Ortho2002 Registered User Posts: 6 (2/22/01 7:47:57 am) Reply Choosing Away Rotations I have a dilemma. While I believe that my application will be strong next year, I do not think that it will be strong enough to turn heads at the major programs. Should I do my away rotations at the powerhouse programs that I really want to get into, or should I focus on a "sure thing" (if there is such a thing!) and rotate with a less known school? Influencing this decision is the fact that our school does not have a chairman of ortho to get a letter from (which really sucks!). slk Registered User Posts: 22 (2/22/01 9:23:42 am) Reply Re: Choosing Away Rotations You'd be REAL surprised even with a luke-warm application, how much a great rotation with a great letter from a big attending can mean. If you feel like you want to try to ensure a lesser program do that, but do at least one shoot-for-the-stars because you really never know what can happen. But make sure you get on a good service (ie, some students that rotate at Joint Disease end up on a service at Bellevue or Tisch, which is not where you want to be to get to know attendings.) Don't sell yourself short from the start. (How's that for a feel good pep talk?) hurricane26 Registered User Posts: 3 (2/22/01 9:31:58 am) Reply Home school or power house.... If you only have one month to go away, go to a big name. The people who will read your application will look at WHO wrote your letters before they even read it. They will read LOR from guys they know and pass over those they don't.