View MS4 - How To Arrange Your Year
Here are some thoughts about the (several) topics that have now been raised:
1. Things to take during your fourth year:
Neurosurgery sub-i (one home, two away)
Some general surgery sub-i (general, vascular, etc.)
ICU (one month)
Anesthesia
Radiology/neuroradiology
The reason for the first is obvious, numbers 2-5 will help you learn some of the workflow and clinical skills you need as an intern. Be able to read a CXR and a head CT prior to internship. Anesthesia is a good time to learn what they do, so they can’t bullshit you during an operation. Or you can just go home at 9am every day like most of us did.
2. Things to avoid during fourth year:
neurology (waste of time, you have to take 3 months during residency anyway)
hard rotations after match (you won’t feel much like working)
3. Schedules for sub-i’s don’t match your school’s schedule:
Call the program and ask the coordinator. It’s a small field and they will usually work with you. If this doesn’t work, contact the chairman directly. If he says no and points out the coordinator told you that too, don’t bother applying there.
4. Other thoughts
Internship is not like being a surgical resident, it’s like being a nurse practitioner. Two skills, organization and efficiency, are probably even more important than clinical skills.
--Dr. Hfuhruhurr