IamNikolas Registered User Posts: 41 (10/13/01 4:30:39 pm) Reply Away Rotations I'm sure everyone will be asked where they did away electives during interviews...I'm wondering if programs care WHERE you did your aways...for example, if you did your away electives at competitive programs (say, HSS, Duke, Penn, etc.) is this going to hurt your chances at the less competitive programs? I was told that such programs may think you will not rank them highly, and so they wouldn't put you high on their rank list either. Is there any truth to this? DrNukeOrthoMan Registered User Posts: 2 (10/15/01 11:00:05 am) Reply Chill man hey Iamnikolas, Man you've been posting so much on this forum, I'm beginning to wonder if you do anything else. Just chill dude. If you've done all that you can and have got the scores and stuff, then stop worrying. You'll be fine. You'll get in where you fit in if you catch my drift. later IamNikolas Registered User Posts: 42 (10/15/01 11:38:38 am) Reply Thanks for answering the question Thanks dr. nuke...for your totally unhelpful and condescending, albeit somewhat encouraging comments. I am sort of addicted to this site...I check it every time i check my email. DrNukeOrthoMan OSRR Newbie Posts: 3 (10/16/01 7:04:05 am) Reply IamNikolas Hey man, I wasn't intending to be condescending or crass. I just come from the lot that gets it done and doesn't sit there worrying about every little detail. I'm sure that if you really want ortho and you've made the grades and done your homework, you'll get in somewhere. How many programs did you apply to? best of luck Dr. Nuke IamNikolas OSRR Junior Posts: 43 (10/16/01 9:44:06 am) Reply re: applied to 38. good luck. Nick. OrthoStud OSRR Junior Posts: 42 (10/20/01 2:13:08 pm) Reply away electives i don't think programs will care much about where you've done electives...they may ask you, but I doubt if that would influence their opinion of you as a candidate for their program. I know of one guy last year who rotated at Cleveland clinic and NYU-joint disease and matched at a small community program... you just shouldn't go on about how great those programs are at your interview. Anyone else? Earthdawg OSRR Intern Posts: 6 (10/20/01 3:01:13 pm) Reply Away Rotations I would have to disagree a bit with orthostud. Last year I got asked where I had rotated at virtually every interview. Programs are VERY concerned where you did your away rotations because it provides information to them as to your interests. Just like candidates, program chairmen want to know how interested candidates are in THEIR program, and I'm sure it affects rank lists to a degree. If a program chair ranks only candidates that have little interest in their program, they run the risk of not filling, or ending up with a class full of people from the lower end of their rank list. That certainly doesn't mean you won't match somewhere if you don't match there. As orthostud said, you certainly don't want to interview at Community Program A, and go on and on about how great Academic Program B is, or vice versa. Also, be careful not to berate other programs either - you could come across as a whiner. Don't forget, the ortho world smaller than you realize, and if you bash a program halfway across the country, you could be bashing your interviewer's good friend's program without knowing it. I found out after the fact many times that the person I was interviewing with was (or brothers) with someone at one of the programs I rotated at. I recommend that you be kind to the programs you rotated at and when asked and simply relate the positive experiences you had while there. More importantly, try and spell out why you are interested in a particular program when you interview there. orthogirl OSRR Newbie Posts: 1 (10/30/01 1:51:09 pm) Reply Re: Away Rotations I completely agree with Earthdawg. The majority of the programs I interviewed with asked me about my away rotation. IamNikolas OSRR Junior Posts: 45 (10/30/01 3:40:59 pm) Reply re: thanks a lot for the replies orthostud,earthdog and orthogirl... i'm still wondering how to show interest in community programs when all of my aways have been at academic programs...i feel like they would see right through me. any ideas? or should i just be honest about my interest in academics? Thanks.