Clinical Grades

[WilburSK]

I am a 4th year, interested in ENT and ophtho as a specialty. I did well on STEP: 246. Decent research, nothing amazing. Really good letters from faculty. Middling med school. No AOA.

Here's the worst part though. I got all pass during my 3rd year. We have HP and H, but I didn't manage to snag any of those grades. (70-75% get pass for any given rotation)

So now I am a bit worked up about my competitiveness for ENT. How much do you think my grades will hurt my chances of matching? How about top programs? Also, do you think I should do a year of research to offset my bad grades?

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[DrBodacious]

The straight passes really hurt. I think a top program becomes very unlikely, and matching becomes tenuous, but not impossible. You need something else to make you stand out.

 

[WilburSK]

What can I do to stand out? A research year? Will that make up some of the difference

 

[Wordead]

I am a 4th year, interested in ENT and ophtho as a specialty. I did well on STEP: 246. Decent research, nothing amazing. Really good letters from faculty. Middling med school. No AOA.

Here's the worst part though. I got all pass during my 3rd year. We have HP and H, but I didn't manage to snag any of those grades. (70-75% get pass for any given rotation)

So now I am a bit worked up about my competitiveness for ENT. How much do you think my grades will hurt my chances of matching? How about top programs? Also, do you think I should do a year of research to offset my bad grades?

Good letters from ENT faculty who are willing to make calls for you? Or faculty in other specialties?

 

[DrBodacious]

Just stating the obvious :

A research year (done well) should make you stand out, and may get you in somewhere, or get you in to a more competitive program.

The question remains as to why you didn't honor any 3rd year rotations.

Step I is an equalizer for preclinical grades, but ENT programs want the "best" medical students.

Clinical grades are a reflect your performance on a variety of things - popularity contest, common sense, work ethic, clinical knowledge exam performance, etc. You should be able to excel at these things to be on par with other ENT applicants.

 

[VisionaryTics]

A (productive) research year says something about your ability to do research and publish, as well as your commitment. Clinical grades say something completely different, which can't be made up for with a research year.

I would really focus on destroying your subI and get some glowing letters that say you're the best damn clinical med student in the Western hemisphere.

 

[WilburSK]

Thanks for your good input. The reason I didn't do well is twofold (all of which are true and not intended to be excuses). 1. Our school is cutting down on the amount of high pass and honors. Roughly 75% get pass on any given rotation. 2. I either missed the exam cut-off (75th percentile for HP and 90 percentile for H) or I didn't get enough subjective honors from faculty.

I always received good written reviews, no negative comments and I am generally a good person to work with (and attested by the evals that faculty wrote). I am very tight with my home ENT program and I know that I could get good letters from them.

Essentially my 3rd year grades was a storm of missing cut offs (3 times by a point or two including surgery and internal). I know that I should have done better (I worked my ass off and had a good attitude every rotation), but there is nothing I can do about it now. I still want to do ENT and I think it is possible…here's to hoping i get a shot