06-24-2021, 04:27 PM
Hey @OP,
Had no clear idea of what I wanted to do entering clinicals. Labored between Neuro (with eventual stroke/endo fellowships) and Gen Surg (with Surg Onc fellowship), so yah...no clue what I wanted. Always felt the draw towards NSGY but pushed back against it at each step because as someone from a non-medical background it was intimidating. Did a NSGY rotation January of MS3 and couldn't fight it anymore, it was the only thing I wanted to do.
The problem? No pubs (NSGY or otherwise), a couple of presentations from undergrad, 1 ongoing project in Neuro (& peripherally with NSGY) I was passionate about, oh...and a fantastically below average Step 1.
If NSGY is what you want to do, don't just express that in words. Put it on display with your actions during your Sub-I and other rotations during MS4 (I developed a good relationship with a senior who literally pulled me off anesthesia and ICU electives to teach me/assist him in the OR). The opinions of you held by the residents matter. They may not get a vote, but they talk to the attendings and your letter writers and certainly play a large role in forming their opinions of you. I also met with my PD and Chair soon after that MS3 rotation and expressed my interest, why I was "late", my weaknesses, and then asked them what was the best manner in which to fill those gaps in the next ~6 months. Maybe as importantly as working hard though, is to work graciously. Be humble, treat everyone (MDs/DOs, residents, RNs, lab techs) with respect on ALL of your rotations. Residency is a work marriage lasting 7 years. Nobody wants to be working 100+ hrs/week alongside of someone who is a miserable mop of a personality is unteachable because their confidence and ego gets in the way. Surgical skills and clinical acumen can be taught. But a collaborative nature and the ability to perceive others who share an interest and excitement for this most unique of fields as peers rather than vultures stealing what's "entitled" to them, definitively cannot. Best of luck with the upcoming cycle, and you should not at all feel discouraged by the blatantly personal attacks by a single medical student .
Had no clear idea of what I wanted to do entering clinicals. Labored between Neuro (with eventual stroke/endo fellowships) and Gen Surg (with Surg Onc fellowship), so yah...no clue what I wanted. Always felt the draw towards NSGY but pushed back against it at each step because as someone from a non-medical background it was intimidating. Did a NSGY rotation January of MS3 and couldn't fight it anymore, it was the only thing I wanted to do.
The problem? No pubs (NSGY or otherwise), a couple of presentations from undergrad, 1 ongoing project in Neuro (& peripherally with NSGY) I was passionate about, oh...and a fantastically below average Step 1.
If NSGY is what you want to do, don't just express that in words. Put it on display with your actions during your Sub-I and other rotations during MS4 (I developed a good relationship with a senior who literally pulled me off anesthesia and ICU electives to teach me/assist him in the OR). The opinions of you held by the residents matter. They may not get a vote, but they talk to the attendings and your letter writers and certainly play a large role in forming their opinions of you. I also met with my PD and Chair soon after that MS3 rotation and expressed my interest, why I was "late", my weaknesses, and then asked them what was the best manner in which to fill those gaps in the next ~6 months. Maybe as importantly as working hard though, is to work graciously. Be humble, treat everyone (MDs/DOs, residents, RNs, lab techs) with respect on ALL of your rotations. Residency is a work marriage lasting 7 years. Nobody wants to be working 100+ hrs/week alongside of someone who is a miserable mop of a personality is unteachable because their confidence and ego gets in the way. Surgical skills and clinical acumen can be taught. But a collaborative nature and the ability to perceive others who share an interest and excitement for this most unique of fields as peers rather than vultures stealing what's "entitled" to them, definitively cannot. Best of luck with the upcoming cycle, and you should not at all feel discouraged by the blatantly personal attacks by a single medical student .
