I completely bombed my first week as an orthopedic sub-intern.
Despite following every bit of conventional advice, I left my Week 1 performance review despondent. My orthopedic career was over before it began.
And yet, just a few months later I faced a new challenge — how to gracefully field multiple calls from top residency programs, each eager to have me join their ranks.
It was a far cry from the rock bottom I'd felt just months earlier.
Orthopedic Away Rotation Strategies and Tactics
I'm Dr. Nick Golinvaux, and I’m now an orthopedic hand surgeon. I’m fortunate to be able to say that I’ve been where you may want to go — I trained at Harvard, Yale, and Vanderbilt.
But it hasn’t been long since I was exactly where you are, and I want to help.
I remember the sleepless nights before my first orthopedic rotation. The anxiety, the pressure, the desperation to stand out, the feeling that my entire career hinged on this one month.
And yet, there was inexplicably almost no guidance on how to prepare for this monumental moment.
You’re not alone.
Let's be honest: your orthopedic rotation is crucial. It's an intense period that can significantly influence your residency prospects.
And likely all you want is to ensure yourself a spot in a reputable orthopedic residency program. The rest will take care of itself.
But here's what I've learned after years on both sides of this process: Success during this rotation is as much about strategy as it is about knowledge.
That's why I've created "The Orthopedic Surgery Medical Student Playbook"
"The Orthopedic Surgery Medical Student Playbook" is a 10-day email course designed to transform you from a nervous med student into the resident everyone wants.
To be clear, this course is designed for fourth-year medical students. Or I suppose ultra-prepared third-years. But much of the content will focus specifically on that jump from medical student to resident.
Inside, you’ll discover:
- My PATCH framework to ensure you stand out (for the right reasons)
- The “Goodwill Flywheel'“ you must learn to have program directors calling you personally
- How to see yourself the way the attendings see you (and then create your competitive edge)
- The #1 change that occurs during your 4th year that nobody tells you about
- My exact “Capture System” I used so I never (ever) missed a detail
Look, I get it. The stakes are high. The competition is fierce. And it feels like everyone else has some secret playbook you don't.
Well, now you do.
For far less than the cost of a medical textbook, you'll get over a decade of hard-won wisdom. The kind that separates the "maybe" candidates from the "must-haves."
How to be a great orthopedic sub-intern
If you're interested in gaining these insights, I invite you to join the course. I'll send you 1 field-tested strategy a day for 10 days, direct to your inbox.
To enroll or learn more, click here:
Look, many of you will read this but few will actually show up and put in the work. For those who choose to, congratulations. Because now you’re really only competing against the small pool of applicants who have decided to do the work to gain a competitive advantage.
Trust me. You want to be in the arena.
I have no doubt you've worked incredibly hard to get to this point. You have the knowledge. Let's make sure you have the strategies to showcase your abilities effectively. Enroll today.
You can do this. This is your time.
Dr. Nick Golinvaux