Electives Rejections

[JTP73]

I am beginning to wonder if applications for electives/externships from Caribbean med schools go straight into the trash can upon receipt. I haven't had much of a favorable response from any of the programs for which I have blindly applied. Any advice--besides having connections? Most so far require that I send an email even to simply get rejected. A typical response:

I apologize for the delay. I gave your application to Dr. for his approval and I just heard from him recently. Unfortunately we cannot accept any applications at this time due to multiple resident and student commitments. I’m not able to tell you at this time when we will be accepting elective externships in the future.

[AmericanIMG]

seems like u aren't doing them in advance enough.

don't blindly do anything, look into it. make phone calls rather then emails.

SMU puts out a list of hospitals where students have done electives. use this as a template.

good luck!

[JTP73]

seems like u aren't doing them in advance enough.

don't blindly do anything, look into it. make phone calls rather then emails.

SMU puts out a list of hospitals where students have done electives. use this as a template.

good luck!I appreciate your advice. Several of them were submitted to SMU so that they would be processed and arrive on the date that the hospital was just starting to accept applications. Unfortunately, it was a place for which I do not have connections. I have called and emailed, but neither has worked. Also, I have used the list as a template, but you never know what bridges were burned by previous SMU students. By blindly, I just mean that I sent the apps w/o having an internal connection. So is this process like following up applications for a job? Thanks again.

[AmericanIMG]

call call call.
be polite and professional.
call more places. things won't just be handed to you.

definitely use the list SMU provides.

you have to get approval from the hospital first, then SMU will approve.

[rynobuddy]

Have had the same response from many different sites for electives. I submitted application well in advance > 6-8 months and they bascially treat me like i have leprosy. Try to call and follow-up and never receive phone calls back. Not all facilities but more than I would like. Just gets frustrating after a while. But it is what it is. Some these hospitals education offices have the same communication skills as SMU offices! None!

[JTP73]

Have had the same response from many different sites for electives. I submitted application well in advance > 6-8 months and they bascially treat me like i have leprosy. Try to call and follow-up and never receive phone calls back. Not all facilities but more than I would like. Just gets frustrating after a while. But it is what it is. Some these hospitals education offices have the same communication skills as SMU offices! None!I agree. Some of these places, I just need one acceptance, then I am certain that I can foster enough positive relationships to get other rotations there. I guess I may have to ask my other hospital connections for any connections they have in the desired hospital. But thanks, I will call them again. The Caribbean stigma really gets going during 3rd year apparently.

[got milk?]

here's what you need to do.

find out who is in charge of medical education (usually a non-doctor) at the hospital, and send them a nice gift, flowers, etc. have it delivered in person.
that will get their attention, and they will most likely hook you up.

[acetre]

You guys should consider AIME in Chicago.They may not have the best rotations in the world, but you will be able to line them up in a row and get done. If you want the number, PM me.

(Note: The person who set up the rotations is not necessarily the nicest person, but that's because she is terribly too busy to answer a tom of questions on the phone...it is suggested that you actually meet here personally in Chicago to set the rotations up. For many of us who are about the graduate next week, setting up rotations with AIME was painless.)

JTP73,
You should consider Houston as your location for CS, about 20 people I know personally have gone there and passed on the 1st try by only using First Aid CS. I went to Houston and I passed there a well.

---acetre

[UFTim]

Yeah, I started calling the medical education offices and asking. It's better to get turned down now instead of sending all the apps in and getting turned down in 2-3 months.

People post where you were accepted for electives in the sticky. This will help future students.

[Wayfarer]

Cardiology elective at Maimonides in Brooklyn, New York, starting May 5th

[smu79]

although i have been rejected from a couple of places, i have all but secured all of my electives...my problem is how I will schedule them. The bad thing is that I will have to drop a few in order to accomodate others... but this is the nature of the beast.

among the places that have accepted me for spring and fall semester:

Cleveland Clinic Fl: 2 rotations
University of Alabama 2 rotations
" of South Alabama
LSU
Tufts
LIJ
NYU
U of Wisonsin
2 universities that said "only US grads"
..among other schools...will post them once i have scheduled all of my electives...although i have been accepted for these electives, I cant schedule fall electives until the fall registration opens in Aug.

by the way, no conections....

[rynobuddy]

SMU79,

That is super you got Cleveland Clinic Florida. They will not return my calls or emails. Been trying for 4 months. One more elective to schedule, anyone know of any locations for neuro electives (not in NY)? Thanks in advance

[got milk?]

You guys should consider AIME in Chicago.They may not have the best rotations in the world, but you will be able to line them up in a row and get done. If you want the number, PM me.


---acetre



what does AIME stand for?

[UFTim]

SMU79,

That is super you got Cleveland Clinic Florida. They will not return my calls or emails. Been trying for 4 months. One more elective to schedule, anyone know of any locations for neuro electives (not in NY)? Thanks in advance

I secured Cleveland Clinic back in November for the Fall. However, recently they've been difficult to get in touch with.

Electives I've been approved for:
Halifax Medical Daytona Beach: 1
Orlando Regional: booked solid
Ochsner New Orleans: 2
Maimonides: 2 (not going to do them here)
University of Florida Shands: Surgery in the Fall. conflicts with my schedule now.

The hardest thing is trying to get the dates to all line up , and it seems as soon as you're approved for one rotation another one accepts you for the same dates, so then you have to adjust those dates and wait for approval again. :roll:

[smu79]

I secured Cleveland Clinic back in November for the Fall. However, recently they've been difficult to get in touch with.

Electives I've been approved for:
Halifax Medical Daytona Beach: 1
Orlando Regional: A ton
Oschner New Orleans: 2
Maimonides: 2 (not going to do them here)
University of Florida Shands: Surgery in the Fall. conflicts with my schedule now.

The hardest thing is trying to get the dates to all line up , and it seems as soon as you're approved for one rotation another one accepts you for the same dates, so then you have to adjust those dates and wait for approval again. :roll:

Indeed...I've been approved to 2 AI for the same month...it takes a little of negotiation sometimes to get what you want

[aureus]

where is the list?

[dangrr]

When seeking electives in my home state, the University of Tennessee treated me very poorly. The only answer to my application and emails was an email four days before the start date saying that they would let me know. I had gotten written permission for the course from the instructor/MD forty five days earlier; yet, someone in the system let the application sit on his/her desk.

East Tennessee State University in Johnson City Tennessee was just the opposite. The elective coordinator told me that they welcome international medical students and she gave me a heads up that the elective I wanted was full but that they would love to have me the next elective block.

I am doing the elective now; all the medical personnel are wonderful and the area is great.

(X)OB/GYN, Family, IM, Surgery,Psychiatry
( )Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, East Tennessee State U., NOW
( )Pediatrics, Mt. Sinai, Chicago, OCT. 2008

[tampanian]

call call call. be polite and professional. call more places. things won't just be handed to you. definitely use the list SMU provides. you have to get approval from the hospital first, then SMU will approve.

This is good advice.
Furthermore, if you’re in a hospital that has other rotations you might want to do, get to know the person who schedules them...whether that be a secretary, the director, or the attending themself. Keep in mind that there are a lot of students asking for the same limited number of spots, so be courteous yet persistent, but not to the point of being a nuisance. Periodically, a rotation that would otherwise be booked up for several months will have a spot become available much sooner, and if you’re at the right place at the right time you can sometimes get it. I was able to do this with about 4 fairly hard-to-get rotations. Remember, smile and be friendly…it can go a long way.

A couple of my favorite electives were Trauma and Anesthesia at Cook County Hospital in Chicago…particularly Trauma. If you’re thinking about doing one or both, you’ll want to call and get an approx. wait time and then get your paperwork in as early as possible because they both have a long wait (like a year when I was inquiring). Here’s the app:
http://cru.cchil.org/per/APPLICATION%20FOR%20STUDENT%20ROTATIONS/Forms/AllItems.htm (http://cru.cchil.org/per/APPLICATION%20FOR%20STUDENT%20ROTATIONS/Forms/AllItems.htm)

For me, the Trauma was a good example of how being persistent yet courteous can work out in your favor. At the start of my last year it was originally scheduled as my last rotation (a year away). I learned that one of my best friends was doing it in three months, which coincidentally was one of two months that I didn’t have filled. I called and was told that the only available spot was the month after mine (13 months away). I called two weeks later and was told the same thing. A month later I was doing Ana there so I walked over and personally met the person who does the scheduling. She was very friendly as was I and she recalled our two previous conversations. She said that a student had just dropped out for next month and I could have the spot (the one with my friend) . Who knows, there was almost certainly a waiting list, but because I was standing in front of her and she knew from our previous conversations that I was very interested, she gave it to me. Furthermore, I’ve heard of similar instances happening to other students.

(Only after I typed this did I realize I was responding to essentially a five month old question…oops. Hopefully, someone might find this useful.) J

[rynobuddy]

whether it is an old post or not, the above posters theme is correct. Go visit some of the program coordinators or education offices if you happen to be in a hospital that has electives, and get to the know the staff. Be friendly and poite above all else. Electives are out there for the taking, it takes some groundwork on our part but they are available. Seek and you shall find so to speak :) Good luck all.

[Ashram64]

there is always wyckoff...

[NewCenturyMD]

I was told is better to call the hospitals first