<p>DS is also in his last rotation. Likely he will complete it within a week.</p>
<p>I think I read from somewhere (maybe from SDN?) that the issue about potentially “forgetting about clinical stuff” mostly applies to MD/PhD students who spend too much time (even years) away from what an MD program asks their students to do. At DS’s school, since even an MD-only student would go off to do things that are not “typical” for an MD program, it is natural that some of them may worry that, after their research year, they may forget what they have learned during their MS3 rotations. I believe DS mentioned to us before that how he would like to choose a not-so-high-profile research group to join so that he would be able to come back to do clinical stuff regularly instead of committing a full year non-stop to research - If he does not work full-time on the research for the full year, he would earn less money in this research year but he would not care. (yes, the school would pay them if they work in a “paid position” like those in the PhD programs or hired postdocs.) But he may choose the other way (i.e., being a more full-time/full-year researcher after all) and even starts to mention a 2-year commitment. This surprises us a little bit. I feel that he must have been constantly under a lot of “peer pressure” because he mentioned a few times that such-and-such (MD-only) students had been doing so much research already and collecting such-and-such research awards over the past few years. </p>
<p>I believe that this is another difference. D. listens to her superiors, not so much to others. But again, it might have been different if many around her decided on a gap year. She did not mention a single person. She sometime extracts few peices of information from SDN, that led her to think about “away” rotation. But then she just realized that she does not have time for it. She does not even have time for a 3rd elective at her location, which she considered, so she is doing only 2. While D. does not mind research, her primary interest (has always been) working directly with the patients. Anyway, research at her school is considered somewhat a break (in comparison to other rotations). Some split research rotation into 2 periods to have couple breaks when they can re-charge themselves (D. split it into 2 periods). </p>
<p>8 day countdown till D takes step 1. Starts first rotation the following week, surgery. I would think it would be “easier” to have a different rotation first but that’s the roll of the dice I guess. Somemom, she is doing an away rotation after that at the childrens hospital in the city you lived in many years ago. Do you know how that area is as far as safety goes? She will need to walk a couple of blocks from housing to the hospital and she’s not the most street smart girl.</p>
<p>GA2012MOM, Best wishes to your D for her upcoming Step 1.</p>
<p>DS was very stressed out by that first test. I heard he is going to take one of Step-2 (CK? maybe in a month or so? He lives so far away and we talked with each other so little now. We really do not know much about his schedule or plan.)</p>
<p>When DS went to college, we were told we need to be very aware of the hotels near any stop-over airports (so when he was stuck at a airport, he would know where to stay overnight.) Now, it appears we need to know the cities he may end up going to. It is an even more challenging job.</p>
<p>This reminds me of what BDM said a while ago: When you choose the physician career, your first few years of career will be like being layoff every year or every few years before you finally build up your career. This is because you are forced to move from one city to another city every so often when you are young.</p>
<p>Not much movement for my D. She likes it stable and close to home and she hopes to continue in this fashion. But we mihgt move in several years (when I am kicked out or my H. will force me to quit). We will know next year where, planning on some trips to investigate some locations. So, we mihgt end up vey far from her, and we have been very far from her Bro. for over 2 decades anyway.</p>
<p>I believe mcat2 is discussing what happens when someone is a licensed doctor. No one has a career yet when the they are in medical school or residency.</p>
<p>MCAT, it’s probably right time to exercise some “parental influence”, if any left. Two year gap sounds self-inflated bubble, better have outsider with clear mind gives it a reality check, ask clinical doctors in the metro-area that your son will likely practice to talk to your son, about essentials vs. nice to haves. Reading VSG, even one gap year on research gives one marginal benefit, or even negative from clinical perspective. Time to step in. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, not much “parent influence” has been left and it is not easy for us to step in, even if we wan to.</p>
<p>As long as he does not dig himself a “financial hole” that is too deep (the goal is to limit it to just above six figures - his school’s average for student’s debt level at graduation is about 120k), we may not want to be too “nosy” about his life as a young adult. (We were borderline accused by some CCers for being too nosy about his life not long ago. This helicopter parent has therefore decided to get off the helicopter unless he is specically commissioned back to do the duty. Honestly, I am still occasionally concerned about his life but try hard not to provide unsolicited suggestions to him.)</p>
<p>I heard it will not be two “gap” years. It will be only one. But I do not know how he could manage the final year when he will do research and do all the application/interview </p>
<p>One of his friends at another med school failed to match into his desired specialty (an extremely competitive specialty.) I am not sure whether this has influenced his decision on the research front.</p>
<p>This kind of reminds me that, when he was about to applying to a med school, an applicant applying with 3.95/40 in the previous application cycle almost did not not get into a med school (a true story.) That also affected him greatly at that time as well.</p>
<p>What is VSG?</p>
<p>BTW, DS’s STEP-1 score is likely high enough for most specialties except for the very competitive ones. So far, I could not sense that he is into one of those extremely competitive specialty like derm or ortho, etc. He once mentioned Radiology though (which is quite competitive, right? esp. the rad-onc.)</p>
<p>I could not imagine a medical school education system encouraging 1-2 years of research. MD/PHD is one thing, but definitely not necessary for someone intending on private practice. This research may only look good for those research orientated residency programs (i.e. JHU, UPenn, UCSF, Mass Gen, etc.). I’ve asked residents and medical students who rotate through my hospital, this research hiatus is not the norm. I hope their debts aren’t accumulating interest during this period.</p>
<p>Been thru graduate study myself, I’d hate to see my kids pursue the path of research/publishing, only if academia is their true passion and having the talent to back it up. If it takes that 'research year" to put your S in better position in his chosen specialty, then it become necessary evil, sorry for poor choice of words. </p>
<p>The fact is, there is no influence from the parents at this point in the game. I am to listen and support and will never volunteer advice. Maybe that is the reason, why I am asked often and in some area that I actually cannot be a good advisor. When this happens, I clearly and honestly state just that, the fact that I have no idea. But I am happy that D. is asking me a lot, sometime we compose her emails together, it is a great pleasure for me, but I always have to warn her to traslate my ideas to a proper language. But this is also a diff. between a girl and a boy, I also have S. On the other hand, I am happy that my D. has never had a gap year, not her thing. It started with us placing her in kindergarten earlier, she has always been one of the youngest in every one of her classes (and one of the most mature ones). She is looking forward to start her residency, very very much so. I can only hope that it will work in her (and ours) way. Count down begins…But there are so many trips ahead, so we have to take one step at a time and forget about big looming March 15, 2015. However, we have planned our vacation around it, D. has asked asked to be here on her Match day, even if we are not going to her school for the event. We will go only if she asked us to go. She is only 2 hours from us.</p>
<p>Met someone at a party yesterday who said he went through 2 years of research between residency and cardiology fellowship. Apparently he was encouraged to do it in order to be on the academic track but ultimately chose private practice after going through the level after fellowship. Interestingly enough, the fellowship got a one year credit for the research and shortened to 2 years from 3.</p>
<p>Fellowship, the lenght of it and the requirements probably depend a lot on the sub-specialty that they choose within specialty. There are probably no general rules. </p>
<p>Why we even discuss fellowship here? It is a remote possibility for few, who cannot plan for it at this point at all, they have to see how their life progress in the next years of residency to decide on fellowship. </p>
<p>Fellowships are the next step after residency,. since this is a residency thread and since there is not much traffic over all about residency, I think it makes sense to chat about fellowships here</p>
<p>You do realize that you are participating in a thread titled “Residency comes next” which is in a forum titled “Pre-Med Topics”? Obviously, anything goes. :-/ </p>
<p>But very few will pursue fellowship and they are not even aware at this point if they will or not…and they will not be on CC at the point when they actually make this decision. We are talking about extremely busy adults in various residency programs that probably see their kids only few moments / week …forget about CC This discussion is OK, but it will never involve a real resident who is going to a fellowship though </p>
<p>I agree that not many fellowship applicants will be on CC but honestly, there aren’t many current medical students here either and a great deal of useful information still gets posted. I suspect that fellowship information will amount to interesting articles and statistics but if those lead to some discussion I am all for it. Also - I think as compared to the current generation of doctors, where fellowship was less common, this crop of residents (especially those who came from research oriented medical schools) are more likely to consider fellowship training. Every one of the future ob/gyn’s from my daughter’s med school class plan on applying for fellowship. </p>
Do you know how that area is as far as safety goes? She will need to walk a couple of blocks from housing to the hospital and she’s not the most street smart girl.</p>