EAC23 Registered User Posts: 3 (4/19/01 6:49:59 am) Reply Away Rotations I know this one has been tossed around before but what are people's opinions regarding the need to do away rotations? Namely is it a necessity to do a 4th year elective at a competitive program to match at that program? I have a very limited amount of fourth year elective time and am deciding how to use that time. Thanks in advance. Techno Registered User Posts: 13 (4/19/01 12:02:52 pm) Reply Away Rotations Many detailed posts about this, but I recommend doing at least one away. It helps to have your foot in the door in at least two programs (includes your school's program), and, more importantly, you get the sense that not all orthopaedic programs are alike. When you choose your away rotation, make sure you do it at a place that is appropriate for your "level," or slightly better. If you're a superstar, do your rotation at a superstar program. It's not a necessity, but it can help you (or hurt you). crazy joe davola Registered User Posts: 26 (4/19/01 3:52:01 pm) Reply Away Rotations I did two away rotations in addition to an elective at home. I didn't match at any of the three, which is pretty unusual (with respect to others' experiences), inasmuch as I ranked them all in the top three spots on my list. My point is that weird things can still happen when you play the game the "correct" way. I got very good feedback at my number two choice (from an attending) after I rotated there, but wasn't even ranked in the single digits on their rank list. Ortho2002 Registered User Posts: 12 (4/20/01 5:28:24 am) Reply Did it help you crazyjoe? crazyjoe, even though you did not match at those institutions, do you feel that they were helpful in the overall process? crazy joe davola Registered User Posts: 27 (4/20/01 6:04:09 pm) Reply Away Rotations These rotations were valuable, without a doubt. I learned how programs operate outside my home institution and it showed me that all ortho residents are not cookie-cutter replicas. I found that there were definite negatives to be found at other programs which you won't be able to predict by reading a brochure. In retrospect, I think that even if you have a week or two to visit a program after you do a couple of month-long rotations, I'd go for it. If you have more questions, post away. It's better than me talking purely out of my butt.