With no glaring problem in your application and as long as you get the application in on time, you should anticipate getting the away rotation. I applied to 3 rotations knowing that I wanted to only do 2 because I was concerned about the same thing, but I didn't come across anyone on the trail who was denied an away rotation. When you end up turning down an away at a program, some places will write you off for interview season later. What may be a problem is month-to-month availability (AKA you wanted August but they offer you September) so try to be flexible with the rest of your fourth year scheduling. So my advice is to apply early to the places you want to go and expect to rotate there. Once you decide on the programs, then look into it, because not all are VSAS and some (like Northwestern) do require a LOR or a short essay explaining why you want to rotate.

Thanks for the info. I have a couple followup questions: - Is it just as bad to cancel your application to a program for an away before they let you know if you are accepted (as it is to outright turn down the offer)? - Is the "Application processed date" listed on VSAS close to when I will find out if I am offered the rotation? I do not want to run into the problem of turning a program down, so was planning on organizing my applications accordingly. ie Say Program A is my first choice for August and Program B is my second choice... if Program A processes on May 1, I will know if I get in and can cancel my application to Program B that processes on June 1 without hopefully pissing them off.

- Apply on the first day possible when VSAS let's you. - Yes, you will piss off programs even if you withdraw before the decision is made/rotation offered. - That's why they are your choice #2, and most likely they will not offer you an interview. - But that's why you always accept and go to your choice #1. - For that reason keep in mind choice #3 in case anything happens with choice #1. Better to do 2 rotations. Statistically chances of matching are lower with 1 or 3 or 4 rotations. Unless your application is very weak just do 2 rotations. If it is weak then do as many as you can. Buy make sure you are a superstar every single time. Most people do better on the second rotation. You already know what to do and not yet as exhausted as you might be during your 4th rotation. Decide what's your number 1 and rotate there no matter what, whenever you can. No guarantee you will get an interview though (you might piss someone off, and it will be done deal for you). But if you will work hard and will get along well with people, you have a much higher chance of matching there, than someone with even better stats.

Better to do 2 rotations. Statistically chances of matching are lower with 1 or 3 or 4 rotations.

If you don't mind me asking - is there data to support this or is it just hearsay? I'm curious because at my school (where there isn't an ortho program), its common for people to do 3 aways (the max our school will let us do). I've got a strong app, and really only want to do 2 aways; but I've been leaning towards 3 since 1) I can, and 2) more aways can only help, right?!

Better to do 2 rotations. Statistically chances of matching are lower with 1 or 3 or 4 rotations.

If you don't mind me asking - is there data to support this or is it just hearsay? I'm curious because at my school (where there isn't an ortho program), its common for people to do 3 aways (the max our school will let us do). I've got a strong app, and really only want to do 2 aways; but I've been leaning towards 3 since 1) I can, and 2) more aways can only help, right?!

Here is a link to a study from 2009]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... ool=pubmed[/url]. Although the results of the study do show that doing 2 aways has statistically higher match rates, 3 aways is not far behind at all. The study also went on to break down the type of applicant who does 2 versus 3 or more aways, showing that the typical applicant doing 3 aways is a weaker applicant. So as far as I can tell, if you are a strong applicant (Scores, grades, LORs, research, etc), doing 3 aways should only HELP you. The 3rd away would most likely be late enough in the year that ERAS +/- Dean's Letter already went out, so it should only help/hurt you at that specific 3rd program (i.e. you won't be counting on the LOR from a 3rd away to improving your app to all other programs). However, this is a bit different if you do not plan to or have the option to rotate at your home program before going on aways. If I were you I'd definitely do 3 aways.

I've heard of people being denied, but it was because they applied too late. Apply the first day a program allows and it shouldn't be a problem.