MS1-->2 Summer: ENT vs Ortho focus

[wondrousnich]

Just wanted to get some opinions on this...I'm heading into summer b/w MS1 & 2 and really want to spend time getting a better feel for ENT and ortho. I knew I wanted to become orthopod since the 6th grade, but since having a double orbital blowout and various other breaks in the face, my EYES have been opened to ENT. From what I've heard, getting into ENT (or ortho at that) is not the easiest of tasks. Do you think I'd be better off having spent a summer doing ENT research and ending up liking ortho better, but having a pub in ENT or having done ortho research and having a pub there, but liked ENT better?

Thanks for any input

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[ORLHNS41]

I'm a fourth year applying to ENT right now. I got involved in research early on and was able to publish, which definitely helped my application. I have a friend applying for ortho, with absolutely NO research, who got interview invites from top programs just based on his grades and board scores. Some other ortho people I know also got invites with little to no reasearch. I think it's tough to get invites to ENT programs without some research. So, I think you should do ENT research, and the sooner the better. If you decide on ortho later, you won't be hurt by not having any (assuming the rest of your application is strong). That's just my two cents. Good luck!!

 

[wondrousnich]

thanks for the input!

 

[PenguinHead]

Mean number of research experiences for ENT: matched 3.2, unmatched 3.0

Mean number of research experiences for Ortho: matched 2.6, unmatched 2.3

That's 2007 NRMP data.

Looks like research is more important in ENT. However, if you do the ENT research and later decide on ortho, having at least done some research in a surgical specialty is going to still be a positive. You can always do more research 4th year.