VSAS how it works?

[cerinthee]

I'm currently a 3rd year student and my school has not given much direction within regards to VSAS and if it's common to apply during 3rd year. I know that some VSAS programs only take 4th year students.Our curriculum has several electives at the end of third year so do most students fill these spots within their home program or do they apply for VSAS?

Thank you

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[Espressso]

For third year electives you either fill them with spots from your home program/rotations or you contact places directly and talk to them about rotating as a third year. VSAS is only for fourth year

 

[cerinthee]

For third year electives you either fill them with spots from your home program/rotations or you contact places directly and talk to them about rotating as a third year. VSAS is only for fourth year

Thank you for the info!

 

[boolin_1]

do you also request audition rotations through VSAS?

 

[Espressso]

do you also request audition rotations through VSAS?

That's exactly what VSAS is for, auditions and aways

 

[Giovanotto]

Here is how it works.

You pay 15 dollars per application you send out to an institution. When you look, the dates you want will be available and showing as such on VSAS. Months go by, and you hear nothing. Eventually you follow up with the institution's office, and there is a 5% chance of hearing back. If you hear back, you're told all the spots are full. And yet, you're still showed as pending on VSAS for that rotation, and that elective still shows as having spots. Therefore, tons of students continue applying to that elective in hopes of grabbing a spot (still shows as available after all), and VSAS continues to rake in the guacamole when it should have no business doing so. And god help you if you try to reach out to the institution to see if there are actually spots available before applying on VSAS, you'll be told to submit an application to VSAS. If I screenshot the 4 pages of VSAS electives I currently have sitting on "institutional review" you'd understand what I'm talking about.

TLDR: Another wonderful racket students in medical school are subject to. My blood boils over these sorts of things. Those 15 dollar apps add up...

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Here is how it works.

You pay 15 dollars per application you send out to an institution. When you look, the dates you want will be available and showing as such on VSAS. Months go by, and you hear nothing. Eventually you follow up with the institution's office, and there is a 5% chance of hearing back. If you hear back, you're told all the spots are full. And yet, you're still showed as pending on VSAS for that rotation, and that elective still shows as having spots. Therefore, tons of students continue applying to that elective in hopes of grabbing a spot (still shows as available after all), and VSAS continues to rake in the guacamole when it should have no business doing so. And god help you if you try to reach out to the institution to see if there are actually spots available before applying on VSAS, you'll be told to submit an application to VSAS. If I screenshot the 4 pages of VSAS electives I currently have sitting on "institutional review" you'd understand what I'm talking about.

TLDR: Another wonderful racket students in medical school are subject too. My blood boils over these sorts of things. Those 15 dollar apps add up...

Then what's the best way to actually get a spot for an audition or away rotation?

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

I was on my psych rotation 2 months ago & the Sub-I was saying they applied to 70 programs through VSAS for away rotations & only got 2 rotations. None of which were ones they wanted. This individual was getting interviews in their desired specialty though, so they were at least relatively competitive. Do stats have anything to do with how they choose people? Or is it having an "In" & luck of the draw?

 

[Scrubs101]

I was on my psych rotation 2 months ago & the Sub-I was saying they applied to 70 programs through VSAS for away rotations & only got 2 rotations. None of which were ones they wanted. This individual was getting interviews in their desired specialty though, so they were at least relatively competitive. Do stats have anything to do with how they choose people? Or is it having an "In" & luck of the draw?

This shiz freaks me out, no way am i apply for 70 auditions and coordinating timing and possible overlap for all of them. With my luck the rotations i do get accepted for will all be for the same dates lol. It cant really be this bad....can it?

 

[Giovanotto]

This shiz freaks me out, no way am i apply for 70 auditions and coordinating timing and possible overlap for all of them. With my luck the rotations i do get accepted for will all be for the same dates lol. It cant really be this bad....can it?

Its worse. You don't realize why tuition is truly stupid at DO schools until 3rd and 4th year.

 

[boolin_1]

from 4th years above me, they've mentioned to get VSAS in as early as you can and to even cold call early-Jan to skip the VSAS situation if you can. I know plenty that scheduled auditions outside of VSAS and it worked out great

 

[SimonGuyman133]

I'm looking for Sub-Is for my M4 year (i'm an m3 now) but the options seem very limited. All i'm seeing are subspecialty rotations.

Is it too early in the cycle?

 

[ladysmanfelpz]

So nobody knows what's going on with this program? When do your schools require you to submit it?

 

[boolin_1]

I'm looking for Sub-Is for my M4 year (i'm an m3 now) but the options seem very limited. All i'm seeing are subspecialty rotations.

Is it too early in the cycle?

yes too early. they will update the programs when more dates come available. they need to give their own students first crack at the dates

 

[JibsGuy52]

yes too early. they will update the programs when more dates come available. they need to give their own students first crack at the dates

As a current M3, when should I be looking for these Sub I’s?

 

[boolin_1]

As a current M3, when should I be looking for these Sub I’s?

I am also an MS3 so I am in the same boat. I have been told that late Feb is when we should be checking. but I check every 3 days in case something comes up

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

Glad everyone seems to be in the same boat & that none of our respective schools did a good job prepping us for it. Now I feel less irresponsible.

 

[Scrubs101]

So have we put enough M3 brain power to figure this thing out yet? Because im still lost and confused

 

[Espressso]

So have we put enough M3 brain power to figure this thing out yet? Because im still lost and confused

It really seems like most VSAS programs don't put up their sub-i's/auditions until March and April. And it seems like it's very program specific in terms of when they put their catalog up. And then each program has different dates when you can actually apply. I think the best bet is to reach out directly to each program you are interested in to verify when it'll be ready for you to apply. If you go on VSAS now and find a program, then click the programs name to go to their vsas home institution page, it'll give you a direct contact name and email. That's how I've been reaching the programs efficiently.

But I will say, depending on what you're going into, it's worth seeing if some of your desired programs are not using VSAS at all. I found two auditions and scheduled them just through direct applications via email. Rather than waiting until March and April. And the two I found were completely free to apply and schedul

I think it's kind of whack that it's not more structured. We're left having to make hard decisions in terms of do I apply to this program, possibly get accepted and then lose out on applying to x, y, z in April. If you decide to hold off until march and april, there's not guarantee you get that rotation and then you're stuck.

 

[Prehealth1011]

Just started looking into VSAS with no guidelines from our school whats so ever...
1) Did you guys take a professional pic (suit etc.) for the VSAS photo?
2) Did you get new titers or did you just have the AAMC Immunization form filled out by a PCP with existing info?

 

[deleted996361]

Just started looking into VSAS with no guidelines from our school whats so ever...
1) Did you guys take a professional pic (suit etc.) for the VSAS photo?
2) Did you get new titers or did you just have the AAMC Immunization form filled out by a PCP with existing info?

I was wondering this same thing!!!! help please

 

[Scrubs101]

Are you guys filling out the "short bio" part on vsas? Is this a place to put a ps, or only for people who actually lived interesting lives?

 

[boolin_1]

Are you guys filling out the "short bio" part on vsas? Is this a place to put a ps, or only for people who actually lived interesting lives?

I literally have nothing to add.

" give me spot"

 

[boolin_1]

I was wondering this same thing!!!! help please

I am going to get decent headshots for $100 and im going to fill out the immunization form myself with my own records and get a doc to sign it. it can be any doc

 

[popopopop]

As a current M3, when should I be looking for these Sub I’s?

Look now. Some programs have different requirements, some require special letters/forms. I've encountered programs opening in mid-february that I'm interested in.

 

[Scrubs101]

A local institution opened up recently for me, logged on to sauce in an app and my specialty wasnt appearing. I assumed either that specialty was opening up later or there was a mistake so i emailed to check... audition app not open to DOs

gonna be a long year of disappointment for me ladies and gents

 

[boolin_1]

There’s some stuff open on clinician nexus, which is a different app for auditions. Don’t take my ER spots

 

[popopopop]

There’s some stuff open on clinician nexus, which is a different app for auditions. Don’t take my ER spots

This is true too. This is why we need to be active and do your homework on the programs you'd like to rotate through. Found programs that requires just a form to be submitted via email.

 

[ERinspired]

Anyone heard any rumors about how long things take to process in ClinicanNexus?

 

[libertyyne]

Totally lost about this entire process . My school should have started talking about this 6 months ago.

 

[Ho0v-man]

I am completely lost. I assumed (my mistake) that I’d have to set up my auditions/aways that I wanted. I didn’t realize I’d be setting the entire year up myself. What am I even paying for at this point?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

I am completely lost. I assumed (my mistake) that I’d have to set up my auditions/aways that I wanted. I didn’t realize I’d be setting the entire year up myself. What am I even paying for at this point?

Actually, I like the freedom of setting my 4th year all by myself. At my school you can either do it yourself or they can have you rotate with preceptors they already have which gives you less freedom to go on away rotations and your residency interviews.

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[Ho0v-man]

Actually, I like the freedom of setting my 4th year all by myself. At my school you can either do it yourself or they can have you rotate with preceptors they already have which gives you less freedom to go on away rotations and your residency interviews.

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Yeah but there’s still required rotations that I literally don’t care about. They could just set that up for me.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Yeah but there’s still required rotations that I literally don’t care about. They could just set that up for me.

Oh ok, I see then. For us we only have EM rotation that is required 4th year, all the rest are electives which is great.

 

[popopopop]

Did ya'll have a required OMM rotation too 3rd/4th year? We got EM and Geri 4th year, GERI!

 

[libertyyne]

We have a mandatory em month, a Sub I in IM or Surg and and residency prep month.

 

[Espressso]

Anyone heard any rumors about how long things take to process in ClinicanNexus?

I was accepted for a rotation through ClinicalNexus within 10 days of submitting it. But I've heard it's speciality-specific. EM at some programs have been swamped with applications from what I've been told

 

[Espressso]

Yeah but there’s still required rotations that I literally don’t care about. They could just set that up for me.

Yeah dude, our school has us do a mandatory 8 weeks of FM, 8 weeks of some sort of surgery, 8 weeks of IM, and even 4 weeks of peds. And you basically have to schedule it all yourself. It's a complete mess.

 

[libertyyne]

I was accepted for a rotation through ClinicalNexus within 10 days of submitting it. But I've heard it's speciality-specific. EM at some programs have been swamped with applications from what I've been told

WTF is clinician nexsus?

 

[popopopop]

Yeah dude, our school has us do a mandatory 8 weeks of FM, 8 weeks of some sort of surgery, 8 weeks of IM, and even 4 weeks of peds. And you basically have to schedule it all yourself. It's a complete mess.

For 3rd year right? If that's 4th year, you got no flexibility.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

WTF is clinician nexsus?

I would like to know as well. Is that an Off-brand VSAS application?

 

[Espressso]

WTF is clinician nexsus?

I would like to know as well. Is that an Off-brand VSAS application?

Clinical Nexus is basically a competitor of VSAS. A whole host of programs in the south and southeast, notably the HCA hospital system uses it. It functions similar to VSAS.

For 3rd year right? If that's 4th year, you got no flexibility.

No, this is for our fourth year. It's horrible. They try to reason about it and say, well, whatever you want to go into... say pediatrics, the 4 weeks peds sub-i/audition would count towards your peds requirement and then you still have 10 weeks of electives to set up! But for me, who's trying to go into medicine, i really don't care much to do 8 weeks of some surgical subspecialties or 8 weeks of family med.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

My school told us NOTHING about ANYTHING; this is so frustrating.

I had no idea Clinical Nexus was a thing that existed.

 

[popopopop]

My school told us NOTHING about ANYTHING; this is so frustrating.

I had no idea Clinical Nexus was a thing that existed.

HCA is for-profit and have terrible all around reviews. I don't think you're missing much and I'm by several HCA hospitals too that I won't even rank/interview.

 

[Prehealth1011]

^yeah don't worry about HCA as much. It's not a hidden gem or anything. It's mostly programs no one wants to go to.

 

[Espressso]

HCA is for-profit and have terrible all around reviews. I don't think you're missing much and I'm by several HCA hospitals too that I won't even rank/interview.

FWIW Clinical Nexus has other programs that aren't part of the HCA hospital system if I remember correctly.

 

[popopopop]

FWIW Clinical Nexus has other programs that aren't part of the HCA hospital system if I remember correctly.

You're right, it's just a coincidence that all the cliniciannexus hospitals in Texas are HCA :/.

 

[Giovanotto]

I had to sign up for and pay for Clinical Nexus for one site. That site then later ghosted all of its applicants (from my school that I know of). Where did my money go?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

So have we put enough M3 brain power to figure this thing out yet? Because im still lost and confused

I am literally just checking it every day to see if new rotations/institutions have been added lol. I have a spreadsheet with possible places I'd want to go and all the supposed dates they have listed as their "go live" VSAS dates. So far I've submitted one app, and good thing because i've had a few glitches I've had to worth through.

2) Did you get new titers or did you just have the AAMC Immunization form filled out by a PCP with existing info?

My school filled it out with the documents they have on file.

Are you guys filling out the "short bio" part on vsas? Is this a place to put a ps, or only for people who actually lived interesting lives?

I'm too boring. I figured most of my stuff is on my CV anyway, and most places are asking for that.

My school told us NOTHING about ANYTHING; this is so frustrating.

I had no idea Clinical Nexus was a thing that existed.

Me either, not until 5 minutes ago


*internal panicking intensifies

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

You're right, it's just a coincidence that all the cliniciannexus hospitals in Texas are HCA :/.

You're right though there is a lot of HCA