I rotated at SIU and loved it. It is a great program and a great rotation. During your four weeks, you will get face time with 4-5 of the faculty including the chairman. When you are with an attending, you are with them for a few days up to a full week doing everything they do whether it is in the OR or the clinic. I thought this was a good setup because this allowed enough time for them to get to know you, but also gave you the opportunity to work with more of the faculty and residents. The rotation is extremely benign. The pimping is minimal and low key, although you will be expected to routinely read films. The residents are some of the best people I met anywhere which is saying alot since I found that most ortho residents are pretty cool people. As a student, the faculty and residents were great about letting me attempt things in the OR and the ER.

I dont recall if they give interviews to all rotators, but if you do a good job you will get an interview. Looking at the current residents, perfoming an away rotation is not a requirement, but does put you in a very good position if you work hard.

As for the program itself, the residents get an outstanding jr operative experience. The program stresses bread and butter orthopaedics, but I think they get plenty of tertiary cases as well. Without a doubt, the chiefs are very well prepared to do general orthopaedics and go directly into private practice. The program is currently set-up in such a way that most of your rotations are one-on-one with the faculty which allows you to focus on a specific area of orthopaedics for a length of time and gives you good continuity of care for your patients. However, the residents at SIU also get plenty of time operating with the community surgeons. This is especially true during the chief year when there is great flexibility in selecting cases. The program is very blue collar and the residents work hard, yet there is time for family and a life outside of medicine. Springfield is extremely affordable on a resident's salary and would be a good place for a family. The biggest weakness of the program is the modest research opportunities compared to larger academic centers. Springfield also is not for everyone, but I personally like the town.

I hope this is helpful. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

I also rotated at SIU and think it is a great program in may ways. However, it does have some negatives. If you are going to be applying for a high powered felllowship after residency, then SIU is not a place for you.
Anyway, to answer you questions. you do not need to rotate at SIU in order to match there. If you have over 225 on step 1, you will get an interview, especially if you call and express interest. If after the interview, you decide that it is the program for you, then you can do a second look. Dr. allen, the chairman, always picks someone for the second lookers. My advise is to leave one week free in you schedule in January, call SIU and schedule a one week second look with Allen. Good luck.