I know the Bay area is *ideal* for tech, but there are tons of other fantastic cities with major tech offices, so definitely make sure you've explored all of those areas as well. My SO's in tech, and he has job offers for next year from Google in Pittsburgh, Amazon in Detroit, Microsoft in Salt Lake City--cities that I wouldn't have thought were big tech hubs sometimes have really awesome opportunities. Other big non-CA tech cities are Austin, Seattle, Raleigh...he might not be able to stay with his current company, but there are great tech jobs all over the country. If you don't have that strong of a preference for derm vs. IM, then sure, follow your SO wherever. But if you really want to do derm, then just know that there are lots of cities outside of California with derm residencies and cool tech companies! Best of luck!
(WAMC) What are my chances for matching into Dermatology?
- Thread starter nope80
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I know the Bay area is *ideal* for tech, but there are tons of other fantastic cities with major tech offices, so definitely make sure you've explored all of those areas as well. My SO's in tech, and he has job offers for next year from Google in Pittsburgh, Amazon in Detroit, Microsoft in Salt Lake City--cities that I wouldn't have thought were big tech hubs sometimes have really awesome opportunities. Other big non-CA tech cities are Austin, Seattle, Raleigh...he might not be able to stay with his current company, but there are great tech jobs all over the country. If you don't have that strong of a preference for derm vs. IM, then sure, follow your SO wherever. But if you really want to do derm, then just know that there are lots of cities outside of California with derm residencies and cool tech companies! Best of luck!
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I recently discovered during a 2 week elective during my 3rd year that Dermatology has everything I desire in a medical specialty. Prior to going all in on the match, I wanted to know what you guys thought my chances were since it is such a competitive field. In addition, Im 'also seeking some advice on what to do my 4th year to better my chances.
My stats:
State MD school working on MD degree.
Preclinical: All HP with several H and a single P in a H/HP/P/F system
Step 1: 247
Clinical: H in IM, The rest are in the works, but it looks like I simply passed surgery based on my shelf and evaluation results. All else TBD, but I am working hard and should have very good grades in the remaining.
Step 2: TBD
EC's/honors: Very active in service with recognition for the number of service hours I have logged. Also, very interesting extracurricular's that involved charity events where we would raise money several times a year. Junior AOA is unlikely due to there being many stuents who Honored everything, but Senior AOA is a possibility if my clniical grades are excelent. No traditional leadership positions.
Research: During medical school, received a small grant, designed a study, and was first author in a peer reviewed published journal in a surgical topic unrelated to derm. Was involved in some R&D work for a medical device, but no research from there.
My stats:
State MD school working on MD degree.
Preclinical: All HP with several H and a single P in a H/HP/P/F system
Step 1: 247
Clinical: H in IM, The rest are in the works, but it looks like I simply passed surgery based on my shelf and evaluation results. All else TBD, but I am working hard and should have very good grades in the remaining.
Step 2: TBD
EC's/honors: Very active in service with recognition for the number of service hours I have logged. Also, very interesting extracurricular's that involved charity events where we would raise money several times a year. Junior AOA is unlikely due to there being many stuents who Honored everything, but Senior AOA is a possibility if my clniical grades are excelent. No traditional leadership positions.
Research: During medical school, received a small grant, designed a study, and was first author in a peer reviewed published journal in a surgical topic unrelated to derm. Was involved in some R&D work for a medical device, but no research from there.
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You should be fine, I would reach out to your home department to see if you can start with any derm research. Volunteer service is always great but tends to be overlooked during the application process for derm. Your Step 1 score, research, AOA status, and of course derm LORs will all carry more weight.
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Thanks! I will get in touch with them to see if anything is available.
Hello everyone, I was hoping to get your thoughts on my chances for matching into dermatology. I am geographically constrained because of my SO's job, so ideally would like to match in California or NYC (I do have ties to both places)
Step I: 259 (Step 2 not taken yet)
Top 5 med school
Preclinical: All P in a P/F system
Clinical: Honors in most core rotations
EC's/honors: Decent amount of teaching, volunteering, and leadership
Research: Hopefully will have 5 strong clinical first-author publications at the time of application (some are currently being finalized/reviewed, some are already published) with 1 in derm and the rest in oncology-related fields, plus 1 derm case report, plus several second author publications in non-derm fields. Multiple abstracts at conferences including 1 in derm. Already taking a year off, but I've been working on both derm and non-derm research as I'm figuring out my interests.
I'm concerned because of the geographic constraints, and I wonder if the fact that I have a lot of research but not all in derm is helpful or would raise questions. I've always been very interested in derm, but have been concerned about its competitiveness given my geographic constraints. Any thoughts would be appreciated, thank you!
Step I: 259 (Step 2 not taken yet)
Top 5 med school
Preclinical: All P in a P/F system
Clinical: Honors in most core rotations
EC's/honors: Decent amount of teaching, volunteering, and leadership
Research: Hopefully will have 5 strong clinical first-author publications at the time of application (some are currently being finalized/reviewed, some are already published) with 1 in derm and the rest in oncology-related fields, plus 1 derm case report, plus several second author publications in non-derm fields. Multiple abstracts at conferences including 1 in derm. Already taking a year off, but I've been working on both derm and non-derm research as I'm figuring out my interests.
I'm concerned because of the geographic constraints, and I wonder if the fact that I have a lot of research but not all in derm is helpful or would raise questions. I've always been very interested in derm, but have been concerned about its competitiveness given my geographic constraints. Any thoughts would be appreciated, thank you!
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Step 1 score and school pedigree looks great. The fact that you've had such great research and are still taking a year off only further improves your application. I would definitely recommend taking your year off in either California or NYC to maximize your chances of matching there. In the end, even with the best pedigree, you have to apply broadly or make sure you have a backup plan in place that will land you in NYC or California
Thanks so much for your feedback. Actually I am in the middle of a year off now. When you say to have a backup plan, I assume that means applying to another specialty? Is this commonly done with derm, given the issues applicants can run into applying to two specialties (especially at the same institution, which might be necessary in terms of geographic constraints)? It seems that with derm being so competitive this would be not uncommon, but I've never heard much about it.
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A backup plan can be any number of things. It may just mean a prelim program with a plan to pursue research. It can mean another specialty (I typically don't recommend this).
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Had similar stats from a Top 5 school this cycle. Also was sort of geographically restricted by SO. I think if you're applying in dermatology, you need to sit down and have a realistic discussion with your partner about where he/she is willing to move to and how that fits into your life plan. Not sure what your partners jobs is...but there are honestly very few careers where anyone is restricted to only California or NYC, and they may need to be more understanding. This is a tough talk, but you need to have it.
Applying only to NYC and California dermatology programs is honestly not a realistic option, you'd likely be putting yourself in a position that highly risks not matching. CA/NYC programs are highly competitive/desired by many applicants and just anecdotally on the trail... there were probably 40 or more students applying from Top 5 schools this cycle who were all probably great candidates with great stats. That doesn't include the many great applicants who didn't go to Top 5 schools.
Most people use competitive prelim years at academic programs in internal medicine (or pediatrics if that's your thing) as a back-up. I personally think dual applying to a back-up specialty isn't a good option, but people definitely do it. Keep in mind that applying to prelim/transitional, dermatology and some other categorical residency is logistically difficult (just a lot of interviews to go on) and expensive. Plus, you start to encounter the fact that you're likely going to end-up applying to derm and categorical residencies at the same institutions. Other categorical residencies might not like that you're applying to them as a "back-up" if they find out. And, while many derm programs acknowledge the competitiveness of the field and that many candidates do dual-apply, some will see it as an indication that you're aren't dedicated to dermatology. I personally feel the prelim "back-up" plan is the best option, that dual-applying can actually just lead to increased stress/anxiety during the process, and you should be dedicated to matching into one field during the application process.
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You probably have 2 options if you wanna match at the program in your hometown.
(1) Do year of research at "top-tier" program and schedule an away elective for the hometown program for when you go back for 3rd (?) or 4th year.
(2) Do year of research at hometown program.
I'd maybe try and get a sense as to how much your hometown program favors applicants who did a research year there. A lot of top tier programs (Harvard, UCSF, etc.) actually don't even favor their own research fellows. I met a ton of applicants on the interview trail who had done research years at some of those top programs and didn't even get an interview there. Lesser known departments are probably more receptive to taking their own fellows.
That's true, but a big name letter of recommendation and support can go far. it's not just about matching at the institution you do research at, it's about broadening your chances at all derm programs.
Mid-tier NE school
Step 1: 260+
Step 2: scheduled for summer 2015, may postpone
Preclinical: all honors
Clinical: 5 in derm, neurology, surg subspecialty, 4 in med, surg, obgyn
-clinicals graded 5, 4, 3+, 3, 3-, 2, 1. shelf exams do not count towards clinical grades
Junior AOA
Research: first author pubs in surg subspecialty, posters and podiums at national conferences in surg subspecialty. derm clinical project in the works, case report and book chapter in progress.
Letters: research mentor, ???
my clinical grades are my biggest weakness. not much i can do now. trying to stay in the northeast due to family, will apply everywhere. any suggestions?
Step 1: 260+
Step 2: scheduled for summer 2015, may postpone
Preclinical: all honors
Clinical: 5 in derm, neurology, surg subspecialty, 4 in med, surg, obgyn
-clinicals graded 5, 4, 3+, 3, 3-, 2, 1. shelf exams do not count towards clinical grades
Junior AOA
Research: first author pubs in surg subspecialty, posters and podiums at national conferences in surg subspecialty. derm clinical project in the works, case report and book chapter in progress.
Letters: research mentor, ???
my clinical grades are my biggest weakness. not much i can do now. trying to stay in the northeast due to family, will apply everywhere. any suggestions?
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Looks like you should be fine. Step 1 score is excellent, I would postpone your Step 2 as late as possible (unless a program you want to apply to requires an earlier Step 2). Junior AOA is a big help as well. I would focus on bumping up your derm research as much as possible and obviously improving clinical grades.
If you took significant time off, a letter from your research mentor may be helpful. If not, it's more helpful to have derm letters (I'm assuming your research mentor was in a surgical subspecialty and not derm?)
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I just rotated through derm and I really enjoyed it! I was not expecting to enjoy it at all, but I absolutely loved it...even more than ophthalmology, which was my previous thought in terms of specialities. Since I am late to the derm game, I need some advice. Quite frankly, I don't even know if I am competitive enough, so be brutally honest so I make a good decision!
About me:
Good state school in the Midwest
247 Step 1
Top 25%ile in class
HP in all rotations (including surgery and IM) except P in peds.
Research: tons in ophtho...nothing in derm
LOR: need to work on derm letters. have a good IM letter
Leadership/volunteer: Involved in student government and leader in free clinic.
What are my chances? What can I do to become more competitive? Do I need a year off for research in derm/would it help my cause?
About me:
Good state school in the Midwest
247 Step 1
Top 25%ile in class
HP in all rotations (including surgery and IM) except P in peds.
Research: tons in ophtho...nothing in derm
LOR: need to work on derm letters. have a good IM letter
Leadership/volunteer: Involved in student government and leader in free clinic.
What are my chances? What can I do to become more competitive? Do I need a year off for research in derm/would it help my cause?
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Hi!
DO student here
Preclinical: no honors but good GPA We had a letter grade system
Step 1: 229 (I know I know that's not very high)
Comlex 1: 595
Clinical: Mostly passes, a few honors
Rank: top 25%
No AOA. We have an honor society called SSP, I am a member.
Research: 1 pub and another non- derm related poster. Currently working on a case report. Also a lot of volunteering.
I'm thinking of applying to IM as well just in case. Is it worth applying to dermatology with my Profile?
DO student here
Preclinical: no honors but good GPA We had a letter grade system
Step 1: 229 (I know I know that's not very high)
Comlex 1: 595
Clinical: Mostly passes, a few honors
Rank: top 25%
No AOA. We have an honor society called SSP, I am a member.
Research: 1 pub and another non- derm related poster. Currently working on a case report. Also a lot of volunteering.
I'm thinking of applying to IM as well just in case. Is it worth applying to dermatology with my Profile?
Mediocre grades in core clerkships will hurt (peds, IM and surgery are the most important). Step 1 is average now for Derm, and you should pass most filters. A research year wouldn't hurt, and would probably make you basically a sure thing, it's also important since you need strong letters and someone to go up to bat for you.
I'm doing a research year now. In terms of finding a program, I don't know if Top 10 matters as much as working with a big name Dermatologist who publishes a lot. Many times these people are at 10 top ten places. But be forewarned that at those places you might not even be offered an interview when application time rolls around due to the competitiveness.
Do you have anyone at your home institution who is a big name who publishes a lot? Either way, doing the year at home may help immensely if you want to match at your home institution.
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I think you should be OK. You are going to need to get some more research in ophtho and as you mentioned, LORS in derm. A year off would definitely help your cause and make you more competitive but if you can buff up your research before applications, you should be ok.
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You'll want check with an advisor as my experience with DO applicants is more limited. As you mentioned, your Step 1 and DO status put you at a huge disadvantage here. I would definitely recommend applying for a backup if you are concerned about going unmatched. I would also strongly recommend a research year prior to applying if you can fit it in. Is it worth applying? That's a question you'll need to answer for yourself. It's an uphill climb for you but certainly still doable. It may just take you longer to get there.
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I have to say, your comments are more encouraging than I had anticipated. I know its crazy in derm world with all the perfect students, high percentage of AOA and students from top schools. My weak point will be my clinical grades (in my defense, I have excellent comments, and I keep getting HP due to the shelf. I have scored between 75-89%ile.) I am glad that my chances are completely shot. Obviously, I will need a good backup!
wow, your school must be really strict on the percentile required to get honors. If getting 89%tile on a shelf isn't good enough to get honors, then what is?
There are schools that don't factor the shelf into the clinical grade. i've scored >90 on every shelf, but most of my grades are the equivalent of HP
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I was actually in a similar boat and successfully matched. I had zero honors third year. I went to a H/P/F school and I'm also introverted which affected my grades. I took a year of for research. I was very nervous given the lack of honors but received several interviews. I matched at a program in one of the most coveted cities. Derm is definitely hard to match as you know with the majority of applicants having several honors if not all honors. However if this is what you want to do, go for it! I think it's totally worth a shot. Just ensure you prepare well for interviews as being introverted can make it harder to impress. Best of luck!
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I wouldn't worry. What's passed has passed. Your Step 1 score is outstanding, taking a year to do research is always helpful. In particular, for someone who is quiet, it is going to be great to be able to do research at your home department and allow the faculty to really get to know you.
I too matched with scarce honors during my 3rd year. You'll find that being an introvert can actually be a bit of a benefit while doing rotations. There are so many gung-ho and enthusiastic rotators that sometimes it's nice to have someone a little quieter (and obviously still someone who does a good job, who helps, etc).
I would echo the advice above, however, when it comes to interviews. As much as it pains you, you'll want to be a bit more of an extrovert when it comes to interview season.
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How many aways would you all recommend for an applicant with low 250s step 1, HP during 3rd year, no AOA, 4 pubs, and wont be taking research year?
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I'd recommend 1-2. Your Step 1 score is above average. Everything else is either average or below, I would recommend erring on the side of more aways for you. If you don't have a home rotation, I'd up it to 2-3 aways.
Hi All,
Wondering if anyone can provide some advice. I'm interested in Derm but I am concerned about my past research. I have a completed PhD in Biomedical Engineering, but my thesis topic was in an area unrelated to derm. That said, I do believe a lot of the knowledge and skills from my PhD are transferrable to derm research. I currently have 16 publications (12 first author, 2 coauthors papers in Derm journals), multiple conference presentations (mostly unrelated to derm), and 1 patent. Just wondering if this will negatively affect my chances of a derm residency at a good (not necessarily top 5 or anything) program, since most of my research is outside of the area. Any recommendations as to what can be done to more convincingly shift my CV to show that although my research is in a different area, the skills are transferrable and I have an interest in derm?
Additionally, for electives, is it generally recommended to do as many derm electives as possible? If not, what are some good complementary electives ?
Thanks!
Wondering if anyone can provide some advice. I'm interested in Derm but I am concerned about my past research. I have a completed PhD in Biomedical Engineering, but my thesis topic was in an area unrelated to derm. That said, I do believe a lot of the knowledge and skills from my PhD are transferrable to derm research. I currently have 16 publications (12 first author, 2 coauthors papers in Derm journals), multiple conference presentations (mostly unrelated to derm), and 1 patent. Just wondering if this will negatively affect my chances of a derm residency at a good (not necessarily top 5 or anything) program, since most of my research is outside of the area. Any recommendations as to what can be done to more convincingly shift my CV to show that although my research is in a different area, the skills are transferrable and I have an interest in derm?
Additionally, for electives, is it generally recommended to do as many derm electives as possible? If not, what are some good complementary electives ?
Thanks!
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The number of electives depends on how competitive of an applicant you are and if you have a home program. If you are a weaker applicant and/or do not have a home program, you may need to do more rotations. I will say that aways are draining: you have to be excited--but not too excited, you have to be likable, and you have to not look like an idiot. Some people pull this off while eithers cannot. Even if you can pull it off, it is rough being on point day-after-day knowing that everyone is judging you. I also know that some programs (JHU, UT-Houston) advise their home students to not do aways. Ultimately there is no magic number, and you need to weigh the pros-and-cons depending on your circumstances/personality
Allergy, ID, hematology, and rheum are great rotations. I also did a wound care rotation, and I though it was super helpful (believe it or not, some derm programs frequently manage wounds while others do not).
Thanks very much for this! Those seem like great complementary elective options. The wound care elective seems especially interesting - I'll have to look into this.
I should mention, my home school does have a derm program and that is my top choice. So I definitely hope to gain some exposure to the dermatologists at home. I suppose it's more of a balancing act for derm, I.e. Do well on the rotations you have in Derm, but don't overdo it? Forgive my ignorance, but in the eyes of a Derm PD, why is this preferred over numerous electives in the field (or is it just that less electives = less risk of messing up for the applicant)? I ask just because it seems different compared to some friends I have interested in ortho, for example, where they have been advised to rack up a bunch of ortho electives. In any case, it seems like the approach you mention also allows for an applicant to back-up fairly well with internal.
Thank you again for your help with this!
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A PhD will never impact you negatively. It certainly helps to have it in an area related to derm (moreso for the chance to build connections within the field) but it won't negatively affect your chances at matching. As others have mentioned, I would structure the number of derm electives you do based on how strong your application is.
Most applicants now will do at least one home rotation and one away rotation. The weaker your application profile is, the more away derm electives you will want to do. The strong your application profile is, you may only want to do 1 home and 2 aways at the very most. Most derm rotations are exercises in shadowing and it is hard to be "on your game" 100% of the time. By the 3rd month, boredom does set in and all it takes is one slipup to ruin your chances: show up to clinic late, get caught playing on your cell phone, rub a faculty member in the wrong way, etc.
If you are an outstanding student on the clinical wards, that may also skew you towards more electives. In general (and I was the same way), we tend to overrate our abilities in clinic and for a stronger applicant, you don't need to expose yourself to as much risk via more electives.
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Hi all,
MS3 here trying to decide once and for all if I'm going to try for derm. Have been considering if strongly since first year, but no research in it. Was a bit turned off after meeting advisor a couple months ago who seemed pretty discouraged when I said I didn't honor medicine, and made clear I should honor everything else. Now, trying to decide if I'm truly going to give up on it. Radiology is my other very strong interest, so that is the route I would take it not for derm. I'm struggling with whether to go for it, and whether to search for a research year off. As an older student, getting a little tired of the unknown, and worried about not matching despite taking an entire year off. Thanks much for having a look!
Stats:
-Top 40 school with consistently great match list
-Pre-clinicals: mostly honors
-Step 1: 252
-3rd Year Clinical: This is what is killing me, Honors/Pass/Fail system: Honors in Family Medicine and Psych; Pass in medicine, Peds, and OB/GYN; Just finished surgery, could go either way, but I'm mildly optimistic
-Research: 3 years in a lab before med school; 1 basic science 1st author in dev bio journal; 1 mid-author publication in graduate med ed journal from 1st year summer; could get one more 1st author basic science in the next year
Extra-curric: a lot of these with a lot of leadership
MS3 here trying to decide once and for all if I'm going to try for derm. Have been considering if strongly since first year, but no research in it. Was a bit turned off after meeting advisor a couple months ago who seemed pretty discouraged when I said I didn't honor medicine, and made clear I should honor everything else. Now, trying to decide if I'm truly going to give up on it. Radiology is my other very strong interest, so that is the route I would take it not for derm. I'm struggling with whether to go for it, and whether to search for a research year off. As an older student, getting a little tired of the unknown, and worried about not matching despite taking an entire year off. Thanks much for having a look!
Stats:
-Top 40 school with consistently great match list
-Pre-clinicals: mostly honors
-Step 1: 252
-3rd Year Clinical: This is what is killing me, Honors/Pass/Fail system: Honors in Family Medicine and Psych; Pass in medicine, Peds, and OB/GYN; Just finished surgery, could go either way, but I'm mildly optimistic
-Research: 3 years in a lab before med school; 1 basic science 1st author in dev bio journal; 1 mid-author publication in graduate med ed journal from 1st year summer; could get one more 1st author basic science in the next year
Extra-curric: a lot of these with a lot of leadership
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I think you stand a good shot of matching even without the research year off. Unfortunately, the match for derm is such a crapshoot that it leaves even the best of applicants with some uncertainty. There are plenty of people who have matched without honoring medicine. As an older student who may not be interested in taking a year off for research, I think it's still certainly doable. A year of research isn't going to guarantee anything but should significantly boost your chances.
I don't recommend it but a colleague was showing me figures on how "easy" it was to match into radiology this past year. You could theoretically try to apply for derm and use radiology as the backup. You would have to ask around on how best to structure your home and away electives for both fields however.
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Good morning all,
Apart from the chairmain, I don't think any of my letters will have impact factor as far as the signature at the bottom, although the content should be good.
My questions are:
-What are my chances of matching?
-What sorts of programs am I looking at matching into? I am guessing that I am probably not competitive enough research wise for the highest programs, which is OK with me
-Do I need to do an away rotation? I was told by my school advisors and program director that unless there is a place that I want to go in particular, this would likely only hurt my chances.
-Are letters from dermatologists all that matter? Or would I stand to benefit from getting a letter from say my medicine Sub-I.
Apart from the chairmain, I don't think any of my letters will have impact factor as far as the signature at the bottom, although the content should be good.
My questions are:
-What are my chances of matching?
-What sorts of programs am I looking at matching into? I am guessing that I am probably not competitive enough research wise for the highest programs, which is OK with me
-Do I need to do an away rotation? I was told by my school advisors and program director that unless there is a place that I want to go in particular, this would likely only hurt my chances.
-Are letters from dermatologists all that matter? Or would I stand to benefit from getting a letter from say my medicine Sub-I.
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I'd say slim-none chance of matching.
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1) I think you already know you are in good shape
2) None. Apply to as many programs as you can see yourself at. Worry about narrowing down the list AFTER you've interviewed at the programs that have selected you for interview
3) Given your stats, I'm inclined to agree with your advisors. In my experience, students feel like they're "missing out" if they don't do at least one away. I would recommend doing at least one just to see how programs can differ (I'm assuming you have a home department). More than 2 is likely to be low yield and will probably hurt more than help
4) Outstanding letters from well-known dermatologists are best. But a letter from an unknown dermatologist is still better than a letter from someone in internal medicine
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268 from a top 10 school? You will get invites at all of the top programs even without a ton of research
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thank you guys for the input. I didn't mean to come off as someone who had NO idea that I had a decent chance at matching, but my home program director did raise my concerns somewhat and I opted to come here for advice (haven't really been here since being a pre-med).
Just to clarify, it seems that NOT doing an away rotation would NOT be a detriment to my application?
(in other words I would be equally fine if I opted not to do an away? - It may be challenging to fit in an away rotation before January, but I may be able to do one for my own personal sake January-February-March.
And 2 short follow up questions -
1) I assume I should put off taking step 2 CK until say December 2015 (I am taking CS in August); is this correct?
2) Would applying to competitive internal medicine programs be a sufficient backup plan? Or should I plan to apply to categorical medicine as a backup as well? I know that prior posts had stated that pre-lim internal medicine may be enough, but I don't know the chances of having a pre-lim program extended into a categorical if things fall apart.
Thank you all again, this is really helpful for me.
Just to clarify, it seems that NOT doing an away rotation would NOT be a detriment to my application?
(in other words I would be equally fine if I opted not to do an away? - It may be challenging to fit in an away rotation before January, but I may be able to do one for my own personal sake January-February-March.
And 2 short follow up questions -
1) I assume I should put off taking step 2 CK until say December 2015 (I am taking CS in August); is this correct?
2) Would applying to competitive internal medicine programs be a sufficient backup plan? Or should I plan to apply to categorical medicine as a backup as well? I know that prior posts had stated that pre-lim internal medicine may be enough, but I don't know the chances of having a pre-lim program extended into a categorical if things fall apart.
Thank you all again, this is really helpful for me.
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It would be OK to skip doing aways. If you hang out around enough applicants though, you are going to feel like you are "missing out". A suitable balance would be to try one or two aways.
I agree you should put off CK until December. That being said, more and more programs are asking to see CK scores so make sure the programs you are interested in aren't requiring it at time of application
You should be fine. You can certainly apply to a few IM programs but if you are set on derm, I would apply to a couple of rigorous prelim programs and use them to springboard into a backup if needed (research year, continuing as a categorical, transitioning as a categorial IM resident at other programs, etc)
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I am pretty sure I know the answer to my situation, but I would love feedback from dermatologists who have been through the process.
I go to a lower tiered school and failed a preclinical class. I have been doing middle of the pack since and rectified by study habits. I don't have a home derm program, so I don't have any mentors at home.
Assuming I manage to score a measly 240 and do well on clinicals, is it possible to recover from my mistake?
I am thinking no and I should focus on doing well in medical school and building my application for another residency. I have big publications in a different field, but not for derm.
Socially, I am not a monster, so rotating would be to my advantage according to multiple doctors. But the issue are my numbers.
I am also underrepresented, but I am not African American or Mexican, which I don't think helps me.
Any advice is appreciated.
I really love derm, but I don't see a path to success.
I go to a lower tiered school and failed a preclinical class. I have been doing middle of the pack since and rectified by study habits. I don't have a home derm program, so I don't have any mentors at home.
Assuming I manage to score a measly 240 and do well on clinicals, is it possible to recover from my mistake?
I am thinking no and I should focus on doing well in medical school and building my application for another residency. I have big publications in a different field, but not for derm.
Socially, I am not a monster, so rotating would be to my advantage according to multiple doctors. But the issue are my numbers.
I am also underrepresented, but I am not African American or Mexican, which I don't think helps me.
Any advice is appreciated.
I really love derm, but I don't see a path to success.
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It's a little too early to be thinking about all this. I'd focus on knocking Step 1 out of the park before worrying about which specialty to focus on. No matter what specialty you ultimately end up in, a high Step 1 score will be helpful. Recognizing your weaknesses and changing your study habits is a good start. However, people who are "middle of the pack" don't just magically score 240+. More work will be needed. Everything else often sorts itself out once you get your Step 1 score back.
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Just an FYI, some programs may filter you out based on having failed a course so just keep that in mind.
End of third year at lower tiered US MD school.
Honored all courses except anatomy and physiology. 263 on step 1. Have honored all third year clinical clerkships with high 90's on all the NBME shelfs. Didn't make junior AOA but am anticipating making senior AOA.
The question I have is that until about 3 months ago I thought I wanted to do orthopedic surgery. I have a good amount of ortho research and ortho related leadership positions but I don't have any derm extracurriculars. I'm working on starting up 1-2 derm research projects now. What do you think my chances are of matching into derm without showing a lot of interest in the field during my first few years of medical school? I know that academically I'm a strong candidate but my school doesn't have a great track record with matching into derm and I'm afraid that I won't have shown enough interest in the field before I apply this fall.
Any responses or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Honored all courses except anatomy and physiology. 263 on step 1. Have honored all third year clinical clerkships with high 90's on all the NBME shelfs. Didn't make junior AOA but am anticipating making senior AOA.
The question I have is that until about 3 months ago I thought I wanted to do orthopedic surgery. I have a good amount of ortho research and ortho related leadership positions but I don't have any derm extracurriculars. I'm working on starting up 1-2 derm research projects now. What do you think my chances are of matching into derm without showing a lot of interest in the field during my first few years of medical school? I know that academically I'm a strong candidate but my school doesn't have a great track record with matching into derm and I'm afraid that I won't have shown enough interest in the field before I apply this fall.
Any responses or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
