Need Help regarding landing a surgery res.

[TheCat]

Hey everyone, I am new to the board but have found it a complete wealth of info. I searched to learn as much as i could but i could not find info on what i am desperatly curious about. I transfered schools into 3rd year and ended up having to miss my first 2 rotations of 3rd year due to some complications finalizing the transfer. 1 of the rotations i missed was surgery. The good thing was I was scheduled to have it first and probably wouldnt have done well but the bad part is that I now have to make it up 4th year. The problem is i really want to do gen. surg and obviously doing my surgery rotation fourth year will be no good for my application cycle. I also will not be able to do electives before applying etc. So the only things i can think of is to try to do surgery this year and do peds or something 4th year instead but the odds of that are slim as changing is hard to do. I had no choice in my order of rotations since i transfered. The other thing I can think of is to take a complete year off and apply in my 5th year and just do research or something.
2. The other thing i am very concerned about is i got a disapointing step 1 score of 218 which is disapointing because i wanted to do gen surgery. I had very poor testing conditions for a numb of reasons and know i could have done much better so I want to score a solid step 2 score. The problem with that is can I take step 2 early enough before applications to get the score in to the res. 2nd. by chance i cannot do that, is a 218 enough to land gen surgery providing 3rd year grades ok and overall application is average?

3. If all this does not work and i have to apply 4th year like usual, is there a way to apply into transitional year and then apply from transitional into surgery? and can someone explain how transitional to surgery would work?

I know this is alot but any input would really be helpful as i am worried with my current set up i will not be able to get my foot in the door to surgery and be miserable doing something i hate all due to bad timing, circumstances etc.

thanks alot!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[synapse lapse]

Hey everyone, I am new to the board but have found it a complete wealth of info. I searched to learn as much as i could but i could not find info on what i am desperatly curious about. I transfered schools into 3rd year and ended up having to miss my first 2 rotations of 3rd year due to some complications finalizing the transfer. 1 of the rotations i missed was surgery. The good thing was I was scheduled to have it first and probably wouldnt have done well but the bad part is that I now have to make it up 4th year. The problem is i really want to do gen. surg and obviously doing my surgery rotation fourth year will be no good for my application cycle. I also will not be able to do electives before applying etc. So the only things i can think of is to try to do surgery this year and do peds or something 4th year instead but the odds of that are slim as changing is hard to do. I had no choice in my order of rotations since i transfered. The other thing I can think of is to take a complete year off and apply in my 5th year and just do research or something.
2. The other thing i am very concerned about is i got a disapointing step 1 score of 218 which is disapointing because i wanted to do gen surgery. I had very poor testing conditions for a numb of reasons and know i could have done much better so I want to score a solid step 2 score. The problem with that is can I take step 2 early enough before applications to get the score in to the res. 2nd. by chance i cannot do that, is a 218 enough to land gen surgery providing 3rd year grades ok and overall application is average?

3. If all this does not work and i have to apply 4th year like usual, is there a way to apply into transitional year and then apply from transitional into surgery? and can someone explain how transitional to surgery would work?

I know this is alot but any input would really be helpful as i am worried with my current set up i will not be able to get my foot in the door to surgery and be miserable doing something i hate all due to bad timing, circumstances etc.

thanks alot!

Let me put a disclaimer that I am an MS1 and know close to nothing, so most of what I relay is from personal talks or can be found in Isersons Guide to getting into residency, which I read over the summer:

1)I think you could schedule the surg. rotation as the first rotation during 4th year if you absolutely can't fit it in 3rd, but try to get it in 3rd. Usually you would be doing a sub-I or specialty rotation during the begining of 4th year for your chosen specialty. You may be able to pull off doing it this early,talk to an advisor at school.

2)from the statistics I have seen, 218 will certianly get you into gen surg, and I don't think step 2 matters much at all (Iserson). Gen surg not too competitive, you certainly could get a spot somewhere if you are able to do rotation/get letters before app.

3) see Iserson, descibes all about transitional year or surg prelim. Basically, I recommend buying Iserson and reading it over a week, it will answer many of your quesions. I would also recommend finidng an advisor at your school to talk to about your situation specificaly, talk to the residency director in surgery and let him know whats happening/get his advice.

Sorry don't know much.

 

[Smurfette]

actually, gen surg has become pretty competitive the last couple years. Your school's goal should be to prepare you for the residency you want to do as every school wants their students to have a high match rate. So you should talk to your dean or whoever and tell them you want to do gen surg and need to have that rotation as a med3 so you can do a sub-i early during med4 to get your letters. just my two cents.

 

[TheCat]

thanks guys I will definetly check out that book and try to get things straightened out. I mean I do know and will obviously try to get it in 3rd year, it is just that I recently heard that how our rotations are set up that it is very hard to switch individual rotations for another one but I will tell them my deep interest in surgery and that will hopefully do it. Thanks again for taking the time, it is much appreciated!