always enjoyed learning about hematology and oncology so decided to do an elective in it. I completed the elective in Ponce, Puerto Rico. I was placed with a physician that had a private office but also went to multiple hospitals to see patients as well. The nature of hematology, oncology is that it is a lot of counseling and follow up appointments just to check on how people are doing. The rotation itself wasn't extremely hands on because the physician adjusts treatment plans based on how the patient is responding to it. I was able to see a lot of bone marrow biopsies which was something new I had not seen before. It was a great learning experience because as the physician was describing things to the patients, I was listening and learning right along with them. The physician I rotated with also did clinical research which allowed me to see how that process works. He also presented at many events such as companies raising awareness about different types of cancers and risk factors.

One main goal of going to Puerto Rico for some rotations was to improve my medical spanish and that I did. Even though I studied Spanish throughout college, I never learned words like antibody or platelet. I'm much more confident in speaking Spanish to my patients and being able to understand them as well. I believe that everyone should be able to receive the same medical care regardless of the language they speak, but without being able to understand the patient this is very difficult. Most hospitals have a translator phone or interpreters that come but nothing replaces being able to connect with your patient with the same language. This is why I am so thankful that I speak 2 languages!

Electives in Michigan

These are the electives offered at 2 hospitals in Michigan.

Electives at McLaren Hospital

• Anesthesia
• Cardiology 
• Emergency Medicine
• ENT
• Gastroenterology
• Hematology/Oncology
• Infectious Disease
• ICU
• Neurology
• Opthalmology
• Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
• Ortho
• Pain Management
• Pulmonary
• Radiology

Electives at DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital (Given on a first come first serve basis, no electives available the months of July-October)

• Cardiology
• Gastroenterology
• ICU (Medicine)
• ICU (Surgery)
• IM Sub I
• Nephrology
• Pulmonary
• Rheumatology 
• Trauma Surgery

Scheduling Electives

So I had a suggestion to write about the process of scheduling electives! By the way, if anyone has suggestions on other topics, let me know! Go to the Contact Me tab or comment below!

How the elective process works is first you need to decide which electives you would like to do, when you would like to do them and where. You can do electives at affiliated hospitals which means that our school already has an agreement with them and the clinical department does all the work for you basically. These spots are mostly the same as where we can our core rotations offered which you can see a list of those here. You can also set up electives by yourself in "non-affliliate" hospitals. I will describe both processes.

Affiliated Electives
For a not so complete list of electives that our school offers, I wrote a post of how to access the list here. Another great resource is the facebook group for clinical students (you can not be apart of the group until you pass Step 1). Many people ask about where people suggest doing a certain elective and your peers are the best to get advise from. Calling the clinical department is always helpful so they can tell you what's available. Don't just call the clinical department for all electives though, have an idea of some you are interested in and go from there! When I receive information about what electives are offered in certain hospitals I try to post it on the blog as well.

Once you decide which elective you would like to do, you contact the clinical department and give them dates you would like to complete it. Sometimes they give you a contact name of a coordinator at the hospital to email directly about availability or sometimes they email the coordinator. Once you determine the timing is good, there is usually some paperwork sent to you and then it should be added to your Clinical Schedule on the portal! Make sure to check this often to make sure your electives and cores are placed on the schedule with the correct dates and locations.

Non-affiliate Electives
One way to score non-affiliate electives is by applying online to specific hospitals. Google any hospital you're interested in going to, along with "visiting medical student rotations" and it should take you to the page to see what's offered. Always read what's required to apply. UMHS is not LCME accredited (the accreditation for U.S. medical schools), many large university hospitals require visiting students to come from LCME accredited schools so it's not worth applying. Some applications have fees involved which you have to cover to apply. Some programs just include an email address of a coordinator if you are interested in doing a rotation there. Almost all applications require the signature of the Dean before applying. Print out the application, fill it out except the dean part and send it to the clinical coordinator. You must also fill out this form with every application you wish for them to send. ALWAYS follow up in a week to make sure someone is working on it!

Another way to get non-affiliated electives is by knowing a doctor who would be willing to take you on as a student or just by contacting smaller hospitals to see what's offered. I happened to met a physician on a tour in Washington D.C. from my home state and she said she would get me into electives at the hospital she works at. It's really about who you know. Connections get you a long way.

Once you have confirmed an elective with a hospital we are not affiliated with, you must get our school's permission to complete it. This involves sending the confirmation email received saying that you can do the rotation to the clinical coordinator along with any paperwork the hospital is asking you to complete. Many hospitals require the school to fill out part of the application and send it in. Complete all of your portions on the application and send it to the school to complete the rest. The clinical dean must approve all non-affiliate rotations.

Along with sending the email you must also log into the portal system, on the left hand side find "Change in Clinical Schedule Request" and click on it. Complete the Section that says "Please Add the Following Rotation to my Clinical Schedule". Give the department a few days then call to make sure they received it. This all must be done prior to 30 days before the start of the elective!!

So this was a crash course on how to schedule electives, if you have any questions let me know and happy scheduling!