Also wanted to chime in as inspiration for those that have had it rough -- and congrats to all those who matched!
Here's my app:
Stacking against me:
- IMG
- 216/226 Steps
- very little research and it was non-EM
- very little extracurriculars
- had to take a year off
- my dean strongly discouraged me several times from pursuing EM and insisted that I have backups (I didn't)
What I had going for me:
- HP in all clerkships except for honors in surgery
- fantastic letters and SLOE
- five away rotations in EM in which I did very well
- a killer personal statement (at least I'd like to think so
)
Applied to 90+, interview invites at 7, interviewed at 7, ranked 7
Matched EM, and I still can't believe it. I kept checking my email to make sure it wasn't a mistake.
Some programs threw my application out just based on the fact that I'm an IMG. If I had schmoozed more and attended ACEP or SAEM, maybe I would have landed more interviews because once people get to know me, they like me. If you are not a terrible person and a solid doctor, for those of you who want EM but don't think you "have what it takes" in this competitive field, get yourself exposed as much as possible. There are plenty of programs who look at the ENTIRE person. Get your foot in the door however you can, and don't let your scores or where you go to school hold you back.
Good luck to everyone on Friday, and congrats to everyone who made it!