There are many important milestones to reach during your fourth year of medical school, so it’s important to plan ahead. Use these tips as plan your schedule to get the most out of your fourth year.
During your fourth year you may:
- Complete USMLE Step 2 CK and/or COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE.
- Confirm your specialty choice at your Home institution or through away rotations at Host institutions.
- Incorporate away rotation(s) in the late summer or early fall.
- Allow time off for interviews with rotations that have flexible schedules during the typical interview months for your intended specialty.
Your fourth year helps build your foundation in medicine. Rather than rotating through just one specialty, use your fourth year to make sure you have the necessary foundational knowledge across all specialties.
Think strategically about areas outside of your intended specialty that can supplement and enhance your medical practice. For example, if you are interested in a surgical specialty, then you might consider completing a rotation in an area such as wound care or anesthesiology.
If possible, complete a home rotation in your specialty as a fourth-year student before you complete an away rotation. The away rotation is often considered a rotation-long interview. You want to enter your rotation with as strong a clinical performance as possible.
Think strategically about how to secure your letters of recommendation (LORs). Review the LOR requirements for your intended specialty. Plan for at least two weeks from the end of a rotation until a LOR is available. You can schedule a “home rotation” in your intended specialty in June or July to gain more experience and secure a strong “home” LOR. Then you can follow up with additional rotations at Home or away institutions for your remaining LORs.
Give yourself plenty of time to finalize your program application list, complete your residency applications, and prepare for interviews. You will need time to research programs, understand their application requirements, and finalize your application strategy.
You will also need to write your personal statement and enter information into the application itself. Once you submit your application, it will take time to study the programs where you receive interview offers and prepare for your interviews.
If you have not decided which specialty to pursue, plan your schedule to rotate through your top choices. Use the first three blocks of the year to rotate in each specialty you’re considering. This will allow you to compare each specialty back-to-back which can help you decide which one is the best fit. For the remainder of the blocks, divide your rotations between your top specialties and choose other elective rotations that can complement them.
Marcy Verduin contributed to earlier versions of this content.