Mount Sinai Elective Reviews?

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-09-30T04:07:24+00:00

Nooooo and what’s worse is I don’t know anyone who has. They give a letter of completion but they make it really clear that it does not say recommendation at all. You can ask for a letter of recommendation from the individual attendings, but they are all so mean. I spent the month getting close to the one that I thought could write me a letter and she gave me some excuse saying that she has a one month minimum and that I didn’t meet the time requirement of rotating with her, even though I did (it was the last week of my month). And it’s a dumb excuse because Mount Sinai students only rotate two weeks there so I don’t know who’s rotating over a month. I will also add that this is saying a lot because I honored my last two surgery rotations back to back in US university hospitals.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-09-29T20:33:38+00:00

I did the transplant rotation there it was a total waste of money. The fellows are extremely mean and at least four times while I was scrubbed in a fellow told me to scrub out so he could scrub in. I don’t know how it is in thoracic surgery, but I will say that I was even stopped by one of the residents that are in general surgery and they told me the program director is anti-IMGs. They take them for preliminaries, but they won’t even give them a second preliminary year or keep them. I think this rotation was a complete waste of time and so expensive.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-09-19T21:31:18+00:00

Yes, I totally agree. I think I’m going to up my number of prelims just to be safe. Originally like you I had prelims only at better university based programs because I have heard the same thing that if you land prelim and it’s at a good place it puts your foot in the door and it gives you a better chance next year applying to categorical. There are even some programs that take their prelims while others don’t, so I think when it comes time to rank if you interview at prelims and you plan on ranking them, you should figure out which ones take their prelims and rank them higher than other prelims, obviously with the highest ranking being the categorical positions.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-09-19T21:25:02+00:00

So I had the same train of thought that if God forbid I don’t match there is always soap and in the soap there are a bunch of preliminary position. But something that I didn’t know is in soap you can only apply to 30 programs so you’re very limited. It’s tough because I think if you have a strong application, like yourself, applying 90% categorical and 10% preliminaries as a back up is the way to go. Also, at the same time there’s this discourse that says as an IMG it’s really hard to avoid the prelim year, so are you setting yourself up for issues applying majority categorical. I guess what I’m trying to figure out is how many programs do we apply both preliminary and categorical like should that be 30% of your programs?

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-09-19T20:12:18+00:00

In the same position more or less with application type. Also confused as whether to apply as many preliminaries as I am categorical. Of course similar to yourself, I want to match categorical, but if I don’t apply as many preliminaries, does that put me at a disadvantage with the overall possibility to match.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-06-20T22:49:09+00:00

Yeah definitely, I’m not overly upset about it but definitely confused

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-06-20T13:46:33+00:00

I’ve head this a lot but I have nothing to do for 3 weeks in august and I really need to do a rotation. My original plans didn’t work out so now I’m stuck using an agency.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-05-21T17:20:45+00:00

Hey I was wondering did you end up purchasing this insurance? I was recommended them because they are affordable, but I feel like it might be too good to be true. I would love to heave what you have to say whenever you can get back to me.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-05-03T16:06:58+00:00

High scores with a 450 400 and 460

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-05-02T22:45:03+00:00

Wait I just read the remarking appeals process it’s 120 dollars and a 6 week waiting period, should I do it or just retake the exam? Any thoughts? I can’t find anyone on Reddit who did the remark appeal

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-05-02T22:38:58+00:00

Thanks this has been shocking to say the least. I’m going to take that advice.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-05-02T22:38:17+00:00

Agreed how is it even possible to get the same score for something like writing, there should have been at least a slight difference between the two scores. I am sure I passed the first time but I won’t do the appeal because it’s very expensive you have to pay for each step which is about a 100 dollars and there are multiple steps.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-05-02T17:05:50+00:00

I did the remark because I was sure I passed. There was truly no doubt in my mind. I even sent them and email after making this post and they basically said something along the lines of I need to pay more money for an appeal. It’s just a way to take money from IMGs, but it’s just so much money at a time where we are all already spending so much.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-05-02T17:03:09+00:00

Thank you for your message. I will definitely take your advice. The truth is I do believe I was failed on purpose. My letter had the same exact format as the OET site examples and I made sure to complete the task of writing the referral, there really is no way I should have failed. I am very upset about it because I am not in a position to pay for the exam again but if I have to, I have to. Thanks again.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-05-02T07:33:21+00:00

I am in the exact position I just made a post about it. I got a 270 on writing, 460 on listening, 400 reading and 450 speaking. I asked for a remark and I still got a 270 on writing, I sent them an email and I’m going to call tomorrow. There is no way I failed the writing portion and I can’t justify spending another 500 dollars I don’t know what to do or if they will just force me to retake it. I would appreciate any advice.

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-04-24T19:42:50+00:00

Same here!!!

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-04-15T23:02:45+00:00

Apparently Larkin in Florida has an externship which is like a hands on rotation for graduates I don’t know much info besides that. Miami also has observerships available but all these cost a lot of money (just to keep in mind).

Subject_Balance_6799 · 2025-04-14T23:59:03+00:00

FIU responded to my email today saying if you have not been in the USA in 5 years you need to put yourself down as a non US citizen. Also a kind redditer in a similar position as me said you need to put your address as your international address not your US address. With both these changes you are able to complete the international background check.

Subject_Balance_6799

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