u/Fickle-Hat-6096

I wanted to ask for your advice on something. I recently got accepted for a Vascular and Interventional Radiology elective at UAB for Nov to Dec. I’m really grateful for it since it’s my first USCE, but I’m planning to apply for Internal Medicine.

I don’t have any other electives confirmed right now, so I’m a bit confused about what to do. Do you think an IR elective at a place like UAB would still be worth it for an IM application?

Also, how would you suggest I go about it if I take it, in terms of getting a good LOR and making it relevant for IM?

Any leads are appreciated

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Hey everyone,

I recently got accepted for a Vascular and Interventional Radiology elective at UAB for Nov–Dec. This is my first USCE acceptance so I’m really happy about it.

The only thing is I’m planning to apply for Internal Medicine, so I’m a bit unsure how useful an IR elective would be for my application.

I wanted to ask:

- How is the IR elective at UAB in terms of hands-on experience and teaching?

- Are attendings approachable and do they write strong LORs?

- Does doing a non-IM elective at a place like UAB still hold value for IM applications?

- Would you recommend taking it or waiting/trying for IM-specific electives instead?

Would really appreciate any honest feedback, especially from people who’ve rotated there.

Thanks!