(Potential) National Embargo on Away Rotations

[sunshinefl]

Can I ask a serious question? I’m a DO applying IM. I am applying to/have some aways/auditions scheduled for 4th year. Only one actually sub-I IM, and others in recommended fields for residency preparation. Out of 11 rotations for 4th year, only 3 are core and scheduled. The other 8 are electives and selectives. If there are no aways/auditions, how exactly am I supposed to fill the other 8 in order to graduate?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[libertyyne]

Can I ask a serious question? I’m a DO applying IM. I am applying to/have some aways/auditions scheduled for 4th year. Only one actually sub-I IM, and others in recommended fields for residency preparation. Out of 11 rotations for 4th year, only 3 are core and scheduled. The other 8 are electives and selectives. If there are no aways/auditions, how exactly am I supposed to fill the other 8 in order to graduate?

BS underwater pottery, health systems design, "research" , and subspecialty home rotations.

 

[efle]

The match rate will be about the same, perhaps even higher than usual, because people who don't like their chances can take a research year and apply next year.

This is also my prediction.

1) High match rates in competitive specialties this year. Then, very low the next two years.
2) Much more home-matching than usual.
3) Being a "known quantity" this year means coming from an established med school, instead of doing an audition.

 

[SurgDoc95]

BS underwater pottery, health systems design, "research" , and subspecialty home rotations.

We do not have home rotations is the biggest gripe for virtually all DO schools. Yes that is inherent issue with how our schools are set up and accredited, but its the truth.

 

[libertyyne]

PDs are going to have to rely upon paper apps more this year. This will be difficult for people that traditionaly only rank people they know.
Research productivity is quickly going to gain a lot more influence considering there isnt much you can select someone on besides perceived commitment to the field after filtering for step.

 

[sunshinefl]

BS underwater pottery, health systems design, "research" , and subspecialty home rotations.

Well, I have 1 cardiology scheduled with my home program. They normally limit everyone (home or not) to 1 4th year rotation because they use them as auditions. Guess if they can’t take anyone else, maybe they will allow us to do more of them. But man I’m getting stressed about how we’re going to graduate and get into residency.

 

[efle]

We do not have home rotations is the biggest gripe for virtually all DO schools. Yes that is inherent issue with how our schools are set up and accredited, but its the truth.

Sounds like 8 months of research blocks (read: vacation) then.

 

[SurgDoc95]

Sounds like 8 months of research blocks (read: vacation) then.

How about no?

 

[libertyyne]

We do not have home rotations is the biggest gripe for virtually all DO schools. Yes that is inherent issue with how our schools are set up and accredited, but its the truth.

I mean you are doing your medicine home sub I somewhere. What i meant by home was any place where you do your cores, or any place where you can get rotations. You do bring up an interesting problem where students have to find their own rotations , a blanket ban on away rotations would make it hard to graduate considering most of your year 4 rotations are away rotations not necessarily sub Is, but jsut due to the fact that you dont have a home institution.

 

[SurgDoc95]

I mean you are doing your medicine home sub I somewhere. What i meant by home was any place where you do your cores, or any place where you can get rotations. You do bring up an interesting problem where students have to find their own rotations , a blanket ban on away rotations would make it hard to graduate considering most of your year 4 rotations are away rotations not necessarily sub Is, but jsut due to the fact that you dont have a home institution.

Honestly this is one of my biggest concerns and gripes about this potentially happening. We are on our own to set up our entire 4th year schedule which is fantastic for doing aways/auditions, but leaves us all with our you know whats in our hands should all aways be cancelled. Every rotation in 4th year for us is an away...

 

[efle]

I wonder what the Caribbean schools are doing, since they usually have to send their folks all over the country for rotations too, and they don't have true "home" departments to match in anything

 

[ace_inhibitor111]

This is also my prediction.

1) High match rates in competitive specialties this year. Then, very low the next two years.
2) Much more home-matching than usual.
3) Being a "known quantity" this year means coming from an established med school, instead of doing an audition.

I feel like a lot of people are thinking the same thing and rolling the dice on competitive specialties even with a marginal app. I know no-one in my class is dropping out of applying for orthopedics, and some even decided to apply this year instead of taking a research year like they had planned.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I feel like a lot of people are thinking the same thing and rolling the dice on competitive specialties even with a marginal app. I know no-one in my class is dropping out of applying for orthopedics, and some even decided to apply this year instead of taking a research year like they had planned.

I think if your app is good on paper then it's probably smarter to go ahead and apply, if you were a below average-ish applicant really banking on aways to give you that extra bump up then it might be better to do a research year and ride it out.

One thing I think everyone can agree on: the situation just sucks for all of us and we will likely all be deleteriously affected in some way or another.

 

[efle]

I feel like a lot of people are thinking the same thing and rolling the dice on competitive specialties even with a marginal app. I know no-one in my class is dropping out of applying for orthopedics, and some even decided to apply this year instead of taking a research year like they had planned.

Funny, because I'm surrounded by risk-averse perfectionists who were planning research years before COVID and the number here is certain to only go up. Guess we will have to wait and see!

 

[clocks123]

Makes no sense to allow only EM rotators to go on away rotations. If the idea is to prevent spread of COVID, then having students fly all over the country to EDs where they are more likely to become infected doesn't really sound logical.

 

[efle]

I guess it’s a good thing that policy isn’t based on convincing efle on sdn.

 

[Mass Effect]

I would bet that over 95% of aways are done by people applying in "essential" fields

Never underestimate the number of aways DO students and low-tier MD students do every year - in every field.

Closed down until August or September doesn't mean they're closed down indefinitely for the year or plan to be. Sorry not buying that as rationale for shutting the whole system down. As far as surgeries, you mean to tell me elective procedures are going to be suspended for another 3/4/5 months? I doubt that wholeheartedly

The country has shut down, millions of people are unemployed, we're talking depression, not recession, and it's considered good if only 200,000 people die. You really think it's a good idea to send med students on airplanes as they hop-scotch in hospitals around the country?

It would be absurd to allow aways this year.

Well you bring up another point, ERAS ought to be moved back and same with the match this year. This would in theory allow for aways to be completed and letters to obtained. Guess we'll have to wait and see

ERAS should be pushed back, but it's doubtful that it'll be enough for aways considering a second wave predicted in the fall. The Match will likely not be pushed back (or at least not by much) due to credentialing and licensing prior to start of intern year. You can't have people match in May and still start in July.

 

[SurgDoc95]

Never underestimate the number of aways DO students and low-tier MD students do every year - in every field.



The country has shut down, millions of people are unemployed, we're talking depression, not recession, and it's considered good if only 200,000 people die. You really think it's a good idea to send med students on airplanes as they hop-scotch in hospitals around the country?

It would be absurd to allow aways this year.



ERAS should be pushed back, but it's doubtful that it'll be enough for aways considering a second wave predicted in the fall. The Match will likely not be pushed back (or at least not by much) due to credentialing and licensing prior to start of intern year. You can't have people match in May and still start in July.

If they don't allow aways there needs to be some sort of playing field evening out IMO. It won't happen and we'll get the short end of the stick. I fully understand life isn't fair and this is an unprecedented situation, but doesn't mean I'm not going to be peeved about it.

 

[efle]

If they don't allow aways there needs to be some sort of playing field evening out IMO. It won't happen and we'll get the short end of the stick. I fully understand life isn't fair and this is an unprecedented situation, but doesn't mean I'm not going to be peeved about it.

Not to totally derail the thread, but what exactly is owed to DO/new MD students by these hospitals? They weren't involved in where we all matriculated and have no horse in the race to make sure the hardest workers get the choicest matches. They aren't out there to nobly rescue students without niche home departments from fates in the common specialties. They liked to meet applicants for a month before matching them, but this year will probably think it's too dangerous.

Bummer for auditioners? Sure. But unfair? How? Who has wronged them? You can't enroll at a school with no neurosurgery department and then get mad that COVID is making it an uphill battle to match neurosurgery!

 

[SurgDoc95]

Not to totally derail the thread, but what exactly is owed to DO/new MD students by these hospitals? They weren't involved in where we all matriculated and have no horse in the race to make sure the hardest workers get the choicest matches. They aren't out there to nobly rescue students without niche home departments from fates in the common specialties. They liked to meet applicants for a month before matching them, but this year will probably think it's too dangerous.

Bummer for auditioners? Sure. But unfair? How? Who has wronged them? You can't enroll at a school with no neurosurgery department and then get mad that COVID is making it an uphill battle to match neurosurgery!

I already addressed this, or thought I had, in saying that while the AAMC/LCME might decide to shutter aways at university hospitals, this doesn't necessarily have to apply to community based programs. Seeing as those are where most DOs, granted not all, match for competitive specialties anyway losing our auditions there would be back breaking for a lot of us. You're right your programs don't owe us anything, but your programs are also making decisions that directly impact us if it reaches out to more than just university./communiversity residency programs.

Also, I have no desire to match NSG, but yes actually we can be mad about it.

 

[efle]

I already addressed this, or thought I had, in saying that while the AAMC/LCME might decide to shutter aways at university hospitals, this doesn't necessarily have to apply to community based programs. Seeing as those are where most DOs, granted not all, match for competitive specialties anyway losing our auditions there would be back breaking for a lot of us. You're right your programs don't owe us anything, but you're programs are also making decisions that directly impact us if it reaches out to more than just university./communiversity residency programs.

Wait so what exactly is your fear? If AAMC and VSAS and whatnot make a blanket ban on auditions this year, that shouldn't have any control over what your favorite local community hospital does

If anything this is protecting DO students - you'll be able to apply with several Acting Intern letters of support from specialists in the field, while your MD peers get to scramble for an OBGYN letter from that random attending that liked having them on their service six months ago?

 

[SurgDoc95]

Wait so what exactly is your fear? If AAMC and VSAS and whatnot make a blanket ban on auditions this year, that shouldn't have any control over what your favorite local community hospital does

If anything this is protecting DO students - you'll be able to apply with several Acting Intern letters of support from specialists in the field, while your MD peers get to scramble for an OBGYN letter from that random attending that liked having them on their service six months ago?

I would hope it doesn't, but have a feeling that they'll jump on board as well. Our MD peers have home institutions with specialists in their respective fields to get those letters. If they don't they ought to be able to head on over to their local community program to procure them. Not trying to give DO applicants a leg up, but rather the same opportunity for letters and exposure that y'all have at your home institutions.

 

[efle]

I would hope it doesn't, but have a feeling that they'll jump on board as well. Our MD peers have home institutions with specialists in their respective fields to get those letters. If they don't they ought to be able to head on over to their local community program to procure them. Not trying to give DO applicants a leg up, but rather the same opportunity for letters and exposure that y'all have at your home institutions.

Keep in mind lots of us haven't actually had our sub-Is or even core clerkships in our areas of interest yet. I know some people interested in common stuff like Peds that aren't guaranteed to do their peds clerkship and sub-I in time for ERAS even with a home department! Though, our school does plan right now to have us back in the wards for the July-August block, so hopefully everyone has at least one more chance to squeeze something critical in there in time.

 

[SurgDoc95]

Keep in mind lots of us haven't actually had our sub-Is or even core clerkships in our areas of interest yet. I know some people interested in common stuff like Peds that aren't guaranteed to do their peds clerkship and sub-I in time for ERAS even with a home department! Though, our school does plan right now to have us back in the wards for the July-August block, so hopefully everyone has at least one more chance to squeeze something critical in there in time.

I think we all can acknowledge this is a trying, unforeseen obstacle for every one of us regardless of school. I wouldn’t want to be the people making these decisions because regardless of the decision there will be people upset and that feel cheated so best to just roll with the punches for the time being


Sent from my iPhone using SDN

 

[Mass Effect]

If they don't allow aways there needs to be some sort of playing field evening out IMO. It won't happen and we'll get the short end of the stick. I fully understand life isn't fair and this is an unprecedented situation, but doesn't mean I'm not going to be peeved about it.

You're totally allowed to be peeved about it. This sucks with a capital S. I feel for those from low-tier and DO schools. I'm a DO and my scores sucked. I know I wouldn't have gotten the residency I did without my away there. I come across much better in person than I do on paper and it sucks that won't be part of the rank process this year for candidates like me. But there's really nothing that can be done about it unless there's a vaccine or some sort of cure. Hospitals aren't going to put their staff's, their community's, and their patient's lives at risk so that students can audition for a residency spot. I think even in-person interviews will likely be canceled and that's huge because part of the interview day is watching you interact with peers, faculty, residents, and staff. But realistically, one way to make sure this virus never dies is to ask thousands of medical students to descend upon airports and circle the U.S. from hospital to hospital.

 

[Wordead]

I already addressed this, or thought I had, in saying that while the AAMC/LCME might decide to shutter aways at university hospitals, this doesn't necessarily have to apply to community based programs. Seeing as those are where most DOs, granted not all, match for competitive specialties anyway losing our auditions there would be back breaking for a lot of us. You're right your programs don't owe us anything, but your programs are also making decisions that directly impact us if it reaches out to more than just university./communiversity residency programs.

Also, I have no desire to match NSG, but yes actually we can be mad about it.

The decision not to let students or aways is program by program. We aren't evening letting home students rotate much less visiting students.

Why on earth would community based programs let rotators come but not university based programs?

 

[Mass Effect]

I already addressed this, or thought I had, in saying that while the AAMC/LCME might decide to shutter aways at university hospitals, this doesn't necessarily have to apply to community based programs. Seeing as those are where most DOs, granted not all, match for competitive specialties anyway losing our auditions there would be back breaking for a lot of us. You're right your programs don't owe us anything, but your programs are also making decisions that directly impact us if it reaches out to more than just university./communiversity residency programs.

Also, I have no desire to match NSG, but yes actually we can be mad about it.

Yes, you can be mad about it, but I think you're missing the point. This is a SAFETY issue, not an LCME/AAMC issue. This is the safety of patients and communities. People are unemployed and working for home to avoid contact with others. People are being highly encouraged to stay home, if not directly ordered to stay home. They'd be crazy to allow med students to fly all over the country to do auditions. It will spread the disease, it will cause illness and deaths in OTHERS. Forget yourself if you don't care about being sick; doing this will result in illness and death in others. That's the point and it doesn't really matter if it's a community hospital or an academic hospital.

 

[sunshinefl]

Yes, you can be mad about it, but I think you're missing the point. This is a SAFETY issue, not an LCME/AAMC issue. This is the safety of patients and communities. People are unemployed and working for home to avoid contact with others. People are being highly encouraged to stay home, if not directly ordered to stay home. They'd be crazy to allow med students to fly all over the country to do auditions. It will spread the disease, it will cause illness and deaths in OTHERS. Forget yourself if you don't care about being sick; doing this will result in illness and death in others. That's the point and it doesn't really matter if it's a community hospital or an academic hospital.

You and others keep saying “fly all over the country”, but I have 6 places I wanted to/am scheduled to go within a 2 hour drive radius.

 

[Mass Effect]

You and others keep saying “fly all over the country”, but I have 6 places I wanted to/am scheduled to go within a 2 hour drive radius.

I say fly all over the country because many students travel for aways, especially DO students. Also, you have a local place and that's great, but are they even allowing their own students? The point doesn't have to be about the airplane. Take the plane out of the question. Do they really want students all over the country going from hospital to hospital, even if those hospitals are "within a 2 hour radius"?

 

[efle]

You and others keep saying “fly all over the country”, but I have 6 places I wanted to/am scheduled to go within a 2 hour drive radius.

You're not the norm though, most people are doing a lot of flying. Like he said, we are the WORST combination of factors. A bunch of healthy, and therefor often asymptomatic, medical students who are constantly bouncing between the wards at their hospital and tours of other hospitals, all while transmitting it between each other and all the interview hosts. And this would be ongoing for months throughout peak flu season.

Having to judge more on paper application and less on personality seems a small price to pay to dodge that.

 

[sunshinefl]

I say fly all over the country because many students travel for aways, especially DO students. Also, you have a local place and that's great, but are they even allowing their own students? The point doesn't have to be about the airplane. Take the plane out of the question. Do they really want students all over the country going from hospital to hospital, even if those hospitals are "within a 2 hour radius"?

Okay even within a commutable radius of my apartment there are 6 residencies in my specialty. These are people that I could be mingling with at the grocery store now, or anywhere later if societal social distancing is eased up.

Do you not want rising 4th years to get any clinical training before graduation? To start residency without having seen a patient for 16 months? Do you want an entire class of medical students not to graduate and start residency next year? Or what is your solution?

You're not the norm though, most people are doing a lot of flying. Like he said, we are the WORST combination of factors. A bunch of healthy, and therefor often asymptomatic, medical students who are constantly bouncing between the wards at their hospital and tours of other hospitals, all while transmitting it between each other and all the interview hosts. And this would be ongoing for months throughout peak flu season.

Having to judge more on paper application and less on personality seems a small price to pay to dodge that.

Okay but people could at least due other aways near them. That’s better than only your home program/nothing.

And historically interviews have always taken place during “peak flu season” yet they didn’t stop. Everyone has always said how important interviews are for both the program and the applicant, and for many (but not all) how important auditions/aways are for both the program and the applicant. Suddenly we’re throwing all of that at the window?

 

[SurgDoc95]

Yes, you can be mad about it, but I think you're missing the point. This is a SAFETY issue, not an LCME/AAMC issue. This is the safety of patients and communities. People are unemployed and working for home to avoid contact with others. People are being highly encouraged to stay home, if not directly ordered to stay home. They'd be crazy to allow med students to fly all over the country to do auditions. It will spread the disease, it will cause illness and deaths in OTHERS. Forget yourself if you don't care about being sick; doing this will result in illness and death in others. That's the point and it doesn't really matter if it's a community hospital or an academic hospital.

Where would you propose that we as DO students complete our fourth year then? The majority of us DO NOT have home rotations. Even at our 3rd year core sites many of us bounce around from hospital to hospital in the same city or surrounding areas, some of which are an hour or more away. The point about safety is not lost on me, but to make the assertion that by allowing any medical students to rotate will spread the virus and put patients at risk is painting with a rather large brush. Am I suggesting we do aways if the epidemic in the US isn't very well under control? Not at all, but assuming that it is come late July/August etc, what exactly are we supposed to do to finish our last year of medical school?

 

[popopopop]

^A year of online electives? : (

 

[SurgDoc95]

^A year of online electives? : (

I really do hope that's a joke

 

[deleted600623]

This is also my prediction.

1) High match rates in competitive specialties this year. Then, very low the next two years.
2) Much more home-matching than usual.
3) Being a "known quantity" this year means coming from an established med school, instead of doing an audition.

Why 2 years?

 

[longhaul3]

Why 2 years?

There will be a glut of people coming off a research year next year, so next year's borderline (or just more risk-averse) candidates will have extra motivation to take a research year themselves. Then the following year has an unusually high number of people coming off a research year with the same number of rising fourth years. I could see this flowing downstream for a couple years before it peters out.

 

[Mass Effect]

Okay even within a commutable radius of my apartment there are 6 residencies in my specialty. These are people that I could be mingling with at the grocery store now, or anywhere later if societal social distancing is eased up.

Do you not want rising 4th years to get any clinical training before graduation? To start residency without having seen a patient for 16 months? Do you want an entire class of medical students not to graduate and start residency next year? Or what is your solution?

You know why I find it frustrating to have these discussions? Because of all the hyperbole and people putting words in your mouth. No one said you can't do anything. I think rotations should start up once things settle down a bit, which is projected to happen this summer. But I don't think you should be going from hospital to hospital to hospital. I think common sense still prevails and your right to show your stuff to a PD doesn't outweigh everyone else's right to stay safe when they're in the hospital.

And historically interviews have always taken place during “peak flu season” yet they didn’t stop

This is not the flu.

Everyone has always said how important interviews are for both the program and the applicant, and for many (but not all) how important auditions/aways are for both the program and the applicant. Suddenly we’re throwing all of that at the window?

Yes, as a matter of fact, we are. We're throwing a lot of things out the window because 14,000 Americans are dead and that isn't even a fourth of what's expected. So yeah, we need to adapt.

 

[Mass Effect]

Where would you propose that we as DO students complete our fourth year then? The majority of us DO NOT have home rotations. Even at our 3rd year core sites many of us bounce around from hospital to hospital in the same city or surrounding areas, some of which are an hour or more away. The point about safety is not lost on me, but to make the assertion that by allowing any medical students to rotate will spread the virus and put patients at risk is painting with a rather large brush. Am I suggesting we do aways if the epidemic in the US isn't very well under control? Not at all, but assuming that it is come late July/August etc, what exactly are we supposed to do to finish our last year of medical school?

That's up to your school to figure out, but I think every hospital should put a ban on aways/auditions.

 

[SurgDoc95]

That's up to your school to figure out, but I think every hospital should put a ban on aways/auditions.

Lol thank you for that. Agree to disagree

 

[deleted600623]

There will be a glut of people coming off a research year next year, so next year's borderline (or just more risk-averse) candidates will have extra motivation to take a research year themselves. Then the following year has an unusually high number of people coming off a research year with the same number of rising fourth years. I could see this flowing downstream for a couple years before it peters out.

Good point. Step 1 just became THAT much more important for current 1st and 2nd years depending on how long this lasts. It's going to be an absolute bloodbath the next 2-3 years.

 

[deleted393595]

Where would you propose that we as DO students complete our fourth year then? The majority of us DO NOT have home rotations. Even at our 3rd year core sites many of us bounce around from hospital to hospital in the same city or surrounding areas, some of which are an hour or more away. The point about safety is not lost on me, but to make the assertion that by allowing any medical students to rotate will spread the virus and put patients at risk is painting with a rather large brush. Am I suggesting we do aways if the epidemic in the US isn't very well under control? Not at all, but assuming that it is come late July/August etc, what exactly are we supposed to do to finish our last year of medical school?

This is why DO programs should be required to have home rotations in order to maintain accreditation.

Either that or reform the Flexnerian curriculum, which has many inherent weaknesses. There's little point to rotating through various specialties whose methodology and knowledge you will never use again. Why not just replace third year rotations with a full year as a "pre-intern" on IM with elective rotations in the specialty you want to go into?

 

[SurgDoc95]

This is why DO programs should be required to have home rotations in order to maintain accreditation.

Either that or reform the Flexnerian curriculum, which has many inherent weaknesses. There's little point to rotating through various specialties whose methodology and knowledge you will never use again. Why not just replace third year rotations with a full year as a "pre-intern" on IM with elective rotations in the specialty you want to go into?

I have zero disagreements with anything you're saying. Agree wholeheartedly!

 

[Mass Effect]

Either that or reform the Flexnerian curriculum, which has many inherent weaknesses. There's little point to rotating through various specialties whose methodology and knowledge you will never use again.

Pretty sure the orthopods and dermatologists working in the ED right now would disagree with you.

 

[libertyyne]

I am not completely sold on surgical subs having higher match percentages this year. The reason i say that is the aways were one of the most daunting task of applying to these fields. So i think some people on the sideline with high enough step scores may throw their hats into the ring to see where it takes them.

 

[Scrubs101]

I am not completely sold on surgical subs having higher match percentages this year. The reason i say that is the aways were one of the most daunting task of applying to these fields. So i think some people on the sideline with high enough step scores may throw their hats into the ring to see where it takes them.

But at the same time risk adverse people without home programs or low step scoring students who are banking on crushing auditions might pull their name out of the hat and just settle on a back up. Could go both ways.

I know even with a decent app, having no home program to take me and no field specific LORs going into the application season makes me warry.

edit: lmfao just noticed the change in your sign off quote, or at least i think its new. Cant be the wizard on the wards without any wards

 

[Chelsea FC]

I am not completely sold on surgical subs having higher match percentages this year. The reason i say that is the aways were one of the most daunting task of applying to these fields. So i think some people on the sideline with high enough step scores may throw their hats into the ring to see where it takes them.

I don't see why people with borderline applications wouldn't want to apply as well because the lack of aways and they have a lot of face time with their program. If can go the other way and be a horrible match.

 

[Lawpy]

This is why DO programs should be required to have home rotations in order to maintain accreditation.

Either that or reform the Flexnerian curriculum, which has many inherent weaknesses. There's little point to rotating through various specialties whose methodology and knowledge you will never use again. Why not just replace third year rotations with a full year as a "pre-intern" on IM with elective rotations in the specialty you want to go into?

I have zero disagreements with anything you're saying. Agree wholeheartedly!

I also agree @wholeheartedly with the post.

 

[slowthai]

Either that or reform the Flexnerian curriculum, which has many inherent weaknesses. There's little point to rotating through various specialties whose methodology and knowledge you will never use again. Why not just replace third year rotations with a full year as a "pre-intern" on IM with elective rotations in the specialty you want to go into?

Make it 6 months and we got a deal, pal. Okay no, 6 months is too much. Make it like a transitional year instead. Throw in some elective time in there, and we're solid.

 

[DokterMom]

This is also my prediction.
1) High match rates in competitive specialties this year. Then, very low the next two years.
2) Much more home-matching than usual.
3) Being a "known quantity" this year means coming from an established med school, instead of doing an audition.

I feel like a lot of people are thinking the same thing and rolling the dice on competitive specialties even with a marginal app. I know no-one in my class is dropping out of applying for orthopedics, and some even decided to apply this year instead of taking a research year like they had planned.

I think if your app is good on paper then it's probably smarter to go ahead and apply, if you were a below average-ish applicant really banking on aways to give you that extra bump up then it might be better to do a research year and ride it out.

One thing I think everyone can agree on: the situation just sucks for all of us and we will likely all be deleteriously affected in some way or another.

I'm with @AnatomyGrey12 on this. In previous years, applicants would/could choose whether they looked better on paper or in person and do/not do aways accordingly. Seems like this year, "on paper" is the only option we're really going to have available. For students from strong schools with good+ Step 1 scores, this year will present an opportunity to match "up". For students from lower-ranked schools and below average Step 1's, it'll be hard to demonstrate their sparkling personalities and hardcore work ethics.

But for residency programs, life will go on. I'd expect more matches at home programs, more reliance on personal connections, more reliance on paper qualifications. All of this benefits the already-advantaged -- which sadly, is not all that new.

 

[efle]

Regarding the nasty matches for the next couple years - ERAS 2021 I think competitive fields will be overpopulated from all the people that dodged COVID with a research year. ERAS 2022 I think will be overpopulated from the loss of Step 1 as a filter. Everyone will just have a Pass until late into MS3 when they've already spent years planning their surgical subspecialty app.

Have to say that with major hospitals banning visitors until at least October and warning their students not to plan on aways being available at a national level...Mass Effect nailed it. They're going to prioritize hospitals > students, as they should. This isn't regular flu and shuffling thousands and thousands of asymptomatic carriers through 2-4 hospitals each all over the country would be madness.