resident here, it would help if you gave some more info - throw a couple of names out or regions. Because what specific high tier are we talking about and what community program?

mostly debating NYU/Yale vs a smaller Chicago program

This is just my opinion, but I would go with NYU/Yale personally. NYU>>> for me though because it's a much better location. If we're talking Rush, UIC, Loyola then it would be fine to go there. But if it is cook county I definitely wouldnt recommend it.

NYU rocks

OP here, thanks everyone! have lots to think about (it's not cook county, so I guess need to do some reflection on how strongly I feel about academics)

doxxing students # of aways is not the answer lmao im sure if you were accepted to 3+ aways and they all fit in your schedule you would have done them too

I suspect the more this becomes an arms race, the more restrictions will be implemented. It’ll just reach a point where so many people apply to aways that it’s not sustainable, and then doing an away will simply not mean anything anymore.

POOP

i disagree. follow the rules

rules are dumb this is a zero sum game. Why would i cost myself an opportunity to rotate and potentially match at a program in favor of helping some random person out. Not to mention the fact that people who do research years or have connections prior to aways already have a separate advantage

honestly it'll depend on how strict your home program is, some home programs are quite adamant about only doing 2 aways, in which case you don't want to burn a bridge with your home program by going against your home PD guidance and doing more than that - if you don't have a home program/they don't care, I suppose go ahead and do as many as you want/can

reminder that the "max 2 away" guideline is a GUIDELINE, not a rule!

2/3 of my aways said when they check your rotations, they'll ding you (in whatever capacity) for going over

4/4 of mine did not even ask lol

all 3 of my aways asked where else I was rotating - obviously you could lie, but I'm not a great liar lol

a PD I worked with told me if he found out an applicant was breaking the APD guidelines for aways, they wouldn't consider the applicant same for all 3 of mine. (Northeast)

doing an away will always help bc it helps programs put a face to the name (unless you have no social skills/don't make a positive in person impression), it's just that it's becoming harder and harder to get them and some people hog them (ex., have heard of some MD students doing 7-8 aways) while others are struggling to even get 1 away

But it’s becoming more common that programs don’t prioritize away rotators, e.g. UTMB no longer guaranteeing interviews for away rotators

Presumably you still have a higher chance of matching as an away rotator who got an interview, than someone who got an interview with no connections though. I think people forget that aways are essentially a month long interview and they get to know you better than a half day formal interview. I know personally I would prefer no interview to a guaranteed courtesy interview for all aways. Like if for whatever reason they decided they weren't going to interview/rank you after spending a month there, I don't think a half day of interviews will change their mind much?

people fixate on number of interviews when it should be about quality, if an away program interviews everyone but is only going to rank half of those rotators high enough to potentially match, it benefits both the program and applicant for them to not guarantee interviews