Author: Anthony Wilson MD MS
During the preseason of orthopedic surgery residency application cycle, many students find themselves at different institutions for away rotations. This acts as a “try out” to see if they’re a good fit for the program and if the program is a good fit for them. For medical students hoping to match into orthopaedic surgery, away rotations are a month long of auditions.
It’s not unreasonable to say this month long rotation can be the deciding factor in residency interviews and program rankings. Beyond this, it’s a chance to see what type of surgeon is being molded at the place of interest and who you could be in the future
Here’s how to make the most of your rotation and stand out for the right reasons.
1. What to know before starting
Nobody expects you to reduce a complex fracture on your first day or know the different subtypes of acetabular fractures. But you should know how to scrub, maintain sterility, suture skin, and understand basic terminology. It is a good idea to talk with your team and preop plan the day before on basic anatomy and different techniques.
2. Being prompt and assimilating quickly
This is a given but can be overlooked after a long call weekend or when feeling overwhelmed after arriving to a new city. Asking “when are we getting there tomorrow?” versus “what time I should be there?” makes a big difference. You want to be a part of this team, and you should use language that shows that.
Introduce yourself in the OR, know the schedule, and be prepared to help set up the room. If you don’t know how to help set up, ask the staff how you can be useful, even if it’s staying out of the way.
3. Know your patients
Whether you're in clinic or in the OR, take ownership of the patients. Know their history, imaging, operative plan, and post-op progress.
Often times these are fast paced clinics, but do your best to be concise and structured. If you have questions, that’s great. It is better to know you don’t know something rather than act like you do.
4. Be Helpful Without Hovering
This can make or break you with residents and attendings alike. You will be spending a lot of time together over the next month and it’s great to be engaged, but everyone loves a little personal space, and no one likes when someone is constantly looking over their shoulder. There's a fine line between being eager and being in the way. Reading the room is a skill that can be improved on with some introspection. Attendings and residents respect hustle, but they also value situational awareness.
5. Being genuinely engaged everyday
Seems basic, but if you’re not interested in a case or subspeciality it’s easy to forget that you can learn from every single patient. Express interest, especially in procedures or subspecialties you haven’t seen before.
6. Make impressions that will last
An important term that is used often when discussing rotators is “fit”. It’s not unfair to say that away rotations are as much about personality fit as clinical knowledge. The number one rule any time you walk into a hospital is respect. Be respectful to everyone including residents, nurses, techs, scrub staff, and janitorial staff. Programs are looking for future colleagues. Be someone others want on their team during a long call shift.
Being pleasant to people cost $0.00. You have the power to make someone’s day much better.
7. Stay grounded
Humility goes a long way. Be coachable. Own your mistakes. And always be the first to ask, “How can I help?”
This is especially true when taking primary call with the residents, knowing where to be, where to get splint material, how to hold a leg, etc will pay dividends come ranking time.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is stay in the background until needed.
Important reminders:
From your first handshake to your last day, your attitude, work ethic, and interpersonal skills are under the microscope. Remember that every resident and attending was once in your shoes. Come ready to learn, grow, and contribute.
Most of all, try to have fun while at work and experience the city if you’ve never been before. Ask what local spots are popular, where’s the good bar or taco truck that you must try before leaving. Five years is a long time if you pick a city that doesn’t fit your hobbies.
