need opinion on externship

How bad so u want to match at the above mentioned program? If u want to go there, I would rotate there. A lot of people make phone calls and it means something only if the attendings actually know each other.

If they like you after you rotate and you get a call that will put you in good standing. The one thing you should realize from this board is that there are no "sure things"....so use your own judgement....

No a phone call will not get you matched....it might get you an interview if you are marginal.....but dont think just cause you get a phone call made for you thats something really special....this is fairly common.

I understand, but this surgeon did his residency at this program, and knows many of the attendings personally. At the moment, I was leaning towards doing an externship there.

I tend to agree the previous post that if you want to go there, do a rotation. I think this is the general rule everyone should follow, regardless of knowing someone or not. Find the places you most want to train, go there and impress the hell out of them.

Think about it, if you have a surgeon who likes you and will go to bat for you, who trained at and knows a bunch of attendings at a program where you really want to go, and you do a rotation there and live up to the hype, if you will, your chances of matching there should be pretty damn good.

I guess the point is don't just go there and rotate because you think you have a foot in the door by knowing someone. Personally, I think if you do that, you're going for the wrong reasons. However, if you do really want to go there, you've got a potentially sweet deal to work with.

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