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Candidates should approach each clinical rotation as a potential career path and explore as many options as possible.
Choosing a specialty as a med student is one of the biggest decisions of your career. Rotations present the ideal opportunity to explore your interests and nail down your top specialties. Above all, keep an open mind. Your initial dream might be to practice internal medicine, but you may discover during a pediatric rotation that you have a knack for getting squirming toddlers to sit still while checking their ears. For this reason, former students recommend waiting until the last day of each rotation to decide whether you think that specialty is a fit for you. Here are more tips for narrowing your options before selecting a specialty:
During your rotations, ask specialists on the floor what they like and dislike about their fields. You can start the conversation by asking:
As you’re exploring possible specialties, you may also want to check out one of these resources to help narrow the field.