Another M4 Programs Thread

[SgtThunderfistMD]

You guys have always been a ton of help, so I was wondering if you could evaluate my program list? My stats are:

-243 Step 1, anticipate ~245-250 on Step 2
-top 20 med school in the southeast
-middle third of class
-no H in cores, HP in most cores and H in anesthesia electives, P in IM/Surgery--hard to HP/H at my school
-LOR from "famous" department chair, 1 LOR I read and was fantastic
-lots of research with awards/posters/oral presentations, but no "pubs" (peer review journal articles)
-lots of anesthesia leadership, community work
-I would say I perform well in social situations so interview should be okay

My Hopeful Programs, would be thrilled to interview at:
Stanford
UCSF
Washington
Virginia Mason
Beth Israel Deaconess
Brigham and Women's
Mass General Hospital
NYU
Columbia
Cornell
Icahn at Mt. Sinai
Chicago
Northwestern

Would be really happy at:
Yale
Tufts
UCLA
USC

Would feel okay about:
Colorado
Oregon HSU
Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Michigan
Virginia
Vanderbilt
Florida
Cal-SD
Pennsylvania
Boston University
Duke
North Carolina
Icahn/SLR
Albert Einstein/Montefiore
SUNY Downstate

Would not be super thrilled about:
Jackson Memorial
Cal-Irvine
George Washington
Cleveland Clinic
Illinois COM at Chicago
UPMC
Maine MC
Vermont
Cedars-Sinai MC
Georgetown
St. Elizabeth's MC
Maimonides MC
Massachusetts
Wisconsin
OSU

Should I make it longer or shorter?
What are my odds at hitting my "hopeful" programs?
Note that location for me is as important as "prestige" of program as that is how I value my happiness/job opportunities

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[AdmiralChz]

If you aren't thrilled about a program don't feel the need to apply to them. Just make sure you apply broadly, which it appears you are.

 

[BLADEMDA]

You guys have always been a ton of help, so I was wondering if you could evaluate my program list? My stats are:

-243 Step 1, anticipate ~245-250 on Step 2
-top 20 med school in the southeast
-middle third of class
-no H in cores, HP in most cores and H in anesthesia electives, P in IM/Surgery--hard to HP/H at my school
-LOR from "famous" department chair, 1 LOR I read and was fantastic
-lots of research with awards/posters/oral presentations, but no "pubs" (peer review journal articles)
-lots of anesthesia leadership, community work
-I would say I perform well in social situations so interview should be okay

My Hopeful Programs, would be thrilled to interview at:
Stanford
UCSF
Washington
Virginia Mason
Beth Israel Deaconess
Brigham and Women's
Mass General Hospital
NYU
Columbia
Cornell
Icahn at Mt. Sinai
Chicago
Northwestern

Would be really happy at:
Yale
Tufts
UCLA
USC

Would feel okay about:
Colorado
Oregon HSU
Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Michigan
Virginia
Vanderbilt
Florida
Cal-SD
Pennsylvania
Boston University
Duke
North Carolina
Icahn/SLR
Albert Einstein/Montefiore
SUNY Downstate

Would not be super thrilled about:
Jackson Memorial
Cal-Irvine
George Washington
Cleveland Clinic
Illinois COM at Chicago
UPMC
Maine MC
Vermont
Cedars-Sinai MC
Georgetown
St. Elizabeth's MC
Maimonides MC
Massachusetts
Wisconsin
OSU

Should I make it longer or shorter?
What are my odds at hitting my "hopeful" programs?
Note that location for me is as important as "prestige" of program as that is how I value my happiness/job opportunities

I recommend you apply to the entire list of programs and see what interviews you end up with. 50/50 you match at one of your hopeful programs. Good luck.

 

[Psai]

I think that if you go to the would be really happy at list, you will have enough programs to match. Anything else is overkill

 

[SgtThunderfistMD]

I recommend you apply to the entire list of programs and see what interviews you end up with. 50/50 you match at one of your hopeful programs. Good luck.

Wow I was actually hoping/thinking I am a better than 50/50 shot at one of those 13 programs, but thanks for the honest advice.

 

[nimbus]

Wow I was actually hoping/thinking I am a better than 50/50 shot at one of those 13 programs, but thanks for the honest advice.

By rough estimate, those 13 programs have around 300 spots. I'd agree your chances are better than 50/50.

 

[BLADEMDA]

By rough estimate, those 13 programs have around 300 spots. I'd agree your chances are better than 50/50.

It depends on the applicant pool this year. Don't forget there are more applicants than ever and Step scores are going up a few points to match. I'd also agree a few of your top choices are not top 10 programs so the odds go up for those programs.

 

[Psai]

By rough estimate, those 13 programs have around 300 spots. I'd agree your chances are better than 50/50.

It's rough at the top. The programs are geographically out of op's region which adds to difficulty. I think he has a good chance of matching at one of those programs but no pubs and no honors with a relatively mediocre step score would make me put some less competitive programs on the interview list.

 

[BLADEMDA]

It's rough at the top. The programs are geographically out of op's region which adds to difficulty. I think he has a good chance of matching at one of those programs but no pubs and no honors with a relatively mediocre step score would make me put some less competitive programs on the interview list.

Step-1 score is solid but "mediocre" for a top 10-13 program so definitely add more programs to the application process. Why not have mid-tier programs (solid ones) as a back-up plan as that beats not matching at all.

 

[SgtThunderfistMD]

Step-1 score is solid but "mediocre" for a top 10-13 program so definitely add more programs to the application process. Why not have mid-tier programs (solid ones) as a back-up plan as that beats not matching at all.

My personal top 13 isn't the actual top 13 programs in the nation though....my step score should be better than "mediocre" for VMU/BID/NYU, right?

 

[SgtThunderfistMD]

Step-1 score is solid but "mediocre" for a top 10-13 program so definitely add more programs to the application process. Why not have mid-tier programs (solid ones) as a back-up plan as that beats not matching at all.

Also, would an improvement to 250 on CK change anything?

 

[AdmiralChz]

Also, would an improvement to 250 on CK change anything?

Either it will do nothing (perhaps) or help your application showing improvement (more likely, especially outside of the highly-selective programs). Step 2 scores definitely play a role at my program.

 

[BLADEMDA]

My personal top 13 isn't the actual top 13 programs in the nation though....my step score should be better than "mediocre" for VMU/BID/NYU, right?

Yes. You have a good shot at NYU and VMU. Of course, a solid step-2 of 250 helps your application.