While my 4th-year friends recently Matched, us M3s are gearing up for the application process!
The first thing for us to do is to identify where we want to do our away rotations. And while I am 85% sure I want to go into a specific field, the sub-Is do not set it in stone. But being away sub-Is, most of them are audition rotations, which means you want to apply to places where you are considering for residency. Some places will even offer you an interview at the end of a rotation if you do well!
A few things to consider:
- Look at deadlines. Some of the VSAS deadlines are July, some are March. Stay on top of it!
- There are a lot of requirements you did when you started medical school that you have to do again. Titers, PPD, and lots of paperwork. You’ve done it before, make sure you set time aside to do it again.
- If you know someone you want to work with, mention it. And ask them beforehand. If an attending agrees, it definitely helps with your chance of securing your ideal sub-I.
- As a sub-I, act like an intern. Take on the patients. Come up with an assessment and plan. Do follow up. Most of your letters of recommendation come from your sub-I experiences.
This will be my first rotation that I get to choose, and it’s exciting. I’ll let you know where I end up!
