I only did one Sub-I and I was definitely a minority on the interview trail this year. However, doing only one did not have a negative impact on my interview offers (attended 15 of 25 offers). I was asked at nearly every interview where I rotated. Never once was I questioned for only doing one sub-I. Honestly, no one cares.
Almost everyone I met on the trail did two sub-I’s, with a solid number of applicants doing three. There is a strong trend for everyone to do more and more, but I don’t think it really helps. That said, doing two or three isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as you're doing them for the right reasons:
1. To see if you like the program and would want to go there
- Only choose a program you think you might actually want to attend. Don’t waste your time, money, or energy. Don’t rotate at Harvard because Dr. Famous is there and you think he can get you interviews to other places. You probably won’t work enough with him and he likely doesn’t care.
2. To possibly get an additional interview
- If you’re competitive/semi-competetive, consider doing one at a reach program. If they like you, it’s no longer a reach.
- If you’re not competitive, doing an additional sub-I can help you potentially increase your total number of interviews by one. These may be the only people that actually need to do three.
3. To get a solid letter
- As fourth year med students, we don’t know who the well-connected orthopedic surgeons are. Ask the residents.
- Don’t waste your time at a program where you will not be able to get a letter in time to submit it on ERAS. Rotating in November is worthless. Without a letter, other programs will never know you rotated there and it will not increase your chances of getting more interviews.
4. To show regional diversity
- I’m a Western guy. Born, raised, undergrad, med school. I did my sub-I in the Midwest and got lots of Midwest love during interview season. Some regions (the South especially) still don’t care. Be sure to check out the websites of the programs you’re considering rotating at to see where their residents went to med school/undergrad. If they have never taken someone from your region, you’re likely wasting your time. Also, look at the websites for the caliber of schools the programs tend to pull from. If you attend a state school (like me), and the program only has guys from Ivy League schools, you’re probably not likely to buck the trend.
Last but not least, if you’re an awkward/weird person (ie someone who didn’t honor a single rotation due to consistently receiving poor evaluations), one sub-I will suffice. In fact, one may be too many.
Conclusion:
- Do at least one away at a place you would actually want to go.
- Get a letter or don’t go.
- Don’t kill yourself to do multiple sub-I’s. Very few people need to do 3.
- If you’re awkward, (n)one is enough.
Almost everyone I met on the trail did two sub-I’s, with a solid number of applicants doing three. There is a strong trend for everyone to do more and more, but I don’t think it really helps. That said, doing two or three isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as you're doing them for the right reasons:
1. To see if you like the program and would want to go there
- Only choose a program you think you might actually want to attend. Don’t waste your time, money, or energy. Don’t rotate at Harvard because Dr. Famous is there and you think he can get you interviews to other places. You probably won’t work enough with him and he likely doesn’t care.
2. To possibly get an additional interview
- If you’re competitive/semi-competetive, consider doing one at a reach program. If they like you, it’s no longer a reach.
- If you’re not competitive, doing an additional sub-I can help you potentially increase your total number of interviews by one. These may be the only people that actually need to do three.
3. To get a solid letter
- As fourth year med students, we don’t know who the well-connected orthopedic surgeons are. Ask the residents.
- Don’t waste your time at a program where you will not be able to get a letter in time to submit it on ERAS. Rotating in November is worthless. Without a letter, other programs will never know you rotated there and it will not increase your chances of getting more interviews.
4. To show regional diversity
- I’m a Western guy. Born, raised, undergrad, med school. I did my sub-I in the Midwest and got lots of Midwest love during interview season. Some regions (the South especially) still don’t care. Be sure to check out the websites of the programs you’re considering rotating at to see where their residents went to med school/undergrad. If they have never taken someone from your region, you’re likely wasting your time. Also, look at the websites for the caliber of schools the programs tend to pull from. If you attend a state school (like me), and the program only has guys from Ivy League schools, you’re probably not likely to buck the trend.
Last but not least, if you’re an awkward/weird person (ie someone who didn’t honor a single rotation due to consistently receiving poor evaluations), one sub-I will suffice. In fact, one may be too many.
Conclusion:
- Do at least one away at a place you would actually want to go.
- Get a letter or don’t go.
- Don’t kill yourself to do multiple sub-I’s. Very few people need to do 3.
- If you’re awkward, (n)one is enough.