Planning for Residency App. Process

Thought I'd slip these questions in before matching madness sets in.

DW is a third year and told me yesterday that she has to sign up for next year's electives / acting internships before May 1. She's interested in Ob/Gyn, but is not completely certain. Of everything she's done clinically, that has appealed to her the most. In particular, she enjoyed delivering babies, time in the OR and even clinic time.

She knows she will sign up for an elective in Ob/Gyn here at her home school for two very important reasons: 1) Here 3rd year Ob/Gyn was at a community hospital (hence she needs some face time here for residency application letters) 2) She may want to rank this pgm and being here would help.

With limited time and funds, she would like to do some away rotations / acting internships at other programs as well. How would she get some objective information about programs so she could better decide which ones are the ones worth rotating at? Other than geographic location and generic (non-specific to Ob/Gyn) "reputation," neither of us have a clue about what different places would offer in their residencies.

What are some places to get objective information about programs prior to the first "big" decision on May 1?

Oh, and I guess going to the department here is still possible for some of this advice, but it seems harder considering she hasn't done any clerkships here in Ob/Gyn (not her choice - she signed up to do here clerkship here but was instead placed at her third choice).

Thanks!

Tara,

Thanks for your reply. We're not averse to the possibility of the Southwest (in terms of residency) but with the possibility of only being able to do one or two "away" rotations in Ob/Gyn (in addition to the Ob/Gyn rotation that will have to be spent here) I don't know if she'd be likely to spend one of those two opportunities out there.

Thanks for invitation to PM. I might do that when I have more informed / thought-out questions to ask.

I guess I'm wondering how (aside from insider contacts) and actually going somewhere (for either an AI or a residency interview) folks learn about programs. For example, when people say such and such school has lots of experience with X procedures, are they getting that information from talking to folks directly or can they find it in published guides / online sources?

[rainbabies]

Thanks everyone for the good advice. I had forgotten about SDN (residency portion) and scutwork. I'll try to check into those areas. Also, I'll have to embrace the chance portion of it as well.

And I suppose geographical interest can be a fairly strong part of deciding where to contemplate doing an outside AI. Also, DW will do the home rotation here first -- to practice for the others as Alision mentioned and to audition for the possibility of staying here. It would have been nice if DW would've been able to do a clerkship here as she would have already had some more accessible personal contacts to ask not only about this program but about scouting out others.

Thanks again!

[samssugarmomma]

Kevin,

Does your wife have an advisor? I think that you can be assigned one by the department. DHs advisor was very helpful about suggesting programs to do away rotations at and programs to apply to. I think when DH asked for an advisor, he was asked what he was interested in and he was assigned an advisor that was knowledgeable in that area.

Kate

Hi Kate,

Actually, DW got some good information yesterday. There was a whole day devoted to planning (part of what got me thinking) for residency / specialties.

The Ob/Gyn department at her school had a lunch for interested students, gave a talk, and let each student leave with a planning / informational packet that included a CD with links about researching various programs and the process in general. So, I think she will feel more comfortable following up with folks (such as the Director here) after "meeting" faculty in Ob/Gyn here at yesterday's meeting.