Should I do an Away Rotation?

Written by Morgan Pratt, MD

As the third year of medical school comes to a close you are finally allowed to choose your schedule for the upcoming academic year. This can be exciting and liberating, but lends us to ask the age-old question, “Is it in my best interest to do an away rotation?”

Now, this topic does not account for specialties like Emergency Medicine that require it for their applications and SLOEs, but what about the rest of us?

This is a very personal decision that comes with risks and benefits that are worth a pause and discussion with your advisor.

Positive Outcomes:

• Greater feel for a program

• Make yourself known to a program

• Show your commitment/interest

• Show off your skills

• Changing geographic locations and possibly “unlocking the region”

• Make connections with residents and faculty

Negative Outcomes:

• Underperforming their expectations

• Difficulty socializing

• Expensive

• Stressful

• Risk of making a negative impression

Away rotations are great opportunities to make yourself known to a program and get more facetime with faculty and residents. This can seem like a no-brainer. However, away rotations are a calculated risk. You must take into consideration many aspects of your skills set, socialization style, and the practicality of traveling with all the costs it includes. If you are more of an introvert and worry that you may not be able to open up enough to make the best impression you can, then perhaps an away rotation will hurt more than help you. On the other hand, perhaps you feel like this will be an asset compared to the snapshot that a singular interview day allows. 

If you decide an away rotation is the right choice for you, then make sure to get your applications in as early as possible and front-load them into the first half of the fourth year before interview season picks up! 

The residents and faculty are looking to see if you’d be a good fit just as much as they are evaluating your medical knowledge or growth during your rotation. 

So remember: Be yourself, work hard, and be a team player!