MS4 Scheduling Advice for Applying into Neurology

[devonclinic]

I am an MS3 at a US med school and have to make my schedule for the coming year soon. I have perused the existing threads and found info for other situations/specialties, so I thought I'd post and see if anyone has advice specific to my situation.

Questions I have:
1) When should I take Step 2? Particularly, do I need to take it by Sept. 15? I have not done very poorly on most of my shelf exams and am worried that my Step 2 score will hurt me more than help because I am happy with my Step 1 score.

2) Based on the limited info below, what level of neuro programs should I shoot for?

3) Should I try to fit in some neuro research between now and interview season knowing that I wouldn't have any finished product to show for it in time for applications?

Step 1: 240s
No research experience in medical school but prior neuro experience. No extraordinary extracurriculars.

Thanks!

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[CD4TH2]

This is what I did earlier this year and I recommend it. I'm an ms4.

Get step 2 out the way early. I took it July/August. Nobody wants to have this test hanging over them during 4th year. Take it early so the pressure is off and you can focus on rotations.

Rotation wise, schedule a neuro rotation at your home program right after you take step 2. Then after you can do an away rotation. I feel the earlier face time is very important. Only do 1 away. 2 or 3 is just overkill.

Don't worry about research at this point if it's only purpose is just to check off the box for eras. I have good class grades, but nothing special on the steps and no research, and I have still interviewed at multiple places in every time zone in the US.

Work hard, don't complain, and you should be fine. Hope this helps.

 

[devonclinic]

Thanks- that was very helpful perspective.

One more question: should I reserve Nov/Dec for interviews or Dec/Jan?

 

[Sitagliptin]

I'd go so far as to say Nov/Dec with a lighter schedule in October, because a lot of programs start interviewing in October.

 

[fanofdancing]

I would lean toward October/November/December as far as months to interview in. I thought I would be mostly in Dec/January but it ended up being November/December with one late October interview. If you get interviews in warm weather places you can escape to the beach. Not that this winter if very bad for me so far though.

I second the taking step 2 early. I went and partied in LA after taking it. Try to register early as there are about 5 cities nationwide you can take it at.

As for rotations coming up, I don't feel its necessary to take a neurology rotation at your own institution if you have already earned an honors in neuro. If you want to do it then go for it. Maybe your school has a neuro sub-internship but I did an internal medicine sub-I, emergency medicine, and nephrology and had a good time. I did not do any away rotations but I think if you could get a good letter of recommendation from someone outside your geographic area then that may broaden your interview invites and perhaps get you some stronger ones.

I had stats pretty comparable to yours and I applied across the country, got interviews from coast to coast though not at huge name programs (UCSF, Wash U, Ivy league). I did get some in LA, San Diego, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle. I am from the Midwest and not from a top 20 medical school. That is my best I can offer as far as what schools to shoot for. I will say a big part of the fun is when interview invites start rolling in. I would say shoot for anything that you want but have tiers as far as safety, mid-level, and reach. An adviser can give you a better idea of what schools would fall into each category.

If you actually would enjoy doing the research project then go for it. If you are gung-ho on going to a big name place (Which seem to be big research institutions) then maybe just a little something could help. I had no research.

Best of luck

 

[InVivo]

Answering your questions:
1) Key for STEP exams is taking it when you are ready. Scoring well should obviously be a priority, even if it means you need more time to study for it. With that being said, some residencies will wait until you release STEP2 scores before offering an interview. I took my CK relatively late and released it, after which I received a few invites from programs. Unfortunately, it is not like the past where you can put off the test until January due to a strong STEP1.

2) Another key part of your application is LoRs, which I don't see anything. I am assuming with honors in your clerkship, there are good opportunties for LoRs there. With that being said, I think you are competitive for many of the higher mid-tier programs with a smattering of a few top programs. However, you should defer this to your advisor. Just for sake of consistency, I'll refer to doximity rankings. I believe you can reasonably be competitive for the 20-40 programs, with a smattering of 10-20 programs and a couple of top 10 programs. Consider that many of the top top programs are interested in having their residents heavily involved in research, doing mandatory research, and are well represented by MD-PhDs. Those programs may not be a good fit for you if you don't have research interests. Furthermore, top programs are more likely to be advanced/mostly advanced programs. With your scores, it may be very difficult for you to secure prelim IM/transitional years, considering your competition.

3) Neuro research will help you have something to talk about on interviews/future interests, and to give you some more ties to your home institution. I don't see any downside to this, but it wont help very much if you cant get anything (poster, presentation, paper) out of it.

4) I would just aim to have easy electives of off rotations for the interview months. The early interviews you get (October, early november) will be from programs who send you early invites... duh... but that means you are solidly competitive for them and they really like what they see on paper. January is a time when a lot of people will start sending you invites of waitlists. That means possible dream programs. What I did was I had easy electives for October till mid November, then off rotations until the end of January.

Do well with your remaining rotations, do research if it interests you, and crush STEP2 as early as you are ready. Aways optional, but make sure you get your LoRs in.

 

[devonclinic]

Any thoughts about when in the year to try to schedule my Medicine Sub-I or does it not matter much whether that grade is in for applications?

 

[InVivo]

Any thoughts about when in the year to try to schedule my Medicine Sub-I or does it not matter much whether that grade is in for applications?

Early if:
-You need/want IM LoRs
-You will be applying to a lot of advanced programs and, therefore, will be also applying to a lot of IM pre-lim programs. It will look better to have a nice grade and letter from Medicine when you are competing against a lot of competitive people.

Late if:
-You need your early rotations to do Neuro sub-i or away rotations
-You need time to study for STEP2, although learning on rotations is always an option too.

Personally, I have yet to do my medicine Sub-I as a current MS-4. I wanted study time for STEP2, and needed Neuro letters.